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Original poster

Will dh's £90K car make us a target for crime?

232 replies

idratherbeincognito · 07/09/2008 00:26

Have changed my name for this to avoid accusations of being ostentatious.

Dh has a £90K sports care. There is a waiting list of 12-18 months....

I hadn't considered this before but a friend has suggested that we step up our security at our house (we are semi rural - not many neighbours) eg CCTV, and our alarm should be linked to a rapid response security firm rather than a just a simple auditory alarm (as per now). He suggested that dh might be followed in his car and our house targetted (with car theft in mind). The miscreants then might, seeing that our house looks 'promising', be tempted to break in rather than just filch the vehicle.

Has he watched to many police dramas or does he have a point?

(Feeling all sort of nervous and vulnerable atm, not helped by a murder in the village yesterday - aggravated burglary)

OP posts:
Tortington · 07/09/2008 07:42

getz are shite - really shite.

i have to agree with the poster earlier on who said that it would be a specialist who would steal the car - probably to order.

i think you are right to be worried and you should boost security

tigermoth · 07/09/2008 07:52

I wonder if secondhandrose is around - she and her dh own a CCTV security company.

There must be an R8 owners and enthusiasts club - can you google and see what comes up? Browse the discussions and see what other owners feel about their car's security and ask their advice.

Doodle2U · 07/09/2008 07:53

Yes to extra security.

Just as an aside - my brother had a Masarati (sp?) and he parked it right at the very back of a huge supermarket carpark, out of the way, near no one else etc. Some twunt came along, pranged it with his car and then left a note.

The note said:-

"Everyone watching me write this, thinks I'm leaving my insurance details. Well fuck you, you rich bastard!"

My DB isn't rich. He buys and sells cars for a living.

amidaiwish · 07/09/2008 07:54

my Dad had a mercedes SL55 AMG (sold recently) and at first they were rare with a long waiting list.

their house is on a private road with security, house is alarmed linked to police plus CCTV.

the car was stolen twice. once without the keys, other time broke into the house for the keys)

tracker found the car both times.

personally i would leave the keys somewhere easy for them to find. if they break into your house for the keys then they really want them. i would let them find them rather than get hold of you for you to give them to them iykwim.

it's only a car and the tracker will trace it.

robinpud · 07/09/2008 07:58

Surely your insurers have fairly stringent conditions? My bf drives a porsche and has to park it in certain places overnight ie garaged or off road for insurance to be valid. as your car is worth a tad more I am sure they will have clear views.

jalopy · 07/09/2008 08:08

Doesn't sound like it's worth the aggro.
IMO, it would be a constant worry. He wouldn't be able to park it anywhere but at home. You'd have to step up home security to the max.

solo · 07/09/2008 10:33

If you leave the keys near the front door or within easy reach, you would probably find that your insurance company would argue the toss about paying you out, so that's not such a good idea IMO. Might be a good idea to speak to the insurance and ask them what they recommend. Couldn't hurt.

Gobbledigook · 07/09/2008 10:37

You are not more likely to be burgled in poorer areas! Thieves know where nice cars are and they don't mind travellign into more wealthy neighbourhoods to get them!

However, I don't think it's always about the value of the car - it's often about the ease of being able to steal them. ALthough obviously certain cars are a target - Subaru Imprezas were a target near me for a good while. As someone else mentioned - theives were quite happy to break into peoples' houses and demand the keys!

themildmanneredstalker · 07/09/2008 10:40

90k on a car?
i'm sorry but that is obscene.

lulumama · 07/09/2008 10:44

it might get stolen to order if long waiting list , so i would get some shit hot security, cctv etc.. expensive cars are harder to steal just off the cuff, but likely to be targeted by 'professional' thieves

Lizzylou · 07/09/2008 10:48

One of our neighbours was followed from his place of work in Manchester to where we live (again semi-rural, all 4/5 bed houses) and "car jacked" for his Subaru (not nearly £90k, I wouldn't think), he was threatened with a machete. He now has a Volvo.
Definitely step up security.

hippipotami · 07/09/2008 11:05

I think if your house looks 'rich', by that I mean big house, expensive car on teh drive, etc, thieves will feel there is something worth having. So step up security.

