S3 stolen Lastnight

[pburv]

Re fitting a tracker : buy a cheap mobile, hide it and hard wire it out the way, and you can find it that way with "find my mobile" type apps,

Has anyone seen the trend of planting trackers on cars at shows, then stealing them later,
On another forum this was found in an arch liner,

"Home made trackers found on cars after Sundays Ford Fair Silverstone - if this is going on over in England have a wee look under your car on the way home from shows..... you just never know .... I believe the police are now being involved and a return trace may be taking place so hopefully the people will be caught. Pictures of the device that was found"

Might have to invest in one of these.......

Not that I'm paranoid....

 

[JohnNW]

Been there and got the T shirt.

Three years ago, house broken into in the night (we were asleep upstairs) and two cars stolen (one was a month old) and the keys for a third taken too.

Police found both cars pretty quickly, one was parked up, with no damage but needed new locks and the second (the Audi) was found at a persons house (no damage apart from changed number plates). He had keys and the car was recovered to a compound.

All in all, it cost us the best part of £1000 to recover car from pound (£150), new house locks and replace certain other items taken at the same time (sunglasses, wife's handbag and works bags, etc.). None of the amounts exceeded the excess on the various policies so we ended up out of pocket.

Police acted quickly and the CPS sent us regular updates on the criminal proceedings against the gang members involved, but we never got anything back and we were left with the feeling that the justice system is only interested in the criminals and their punishment, not the victims or their losses.

Neither of our cars had trackers fitted, but the police tend to know where cars get dumped whilst the thieving b@@@@@d's wait to see if they have trackers fitted. Usually it's some quiet residential road. Ours were taken around 2.30 a.m and one was found at lunchtime and the second the same evening.

Hope you get yours back promptly and without any damage. We took the Audi to a dealership who fitted new number plates, recoded the keys, put the car on the ramp and gave it a good check over and washed it - all done without charge.

 

[Mr Mustard]

Before my S3 was stolen I was in the 'leave keys where they can easily be found' camp.

Afterwards, I cannot bear the thought of giving it to them on a plate. All keys will be hidden now (when I finally get it Back) - even if that means a confrontation in the middle of the night.

For me, the psychological harm of giving in, is worse than the physical threat from confrontation.

 

[JonW1982UK]

Before my S3 was stolen I was in the 'leave keys where they can easily be found' camp.

Afterwards, I cannot bear the thought of giving it to them on a plate. All keys will be hidden now (when I finally get it Back) - even if that means a confrontation in the middle of the night.

For me, the psychological harm of giving in, is worse than the physical threat from confrontation.

If I slept on my own I'd feel the same, but I don't, If anything were to happen to my Mrs I'd probably feel a massive amount of guilt for having the keys upstairs in the first place.

 

[SpeedyFrog]

It's infuriating to see the aggravation caused by these scumbags... I'm dreading the ownership of my (future) S3 for these reasons. Having to worry constantly about a car that you worked hard for to acquire in the first place...
I see the problem as not having strong enough deterrents for these *********... The punishment should be such they'd think more than twice before committing a crime...

 

[JohnNW]

When we had had our break in and theft, I spoke to someone at one of my clients and they mentioned that a friend of theirs used to sleep with the keys on the bedside table and when they got broken into, one of the criminals called up from the bottom of the stairs saying to throw the keys down as the owner wouldn't want him to come and get them!

I'm rather glad we were asleep and didn't hear anything.

 

[Ollie2014]

Before my S3 was stolen I was in the 'leave keys where they can easily be found' camp.

Afterwards, I cannot bear the thought of giving it to them on a plate. All keys will be hidden now (when I finally get it Back) - even if that means a confrontation in the middle of the night.

For me, the psychological harm of giving in, is worse than the physical threat from confrontation.

I thought that mate but when it happened to me there was four of them in my home at 2 a.m in the morning and to be fair didn't really know what going on.A 7 and a 3 year upstairs and four lads hooded and armed I let them go and rang the police straight away.They obviously panicked though because the second car they tried to steal got jammed on my garden wall and they made a lot of damage.If I hadn't spooked them though they would not have crashed my first car and they would've got away scot free.They are only cars and I say this in a way that means we were ok apart from being worried of it happening again.

