Trackers

fjcfarrar · October 15, 2011

When I bought the ISF new, my Insurers insisted I had a Tracker Horizon fitted. I have have recently discovered that Tracker have means of checking that the unit fitted to the is actually working (although as an owner you have no clue) by sending out test signals - BUT DON'T UNLESS YOU SPECIFICALLY ASK THEM TO DO SO. This means that neither Tracker nor owners know if the units are functional except (i) When they are first fitted (ii) If you ask them to check (iii) The car is been stolen and the system worked (iv) The car is stolen and it didn't work when you then know it is U/S. For the rest - the vast majority, they have absolutely no idea.

Out of pure curiosity, I asked for a check and found mine is Kaput. Consequently, my Insurers advise that the Theft part of my policy is now invalid until Tracker repairs/replaces it in a couple of week's time. Sadly, although the Tracker was purchased as a Lifetime Service for a huge one-off payment; their unit in the car is only covered by a 3 year Warranty - which expired 5 months ago. Because Tracker state the equipment is so reliable that it needs no checks or inspections unless the vehicle has been in an accident etc; you are unlikely to ask them to test it - so the Warranty is seldom going to be any use anyway unless on principle you remember to ask for tests before it expires. However, in their favour, they do come out to you and sort it all out for just another £99 when they can get round to it.

So, if you have a Tracker Horizon fitted, suggest you ask them to check if yours is still working......

The Editor · October 15, 2011

Interesting one this....

Check your policy VERY carefully..... It probably says as a condition a tracker must be fitted to the vehicle. I doubt it specifies you check it is functioning on a regular basis. (Who would)

In the event of a theft, if it was found that the tracker wasn't working then I'd like to see an insurer stand up in court and argue you have no coverage because you should have know your tracker was faulty!

Insurers will take your money faster than Richard Turpin but will try everything to wriggle out of paying a claim.

If your policy doesn't stipulate that regular tests are made to establish a working tracker is in situ then the policy is ambiguous and the wording will be construed in favour of the assured. It is up the the insurers to come up with a watertight wording. Since an individual cannot be deemed as a sophisticated assured and I'm assuming you don't have your own risk manager working for you I wouldn't worry too much in the interim until you get it fixed.

I would write back to Richard Turpin Ins Co and politely point out that since their policy is ambiguous you do not accept their terms of no theft coverage in the interim and insist that cover is reinstated for the next 14 days. Since there is no indication when a tracker goes faulty you could not be reasonably aware that the equipment had developed a fault! If the device gave out a signal or fault code then that would be a different matter, but as it stands Richard Turpin Ins Co are just trying to pull a fast one.

The Ed

fjcfarrar · October 16, 2011

Interesting one this....

Check your policy VERY carefully..... It probably says as a condition a tracker must be fitted to the vehicle. I doubt it specifies you check it is functioning on a regular basis. (Who would)

In the event of a theft, if it was found that the tracker wasn't working then I'd like to see an insurer stand up in court and argue you have no coverage because you should have know your tracker was faulty!

Insurers will take your money faster than Richard Turpin but will try everything to wriggle out of paying a claim.

If your policy doesn't stipulate that regular tests are made to establish a working tracker is in situ then the policy is ambiguous and the wording will be construed in favour of the assured. It is up the the insurers to come up with a watertight wording. Since an individual cannot be deemed as a sophisticated assured and I'm assuming you don't have your own risk manager working for you I wouldn't worry too much in the interim until you get it fixed.

I would write back to Richard Turpin Ins Co and politely point out that since their policy is ambiguous you do not accept their terms of no theft coverage in the interim and insist that cover is reinstated for the next 14 days. Since there is no indication when a tracker goes faulty you could not be reasonably aware that the equipment had developed a fault! If the device gave out a signal or fault code then that would be a different matter, but as it stands Richard Turpin Ins Co are just trying to pull a fast one.

The Ed

My rant isn't against Direct Line (or as they are now, part of a group consisting of all the respectable Insurers you have ever heard of). Most Insureres ask for the car & equipment to be properly maintained and that would include the Tracker. I doubt if push came to shove they would try to enforce lack of theft coverage for the reason that a Tracker had stopped working.

The rant is more about Tracker who don't automatically run test signals on some regular, automatic basis when they have the means to do so - after all your mobile is regularly polled with signals to establish it is "connected". Tracker assert the equipment is reliable and should last at least 10 years - but have no possible means of knowing this because they don't try to find out, leaving it entirely up to owners to contact them to request the over-air tests. I doubt the majority do.

Tracker Horizon has a Thatcham Category 7 certificate (the best level), and I wonder whether the criteria for this includes or should include the provider making some kind of effort to check if their service works other than at installation and then to alert the owner if action needs to be taken. It is not like a TV where it is fairly obvious when it doesn't work, and it is perhaps a bit late to find a Tracker doesn't after your car is stolen. As a minor point, I think it is also slightly strange to offer a Lifetime of Ownership service without the equipment to provide it being also guaranteed for the same period - particularly if it is normally as reliable as they assert.

fjcfarrar · October 25, 2011

UPDATE: Tracker came out today - well organised via emails + Texts & spot on time. Tracker Engineer was very professional with common sense too. The installers had failed to send Tracker the code for whereabouts in the car the unit had been fitted, so searched likely places - with no luck. It seems U/S Trackers can get to drain the car battery; so just leaving it and fitting a new one is unwise - as also is tearing the car apart outside your house to find a unit just a bit bigger than a sardine tin and deliberately hidden from potential thieves etc.

Upshot is that Tracker are treating as a priority and pressing the installers to reveal where they fitted it from their records. Another appointment will then be made to sort it out......... I live in hope

Tel · October 25, 2011

So glad I did not take the Tracker Option I was offered as it seems you are @ the mercy of the Installer & their Back-up Service which can only be assumed until an issue arises-----one phone call should be enough to locate your Tracker!

Tel

fjcfarrar · November 4, 2011

FINAL UPDATE: Tracker came out today and located faulty unit using the code I found. Unit Replaced and tested very quickly and efficiently.

NOTE: If it is raining, YOU have to provide some sort of shelter. Tracker do not provide portable shelters etc. for their installers, nor do they have any premises where they can carry out the work in bad weather. On the upside, they are now about the only provider with a Thatcham cat 7 certificate for the service.