car stolen

So, a couple months ago, i installed a viper 3105 along with a gps tracker into a customer's car, customer calls me yesterday to inform me his car has been stolen, and he isn't locating it via the gps tracker, says he fell asleep around 12am and missed the vehicle around 4am. The system most apparently has been removed and so has the alarm. This is the first time in my 8year career in electronics i have experienced this. And it has left me with a discomfort i have never felt. Car theft in trinidad is so high and its on the rise everyday. I explained to the customers that time is a major factor for would be thieves to take a car. But even though they understand and are coping well. I am not happy at all. Anyone ever experienced something like this? Installers?

I borrowed my father's enclosed car trailer to move some stuff and it got stolen. Not exactly the same thing, but probably a similar feeling.Kevin Pierson

Many years ago my best friend finally bought a decent car. He asked me to do a good stereo system in it and I told him it should also get a security system as it was a Chrysler. At the time they were easy to steal and usually were. I tricked out the security with back ups,starter kill and all the options. The only thing I couldn't account for was him. He needed to leave his car over night at his work one night and guess what! He didn't arm the system. He locked the doors with the power lock switch instead. Why I will never know as the alarm locked the doors. He discovered the next morning that I was right. Chrysler were being stolen. Do't feel bad or second guess yourself. No matter how good the equipment or the install, you can't completely eliminate the human factor. There are no guarantees. Many times the victim has helped the thief by either talking about his system and someone bad has learned things they shouldn't. I recommend a system that eliminates the human factor. I like Lojacks because when done right automatically alert the right people. You can't rule out someone getting the keys though. Learn from the experience and try to educate customers.sparky

@ sparky, very true the human factor cannot be eliminated. At the same time as an installer it does affect me.

Actually happened to me as well about 20 years ago. Went out a funeral, got home late, lived in Central London at the time, parking spaces at a premium, couldn't get my usual space visible from the bedroom window in my apartment, came out the next morning, etc. etc. They were watching me. These mustards aren't stupid, that's why we go to extra lengths to disguise the wiring etc. It's an arms race, why do you think the light output wires are separately fused? Having a rash of BMW's done at the moment, nice piece of kit from Eastern Europe, sniffs out the OBD codes and starts it. After the the thieves discovered that the BMW factory alarm doesn't cover the insides of the driver's window.