 

[illingworth22]

Basically anything that makes them think it's better to walk away and look for an easier target (if they are opportunists), even something like this may make them think twice http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271824796332?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Taken from an old post on here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ring-clamps-best-way-beat-modern-thieves.html

I have one of the Stop Lock steering wheel things, I found it when I moved house last year. I thought happy ****** days but the Audi steering wheel is just too thick to fit into the hole

 

[S32B]

I have one of the Stop Lock steering wheel things, I found it when I moved house last year. I thought happy ****** days but the Audi steering wheel is just too thick to fit into the hole

I use the Stoplock pro...had it for years, it's not the nicest looking thing but does the job!

 

[illingworth22]

Another tracking option, for Apple Peeps with full Tech pack, is an old iPod in the car connected to the car wifi!

 

[Soulboy]

Mirroring other people's posts.
Cr@p news, but good you were unaware till next morning.

It definitely sounds like there is a very active gang round that neck of the woods from what's been mentioned.
When we got ours taken in 2007 it was epidemic proportions in South Manchester.

 

[richinsoton]

When we had had our break in and theft, I spoke to someone at one of my clients and they mentioned that a friend of theirs used to sleep with the keys on the bedside table and when they got broken into, one of the criminals called up from the bottom of the stairs saying to throw the keys down as the owner wouldn't want him to come and get them!

I'm rather glad we were asleep and didn't hear anything.

As a follow on from your comment there was a spate of fast Vauxhalls being nicked in my local area (VXR or whatever the fast one is??) & the first thing most people knew of their car being gone is waking up in the morning & finding a kettle full of water at the base of their stairs...
Basically the scum would break in, boil a kettle, search for the keys downstairs & if you woke & came running down the stairs you can guess where the boiling water was going!. Hence I always leave the keys downstairs now.

 

[Daveotto]

. I'm dreading the ownership of my (future) S3 for these reasons. Having to worry constantly about a car that you worked hard for to acquire in the first place...

Seriously if you are dreading it that much cancel the order!!!!!!!!!

 

[Scottyg]

You should have sent them proof of no claims before the policy was confirmed and active. No proof no insurance.

 

[SpeedyFrog]

Seriously if you are dreading it that much cancel the order!!!!!!!!!

You have a nice car on the driveway and it's very easy for this nice car to be nicked in flash as this thread shows... So it's an added worry that we shouldn't have.
In the grand scheme of things I've got other fishes to fry! Let's be reasonable here!

 

[Scottyg]

Keep quiet.

 

[illingworth22]

Yes but then it got complicated, they haven't spotted the error yet i have, i'm waiting for them to bell me back.

If I were you I'd delete this post!

 

[Daveotto]

You have a nice car on the driveway and it's very easy for this nice car to be nicked in flash as this thread shows... So it's an added worry that we shouldn't have.
In the grand scheme of things I've got other fishes to fry! Let's be reasonable here!

Exactly, but we don't live in a fair world, s### happens, take precautions and worry yes but "dread" is a couple of notches up the scale in my books and if I dreaded owning a car I would not buy it

 

[SpeedyFrog]

Exactly, but we don't live in a fair world, s### happens, take precautions and worry yes but "dread" is a couple of notches up the scale in my books and if I dreaded owning a car I would not buy it

"dread" was a bit too dramatic I concur. It was to make a point mate ;-)

 

[replicant71]

This story sucks, I hate hearing about thefts of cars, there really are some low-life scum out there. I'm always intrigued though, where do most stolen cars end up these days? Are they "stolen to order", are they shipped off abroad, used for committing other offences like robberies, or do the thieves just sell the car on or keep it themselves?

 

[Chamb0]

If I were you I'd delete this post!

Done

 

[rasA4]

If I were you I'd delete this post!

illingworth22 you will need to delete your quote 'Chamb0' post also just in case

 

[CarloS3]

I use the Stoplock pro...had it for years, it's not the nicest looking thing but does the job!

