[phamilyman]

Thanks everyone for the ideas - my friend is reading all your posts, but we are not posting what he is trying to do. You never know whether even thieves read TBHP these days!

[silverado]

If you have few co-operating neighbours who also park vehicles on road, ask them to park their vehicles in front and behind your safari ( Bumper to bumper ).

Install a CHOR switch in your car, the kind old school jeeps have.
Keep the car very very low on fuel if not using it on daily basis.

Install motion sensors ( Tell the installer to not involve indicators in the circuit since circuit can be easily broken by cutting indicator wires )

[mmxylorider]

Since there have been couple of attempts to boost the car, the thieves will know you know as well.

In addition to all the gadgets mentioned in earliest posts, a simple banner inside the car mentioning the car is under 24x7 multiple cctv surveillance (even if actually not) could be a deterrent for future attempts. Let the thieves figure out where the cameras are!!

[jacs]

Really shocked to hear someone books a car even before its lifted

Idea of an inexpensive hidden mobile looks practical for tracking purpose.

I do not think thieves might be interested to spent good amount of time in the car due to the fear of getting caught. So any option to keep them busy for couple of hours without succesfully driving the car out helps. May be the fuel cut circuits or related things can help too.

[saket77]

Get a secret master switch installed in a location which is tough to think of. Once switched off, this should cut the battery line to the starter motor and ECM; but not the remote arming system.

Also, another small but effective trick is to get a separate horn installed. Make sure that the horn is loud. Connect a switch to this horn and connect this switch to the line from ignition. Now what you have is a switch, (at a secret place), which you will turn on after you turn the car off (ignition off). So, whenever anyone switches on the ignition without switching off this horn switch, the horn will sound loudly.

Had it been a petrol vehicle, I would have asked him to carry the distributor cap home everyday.

Most other ideas posted above will also deter them.

Regards,
Saket

[wanderernomad]

Get a dummy CCTV camera installed just above the parking place with a red indicator light along with all the steps mentioned inn the posts. Or get a one man tent pitched up on the roof and try sleeping in it for a few weeks. lolz. Jokes apart, but this issue of giving suparies for the car are a sign of troubled times.

[sagarpadaki]

Stick a motion sensor alarm at a place that is not reachable easily but has a clear view of the car. This will work if there are not other people who walk around the car when parked. This will trigger a loud enough alarm when motion is sensed around the car. Here is an example from dx website. There are hundreds of such devices. And pretty cheap too.

http://dx.com/p/ir-sensor-motion-act...m-1-x-9v-90654

But make sure that no lights flash on the motion sensor. Disconnect the lights ! With this the thieves will be peeved off hearing the loud sound but not able to make out where it its coming from!

[spyder918]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Thanks everyone for the ideas - my friend is reading all your posts, but we are not posting what he is trying to do. You never know whether even thieves read TBHP these days!

One more suggestion... Get the Rim Locks, for your car tyres.. they can be for all four, try using the chains for the tyres, maybe tied with the shafts to prevent rolling.. and it would make them spend time in breaking those if they try.. try this with any other security approaches..maybe that will ward off the thieves as they figure out the time to break it..

I 've seen these Rim Locks latest in the Mercedes A-Class brochure-accessories.. its a set consisting of a coded key, and is available for each tyre.. so you can get 'em some info from Mercedes showrooms..
look for yourself what it makes up for security, in the attached snap.. all you have to check how you can use in locking the tyres instead of the rims

[apachelongbow]

I dont think there is any concept like prebooking a car for stealing etc. Its simple, its election time and white Safari and Scorpio/Fortuner are in big demand from rural/semi urban politicans. Politicans being the thieves that they are, will always try and extort new vehicles from showroom owners, from businessmen, builders, chamchas or in the worst case, try and get them stolen and used. Post election season most of these vehicles are found abandoned

[danlalan]

MARKED FOR THEFT!!!

So i received a message on my facebook messenger regarding the sale of my car as i had posted it on the facebook marketplace.
I left my number for the person to contact me.
I receive a call the next day from a Turkish woman saying her husband cant speak English so she is speaking for him. (Her English wasn't that great too).
She fixes up an appointment to come see the car with her husband.

The next day they came to my building late evening at about 8pm in an uber( Uber/ private taxi kept waiting till they completed the test ride). The lady spoke as the man couldnt or pretended not to talk in english. They test drove the car with me. Man drove and lady sat at the back.
We negotiated the deal and came to a certain price. They said we will pay you 10k token (which i took) and rest they will give on their return from turkey. Apparently they were leaving for turkey the next day. they would return in 3 weeks and pay me the full amount.

Now i have the token with me. And iam waiting for my car to get stolen

Iam wondering what is the next step they would take and what is the next step i should take.

[woof]

Originally Posted by danlalan

MARKED FOR THEFT!!!

So i received a message on my facebook messenger regarding the sale of my car as i had posted it on the facebook marketplace.
I left my number for the person to contact me.
I receive a call the next day from a Turkish woman saying her husband cant speak English so she is speaking for him. (Her English wasn't that great too).
She fixes up an appointment to come see the car with her husband.

Iam wondering what is the next step they would take and what is the next step i should take.

Firstly, why do you think that they are going to steal the car?

The best way to safeguard your car is to find a secure place to park it, and have a gear/steering lock in place.

[danlalan]

Originally Posted by woof

Firstly, why do you think that they are going to steal the car?

The best way to safeguard your car is to find a secure place to park it, and have a gear/steering lock in place.

Couple of reasons.

1) My friend has mentioned that this has happened before to some people.
2) Foreigners trying to drive in our country.
3) Why would you give a 10k token and then come back 3 weeks later.
4) Next day phone is switched off. Only whatsapp msg's
5) Upon asking for their documents i am not given direct answers.
6) Asking to keep car at their building garage and let me keep the key.

[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by danlalan

Couple of reasons.

1) My friend has mentioned that this has happened before to some people.
2) Foreigners trying to drive in our country.
3) Why would you give a 10k token and then come back 3 weeks later.
4) Next day phone is switched off. Only whatsapp msg's
5) Upon asking for their documents i am not given direct answers.
6) Asking to keep car at their building garage and let me keep the key.

The red flag here is asking to keep the car at their building. If you do that it is pretty certain they are trying to steal it by paying you 10K. Hold onto the token amount and if the phone is still off after 3 to 4 weeks, message on whatsapp and tell them you will sell the car to another buyer. If and when they return, give them the token amount back. You do not want them filing a case of theft against you for the 10K

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by danlalan

Couple of reasons.

1) My friend has mentioned that this has happened before to some people.
2) Foreigners trying to drive in our country.
3) Why would you give a 10k token and then come back 3 weeks later.
4) Next day phone is switched off. Only whatsapp msg's
5) Upon asking for their documents i am not given direct answers.
6) Asking to keep car at their building garage and let me keep the key.

Even if you get full payment when they come, you should pay attention to the identity documents and ensure the car is transferred in their name even if it means delaying actual delivery until there is a change in the ownership. I don’t know if there is a miscommunication to keep car their place or yours as no one is going to ask car at his place until full payment is made but if they have actually asked then something is definitely fishy. Best is to return back their money and stay away even if they are paying you little extra.

I don’t know if visitors can actually buy a car in India at first place.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

I don’t know if visitors can actually buy a car in India at first place.

Anyone can buy a car as long as they can prove their place of residence + PAN card or sign some declaration in lieu of the PAN card.

Recently in Bangalore, some Columbian theives got caught. They bought a Beat from OLX, then sold it to avoid detection and bought an i10 all for cash.

In this day of demonetisation, best to ask for a bank transfer.