I have to do some research BUT if I am NOT mistaken,when using Lo-jack you have to contact police,that have the scanner that will pick-up the lo-jack signal and wait on them!
With APS tracking it is quite possible to do this yourself...... and then contact the police!
I think it would be quicker to have your tracking system contact you the second the geo fence triggers,rather than coming out and seeing your car gone. This way you are tracking it....'real time' via the internet or other options available...also because with all of the stolen cars out there you may get a better response time from police IF you are telling them EXACTLY where it is,rather than them looking for it themselves....
As of right now,I am glad I bought the system I did...the DEMO was insane what could be done with it and I am anxious to get it in soon!
I am sure with whatever system you get,the reward of catching these idiots would be rewarding!

Stacy

 

Yes. You have to notify police that your car has been stolen. The police will then turn on a tracking device in the stolen car. Lojack has an early warning system that alerts you by phone if the car has been moved.

 

I have loJack in my 3 cars. I receive an insurance discount as a result. None of the cars have ever been stolen so I can't speak definately to how well the recovery works! From what I've read many cars are stolen and then parked to cool off (police have lists of recently stolen cars) and then days later often dissasembled for parts. I think the LoJack offering has a reasonable chance of recovering the car before it's dissasembled.

 

I have LoJack on my 09 C2S. There is a device attached to my key ring that will activate and I will receive a call on my cell if the car is moved.

 

i still think that Zoombak is a better deal. they sell a hardwire power kit and the prepaid yearly is about $120

 

Isn't the OEM immobilizer good enough? particularly if one parks in safe lots?

 

Yeah I am sure it is.......BUT for those who may want to KNOW what is going on with their car when they are not there while they have trusted their keys to a third party.......alternative systems are a great option!

I know my car IS highly modded and I probably be at war with my insurance co. to get what the car is actually worth so being notified the SECOND it moves may make the difference to a successful recovery or better yet NOT going missing at all!

Also,when getting it serviced,I am sure the Tech's are wanting to see what a Modified Vf supercharger could do and since they are tech's they are allowed to 'TEST drive' the car......whether they take it for that spirited ride or not will depend on them....BUT at least I will know now the second it happens!

I also find that IF you have children who have just started driving(not that they would be driving your sports car BUT),this would be a great deterrent to them wanting to speed especially IF they are there when you enable the speed notification.It will also allow you to know where they are and the path drivin' IF something should happen.....these days you can't seem to keep them safe enough,as well as keep your mind at peace while they are out!

There are many systems out there...so choose the one that feel most comfortable with!

 

There is a very interesting discussion of LoJack in the second Freakonomics book ("Super Freakonomics") that cites LoJack as an example of positive externality. Externality is, as best I recall, an effect -- good or bad -- on those uninvolved in a transaction.

In the case of LoJack, while the person installing the device gets the benefit of recovering his stolen car, strangers benefit from the reluctance of thieves to steal cars (especially expensive cars whose owners can better afford to buy a LoJack device) because of the greater risk of apprehension caused by the possibility that the their target car may have a LoJack hidden in it.

In other words, the fact that some cars have LoJacks installed discourages potential thieves from stealing cars that do not. This, as much or more than the chance to recover stolen cars quickly, explains the discounts given by insurance companies for LoJack. When you install LoJack, the insurance discount reflects a savings to other (insured) vehicles as well as your own.

I tend to share the doubts expressed in this tread about whether I would want my car back after it had be stolen (and probably abused.) But from the point of view of the insurer, recovery of the car and apprehension of the thief is a win-win-win. First, they do not have to pay for the loss of stolen car. Second, they have taken a car thief off the streets. And most importantly, they have discouraged other potential car thieves.

 

The problem with the non-lojack solutions is that if they person can start your car at all, they probably have the where-with-all to unplug and remove the tracking box you so easily installed... so what does that do for you? By the time you get a message, the box is probably disabled.


It depends on what you want to accomplish:

Prevent theft? Keep a dog in the car while you are away, or remove the ECU.
Recover the car? lojack
Know if a valet is being bad? A host of other options.