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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:
Original poster
idratherbeincognito · 07/09/2008 19:06

ForeverOptimistic, dunno...where very approximately do you live?

OP posts:
shhhh · 07/09/2008 19:07

I don't see the point with expensive cars..majority depreciate rapidly and it does worry me being a target...Give me some louboutins anyday . Although must admit I am partial to the odd Cayenne or Q8

Our neighbour had a lambourghini Gallardo, friends of ours used to come round a drool..bloody awful car and total waste of money...imo

Cammelia · 07/09/2008 19:08

[rolls eyes back]

Hulababy · 07/09/2008 19:09

Not all very expensive cars depreciate. Some do appreciate, at least for a time. Long waiting lists and rarity of car can increase their prices.

Original poster
idratherbeincognito · 07/09/2008 19:10

(and thanks butterflybessie, will try to )

anyway - that's me done for this evening. Bed time routine, then relax infront of a film.

I've had some good advice on this thread. Thanks - and sorry if I haven't acknowledged all directly by name; I have read each and every comment

OP posts:
Cammelia · 07/09/2008 19:12

Only while there's still a waiting list, then they depreciate like any other car.

BTW incog, I do hope you're not implying that I have less rights than yourself to post on this thread, that would be extremely 'low' (to quote your word, again)

Megglevache · 07/09/2008 19:14

Hi
I can understand why you changed your name, how silly for anyone not to get that.If you love in an area where every other house has a swish car then your chances of it being nicked would be lower I guess.

I dont think it's a really great looking car myself and for that money I would want it to park itself and chuck out tazer stuns at anyone who looked even remotely dodge, I think you can add flame throwers as well, I saw it in a filumm once so it must be true.

Get your dh to sell it and buy an Aston Martin.

P.S. why would you have a computer in every room Confused

shhhh · 07/09/2008 19:18

MW, so she can drool keep an eye to the car

boovs · 07/09/2008 19:24

Having recently been the victim of a burglary myself then I would STRONGLY recommend upping your security. We were broken into at night whilst in bed, keys taken (along with loads of other things) and both cars stolen. My DH had a brand new car and apparently they are quite desirable, we were told by the police that the car would have been "stolen to order" and the fact that my car had been taken was just because the keys were available to them - my car turned up a few days later but DHs car has never been seen since and will probably be out of the country by now. The people who do this kind of thing will stop at nothing and breaking in through double glazing, locks etc is not a problem for them - my worry now is do we take keys to bed with us - if they came in the night again would they come upstairs and point a gun to our heads (have heard of this happening in our town) or do you leave them on full display and let them just take the car. Up your security, sorting things out is a nightmare and a worry. We have spent a considerable amout of money on extra outside lighting, smart water etc. Contact your local community support officer if you have one - they have loads of good advice and are very helpful. The more obstacles in the burglars way the less likely they are to even pick on your house....... we haven't slept properly since and every noise we hear we are up at the window.

shhhh · 07/09/2008 19:27

sorry to hear that boovs .

llareggub · 07/09/2008 19:29

Definitely step up security.

I live in a street that is sheltered from the main road by a green and trees. We are fairly secluded.

In the last 6 months three of our neighbours have been burgled and six cars stolen as a result. The other two houses who remain unburgled have alarms. We have definitely become more security aware as a result and the 5 houses in our street are talking about clubbing together to fit CCTV...

None of us have supercars, in fact, we are a pretty average cul-de-sac. But as far as the police are concerned, we are a prime target.

Cammelia · 07/09/2008 19:29

boovs, it really shakes you being burgled doesn't it. We were burgled a couple of years ago, they were still in the house when dh arrived back from work having collected dd from school. I was still at work. Dh noticed the burglar alarm flashing at the front of the house although they had broken in the back and disabled the noise of the alarm. He left dd in the car and went in the front. They ran away, having stolen quite a bit of jewellery.

Hulababy · 07/09/2008 19:30

Cammelia - notby as much as you might think TBH. Some cars hold their value very very well. And the waiting lists can last for years, as car manufacturers limit the number produced.

Also, you have to take into account the pleasure gained from owning such a car - if fast, sporty cars are "your thing". People spend money on all sorts of things - if it gives them pleasure then that should be factored in.

nickytwotimes · 07/09/2008 19:33

I don't see the point in having any possession that is so valuable as to cause you to worry about it's loss.

boovs · 07/09/2008 19:36

It does shake you up. Fortunately, and I don't know why, we had serial numbers written down for our mobile phones and a couple of other items. We returned from holiday a week or so ago to find out that 5 people had been arrested as part of a massive ongoing investigation and could be linked to our burglary because of mobile phones and some personal items found at the property of a suspect.... so every cloud and all that. It does give you some satisfaction knowing that they have been caught and that the police do actually care and take things seriously. They are all now awaiting trial. So if when you do get time....(!!) keep a record of serial numbers and receipts - its makes life so much easier with insurers and police.

boovs · 07/09/2008 19:40

nickytwotimes.... its not about possessions its the fact that people have been in your house, caused damage and helped themselves to your personal items and things with sentimental value. If you work hard and its your pleasure/passion why not have the things you want or desire.

Megglevache · 07/09/2008 19:40

How horrid for you Boovs.

Bloody hell, where is all of this happening most of our neighbours have really poshy cars and none of them get stolen- although our neighbour recently had a cement mixer lifted over his 8 foot high brick wall when they were extending their house honestly. Neighbour was tickled as it was carp and didn't work and he imagined all the effort they would have gone to.

That list makes for intersting reading.

nickytwotimes · 07/09/2008 19:42

boovs - sorry, I didn't mean the burglary. I meant the OP's car.
I've been burgaled and it is horrid. There wasn't anything to take but the guy had a bath and ate some of my food - creepy! He was caught though.

boovs · 07/09/2008 19:44

Yes they are cheeky buggers ..... even stole food out of the fridge... but they didn't steal my pedigree pooch which I am very grateful for.. now that would have been devastating.

nickytwotimes · 07/09/2008 19:44

Oh, and of course you should have somehting if it is your passion and you can afford it, it's just that I don't understand why anything material is worth worrying about that much, other than for sentimental reasons.

Ripeberry · 07/09/2008 19:48

Just make sure it's got a Tracker fitted. Keep some identikit water in a spray, cover any thieves with it, or you can even get special small sprays that cover thieves in red gel that won't come off for days.
Make sure the car is ALWAYS locked in the garage.
If you see any suspicious cars hanging around, take a note of their registration/make/model of car.
Be aware of your surroundings at all times and don't fall for the "person lying in the road" stunt, if it's genuine, just drive further on and call for help on mobile.
And as OP said, use CCTV whilst at home and get a big barking dog!
I would rather have an old beaten up car at home and pick up my posh sports car from another address.

Megglevache · 07/09/2008 19:48

at the bath.

nickytwotimes · 07/09/2008 19:50

Oh, yes. It got thoroughly bleached after that!

Lizzylou · 07/09/2008 19:51

Gawd, you work your ass off and do well then people resent you and/or try and rob you, great isn't it? . Unless you are not who I think you are and won the lottery, in which case lucky ol you!

Enjoy your car, but step up security, always best to "be prepared".

Hulababy · 07/09/2008 19:53

To be fair, I don't think the OP's DH seemed that worried or concerned. Just that a friend has brought it up and now the OP (rather than DH perhaps?) is worried.