Prestige cars stolen to order - From Todays Irish Times

[adrian]

Found this article in Todays Irish Times.... interesting reading the week we launched http://www.CarWatch.ie

As many as 35 high performance cars and 4X4s a week are being stolen by gangs that break into people's houses in order to steal the vehicle's keys. The powerful cars and premium SUVs are often stolen to order and are destined for Britain, for sale in the private ads of car enthusiast magazines, or to be broken up for parts.

Prestige and high performance cars such as the latest VW Golf GTi top the thieves' order list.

However, according to the dedicated Garda Stolen Vehicle Unit, up to 80 per cent of these vehicles are being recovered before the thieves have a chance to export them or dismantle them so that their valuable parts can be sold on.

Due to the advancement of vehicle security, it is practically impossible to steal new vehicles without their keys. This has led to the growing problem of criminals breaking into motorists' homes, often while they are asleep, to steal their car keys.

According to Finbarr Garland of the Stolen Vehicle Unit, many of these criminal gangs are interested in what is parked in the drive of a house and will steal only the keys, often leaving valuables and even cash untouched. "They are fairly disciplined and are usually stealing to order and generally they only take the keys and nothing else."

But it is the car thieves' typical modus operandi that is often proving their downfall. Because many owners are fitting sophisticated covert tracking devices to their vehicles, the thieves are forced to leave the stolen vehicles in public places where they can be observed to see if they will be recovered using satellite trackers. The gardaí are now aware of the thieves' dilemma and are patrolling known hiding places in early morning searches for stolen cars. "We have got to know where they are hiding these vehicles and we now patrol apartment block car parks and certain other areas specifically looking for these stolen cars," explains Garland. This has led to the high rate of recovery.

Despite this, gardaí are warning motorists that they expect the number of vehicles being stolen to order with their keys to continue to grow and are advising owners of high-powered SUVs or cars to make them as difficult as possible to steal.

Cars that have tracking devices fitted generally enjoy a 100 per cent recovery rate and are often back with their owners within hours of being stolen.

However, most vehicles, including high performance ones, do not come with trackers as standard. The importers argue that added security is the motorist's choice. "It would be great if we could fit trackers as standard," says Tom O'Connor, VW sales manager. "But the competitive price of the vehicle would be harmed if we did this."

Insurance companies are now insisting that high value cars are fitted with tracking devices. AXA will refuse to insure a car valued at over €75,000 without a tracker and demands that any car valued at over €125,000 must have a system that enables a 24-hour tracking centre to monitor and remotely stop a car's engine should it be stolen.

The determination of car thieves to source and steal a vehicle to order became clear recently when the same car - a new Golf GTi - was stolen three times from three different houses in the greater Dublin area. Each time, the thieves - who are believed to be from three independent gangs - broke through the back door of the house to steal the car's keys while occupants were asleep.

After each theft, the GTi was left, undamaged, in a public place, and was located and recovered within hours by the use of a covert tracker.

But it is the 20 to 30 per cent of stolen cars that are not recovered that is making the risk of burgling motorists' homes and stealing their cars worth taking. Typically, the car thieves will receive 10 per cent of a car's value in cash when it is delivered to the criminal who placed the order.

Much greater profits are enjoyed by the criminals higher up the ladder who then fit the car with false plates and advertise it for sale as a legitimate vehicle, either in Britain or, increasingly in Ireland. Indeed, the number of stolen cars remaining in Ireland is expected to increase as the recent metric changeover has meant it is now more difficult to sell cars fitted with kilometre-only speedometers in Britain.

The gardaí warn that if you are considering buying a high performance car or SUV through the classified ads from a private seller, then you should never pay in cash and should always meet the seller at his house, never in a public place. It can be a very costly mistake if the car you have bought is later found to be stolen and has to be returned to its rightful owner, warns Garland.

[kevinod]

Have insurance companies started giving extra discounts for trackers in cars? Last time I checked (a few years ago) they weren't interested, but hopefully they've copped onto themselves by now?

Kev.

[adrian]

No, I don't think many of them have actually.....I think where insurance companies and trackers meet are that they will not insure cars over a certain value without one....

[soc]

I will be placing an order for a tracker very soon - either for the golf or the next car....

[adrian]

Good lad Shane, unfortunately you are one of the unlucky ones who has lost out.... on a GTI!

Whats the next car... are we going down this road again Shane??!!

[soc]

Good lad Shane, unfortunately you are one of the unlucky ones who has lost out.... on a GTI!

Whats the next car... are we going down this road again Shane??!!

Planning on moving house soon so unless i plan on keeping the gti for a few years i need to include a change of car with the house move (cause I won't be able to afford to change cars after we've moved!!).

[agent s]

Get your own bloody FTO!!!!!!

[soc]

:smt021 Get your own bloody FTO!!!!!!

Something that's being considered - I'm currently weighing up the costs on buying a '99 to which I'd have to add a few grand for leather, wheels, brakes, suspension and some interior bits.....

[Dean]

The gardaí warn that if you are considering buying a high performance car or SUV through the classified ads from a private seller, then you should never pay in cash and should always meet the seller at his house, never in a public place. It can be a very costly mistake if the car you have bought is later found to be stolen and has to be returned to its rightful owner, warns Garland.

*looks suspiciously at Mustang*

[Mustang]

Where did I put that extra set of keys

@Adrian, I take it you have this tracker device fitted to your S2k?
On the basis that you have a wireless enabled lap top any chance you could do a demo at the next meet???????[/b]

[adrian]

I'll not be at the next meet but the one after that I will try and get to.
Good idea actually. Yea, as long as the laptop or PC has ability to make a phone call then no worries..... I'm getting a bluetooth dongle for the laptop and then make the call via my mobile!

[soc]

I'll not be at the next meet but the one after that I will try and get to.
Good idea actually. Yea, as long as the laptop or PC has ability to make a phone call then no worries..... I'm getting a bluetooth dongle for the laptop and then make the call via my mobile!

I posted the link on www.vage.ie - any chance of a special deal

[adrian]

Cheers mate!! We'll see what we can do.... but as you can see from the pricing....our markup is feck all but we'll see what we can do..... New deal coming that if you buy a Tracker and SIM system you'll get a garage alarm system for 109 Euro!

http://www.carwatch.ie/product.asp?intProdID=129

Now that's a deal not to be missed!

Thanks for the link mate,

Ad

[soc]

New deal coming that if you buy a Tracker and SIM system you'll get a garage alarm system for 109 Euro!

All I need is a garage now