A lot of those can be bypassed with a saw and cutting into the steering wheel. Literally takes seconds to get the stoplock off, i'd suggest disklok if you want something to act as a deterrant

 

[S32B]

A lot of those can be bypassed with a saw and cutting into the steering wheel. Literally takes seconds to get the stoplock off, i'd suggest disklok if you want something to act as a deterrant

Every security measure can be bypassed with the right tools. It's all about stopping the opportunist thief, who don't tend to walk around with a saw in their pockets. Do you take the car with no lock or take the car which you have to go and get a saw and then cut through the steering wheel/lock???

 

[CarloS3]

Every security measure can be bypassed with the right tools. It's all about stopping the opportunist thief, who don't tend to walk around with a saw in their pockets. Do you take the car with no lock or take the car which you have to go and get a saw and then cut through the steering wheel/lock???

Who says opportunist thieves don't carry tools? These are car thieves not shoplifters. You saw in the video earlier on in this thread the guy was carrying a chisel, what makes you think they wouldn't be carrying a saw?

I was offering you a piece of advice for something that would offer an even better deterrent than the stoplock. If you don't want advice then don't take it - don't throw it up in my face.

 

[S32B]

Who says opportunist thieves don't carry tools? These are car thieves not shoplifters. You saw in the video earlier on in this thread the guy was carrying a chisel, what makes you think they wouldn't be carrying a saw?

I was offering you a piece of advice for something that would offer an even better deterrent than the stoplock. If you don't want advice then don't take it - don't throw it up in my face.

lol I'm not throwing anything in your face, don't be so touchy. I'm just pointing out that not all car thefts are planned, hence not all the people that are potentially going to take your car will be carrying a saw 24/7. So if they haven't got one with them 'on this occasion' then they would move to another easier target where they don't need a saw.

Any type of additional lock or security measure home/car will make life more difficult for the thief and therefore make it a less tempting target.

I do agree that the disklok is very good though

Group test: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/95032/stoplock-pro

 

[Daytonapig]

Reading this reminds me of a story many years ago near York. 2 local scumbags went to a remote farmhouse to nick some valuable slates from the farm roof. They knew the farmer was in but thought they would be too big and tough for him to do anything. Long story short he came out with a gun ,one ran away leaving his mate to be tied to a five bar gate and beaten for the rest of the night. I used to laugh when i saw him hobbling with 2 walking sticks (2 broken legs). He ended up with compensation for it but i think it taught him a lesson!

 

[Mr Mustard]

I thought that mate but when it happened to me there was four of them in my home at 2 a.m in the morning and to be fair didn't really know what going on.A 7 and a 3 year upstairs and four lads hooded and armed I let them go and rang the police straight away.They obviously panicked though because the second car they tried to steal got jammed on my garden wall and they made a lot of damage.If I hadn't spooked them though they would not have crashed my first car and they would've got away scot free.They are only cars and I say this in a way that means we were ok apart from being worried of it happening again.

That's depressing, there's nothing you can do then. If they want it they're having it..

 

[robofire]

I had this with my 3 month old s5 in Harold wood last March. Broke in during the day and found spare keys hidden. It gutted me. And I feel for you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Soulboy]

This story sucks, I hate hearing about thefts of cars, there really are some low-life scum out there. I'm always intrigued though, where do most stolen cars end up these days? Are they "stolen to order", are they shipped off abroad, used for committing other offences like robberies, or do the thieves just sell the car on or keep it themselves?

This recent article (25 June 2016) in The Guardian probably answers most of your questions about who is stealing them and how.

Worryingly, it also appears that the S3 is now the most stolen car in the country by some margin!.
And car theft is on the way up again after years of decline.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/jun/25/hi-tech-thieves-keyless-car-crime-electronic-security

More here.....
https://www.carkeys.co.uk/news/if-you-own-this-car-there-s-a-big-chance-it-s-going-to-be-stolen

Bet your bottom dollar S3 insurance premiums are going to start increasing.

 

[Chris5]

The video says its private when I try to view it

 

[Baldyone]

Sorry for your troubles mate. It's horrible and I can only imagine how gutted your feeling, both for the loss of your car and all the Agro that comes with it. I'm in Essex too, we had a huge spate of Ford ST thefts & an S3 not so far from me earlier in the year. House robberies are not unheard of and after a scare in March last year I changed my habits of not locking the doors & Windows properly and had an alarm installed. My keys, at my bedside where they will stay. I totally understand those that leave them available should someone break in but to me, this is my home, and that S3 is my car and I will defend my ownership of both in every possible way. I hope this gets resolved for you one way or another soon and with luck, the guys responsible will get caught, or get herpies. Both would be good!