Alternatively, don't you have a garage to park teh car in? If it is not visible then surely problems solved.

My main worry however would be what Lizzylou highlighted - I would be far far far more worried about a car jacking....

I envy you the car, it is nice, and my dh would be very , but for peace of mind I am happy with our 7 year old Vectra estate

PersephoneSnape · 07/09/2008 11:05

i think a £90k car is asking for trouble - but you're right to think about stepping up your household security - is it a 'nice' house as well? what happens if you go on holiday/away for the weekend? i think someone would follow a £90k car to find out where you live and nice all your stuff when you're away for a day or two. make sure you alert local police if house empty overnight etc...

PersephoneSnape · 07/09/2008 11:06

nice = 'nick'.

Feature · 07/09/2008 11:10

I think if you have 90k to buy a care the least you can do is buy the car a nice little house too.

Stop worrying, what will be will be and all that......

Feature · 07/09/2008 11:11

car = care [obviously]

Spidermama · 07/09/2008 11:14

I think your friend has a point. I speak as someone who has nothing of very much worth at all and enjoys the freedom of little or no security measures at my home. I really feel there's nothing to attract anyone.

I would be stressed beyond belief to have something so valuable and so unecessary parked outside my house.

Cammelia · 07/09/2008 11:16

Someone turned up at school in a brand new Audi R8 recently, and switched their front lights on as they came along the school drive.

Most of the other parents started laughing.

I detest Audis personally, I've noticed that Audi drivers cut me up far more than any other car driver (they're even worse than BMW drivers)

The main car of choice at my dd's school is Volvo, no-one's interested in stealing them, they're not flash enough which is why both dh and I own them

Original poster
idratherbeincognito · 07/09/2008 14:01

Thanks that's helpful Cammelia . I assume the parent dropping off, had only one child since they are only 2 seaters (very impractical for school run!)

It's not parked outside the house, it is on the drive (and we could garage it if there wasn't so much junk in the garage); but the driveway isn't visible from the road (only the entrance to the drive is visible). I was thinking more in terms of people following dh and 'clocking' which house he drove to and then making a subsequent visit 'with menaces'

Thanks for the contributions, and I have read enough to conclude that I need to enhance security.

OP posts:
gagarin · 07/09/2008 14:11

If your dh has 90K avaibale for a car then he really should worry about the security of it and his family not you!

Driving a car around that costs as much as some people's houses is bound to draw attention to your wealth - unless everyone around you drives similar cars?

I would expect some attention from thieves - and not just local youths.

Ask your dh to sort it out. His decision to buy the car so his problem about security.

lulumama · 07/09/2008 14:12

your insurance premiums might be a bit lower if it is in a garage?

OneLieIn · 07/09/2008 14:14

Yes - I think you will definitely be targeted. Most likely for a house burglary looking for the keys. I only say this as this is exactly what has happened to a friend of mine (only thing was that it wasn't her car parked outside )

milge · 07/09/2008 14:16

Is it worth taking advice from a company such as red 24 or the local police car crime unit?

I would def be more worried about it being stolen to order. Your common or garden twockers wouldn't just try to nick a supercar.

I would def de crap the garage so you can park it securely overnight, and install CCTV and sensors inside and outside the garage.

Can you change the address on the V5 so if people try to trace you via the number plate, they won't get your home address? eg, is there a business you can transfer its ownership to?

Alternatively, sell it for a profit?

LIZS · 07/09/2008 14:16

Know someone whose house was broken into and their very expensive car swiped. It had definitely been targetted as it was a rare model in UK so was stolen to order. It ended up being crashed and was a pita to get the right parts to repair by a specialist. Talking to our local police it seems that professional thieves come out of London and steal flash cars et al, breaking in to get keys even when people are inside asleep.

Original poster
idratherbeincognito · 07/09/2008 14:16

gagarin - I agree but I won't be hanging around for dh to pull his finger out and sort it. I shall be making appointments with security companies next week....

OP posts: