Posted by OR on 12/18/09 2:26pm
Msg #314895

They broke into our cars..we have great insurance

On Wednesday we woke up to our cars broken into. What a mess. I had already learned never ever to leave my seal in my car from reading it here on Not Rot. However we had car alarms. But they broke the glass in the side windows and no alarm went off. That was due to the fact they never jard the doors to make the alarm go off. They took our GPS only. They did not go through the cars and take anything else just an quick brake and take. Our lessons learned was to hide the GPS. The Cops said it is a high theift item. HIDE YOUR GPS. Have a great Christmas.

Reply by John Schenk on 12/18/09 2:47pm
Msg #314898

Sorry to hear that.

GPS is one of the number one items to hide, or so they say. Any electronic goodies that are in view are like dangling a carrot to a would be thief. Glad that's all they got. Really sucks to have ANYTHING ripped off. That chaps my butt to no end.

JJ

Reply by LKT/CA on 12/18/09 3:09pm
Msg #314902

Does your GPS have a security feature for a pin #. My Garmin nuvi does. I have to enter my four digit pin (which I programmed) in order to use it. If I forget the pin, I have to mail in the actual unit along with the receipt (proof of purchase). Only then will Garmin unlock it, so my GPS is useless to anyone who steals it....not that I want it stolen but I am assured they get no use from it - they don't know the pin #.

Reply by OR on 12/18/09 3:27pm
Msg #314905

That is what we thought but when we called Garmen they said they cannot ping them. They said that the best they can do is report it found if someone calls them with the serial number looking for more information. We reregistered them so Garman has all the info on them.

Reply by LKT/CA on 12/18/09 8:32pm
Msg #314945

<<<That is what we thought but when we called Garmen they said they cannot ping them. >>>

What does "cannot ping them" mean?

Reply by jba/fl on 12/18/09 8:36pm
Msg #314946

Ping - like a locating sensor I think.

Ping is also a great computer utility for setting your clock, atomic-ally.

Reply by John Schenk on 12/18/09 4:06pm
Msg #314913

I need to program a pin in mine too. Sure don't want them using it if they get their hands on it. I haven't gotten to use it much myself yet since I just got it a couple weeks ago. LOL

JJ

Reply by OR on 12/19/09 11:14am
Msg #314999

Re: Garmens do not have PINs n/m

Reply by Charles_Ca on 12/18/09 7:30pm
Msg #314938

In the future you might want to look at car alarms with proximity sensoers. I have a Viper system and it has tilt and proximity sensors so the alarm goes off if someone comes to close to the car. As a person approaches the car makes a low level sound that increases as the person gets closer. it stats about two fee away and gets louder, if the person does nto go away the final alarm sounds. I also have a glass break sensor. I travel in LA and the SF Bay Area frequently so the alarms have paid off.

Reply by OR on 12/19/09 11:21am
Msg #315002

Re: We do have alarms they broke the windows out

that did not trigger the alarm. They tried to open the doors but they but the door did not jar open so the alarm did not go off. We had motion detecting lights in our driveway did not help. We have an alarm system in our house. My husband now has put up the proximity sensors on our drive way with a horn. Let see if they come back.

Reply by MW/VA on 12/18/09 7:49pm
Msg #314940

My car was broken into about 2 yrs. ago for the GPS. The police know it is the #1 item, and they told me it takes about 20 seconds for them to smash the window & grab it. Advice is to never leave the GPS mounted, or even have the disk mounted on the dash. I now use mine by just laying it on the seat beside me. I'm listening for the verbal directions, so I don't need to see it anyway. The new theft is about tech devices--GPS, satellite radios, laptops, etc. I now have business liability insurance, which would cover all that.

Reply by janie/vt on 12/18/09 7:50pm
Msg #314941

Hope you didn't have your home address programed in your favorites. Read an ariticle on aol about people stealing gps's and breaking into peoples houses, because they hit the button that says home. Please be safe.

Reply by LKT/CA on 12/18/09 8:39pm
Msg #314947

If you program your GPS to require a pin number, that is the first screen shown. No one gets past that screen until they enter a pin number. I keep my GPS in its case and the charger in an insulated lunch bag ($7 from Walmart) on the seat (or under it) out of direct sunlight.

I use the suction mount directly over the tachometer. It does not obstruct the speedometer or anything pertinent. In CA, it's illegal to use the suction mount on the windshield. People still mount it that way, but it's illegal (says so in the little booklet).

Reply by wisconsin on 12/18/09 9:06pm
Msg #314948

Both my oldest son and daughter had their cars broken into and all they took was their GPS's too.

Reply by OR on 12/19/09 11:22am
Msg #315003

I know I read that too. We did. But we have an alarm system on the house.

Reply by HrdwrkrVA on 12/19/09 12:33am
Msg #314964

I take mine w/me but sorry 4 u & thanks. n/m

Reply by Kenneth Teleis on 12/21/09 8:32pm
Msg #315285

gps taken from my unlocked car

I guess I learned the hard way that I need to lock my car in my driveway (which I've rarely done here in suburbia). Last week thieves came through our neighborhood and took stuff from several cars. No break-ins, just from unlocked cars (like mine). They took only my brand new garmin GPS (I had not programmed a PIN). It was in the center console in a case. They left my notary seal right there in plain sight. Dummies didnt even take the mounting bracket on the windshield or the power cord for the gps...
Needless to say, I now lock my car doors...