Prestige cars stolen to order - Irish Times Today

S2000

Found this article in Todays Irish Times....Edited - NO MORE SPAM!

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.

the evil belly

how many times can you tell people about the same product?

S2000

Don't understand what you mean.

A mate of mine had his Golf GTI (2001) and his dads VOlvo S40 stolen a coupe of months ago.... theifs broke into the house and took the keys. My sister in law had her gaff broken into and a 6 month old Landcruiser passenger jeep lifed. None have been recovered and they are all now suffering loads on their insurance premiums as a result.

Having the S2000 it's a worry for me too.... just letting folk know how common this is....

seamus

It's hardly surprising that they don't bother trying to steal cash or other valuables from the house though. In and out in 5 minutes, and a few k richer. Beats lugging TVs and stereos, or trying to flog jewellery.

S2000

True actually.... not just petty thieves I guess, they know exactly what they want.

I was reading a story in Belfast Telegraph recently when I was up there about a family who had a estate car, a Subaru Forester mind you.... house broken into and all the stereo anf TV gear in the house loaded into the car and everything driven off. Cheeky scum bags.

iregk

Nothing new cars have always been stolen to order. A big shopping complex that i used to work in the security guards themselves had a deal with a northern gang and they used to steal cars to order in the mid/late 90's and have them in belfast within the day. One of the security guards in our store was telling me all this.

Incidentally as someone posted on the motors board a while back a great trick is underway in vancouver. Dummy cars that the police stick around the city and record everything that happens in them, when they are stolen they remotly trigger the system that locks the doors and promptly arrest them. Genious....

Jip

That's also being going on throughout America for years.

ianomccabe

how much would it cost me to get a tracker fitted ?

iregk

couple of hundred quid and give the pass key to the gardai and your sorted.

PaddyFagan

ianomccabe wrote:

sh1t i didn't know how much the new gti was a target by this. how much would it cost me to get a tracker fitted to this?

I'd say about a grand - been there done that, my new Octavia vRS was taken three weeks ago, but recovered - do a search for my orignal post if you want the full story.

Paddy

PS Anyone know where I'd go to get the reg number etched into my windows? I reckon an old school deterent might just tip the balance....

Jip

Who are you insured via Paddy ? I'm insured via the AA and they offer free windscreen etching (which I still haven't availed of !) but I can't remember who they use. I assume Autoglass or the likes would do it.
I have an idea for you, how about you swap your VRS alloys for my steelies off my regular Octavia, I'll do it free of charge of course, and your car might not attract as much attention as it previously did ? I'll debadge it for you too when I'm collecting the wheels.

S2000

my new Octavia vRS was taken three weeks ago

Sh*t paddy, I read about that Octavia vRS being stolen and then found in South Dublin.... you were the talk of a few web boards at the time.... glad you got it back!



All depends on what you want out of a tracker Iano. One that you can check online on a web site from anywhere, anytime is about 1,300 and then about 150 a year.... one from CarWatch.ie is 769 euro including the first years subscription but with that one you can NOT check the car on a web site.... you can only dial it from your PC or laptop (where the client/mapping software is installed) and get it's whereabouts, speed, heading etc on a detailed map, tracking it in real time.
You can also set a "geofence" around the car so that it will text you if it moves (out of your driveway for example). Depends on how often you think you'll be checking its location etc really I suppose....

ianomccabe

ok cheers for the advice guys

PaddyFagan

Jip wrote:

Who are you insured via Paddy ? I'm insured via the AA and they offer free windscreen etching (which I still haven't availed of !) but I can't remember who they use. I assume Autoglass or the likes would do it.

I'm with Allianz, no dice there. I'll try Autoglass etc.

Jip wrote:

I have an idea for you, how about you swap your VRS alloys for my steelies off my regular Octavia, I'll do it free of charge of course, and your car might not attract as much attention as it previously did ? I'll debadge it for you too when I'm collecting the wheels.

It's OK, I'll pass on that

Paddy

bazz26

I don't think debadging the car will work either.

I know someone who had a genuine Subaru Impreza STi who debadged it to look like a boyracer's 1.6 Impreza so that scum would not bother with it. Thieves tried to break into it twice and once even attempted to break into the house (assuming to get the keys) but the house alarm went off. These scum know their cars and just one look at the rear axel of the STi they knew it was 4 wheel drive and the real deal.

