Just had an email today confirming my '10 JCW will be ready for my collection on March 2nd. I'm trading up an '07 MC.

The JCW all told was £27,000 as I went a bit silly with the toys list. The dealership have suggested I get a tracker fitted to it, as apparently they're pretty high on the UK's stolen-to-order list.

Does anyone have any experience of the dealer fit tracker?

 

We have a similar system here in the states. I considered it, but in talking with some of the local law enforcement types that live around me, I decided to pas on it. I'm told that the system was initially very useful, but that the organized car theft folks have quickly learned how to identify the system and remove or defeat it. I'm told that there is a very narrow window when a stolen car can be recovered using the system. After that, the devices are rendered inoperable somehow.

To me, the system seemed very expensive and not particularly attractive. I really am not in a hurry for the police to find the burned out hulk of my car.

I'm also told, however, that Minis are amongst the most difficult cars to steal because of the computerized ignition. Apparently, without the key "fob" the computer turns into a lump of useless silicon. The car can be picked up and trucked away, but not easily driven away. We actually get somewhat better rates on our insurance over here because of the low loss rate on the little cars.

I presume that all such systems work pretty much alike, and accordingly, I'd imagine that the success rates are also about the same.

I found it to be too expensive. My opinion only. YMMV.

 

I work in Law Enforcement. I have a little box on my dash that locates stolen cars that have Lo-Jack. I've recovered cars within minutes with the Lo-Jack system. Without the system the car could take days, month or even longer!

 

You might want to check with the folks over here across the pond.

 

While I would obviously yield to a true user of the system, does Lo-Jack facilitate location immediately after the theft as well as, for example, several days after the theft? Put another way, is it less likely that the system will help in locating the vehicle 3 or 4 days after the theft than it is 3 or 4 hours after the theft?

I'm still on the fence on this one. I also have a motorbike, and it does have the Lo-Jack system, and I wonder every once in awhile if I made a mistake by not adding to the Mini. I will freely admit that as the myriad of options was presented while I was signing the papers for the car, I became a bit frustrated at the efforts to get more money out of me. I had just gotten adjusted to the fact that I was writing a check in excess of $20,000 for the car and they kept trying to sell me Lo-Jack, etching services, wheel/tire replacement services, a whole range of extended warranties, a paint treatment service, extended service plans, and etc. I got stuck in the mode of just saying NO. Perhaps the Lo-Jack should have gotten more consideration.

But it was expensive.

 

The VIN has to be entered into the NCIC system and listed as stolen before LoJack will activate the transmitter.

 

He is right, the vehicle has to be reported stolen and entered as stolen by a law enforcement officer. The veh's owner can't activate the Lo-Jack. And yes, I have found some cars several days later. I won't get into why because it would give too much info out on how to defeat it.

I can tell you that once a signal is found almost everyone loves trying to find it.

 

Just a heads up if any UK mini owner is interested in a tracker... Just heard from my dealership that BMW have a standard tracker they use in their vehicles - its a Trafficmaster Trackstar and cost £349 with a £132 annual subscription. Its a GPS based tracker system. So have ordered that to be installed on my 2010 JCW.