RAV 4 Free Tracker offer?

[Highwoods60]

I have been contacted by my main dealer to ask if I want a tracker fitted “free for four years” to my 2023 RAV 4. I asked why I had qualified for this free offer as my 23 plate was not in the at risk group for RAVs who were security compromised. The Receptionist could not tell me why, just said it was being offered to everyone????

anyone else heard if this? Any strings attached? 

[philip42h]

34 minutes ago, Highwoods60 said:

The Receptionist could not tell me why, just said it was being offered to everyone????

Except that it isn't ... it certainly hasn't been actively offered to me (and my car is in the 'security compromised' set).

The tracker thing is a recent innovation - folk who request them can have both "protection plates" and a "tracker" fitted. Clearly your particular dealer is being proactive - which is good - but I suspect rather over zealous!

If you want one, and the dealer is dumb enough to supply and fit for free, go for it - TBH in your position I wouldn't bother ... 😉 

[Nick72]

20 hours ago, Highwoods60 said:

I have been contacted by my main dealer to ask if I want a tracker fitted “free for four years” to my 2023 RAV 4. I asked why I had qualified for this free offer as my 23 plate was not in the at risk group for RAVs who were security compromised. The Receptionist could not tell me why, just said it was being offered to everyone????

anyone else heard if this? Any strings attached? 

Agree with Philip on this.

My only thoughts here are, if you want a tracker independent of the one already in the car and part of the DCM (how find my car in the App works), then you could consider something like the Samsung smart tag 2 or the Apple equivalent, depends on what kind of phone you got. They're tiny and easy to hide in the car. As I understand it they use the distribution of mobile phones associated with those brands as a type of crowdsourced mesh network to localise the tag. It is surprisingly effective. I have several of these attached to various things like bunches of keys, the wife, etc. Ok, just joking about the wife. No subscription required, Battery lasts for well over a year, and cheap. You use an App on your phone and it tells you roughly where it is and as you enter that area (which could be a 5 x 5m box or 50 x 50m) your phone then starts to narrow down exactly where the item is. bluetooth and WiFi probably involved at that point. 

But, if you want a tracker because it reduces your insurance premium (if that's a thing - I dunno because I don't pay insurance as my company covers everything) then a dealer installed insurance company recognised tracker might be a better option.

All depends upon why you might want one?

Dealer is just giving you an option.

Personally I'm satisfied with, 1. Not being in the risk category with the PHEV and a 2024 version, 2. Use a bulky hardened steel steering lock. 3. The inbuilt DCM tracker. Though I believe thieves remove the dcm during theft. 

 

 

[P_J]

FWIW I use Samsung Smart Tag2's too. 
 

[Nick72]

6 hours ago, P_J said:

FWIW I use Samsung Smart Tag2's too. 
 

On the wife, children, friends or more generally?

[nlee]

The only problem with AirTags is the anti-stalking measures implementation. If the AirTag is away from the owner’s phone for a while it will beep every time it moves and put a notification on the nearby persons phone to tell them there is an unknown tracker near them. So there’s a good chance the thieves will know it’s there eventually and be able to seek it out from the beeps.

It seems to be about 24 hours before it does it so should be good for a short while. I don’t know if the Samsung tag does something similar. 

[P_J]

4 hours ago, nlee said:

beep every time it moves and put a notification on the nearby persons phone

Yes Samsung is similar. 
I have one inside the car that they will find. 
And one fitted external that they hopefully won't find/hear. 

 

16 hours ago, Nick72 said:

On the wife, children, friends or more generally?

Nah I have other ways to track them 😆
Except friends. I have none of them. I wonder why? 🤔

[zed555]

On 10/12/2024 at 2:44 PM, Highwoods60 said:

I have been contacted by my main dealer to ask if I want a tracker fitted “free for four years” to my 2023 RAV 4. I asked why I had qualified for this free offer as my 23 plate was not in the at risk group for RAVs who were security compromised. The Receptionist could not tell me why, just said it was being offered to everyone????

anyone else heard if this? Any strings attached? 

I also got offered a ""free"" tracker in the service on my 2019 chr yesterday,, yes sir its free, no its not an obd it`s a hardwire fitment... no its totally free....... oh you have to pay a subscription after the 3rd year maybe its the 2nd year,,, i declined anyways

[ToyotaFanDriver]

Mine i also a 23 year car and has the fix in place against the thefts. It still wont stop those who are dumb enough to steal them from trying to take it I suppose. I wont be taking them up on the offer, I also managed to get the protection plates fitted when mine was delivered (turns out I dont need them). If it was a end the thieves life device they put in the car then yes, I would take it 😇