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LoJack/GPS vehicle recovery

Chipster27

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What has your experience been? Seems to me most of the newer vehicles have so many deterrents from the manufacturer that people are stealing older vehicles. Two of our cars have LoJack, two don't and I didn't get it on the Harley. My perspective is that if someone steals them I have insurance, and honestly I don't want them back. Put them in a container and send them to some third world country.

However, it did get me thinking about my off road car. Incredibly easy to steal and I'd hate to lose it, just like a boat. But, I don't want to spend $700 for LoJack or some other device. In searching Amazon I found a GPS/SMS/GPRS system for $30 that you plug a cellular SIM card in to and it provides basically the same service as LoJack for the cost of replenishing the minutes on the card, $40/yr. At $700 for LoJack it would take me over 17 years to break even, and the device could be moved from car to car if I sell the Baja.

What has your experience been, and does LoJack or any other "vehicle recovery" device add any benefit when reselling the vehicle?

Here's the device. 147 reviews and 4.5 stars out of 5. Seems like a good, inexpensive alternative to what's commercially available.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KNR2YZ4?keywords=TK103a&qid=1452532886&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
 

9094Life

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If my car is stolen, I don't want it back. Especially after some tweaker has ransacked it, drove the piss out of it, smoked meth in it, and drove a few of his tweaker friends around in it. Ive see too many recovered stolen cars to make me ever want it back. Ill take the insurance payout.

I will add, LoJack works and it becomes quite the game to locate the car when its on the move. Kind of fun.
 

sergeantmike

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I worked with that system for many years when with the poleese. The system works, Some finance and insurance companies offer a discount if installed. If your local Law Enforcement Agency is not LoJack equipped it can be a waste of $$ if your ride gets ripped and no one can track it.

Case in point, went to court in San Diego on a case... at the time no LoJack stuff in the area. We picked up a weak signal, found the car, it had been painted twice, sold twice and vin switched once. Recovered it 5 years after it was stolen. Little LoJack gizmo was still chirping, there was just no one there to listen until we flew in by accident.
 

pronstar

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Looks like a good idea. GPS tech is cheap, it's about time someone got with the program.

Stealing a newer car often requires carjacking (one of those "unintended consequences" of making them harder to steal) or a tow truck.
 

TOBTEK

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If my car is stolen, I don't want it back. Especially after some tweaker has ransacked it, drove the piss out of it, smoked meth in it, and drove a few of his tweaker friends around in it. Ive see too many recovered stolen cars to make me ever want it back. Ill take the insurance payout.

I will add, LoJack works and it becomes quite the game to locate the car when its on the move. Kind of fun.


You may not want said stolen car back after if recovered......BUT if its more cost effective for your Ins Co, your getting it back. period.

The new EARLY WARNING system available as an upgrade to the basic Lojack is great! If your vehicle move an inch, it sends a mass broadcast to you Via 5 means of communications. IT WORKS!


If anyone ever wants a Lojack system at WHOLESALE PM me, I'm a dealer for them. Can have Lojack come directly to your home or office ;)
 

TOBTEK

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Looks like a good idea. GPS tech is cheap, it's about time someone got with the program.

Stealing a newer car often requires carjacking (one of those "unintended consequences" of making them harder to steal) or a tow truck.

That's how the Pro's do it. Less then 5 minutes from start to finish and their GONE. Many Lojack equipped cars are recovered un-damaged. "Cooling off" vehicles is now very common. A car is now stolen, they place it somewhere for a few days to see if the Police come to it. If its clean, they move ahead and strip it, OR put it in a shipping container and export the vehicle.

WISH my wifes 2016 Escalade would get stolen...... What a pile!
 

boatpi

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I have Lojack on my classics (71 GTX) and one other special car as the insurance discount on $$$ cars is HUGE. If y0u don't want it back, then screw it. But if it is a classic, or an older car that you have dropped to coverage then get it. A classic car cannot be replaced.

Lojack is a transponder so it needs to be in an area that they have towers, which is most metro cities and many parts of Mexico. Cool thing is PD helicopters equipped with receivers can pick up a signal over 8 miles out. No monthly fees as oppose to GPS. GPS will NOT work when the car is in a cargo container, Lojack WILL as it is an RS signal as oppose to be looking for a satellite. Nearly every insurance company will offer a discount.
Race car and off road guys, put on in your trailer as they often seal that>

OnStar is a cell data locator that any smart crook pulls out when they steal the GM car, some do not as they are dumb asses.

