Tracking Systems - What would you choose?
 

Hi

My Tracker subscription is coming to an end and my car also has TrackStar GPS system fitted.

Of the two which would you choose? Tracker is 'radio' based and has a known track record, trackstar is a GPS system but i dont know much about them.

Yes I know :p some of you will say dont bother, but i like the security aspect of this type of system, also (to those who are in the insurance business) IS there any reduction to cost if you use one?

I would'nt. My insurer (admiral) told me it would save me around £20 a year, so i would never see the return on my investment....in fact i have a spec D sti now which has trackstar fitted as standard and i dont even pay the subscription, since even that would not net me a return!....

Have you considered the other GPS based trackers that are out there (like the SIM card ones)? I'm also interested in thoughts on this as may be sorting one of these myself.

not considered any other as i have a specD (as above) with the system already fitted.

there a £300 sim card version one out there someonewhere. you install it - car gets nicked you ring / text and it tells you the grid reference of where it is --- Crap if it uses the iphone as i can never get a signal!

Get the Tracker with the GPS option.
Sure if your an existing customer Tracker only charge £90 for a new one.

I have a Tracker Horizon in mine, which is usual Tracker + GPS, so best of both worlds.

Thought I found a snooper one which uses the orangr / t-mobile signals for around £120 but no idea if it's any good

My local church had a problem with Mobile phones going off all through sermons :( Vicar got fed up with this so he bought a little Tri-band GPRS/GSM black box the stops every phone in a Hundred metre radius getting a signal in our out. HEAVEN ;)

They are VERY portable not very expensive, easy to find and get. They can do 500mtr radius.

I try not to park next to the Church, as alarm will know its GPS position and try to dial out to saying "HELP I'm being stolen at N123232-W343437 HELP" and no phone(GPRS/GSM) signal.

The last thing you'd want to do is give the Vicar a lift and forget to take the unit out of his pocket, it would never get a signal back to base. or recieve a Text to say STOP or HALT etc.

Technology is great but it only amazes or baffles the people that buy it, not the thieves ;) Do a google search bet you find cheaper than your subscription IMHO

One of the reasons why insurances don't DEMAND these a fitted. They will catch the ignorant Joy riders but rarely a "Thief"

Most car sites try to avoid these topics VOODOO because the might help "Thieves" sorry the only ones in the dark are the Buyers. IMHO

Buy mechanical systems

Tony

I had a Cobra Track fitted to mine just for peace of mind.

i had a tracker horizon fitted to fine, good value for money and the service i received was fantastic

Waste of time IMHO so don't bother if insurance co don't insist ... expensive to install, don't save much on the premium, fairly easy for hardened crims to bypass + you'll get a fooked car back after it has been ragged all over town.

TX.

I used to have a tracker monitor.

But I personally find their customer service to be lacking; they are great up to the point it is fitted, but afterwards they offer no service except some propagander and the actual tracking once the car is stolen.

If there is any question on the tracker unit's operation, they are unwilling to send someone out to test it. The tracker on my car had been fitted for five years; how do I know it still works, or if the backup battery is still OK? They wanted to charge me to send someone out to have a look at it. Considering the subscription fees I think they should include this FOC.

They also offer zero concession/discount for existing customers who buy a new car.

Then there is the fact if the car is stolen - do you really want it back?

As such, the only time I'll have a tracker is if insurance is cheaper, most of the time the discount is the same as the sunscription costs, so there is no point as there is no saving.

Had both Tracker and Trackstar, no issues with either, personally would rather have one that not, but don't know much about any of the other options...