Whilst we’re always going to advocate for the installation of a vehicle tracker to safeguard your beloved car, motorbike, caravan or truck, it is our bread and butter after all, it’s not something that you can just forget about once it’s installed.
Having one of our car trackers fitted is only part of the journey and that alone isn’t always enough to comply with your insurance requirements. Once it’s installed, it also has to be activated to work correctly.
PAY YOUR SUBSCRIPTION FEE
Whilst it might seem obvious, you’d be amazed how many times customers forget to pay their subscription. On top of that, there has been a rise in the number of insurance companies that have simply refused to pay out for stolen vehicles because their customer’s insurance policy is deemed to be void as the tracker has no subscription.
Let’s be honest, insurance companies don’t need much of an excuse not to pay out, so it’s vital your system is fully activated and the subscription is paid, once our team of engineers has installed it.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO ACTIVATE A TRACKER
Activating a tracker isn’t just a requirement of your insurance policy, especially if it’s stipulated part of your agreement to have one, it’s also integral to how it works.
Without it being activated, the tracker can’t communicate with the manufacturer’s system, so their control centre won’t be able to see its location or recover the vehicle in a theft situation. Without activation, it’s just a box of circuits and wires attached to your car.
If you’ve worked hard and have a luxury car to drive around in, then chances are the fitting of a vehicle tracker will be a prerequisite of any insurance policy, based purely on the price you paid and / or the current market value of the vehicle.
If your car comes with a tracker factory-fitted then chances are it may be activated when you buy it (but always check). If it’s something you have fitted on the after-market, then you will often need to get it fitted BEFORE you get insurance, or at least let the insurance company know that you’re getting it installed at a later date.
They may well insist it’s fitted before the policy can be started and you might also have to send confirmation to them to validate your policy. But again, fitting it is just half the story.
HOW TO ACTIVATE A TRACKER
Given how many people don’t, or forget, to activate their tracker, you might be thinking that’s because it’s overly complicated or difficult to do. It’s actually very, very simple.
Once you’ve chosen the tracker you want from our store, paid for the device and any subscriptions that might come with it, the next step is to arrange with our team to have it installed.
This can be done at your home, office, place of work or anywhere in the mainland UK. It’s at that point, once the installation is complete, the manufacturer will usually reach out to you via email or phone to get your subscription set up.
Whether it’s SmarTrack, ScorpionTrack, or whomever else made the device, just choose your subscription length then give them your payment details and it’s done. Simple as that.
It’s worth noting that some of our trackers, for example from Meta Trak and Vodafone Automotive come pre-activated with a subscription plan. Just be sure to make a note of when it expires and ensure you renew it when the time comes. This is often another thing that gets overlooked but is also just as simple to fix.
⚬ Don’t get caught out by not activating your tracker or setting up the subscription.
⚬ If you have any questions about it, please don’t hesitate to contact us or the manufacturer.
⚬ Don’t wait until it’s too late to find out the consequences of not activating your device or renewing your subscription.
Our team fully understands that it can be a daunting process but are available to help and answer any questions you might have between 9 am – 6 pm, Monday to Friday on 0330 043 3993. Our customer service doesn’t end when you buy from us, that’s only the beginning.