FYI; loJack for classics was $299, now $399, cheap.
 

9094Life

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You may not want said stolen car back after if recovered......BUT if its more cost effective for your Ins Co, your getting it back. period.

I realize that, which is why I don't want any way for them to recover it after some tweaker has had his way with it.

Great call on it for classic or "unreplaceable" cars though. I was speaking purely from the standpoint of a daily driver that is easily replaced.
 

TOBTEK

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I realize that, which is why I don't want any way for them to recover it after some tweaker has had his way with it.

Great call on it for classic or "unreplaceable" cars though. I was speaking purely from the standpoint of a daily driver that is easily replaced.



Get people through my office all the time that get their cars back after a few weeks from being stolen. One Camry guy was telling me, he'd had the same car stolen twice. Last time the police saw two dirt balls late at night in the SDSU parking lot that looked outa place sitting on the hood. When the Popo rolled up they took off running. Said they had to call in Hazmat for it was filled with crack pipes, needles, and everything else a crack head would need. And guess what, he got it back again.

With the Lojack with EARLY WARNING, you are notified the second your vehicle moves ONE INCH.
 

Danger Dave

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They make anything you can live track a vehicle with? Say for your teenagers car? Make sure the little one isn't where he shouldn't be kind of thing?
 

Long Way Home

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I have a couple of old trucks a 46 Chevy and a 48 Ford, What is the coverage areas? Can you find a map of the coverage areas?
 

rrrr

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I hear ya about not wanting the car back.

In 2005 our one month old Honda Accord V6 coupe was stolen out of our garage. Let's just say that I was able to tell my wife "I told you so" about leaving her keys in the ignition, even though the door was closed. :blah:

The thieves broke out a window and disconnected the garage opener cog on the rail. I was hoping the car would not be recovered and disappear so we would be paid off.

We had paid cash for the car, so there was no messing around with getting a payoff amount from a finance company and such. After two weeks had passed and the car hadn't turned up, State Farm called to tell me the check was ready. I jumped in my truck, drove to their office, and had it in my hand in 20 minutes. Then I went to the bank and deposited it.

The agent called me four hours later to tell me the car had been located, it had been involved in a minor accident. I told him it was too bad their car had been wrecked. :D :D
 

Rsqfxr

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I have the viper alarm with backup battery and smart start gps module $100 a year for service via phone app, can set boundaries, speed warnings, and alerts if vehicle moves
 

NdaWind

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I never liked the LoJack system as you can not really test it unless you know a LEO and don't forget to get your battery replaced every 5 years or it may not work(they have to do it with a service charge of course.
 

rivermobster

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What has your experience been? Seems to me most of the newer vehicles have so many deterrents from the manufacturer that people are stealing older vehicles. Two of our cars have LoJack, two don't and I didn't get it on the Harley. My perspective is that if someone steals them I have insurance, and honestly I don't want them back. Put them in a container and send them to some third world country.

However, it did get me thinking about my off road car. Incredibly easy to steal and I'd hate to lose it, just like a boat. But, I don't want to spend $700 for LoJack or some other device. In searching Amazon I found a GPS/SMS/GPRS system for $30 that you plug a cellular SIM card in to and it provides basically the same service as LoJack for the cost of replenishing the minutes on the card, $40/yr. At $700 for LoJack it would take me over 17 years to break even, and the device could be moved from car to car if I sell the Baja.

What has your experience been, and does LoJack or any other "vehicle recovery" device add any benefit when reselling the vehicle?

Here's the device. 147 reviews and 4.5 stars out of 5. Seems like a good, inexpensive alternative to what's commercially available.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KNR2YZ4?keywords=TK103a&qid=1452532886&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

My experience...

I worked for Lexus at the time. Some douche test drove a used car, and decided not to come back. It was the office managers Old car, and she was on vacation at the time.

She comes back from vacation and everyone says, hey Dorthy, they stole your old car!

Did you guys get it back yet?

Huh?

It has a Lojack on it, call it in!

It gets called in and some pretty girl gets pulled over in it. Her story was here boyfriend had just bought it for her!!!

Car came back to us in the same condition it left. :)
 
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