LoJack Vehicle Recovery System poor service

[1935 Buick Special 46c]

In March of 2019 I had a LoJack Vehicle Recovery System installed on my 1939 Cadillac LaSalle Coupe.  The service was good.  The technician came to my house and installed the system.  

I have now purchased a 1935 Buick Special 46C and wish to have another LoJack system installed on the car.  That is where the problems start.

Over the last three days I have left three messages with their sales department (listed on their website) and have not heard back.  In addition I have talked to Customer Service three times and

have been assured three times that an email has been sent to the sales manager asking him to contact me.  Still no response.

LoJack's poor customer/sales service does not breed confidence in their ability to quickly follow up if you report your car is stolen.  Has anyone else had any experience with LoJack' sales or 

customer service?  Do you have any recommendations for another Vehicle Recovery System?  

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

John P.

[Matt Harwood]

Why even bother with a LoJack? Nobody wants to steal your old cars. Thieves steal cars because they can fence the parts, which is why Toyota Camrys and Ford Explorers are targets. No thief knows how to disassemble and sell LaSalle parts or even a guy who would pay him to steal a whole one. Collector cars are too distinctive to sell on some kind of black market and their parts are generally worthless to someone interested in a quick score. In short, there's no market for stolen old cars and parts, hence no thievery (yes exceptions happen, but they're a minuscule fraction of the number of old cars out there).

 

A friend of mine had his 15-year-old Suburban and beat-up enclosed trailer stolen at a tour a few years ago. About three miles down the road, they found his quarter-million-dollar Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost unceremoniously dumped in the ditch, but the Suburban and trailer (worth about $25,000) were long gone. Don't give car thieves too much credit--they don't want your car and their crackhead brains couldn't figure out what to do with it if they somehow got it home.

 

It's your money, your call, but if you're dissatisfied with the service and have good insurance, I think the risk of theft is pretty minimal on old cars. The world isn't that scary. Hell, I leave the keys in mine and tell onlookers that if they can figure out how to start it, they can have it.

 

No takers yet...

[MCHinson]

I agree with Matt Harwood. I am a retired Police Lieutenant and I don't leave my modern car unlocked if I walk 5 feet away from it. Even I usually leave the ignition key in my 1937 Buick Century when I park it. I have had several people tell me, "you left the key in your car". I typically tell them that they are welcome to take it for a drive if they can figure out how to start it. The people who know how to start it are all people that I trust to not steal it. Anybody who I think might want to steal it is unlikely to know how to start it or drive it with a standard transmission. 

[avgwarhawk]

 It is all fun and games until there is only an oil spot where you swear you left your classic. LOL Classics are stolen  for parts or stuffing into a sea container destine for Europe.  Nobody wants to steal your classic until they do.  

 

If having a tracking device on your classic makes you sleep better at night, then install it.  

 

BTW, twice I have seen people open the door and get into my brothers 60 Imperial Southampton like they owned it.   People do dumb things.  Take the key out. 

 

As far as people doing stupid things watch this:

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/tv-reporter-fired-after-climbing-on-cars-live-at-auto-show/ar-AAJfp0d?li=BBnbfcL&fbclid=IwAR3nLg-1m-KHVRqDsZMCVwxWeJDNIziR2KcxJfU8gisqqb1y6xz6bJWAvMY#page=2

 

 

 

 

Edited October 24, 2019 by avgwarhawk (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

I had to look up what is was. At first I thought it was one of those J-hooks that went around the steering wheel. I guess it is a little more techie.

 

Like most of the comments, I am pretty casual about keys and locking of my car. They aren't a target for a smart thief and a dumb thief wouldn't be able to start or drive away. I would love to have an audio of the conversation when the thieves found that Ghost.

 

Last night, after running out in the dark to get the keys off the floor of my '60 Buick I was reading a training manual for my "new to me" BMW. The car has a "sleep mode". Activity is sensed and disconnects electric loads through the Battery Module based on time and an infrared occupant detector. Unlocking the car wakes it up. I never lock it so I kept thinking I was having battery problems. THAT was a pain. Now as I approach the car I lock it and unlock it with the fob to wake it up. Makes me think "Honey, I'm home"

 

Not much priority on security in the old car group.

[avgwarhawk]

Relay a story here.  My friend owns a 1949 Chevy Styleline.  It was stolen.   Police reports made, etc.  10 years later as he was driving through Baltimore(where it was stolen) he spotted a red 1949 Chevy Styleline as a display in front of a car repair place.   He stopped to look out of interest since he owned one.   He then noticed as looking it over it was his Chevy!!!  Once gray in color. Now red.  He went to the police and advised he found his stolen car.   Since it was such an old theft in the police system he had to prove it was his.   He advised he left an old dash radio in the trunk he was going to install but the Chevy was stolen before he could.   As it would have it....that old radio was still in the trunk.   His Chevy was returned to him after all of those years.             

[NTX5467]

IF you want tracking information, then get one of those GPS devices that can be easily installed on a vehicle to track location, speed, etc.  Like the ones that parents get to track their kids' cars and such.

 

The LoJack ads sound good.  Back when OnStar was first getting going, I went to a dealer ride/drive event where a Tahoe with OnStar was doing a demonstration.  OnStar, when vehicle-integrated, far out-strips what LoJack can do -- period.  I asked the presenter which one was better, OnStar or LoJack.  He calmly mentioned ONE thing about the whole LoJack deal . . . that LoJack had provided many police departments with a RECEIVER to use to track the LoJack signal.  What that means is that the receiver has to be near the signal to receive it.  Purely trial-error-luck, it seemed!  Whereas OnStar could give definite location of the vehicle and then could contact the police to be there when they shut-down the vehicle's operation.

 

That was in the 1990s, so I suspect that LoJack has improved a lot since then, with GPS technology and such.  Just a suspicion.

 

But with GPS vehicle tracking capabilities so easy to come by these days, plus being easy to install, why bother with LoJack at all?  Not to forget about the many fleet vehicle tracking services that are available currently!  I think we're paying something like $10.00/vehicle/month for company vehicles?  With the capability to track in real time, speed, location, "shut down" and "idle" time, too.  Plus a visual track of where the vehicle has been.  Even overlaid on Google maps Satellite View displays!  Just need a laptop/computer to access the passworded account.

 

To me, there are lots BETTER ways to track a vehicle than with LoJack!  Not sure if some of these modern methods are compatible with a 6V electrical system, though.

 

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467