If you are concerned about your car being stolen or you want to be able to keep tabs on it when you lend it to your loved ones, then you may have decided to invest in a vehicle tracker. Trackers are an excellent choice and provide you with a powerful way of keeping you and your vehicle safer than ever before.
There’s no doubt that car crime is becoming more prevalent than ever before, meaning that you need to think beyond the police and claiming on your insurance and start considering how you can help the process. A car tracker is the obvious starting point, but with so many different options to choose from, it can be difficult to pick out the right tracker for your needs. To help you with your decision, we’ve shared some advice for you to follow so that you can be sure that your needs will be fully met.
Talk to Your Insurance Provider
Some people find that their insurance provider is not happy to offer insurance unless you have a tracking device fitted. This is most common for people who cannot store their car securely, live in an area that is well known for car crime or those who have claimed for car crime previously. In these situations, you will need to get a professional installation service to provide you with a tracker that they then install in your car and provide you with certified papers that you can share with your insurer.
If you have not been directed to get a tracker, then you can still choose to do this for your own peace of mind. Make sure that you talk to your insurer about this so that they can add it to your records and hopefully give you a discount on your premiums!
Choose a Thatcham Approved Device
The Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre is located in Thatcham and works as a partner in the insurance industry, offering unbiased testing on a number of security devices, including vehicle trackers. Whilst the MIRRC does not legally approve trackers, they do test and certify them so that consumers can pick one that will be accepted by their insurance provider.
The rating scale used when approving a device is an Ss7, S5 and S5+, meaning that if your insurance company has asked you to get a tracker installed, then they may also have specified the grade of the device based on this scale. The S5+ is the best rating and comes with a wide range of benefits, including an anti-hijack feature that can immobilise a stolen car when it has been located. Despite being given a minimum level of conformity by your insurer, it is always worth picking the best device you can afford, especially if you want to avoid the issues caused by jammers and poor signals.
Knowing the Value of a Tracker
Many people want to know whether a tracker is worth investing in and how much they can expect to pay. In reality, if you are concerned about your car being stolen, then it is always worth having a device fitted. However, you will need to be prepared to pay up to £600 upfront with a £200 subscription for the very best devices. Take a look at the latest prices at TrackerTeam.
Finally, if you are tempted to install your own tracker, then this is entirely your choice, but you won’t reap any rewards from your insurer as you will need the device to be certified by a qualified installer to achieve this, something that cannot happen when you do it yourself. The good news is that once you have paid an installer to fit your device, you can get them to come back and install it in a new car when needed.