The guy sold it after that as he thought next time they might harm his family and make him give them the keys. He drives an Audi A4 Tdi Quottro now.

SouperComputer

Incidentally as someone posted on the motors board a while back a great trick is underway in vancouver.

www.baitcar.com

great entertainment

ando

what if you keep the keys upstairs in your bedroom, would you think that would deter them?

Seth Brundle

I used to think that but then my mind was quickly changed when my wifes parents neighbours in Belfast were attacked by psychos whilst they slept. The man was beaten a number of times in the head with a hammer and is now in a vegetative state.
The keys are there in the hall if they want them! A car, no matter how much you love it, is replacable

commited

Does no one set their house alarm at night?
Been doing it for years just for this reason.

Silvera

I've recently taken to keeping my keys in my bedroom at night.

Another deterent to any burglar -
Lock all interior doors in your house at night - my folks got into that habit years ago, and so have I.
At least if somebody breaks into your kitchen, his route through your house will be blocked by all the locked doors.

Also worth considering locking your bedroom door at night, if you don't have any small kids.

Sad state of affairs I know, locking all doors, but it seems it's the times we now live in!

ds20prefecture

Silvera wrote:

Lock all interior doors in your house at night

Would you not be worried about slowing yourself down in a fire?

iregk

Well the oul house alarm is a good start. Whats also good is that in my house I have a panic button in the master bedroom. So if i think there is someone in the house or they have gotten around the alarm I press this right beside the bed and the alarm goes off. My get them out.

Thing is there are two kinds of thievs. The joy riding little scum bags who steal puntos and fiestas (easy cars good for a laugh) and the pros who steal to order. The pros know their cars so debadging doesn't work. As someone said a quick look for a rear differential tells you a scooby is the real deal.

PaddyFagan

commited wrote:

Does no one set their house alarm at night?
Been doing it for years just for this reason.

I did, the f**kers disassembled a rear window so the alarm didn't go off - there wasn't (there is now!) any vibration sensors on that window.

An alarm is a deterant yes, but only as strong as it's weakest point. All the alarms in the houses around me where set up the same way, something I think the theives where only too well aware of.....

Paddy

PS My current check list: senor light in the back garden, uprated (monitored) alarm, interior doors locked, keys up stairs.

iregk

always better to have vibe sensors on the windows rather than magnetic two piece sensors that you have on your doors.

nellieswellies

commited wrote:

Does no one set their house alarm at night?
Been doing it for years just for this reason.

I heard that if you don't have your house alarm set at night while you get burgled the insurance company can withold paying up. Don't know if this is true, is anyone here in the business?

seamus

nellieswellies wrote:

I heard that if you don't have your house alarm set at night while you get burgled the insurance company can withold paying up. Don't know if this is true, is anyone here in the business?

They can certainly choose to stipluate that in the insurance contract. Same as pretty much anything else. Insurance companies can tell you that they won't compensate you for a stolen vehicle if the keys were in the ignition when it was taken, or in the case of a bike, if it wasn't locked/locked to something. If they don't state it as a clause in the policy though, they can't say it afterwards.

impr0v

Anyone know where to place an order with these guys?

blastman

PaddyFagan wrote:

I'd say about a grand - been there done that, my new Octavia vRS was taken three weeks ago, but recovered - do a search for my orignal post if you want the full story.

Paddy

Hey Paddy, one of the guys I work with is an RS owner, he was telling me yesterday you'd gotten your car back, glad to hear it.

prospect

impr0v wrote:

Anyone know where to place an order with these guys?

NOT funny.

PaddyFagan

blastman wrote:

Hey Paddy, one of the guys I work with is an RS owner, he was telling me yesterday you'd gotten your car back, glad to hear it.

Thanks

Paddy

m_stan

ds20prefecture wrote:

Would you not be worried about slowing yourself down in a fire?

you should always close internal doors at night to prevent fire spreading. locking the door and leaving the key in the lock (twisted so they can't easily pop it out from the other side) shouldn't slow you down too much if you need to get out fast. will definetely slow the thieves down - esp if they come in from the back.

my personal practice is to alarm the house, close and lock all internal doors downstairs, close all upstairs doors, and keep my keys with me. not that anyone would want my car, but the the hassle of having it taken just aint worth it. been there twice already.