A point to consider re: insurers - don't assume they all work the same way and have the same requirements, especially where Trackers are concerned. When I had my M3 it was a stipulated condition to have one fitted, and that was the case with a couple of insurers. Now I have my M2 I've moved insurers and landed with a company that doesn't stipulate one! That said I've had one fitted, along with additional immobiliser anyway. There can be odd permutations of requirements I believe. Some companies may have blanket policies, and other factors such as postcode can come into it too.
As for companies, I was with Tracker proper for a hell of a long time, and tbh I wasn't impressed overall.
-as each renewal came round I had to badger them to send new certificates
- I found phone contact frustrating
-zero customer loyalty when it comes to subs, unless you stump up for a multi year deal (and any unused sub is not refundable)
-when they advised me about the device battery justifying a UNIT replacement, they weren't so slow (!) but I had to do it to meet insurer needs
-best of all, when the replacement installer arrived he had no idea where the original one was, and couldn't find it. As he started to remove this panel, that panel etc "in all the usual places" I could see the guy getting more frustrated and could see there was chance he'd damage something in his efforts, so told him to stop wasting his and my time and pack up. I made some calls to supplying dealer, bear in mind I bought my car from them many years ago, and amazingly by speaking to the right people, someone ended up discussing with the installer who actually remembered my car! The fact central records were missing the code relating to the install location was...concerning. Thankfully one person with a good memory saved the day.
I'm with Meta Trak now and been pleased with the following:
-Installation. Carried out by Ben Hadfield. Decent bloke all round. Initial install done professionally, and some initial issues sorted out. Ben was up front in that the problem that arose was unusual but between him, and the dealership it was all sorted out. Main point is he stuck with it and owned the problem, even though there was uncertainty about the root cause. Others could learn from his professional attitude. Incidentally the final thinking was a previous Trakstar may have been the culprit, nobody new it was there and its wiring may have been the issue.
-Customer service. I've had to contact them a couple of times and they were spot on. First was after device refit and I noted that logs were showing some mad telemetry. Had an interesting chat with them to understand the issue, and they sorted it remotely, immediately. In getting used to the system I also asked for some guidance, and once more, they were very helpful. No call waiting times, immediate response.
-App support. On mobile and via PC. Despite being a tech guy, I'm not one who relies on "apps" for day to day needs, but the Meta Trak app is nice to use, and gives extra info that is quite handy such as journey details, system status, remote commands and even car battery voltage (the latter may sound frivolous but it's understandable, and also lets you keep an eye on things without having to go out in -8°c to check with a meter, as per recent weather!)
The other one to consider is physical security in the vehicle. After seeing one too many cases of steering wheel theft I've included that too. Old school, but if some scrote is put off by it, and goes elsewhere, that's a result for a minor inconvenience.
So going back to where I started, you may wish to clarify requirements with your insurer first, chances are that they just focus on Thatcham rating, but being certain about any specific brand requirements may avoid wasted spend perhaps. In terms of brands, right now I'm glad I went with Meta Trak.
