NEWS

A question we are asked regularly, don't think of our product as a straight tracker, think of it as a silent alarm, that also tells you where your vehicle is.

There is the argument, "it's insured, what do I care?". Insurance companies are great in a storm; however they will only pay out "market value" which may be significantly less than what you paid for it, or even have finance for. Plus if you have a theft and they have to pay out a significant amount, this will be a claim, and as such may well affect your premiums or ability to shop around for insurance quotes in the future. So claiming on insurance should really be the last resort.

With approx 200,000 vehicles being stolen / yr, it is obvious manufacturers security is not sufficient to keep them from being stolen. Initially in the 60's and 70's locks and keys were enough, thieves became better at overcoming such things so in the 80's aftermarket immobilisers and alarms became available and by the late 90's most cars had factory fit devices. With heightened, ever more complex electronic security the feeling was that vehicle crime would be under control. Unfortunately where there is a will, there is a way. Thieves responded to the measures by targeting the keys rather than the vehicle, breaking into domestic and commercial buildings to steal the keys. Some more brazen thieves would resort to car jacking, taking the car from the owner whilst they are driving it.

But in the last few years vehicles are being stolen electronically "hacked". They access the vehicle diagnostics port and reprogram the cars on-board computer, fooling it into thinking the owner is using the car. They are then free to drive it away.

A recent revelation is that some modern vehicles can be "hacked" without even getting into the car. Thieves are using the cars inbuilt wireless technology to open the doors and start the engine.

So back to the question, why fit a tracker?

Any increased security that can be put into your vehicle increases the chance you will be able to avoid it being taken.

Alarms are all very well, but are conditional on either the owner being in earshot of the vehicle, or that passers by will intervene.

An alarm tracker will advise the owner by SMS Text Message of any illegal activity in/on the vehicle and because it is separate to the vehicles main security it cannot be "hacked" and disabled at the same time. So it doesn't matter if you are a fraction of a mile away, at the office, shopping or the other side of the world on holiday, your vehicle can inform you of its situation enabling you to act upon it there and then, not in an hour, 8hrs or 2 weeks when you find your vehicle is no-longer where you left it.