According to the Office of National Statistics, vehicle thefts in England and Wales increased by 24.9% in 2022. Unfortunately, the tools available to these criminals are becoming ever-more sophisticated, so this trend looks set to continue for the foreseeable future. In this article, we take a closer look at why keeping your vehicle tracking system subscription active is vital to ensuring your claim gets paid should your vehicle be stolen.

The advent of vehicle tracker systems was a significant step in increasing the protection and recovery of personal motors. Utilising GPS technology, these devices provide real-time location data, allowing for swift and accurate tracking in the unfortunate event of a theft. This in turn has made it considerably easier for authorities to locate and retrieve the stolen vehicles. As a result, motor insurers have come to value these devices greatly, now requiring trackers on high value vehicles as a standard policy condition.

However, an overlooked aspect with vehicle tracker systems is the subscription that comes with them. In order to use these devices, the vast majority of manufacturers require an annual fee. If this is not paid, the tracker is as good as useless. Should the vehicle be stolen at this point, it will likely be too late to successfully track the vehicle upon realisation of the theft.

Unfortunately for the vehicle owner, the problem in this scenario would then be compounded by their claim being declined by insurers. Regardless of whether they were unaware that the tracker system subscription had expired, or they knowingly showed a lack of care in addressing the requirement, insurers will have agreed to cover the vehicle on the basis that this tracker was installed and active. The fact that it wasn’t gives insurers grounds to avoid paying for the stolen motor.

It is therefore in the best interest of every vehicle owner with a tracking system to ensure their subscriptions and devices are active and up to date. That way should the worst happen, you can at least rest easy knowing your insurance will protect you financially.

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By working with a specialist private client broker such as Miller, you’ll get the person-led service and policy guidance that provides true peace of mind. 

Motor policies placed by our Private Clients team cover cars on an agreed value basis, meaning you can be confident exactly how much your policy will pay out and that you won’t be left with a shortfall if your car is leased or financed.