Case 1

The owner of a stolen Subaru Impreza WRX, who wished to be known only as Mark, woke to find his prized motor vehicle missing from the driveway outside his home in Sutherland, NSW. Thieves had broken into his residence while he and his family slept and found his car keys, which were then used to steal the Subaru.

Mark called Police after making the harrowing discovery, and then alerted QuikTrak to the theft. The thieves had a head start on Mark and the authorities, but remained under the ever-vigilant eye of QuikTrak's 24-hour Response Centre. QuikTrak's Response Centre located the stolen WRX in Botany, NSW, and alerted police, who hastened to its location.

Police found the vehicle abandoned and, fortunately for Mark, largely undamaged. "They ripped the back seat open but other than that the car was in great shape," Mark said. "I hadn't renewed my comprehensive insurance policy yet but, thankfully, had kept up the QuikTrak monitoring payments, without which my car would not have been found. I've had QuikTrak for years and did consider on occasion whether I actually needed it but, when something like this happens to you, you realise it is well worth it."

Mark is more convinced than ever that QuikTrak is essential security for desirable vehicles after falling victim to such a brazen theft. "I've learned that you never know when or where thieves will strike," he said. "I definitely recommend that other WRX owners get QuikTrak. I know I'll be getting it for my next car."

Case 2

Bill Hughan of Granville, NSW, said he and his wife Anne did not expect their 1991 Nissan Patrol to be targeted by professional thieves who stole the heavy vehicle on two occasions and used it in ATM ram raids.
"From what we knew about car theft at that stage, we assumed that no-one would be interested in stealing our old Patrol," he said. "There are plenty of newer ones parked in our suburb."

Bill Hughan said on both occasions the Patrol was stolen it had been equipped with aftermarket security systems, but these failed to raise an alarm or stop thieves from driving the vehicle. On the first occasion it was used to ram-raid an ATM, the Patrol's bullbar prevented extensive damage to the vehicle and it was later repaired. "We then asked a well-known security company to recommend and install a system to prevent it from being stolen again. We were assured that it would be okay and I really thought we were going to be safe after that," Mrs Hughan said.

Three months later, Mrs Hughan was woken at 5am by a phone call from the police. She rushed from the phone mid-sentence to find an empty space where the Patrol had been parked. "This time the police said thieves had driven it through two shops before hitting an ATM," she said. "The damage wasn't worth repairing."

Undeterred, the Hughan's purchased another 1991 Nissan Patrol and arranged for QuikTrak to fit a CarWatch alarm and tracking system. It remains in their driveway, more than 12 months later. The Hughans said they conservatively estimate their out-of-pocket expenses from the thefts to be around $7000, after paying the excess on two insurance claims and losing a swag of expensive aftermarket equipment fitted to their vehicle. "Not only did it cost us money but it's also the shock, stress and the heartache," said Anne Hughan. "Until it happens you have no idea just how horrendous the whole thing is."

In light of his experience, Mr Hughan said: "If you're not going to get a proper monitored security system then you may as well tie your car down with chewing gum and a piece of string - it'll cost you nothing and do the same amount of good."

Case 3

Dominic Lentini, proprietor of the DRL Group says QuikTrak's PlantWatch monitoring and tracking system has prevented attempts by thieves to steal a Kubota excavator from his business' premises on not one but five occasions. During the most recent attempt, thieves simply entered the company's depot in Castle Hill in north-western Sydney, stole a truck that had an excavator loaded in its tray and drove away.

QuikTrak received an alert from the excavator and immediately contacted Mr Lentini who confirmed that it had been stolen. QuikTrak then alerted police who recovered the truck shortly afterwards on a Sydney motorway.

Having used PlantWatch for almost two years, Mr Lentini said it provided him with peace of mind - his plant and equipment benefited from 24-hour security and monitoring, with immediate response if necessary. “The truck and excavator are worth a total of $140,000, so the QuikTrak security system has certainly paid for itself several times already,” said Dominic Lentini. “I'm happy to recommend the system.”

Case 4

A Sydney-based mechanic has praised QuikTrak's vehicle tracking system CarWatch for allowing him to recover his car valued at over $30,000. The owner of the Nissan Skyline, who did not wish to be identified, fitted CarWatch to the vehicle two years ago as a cheaper alternative to obtaining comprehensive insurance.
The car was covered only by third-party insurance. It was stolen at 9.15am one morning from the front of the owner's workshop in the Sydney suburb of Homebush.

The owner had driven the vehicle to work and left the keys in the ignition while he briefly ran inside to change into his work clothes. While inside he heard his car's engine start and ran outside - only to see the car being driven off by a thief. “It was not a good feeling at all to see it disappear in the distance. I knew instantly I had made a big mistake,” said the owner. “I always keep the keys on me when I leave the car but, for some reason on this occasion, I didn't. I didn't think someone would steal it within a matter of minutes.”

The owner alerted QuikTrak to the theft and then contacted police to make a statement. The car was recovered within 11 minutes of the initial call. QuikTrak tracked the Nissan Skyline to the suburb of Lilyfield where Police made visual contact. Police requested the vehicle be immobilised, after which they pursued the offenders on foot. “If I didn't have QuikTrak fitted to my car it might not have been recovered,” said the owner. “Having QuikTrak has proven well worth the investment - I would recommend it to anyone.”

Case 5

Tan Le of Liverpool, NSW, was asleep at home when thieves stole his limited edition Club Spec Evo IV - one of only 300 in Australia. "The thieves somehow disabled the siren so I didn't even hear an alarm," Mr Le said. "The first I knew about it was when QuikTrak phoned me and told me the car had been broken into and was on the move."

After confirming that his car was missing from its parking space inside his security-gated unit complex, QuikTrak immediately contacted police and directed them to the WRX's location. It was QuikTrak's call to police that ultimately halted the theft. Mr Le said that judging by the damage to his WRX's rear bumper he expects that the thieves pushed the car from its parking spot using another vehicle. "They had broken the steering column and shifted the manual gear stick into neutral, but they couldn't start the engine. They steered it about 500 metres up the road and left it in bushland, behind an apartment building."

Mr Le met police at the recovery scene less than half an hour later. "The doors were open and there was blood and a machete in the car. I thought it was strange that they didn't take any of the money in it." Mr Le said his WRX was uninsured at the time of the theft. "It became uneconomical to insure the car after a few years, so I was totally relying on the QuikTrak system to protect it," he said. "Until my car was taken, I didn't realise how important QuikTrak is. I think it's essential for any sports car."