 

[jaypers777]

This recent article (25 June 2016) in The Guardian probably answers most of your questions about who is stealing them and how.

Worryingly, it also appears that the S3 is now the most stolen car in the country by some margin!.
And car theft is on the way up again after years of decline.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/jun/25/hi-tech-thieves-keyless-car-crime-electronic-security

More here.....
https://www.carkeys.co.uk/news/if-you-own-this-car-there-s-a-big-chance-it-s-going-to-be-stolen

Bet your bottom dollar S3 insurance premiums are going to start increasing.

Great option if (a) You're in the market for a Tracker and (b) Have keyless ignition - http://www.trackerfit.co.uk/stolen-vehicle-trackers/trackstar-advance.html

Personally, I would like to see these f*****s suffer in the worst possible way. Yes, there are worse crimes, but what's happened to the OP makes me incredibly angry.

 

[cuke2u]

This recent article (25 June 2016) in The Guardian probably answers most of your questions about who is stealing them and how.

Worryingly, it also appears that the S3 is now the most stolen car in the country by some margin!.
And car theft is on the way up again after years of decline.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/jun/25/hi-tech-thieves-keyless-car-crime-electronic-security

More here.....
https://www.carkeys.co.uk/news/if-you-own-this-car-there-s-a-big-chance-it-s-going-to-be-stolen

Bet your bottom dollar S3 insurance premiums are going to start increasing.

However all the cars being stolen here are by having the keys, it is irrelevent if they are keyless or not. Also the value of the cars taken are higher and easier to pass on if they have the keys.

 

[rasA4]

any luck OP with trawling back the CCTV to see if these crooks been before maybe with their faces exposed?

 

[replicant71]

This recent article (25 June 2016) in The Guardian probably answers most of your questions about who is stealing them and how.

Worryingly, it also appears that the S3 is now the most stolen car in the country by some margin!.
And car theft is on the way up again after years of decline.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/jun/25/hi-tech-thieves-keyless-car-crime-electronic-security

More here.....
https://www.carkeys.co.uk/news/if-you-own-this-car-there-s-a-big-chance-it-s-going-to-be-stolen

Bet your bottom dollar S3 insurance premiums are going to start increasing.

Thanks for the links. Quite worrying that the S3 is number 1

 

[Soulboy]

However all the cars being stolen here are by having the keys, it is irrelevent if they are keyless or not. Also the value of the cars taken are higher and easier to pass on if they have the keys.

I wasn't re-opening the keyless debate.
It's just S3s being stolen in general......key and keyless.
Worrying that it is now the most stolen car in the country.......and nearly 50% higher than the 2nd most stolen car.

 

[glasgowdubber]

I read somewhere yesterday that an Audi S3 is 8 times more likely to be stolen than any other of the main target cars! Not sure how accurate this was, or where I read it, but that's a worrying figure! Having worked for Audi, I used to take calls like this on a semi regular occasion where peoples car, sometimes carS had been stolen and it ranged across the prestige brands! Sorry to hear buddy, there really is no consolation for this kind of thing, hopefully you have GAP etc in place, and can start a fresh again.

 

[GSB]

Post

I read somewhere yesterday that an Audi S3 is 8 times more likely to be stolen than any other of the main target cars! Not sure how accurate this was, or where I read it, but that's a worrying figure! Having worked for Audi, I used to take calls like this on a semi regular occasion where peoples car, sometimes carS had been stolen and it ranged across the prestige brands! Sorry to hear buddy, there really is no consolation for this kind of thing, hopefully you have GAP etc in place, and can start a fresh again.

post 110, just above yours. It's about an 0.8% chance, which is a fair bit more likely than number 2 on the list but not 8 times more likely, that'd be like the 90's all over again, chaining cars to the garage floor and insurance premiums of £10k and above.

Speaking of the '90's, Whatever happened to the vecta immobiliser?

 

[lfcrule1972]

I remember the vecta immobiliser, I guess our OEM immobilisers did for them. Thank goodness there's no theft nowadays thanks to them..... Oh wait