Theft

[smudge-1991]

There has been two attempts to nick my car in the past week .... Anyone else had any issues

[Phil_1985]

never had an issue - what attempts have been made? locks? windows? I hope every things ok..

[smudge-1991]

Well got back to the car after a being in the shopping centre and found the window trim that's oblong the door lifted right up and like an Ariel obviously to get at the door mechanism I guess but that's and the other one I heard my car door handle try in the dead of night and they were tryin the trim and so on they got met by my dog however and very soon scampered off and the wife caught some bloke on the phone saying he found a car and said where the car was to which she rang the police ... But it's only been a bit of glue and a scratch on the window so far ...

[Swoop42]

No issues here either, but I live in a relatively quiet area.

[smudge-1991]

Normally I am in a quiet area ( Cornwall) bit I've been working at home a lot so back in the city

[ToyotaAuris]

Put on a dummy camera at your house for about £5 or get the real one put on, they wont come back!

[smudge-1991]

I would if my it I had a drive or something to park on but it's on street parking only where I live ... And getting a parking space outside the house isn't guaranteed

[Phil_1985]

Is there something inside it which is desirable? Even a mark on the windscreen from a sat nav suction cup or something?

[smudge-1991]

No I keep the car extremely clean and I use my phone as Sat nav with a dash mount thing that I take out as soon as I'm done unless they desire a couple microfiber cloths that I use to dust the car down and clean the windows with there is nothing to take not visible anyway

[Miseryguts]

I had my previous car stolen by the "nicking the keys from the hall method".

The thieves popped my front door via the letterbox,walked down the hall,removed my keys,went to my garage (which is in a garage block behind my house) blipped the remote (saw the hazards flash under the door),goodbye car.

All this happened about 3 am .

Top tip !!! fit a wire letter collector over your letterbox,this stops them getting the tool to open the door through the letterbox.

Although on saying that the use of "bump keys" is an easy way to open any front door fitted with a Euro lock.

Check out bump key and you will be terrified to see how easy it is to get into a locked house.

Amazon sells them and You Tube shows you how to make and use them.

This is a bit off topic but it show how easy it is to gain entry to a house.

You can buy anti bump and anti pick locks although they are rather expensive.

Worth it?

You decide.

[smudge-1991]

I don't want to look cos it will really annoy me lol but I have big heavy perspex doors and even of they do get in thru it there is my dog which is more than capable of dispatching a couple of people who think there clever and my keys are hidden anyway just added security and the keys are never in the doors ... I have thought about a metal gate / post catcher type affair just in case

[ToyotaAuris]

Maybe you might want to invest in something like this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-GPS-Tracker-Magnetic-Car-Vehicle-Spy-Mini-Personal-Tracking-Device-TK102-/111201679112

[ToyotaAuris]

Or stick on a really sensitive alarm, when someone pulls handle x3 times it goes off (if the cars locked).

[Konrad C]

I think your car is being targeted for theft to order. Everything adds up to the same people who are local to the area, trying to steal your car. If only your wife had taken a photo of any suspects. The supermarket carpark may have cctv.

You have done as much as possible to protect your car without spending on extra security. Toyota's are not normal high on thieves list, but your car is obviously been targeted - black SR. Sad you don't have off street parking in front of your house, cctv with auto lighting would be great then.

You may have to put a tracker on the car or hope the thieves give up. That means some unfortunate owner of a similar car, in the same area, may have also been targeted. Also there is somebody who has a similar car and will steal to repair their car.

So long as the police have been notified of these incidents they may have other reports and be able to target likely suspects.

Lets hope nothing further happens.

[Konrad C]

I had my previous car stolen by the "nicking the keys from the hall method".

The thieves popped my front door via the letterbox,walked down the hall,removed my keys,went to my garage (which is in a garage block behind my house) blipped the remote (saw the hazards flash under the door),goodbye car.

All this happened about 3 am .

Top tip !!! fit a wire letter collector over your letterbox,this stops them getting the tool to open the door through the letterbox.

Although on saying that the use of "bump keys" is an easy way to open any front door fitted with a Euro lock.

Check out bump key and you will be terrified to see how easy it is to get into a locked house.

Amazon sells them and You Tube shows you how to make and use them.

This is a bit off topic but it show how easy it is to gain entry to a house.

You can buy anti bump and anti pick locks although they are rather expensive.

Worth it?

You decide.

A second tip as mentioned in this thread, have the keys hidden where only you know where they are, or at least take them upstairs or with you when you go to bed.

Another tip is do not leave anything valuable like keys or wallets near the front door. Cold callers could distract you and steal them. Distraction theft can happen to anybody, and the thieves are like magicians with slight of hands.

Security is all within the topic and cars can be stolen in a number of ways.

[smudge-1991]

Ye it was me who mentioned keeping keys hidden they are all in a safe which is hidden so out the way the only keys kept out are the front door key and the back door key and they are never kept in them but are readily to hand ( stashed away but easy to get to ) and like I say anyone who breaks in is either gonna make noise and disturb the house or the dog will go mad and I'm straight up and downstairs with a baseball bat ... The only other Sr in the area is a 5dr and it's red Sr180 so not even the same colour I have a tracking app on my iPod and that's always in the car in the connector in the glove box and the only place I can store it that I trust is a 10 min drive away so sort of defeats the purpose

[smudge-1991]

I'm tempted to fit a good alarm but at the same time don't want it going off every time someone walks within six feet of it ....