Topic: Protector Plus and SymTech

[Craig]

These are the two most common "additional" charges foisted on buyers that I have come across.  In negotiating a sale price on my last car purchase, I had the admin fee removed, but was told i would be forfeiting the "Protector Plus" anti-theft marking system.  So I did some research, and it appears the dealerships pay about $50 for the PP templates, and routinely charge $295+ for the service.

SymTech is even more mysterious.  Some kind of paint and fabric coating (hope it ain't the same product applied on both materials).

Neither of these companies seem to have a web presence.  8-year-olds with lemonade stands have websites these days.  What gives?

SymTech isn't getting anywhere near my vehicles, but Protector Plus sounded like a good idea, and I Googled them.  Seems the APA prefers a service called Sherlock.  Their MSRP is $200, and they have heard of the www.  For the $199, they mark 50 parts on the car, and maintain a database linking the sandblasted numbers to your VIN.  Seems Speedy Glass is their Ontario rep.

Is this service worthwhile?

[UmroAyyar]

Disclaimer: This is a commoner's take on the situation, not expert opinion or advice.

My previous car didn't have Protector Plus stickers and windows weren't tinted, got broken in twice. Several other attempts were made.

Current car has Protector Plus stickers, windows are tinted. No human contact for vandalization purposes has been made yet.

(Off the record) A police officer told me these protector plus stickers work as a deterrant from convenient thiefs plus stickers indicating the car has a security system work as a deterrant as well.

[articsteve]

Protector Plus costs the dealer about 90 per car in my area, but gets a break on inventory insurance.  I dunno, maybe high volume dealers pay much less.  Retails for $249.00.   Personal opinion is that it is useless. 

Some kind of paint and fabric coating (hope it ain't the same product applied on both materials).   

[Cord]

SymTech isn't getting anywhere near my vehicles, but Protector Plus sounded like a good idea, and I Googled them.  Seems the APA prefers a service called Sherlock.  Their MSRP is $200, and they have heard of the www.  For the $199, they mark 50 parts on the car, and maintain a database linking the sandblasted numbers to your VIN.

OK, none of the various etching products available do anything to stop thefts. Anybody that thinks the average car thief is going to be deterred by a number on the glass that can barely be seen has been watching too many Starsky and Hutch re-runs. The average Dodge Neon that gets stolen is not going to a "chop shop" to be dismantled and sold to foreign drug lords.

They are a form of insurance plain and simple: Your car gets stolen, you get some extra money. That's all they do. In the same way that your normal insurance doesn't do anything to prevent a theft, neither do these products. Think about it. The product is called Sherlock. Would that name be synonymous with crime prevention or crime solving? They mark 50 parts of the car? Wanna bet that none of these are visible to a car thief? I can see the scene now: Stolen car up on the hoist, just as the bad guy fires up the cutting torch he looks up and sees a strange marking, "Damn, now I can't use this Johnson rod!"

[Craig]

I understand, but all I'm saying is that it may deter one type of car thief, which is not necessarily a bad thing, if perhaps not the best way to spend $295.

I was debating saving $100 and getting the Sherlock system, but now I think I'll just forgo any etching system.

[Cord]

Every one of those products is 100% worthless for detering thefts. If you spent $2.00 on them for that purpose you wasted your money. The whole etching thing is just a marketing trapping to make it easier for people to "see" that they bought something. There is already a unique and secure 17 digit number in multiple places on every car made. Your own insurance company is OK with insuring the entire value of the car based on them just knowing that number.

Lots of people see some value in the insurance though. Car gets stolen, get  an extra $5000. Like any insurance, some people see the value, some don't.

[barrie1]

As far as the etching goes you can buy a small engraving machine for around $20.00 at home hardware which will do any NO. you wish to write on most any material that is in any vehicle. On the leather and cloth interiors I doubt it would work at all but on the undercarriage of the seats may be a good place to engrave a NO. if you wish. I think a good security alarm is probably the best solution to most problems with theives breaking in or attempting to steal your vehicle. I beleive most factory car alarms have a engine immobolizer which renders the vehicle undriveable and gaurantees that you will get it back if they do get any distance away with it at all. 

[mdxtasy]

I agree that this sort of stuff is a complete waste of money.

[rrocket]

The average Dodge Neon that gets stolen is not going to a "chop shop" to be dismantled and sold to foreign drug lords.

Oh..have the drug lords tired of driving S-Classes and luxury cars??   

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I agree that this sort of stuff is a complete waste of money.

I don't see value in it myself either. If a theif wants your car, they'll get it, and etching won't help you greatly for overseas export and is little deterrent for black market goods IMO. Good security alarm and immobilizer is a good deterrent for joyriders. For a quick break 'n grab vehicle content steal, etching won't help.

[mmret]

Not to hijack the thread, but is an aftermarket alarm worth it if I already have a factory alarm + immobilizer (not rolling code, unfortunately), and (i think) a shock sensor?

[Snowman]

Before any sales manager begins his pitch I say no.

[Craig]

Before any sales manager begins his pitch I say no.

What if he has nice eyes?

[Snowman]

Before any sales manager begins his pitch I say no.

What if he has nice eyes?

No with a smile.

[mdxtasy]

Before any sales manager begins his pitch I say no.

What if he has nice eyes?

Then you look at his titties.

[kc567]

Before any sales manager begins his pitch I say no.

The best thing to do it let them give every sales pitch, encourage them along the way, ask questions ..... at the end say, " No thanks, i never buy that stuff ".

Did it just a few weeks ago, wondered out loud about the clear bra stuff, knowing full well the shop that does it for the dealer would do it for me directly, for less. Finiance guy goes real quiet and not so friendly when he gets the NO.  Try it next time guys & girls ..... amuse yourselves.

KC

[agivant]

When I bougth car I declined it and got the car ... with stickers on it. Stickers has no value by themself, it's the sticker number entered to PP system gives you +5K when you car stolen.
Now imagine car thief looking for 2 similar cars with stickers on them, only one registered in the system and other one not. How he suppose to know which one is which? If he need to steal the car, stickers won't prevent him from doing that.

[Craig]

Same here.  Stickers were on, even though I declined the charge.

[Cord]

Same here.  Stickers were on, even though I declined the charge.

Doesn't that tell you something? If those stickers had any value as a theft deterent don't you think they'd charge for them? The stoned crackhead or the punk kid doesn't care about a sticker and a professional thief knows they don't mean anything. Who is being stopped by these these things?

[articsteve]

Protector Plus or whatever it's called in one's region is simply a clever replacement for the "ADMIN FEE".

In Ontario at Toyota stores the day the ADMIN FEE came off the sales contracts the Protector Plus went on.  It was well executed.