Interesting visit from the police

penthouse89

Had a rather unnerving visit from the police this evening regarding our family car!

Earlier this year my father decided to treat himself to a new car, an Audi RS4 Avant at just under six months old. It's in a quite unusual specification for the type of car with some of the more expensive options having been fitted.

The car doesn't get much use and spends most of it's life in his garage, he runs another car to work etc and for errands. The Audi is a Sunday best car, so it can sometimes not leave the garage for weeks.

So this evening PC Traffic Plod pay us a visit, asking questions about the car and it's whereabouts, and if we've noticed anyone suspicious lurking about. Plod is shown into the garage where the car is parked.

It transpired that plod had stopped a car earlier in the day for one reason or another, and inside the car was a list of addresses, reg numbers and high end car models. On it was our family car! Obviously this was a high end shopping list for crims.

Can't actually believe that there are scum out there that follow high end cars home with a view to stealing them it's sickening really. It's left all of us a little bit shocked and unnerved. The "what if" factors are the most concerning. How far would these people go to steal a car? My dad has the keys in his bedside table and the spare set are with me. He's now looking into improved home security, safes etc.

Not really looking for any sort of response as such, but thought it might be good to make folk aware that this actually does happen. I know a few members on here also have high end cars - just worth paying suspicious activity a little more attention than you usually would...

:eek:

Blackpool_Saver

nothing would surprise me any more.....

Flying-High_2

Been going on for years... Break In... Out quick smart with the keys .... bye bye car. Stripped or In a container destined off yonder within hours.

penthouse89

Unbelievable. It's just shocked us all. Didn't even know this type of stuff really happened! Call me naive...

Dimey

penthouse89 wrote: »

Unbelievable. It's just shocked us all. Didn't even know this type of stuff really happened! Call me naive...

Yes. I've heard of it.

I drive a reliable but very ordinary cheap car. No one wants to relieve me of it.

Best your Father gets CCTV and a burglar alarm direct to a 24hr monitoring station. That might help move the burglars onto the next address on the list that's easier to get in without being seen.

Then sell the car and spend the money on something less ostentatious but equally enjoyable.

penthouse89

I've heard of it, but I didn't think it'd ever happen - I'm sure my dad thought the same.

Fortunately my reliable but very ordinary cheap car isn't a target for anyone - it already looks vandalized and I can't see anyone relieving me of it anytime soon, unless it's a scrap yard!

He's spent most of the night searching online for home security solutions. The worrying part is that the car isn't often out - and it's not like he lives in a mansion where you'd expect flash cars to be left parked in the garage, just your average sized Taylor Wimpey! I can only presume he has been tailed home. He's always had nice cars, but usually when they're a few years old and much less desirable. The Audi was a treat to himself. Although, this is a further item on the list against buying a flash car, not that I need any more reasons :P

atrixblue.-MFR-.

put a clamp on the wheel with a very sturdy lock on the chains whilst its sat in the garage, keep the key separate from car key but accessable to him say kept in a cupboard in kitchen and nice prominant sign on the garage door SMILE YOUR ON CCTV.

attila_

I remember seeing a forum section on pistonheads of members listing their stolen cars and asking for help.

I remember seeing so many m3s but the most common thing was that none of the cars were broken into to, as the keys were pinched from breaking into the house.

The amount of times I've left keys on the table or kitchen work surface...don't have an m3 though!

arcon5

Get one of those motion alarms installed on your garage door, so when it's opened it will make a loud noise. May be annoying when he goes in it, but if anything happens it could certainly act as a deterrent - much better than CCTV since they'd simply wear hoodies.

worried_jim

Flying-High wrote: »

Been going on for years... Break In... Out quick smart with the keys .... bye bye car. Stripped or In a container destined off yonder within hours.

A police officer friend sometimes parks up on the QE2 bridge and he says his stolen car tracker info unit sits there beeping like madman as the container ships sail away underneath him!

PasturesNew

In the olden days you'd simply take the rotor arm out when it wasn't being used. 2 minute job and without a rotor arm it'd never start.