Devices Allow Dealers To Disable Cars For Late Payments

[@4thstooge75]

I live in New Hampshire a mechanic friend had a customer who bought his car in Utah. He paid it off and the dealer told him to bring the car back to get it removed (at a price) he naturally wasn't going to do that. He paid my friend to remove it, he then mailed it back to the dealer who was threatening court action he told him "be my guest".

[@nyuuchan356]

Remove the battery (which should, in theory, interrupt power to the device), remove the device, then hook it up to a battery or junker car outside your garage or place of residence (which will power it back on). Let the repo man take the battery or broken car, lol.

[@vivillager]

It's against the contract to tamper with the device. If one of my customers does so, I let them know upfront that the contract is void. As soon as I repossess the car, they have 10 days to pay off the entire loan, every penny, or I keep the car, I keep the downpayment, I keep any payments made since then, and if they traded-in a car, I keep the trade-in too.

[@Coiltec]

​@@vivillager Then I hope as many people as possible stay away from dealerships with such conditions. That's just scam, and I'm glad that in my country conditions like this are against the law. Of course, the dealership may take back the car if the customer breaks the contract. But keeping all payments (a trade-in car also counts as a payment) regardless of their value is not allowed in most jurisdictions. And it's also debatable if just disabling such an immobiliser without intending not to pay the loan could legally be considered as a severe violation of the contract which justifies immediate termination.

[@vivillager]

@@Coiltec, In the country that I live in, USA, disabling the GPS is not against the law. The customer cannot be arrested or imprisoned for it as it is not a criminal matter. It is a civil matter. The customer and I entered into a written agreement, and the GPS is one of the terms of the agreement. If the customer breaches the contract by violating the terms, then the injured party (that would be me) has recourse to seek remedy, which is to repossess the asset. After repossession, normally a dealer must give the customer the opportunity to reinstate the loan, just make the loan current, then no-harm no-foul. But if the dealer believes, in good faith, that payment has been impaired, (such as disabling the GPS), then the dealer is no longer obligated to reinstate the loan. The dealer can give the customer 10 days to pay off the loan in its entirety, or I keep the car, and all payments made up until that point, including the trade-in if there was one. I'm glad that in this country, lenders have rights so that we have some recourse when a debtor attempts to skimp on his obligations. I wasn't aware that there are countries whose legislature have prohibited enforcement of written agreements entered into by an adult. As far as business, I do quite well. I thank you for your concern.

[@pineappleroad]

@@vivillager When it comes to these devices, i often wonder how it would work if someone were to buy the car with cash (just incase you have no clue what i mean, when someone pays 100% of the cost of the car up front) would the person who bought the car (with cash) be able to get the device removed if they chose to, or would they be forced to keep it installed in the country where i live, most people tend to buy used cars, and when they decide its time to get a "new" car, they will usually do a part exchange (incase you are unfamiliar with this term, essentially the dealership takes the persons old car, and based off of what they think the old car is worth they give a discount on the new car, and the person only pays the difference) I know of 2 people who recently got "new" cars (the "new" cars are actually used ones but newer than the old cars), and both of these people did a part exchange, paying the difference in cash

[@vivillager]

@@pineappleroad, May I ask in which country you reside? I'm curious because I'm unfamiliar with the laws and terminology used in other countries, as a matter in fact I'm unfamiliar with the laws in many of the states in the United States. In the United States we use a different term that "part exchange", we call it a "trade-in". At any rate, to answer your question, that depends on the circumstances. There are a few common scenarios with which I am familiar with. First, if I'm the lender, and have a secured interest in the car, then me being able to locate the vehicle makes perfect sense for obvious reasons. Second, if the vehicle is financed, but I'm not the lender because the customer obtained financing from a third party lender, then the lender, who has a secured interest in the vehicle, could demand the inclusion of a GPS unit if they so choose. For a smooth transaction, I can simply transfer ownership of the GPS that I already have installed to the new lender. When this happens, I no longer have the ability to locate the vehicle, but the lender does. Third, if the customer paid cash and there is no lender involved (or if I provided the financing for the vehicle, but the customer has satisfied the loan), then the customer has 2 options. 1) The customer can demand that I remove the GPS. That takes time, which means leaving the car (that the customer already paid for) for a day or two. 2) I can transfer ownership of the GPS to the customer. Never again will I be able to locate the vehicle, but the customer can while using an app on their phone... as long as the subscription to the GPS is still active. The GPS that I use have 2 year subscriptions, already paid for by me. If the customer decides to keep the GPS and then the subscription expires, I do not remove the GPS. It's up to the customer to have the GPS removed. Or the customer can simply renew their subscription to keep the GPS in service. I've never removed a GPS, customers tend like having the GPS on the vehicle. I do not suspect that they loan out their vehicles, but that they sometimes need help remembering where they parked when they exit a movie theater or supermarket, which they can quickly find with the help of the app on their cell phone. Hope this helps, and do let me know which country? I'm rather curious.

[@vampire1111pitbull]

Then they pay a guy $500 to have it removed. Pay it. It's worth it

[@terrellcousar4557]

LiveLikeYouFly where can I find someone to remove mys???

[@vivillager]

Yep, and when the car get's repossessed and the lender says "No loan reinstallment for you! Pay us the entire loan, every penny, within the next 10 days, or we keep the car, keep the down payment, keep any payments paid since, and we keep the trade-in vehicle if you had one..." The look on the customer's face, also totally worth it.

[@vivillager]

@Rk0788 k, Actually it's called theft prevention

[@vivillager]

@Rk0788 k, Sorry, was that supposed to be an insult? Because that was adorable. Times are changing. Dealers just sit by and allow themselves to be victimized by "homies" who think that paying is somehow optional in the buying process. It's not.

[@gendoll5006]

Wow. The guy making money off of helping people not have to pay money they own is just disgusting.

[@anthonys4326]

You can remove that in 2 minutes.

[@zr71offroad20]

I would lol who gives them the right to track you.

[@vivillager]

@@zr71offroad20, the customer gives written consent agreeing to the GPS tracking. If the customer does not agree to the terms, the customer has the right to shop at another dealership that does not require the use of the GPS device. Or the customer can just pay the full amount of the vehicle, and not have to agree to any loan terms.

[@zr71offroad20]

@@vivillager True-ish, but it depends on where, and the vehicle you want or may need. But at the end of the day I am taking it off.

[@shryve]

Just think what could happenif Computer hackers started messing with this.........

[@danielfeng9625]

Pay your bill.

[@Lionofjudah2013]

Paid my car off..my car still got disabled and when they removed the device the probably messed up my wiring harness and now that my car is paid off IT DOSENT WORK

[@neilhoganwa]

Installers are piss weak at hiding these..

[@ScottysBackYardBBQ]

its fine if the tell you when there going to do it so you car is at home not 3 towns a way where you have to have it towed home.

[@vivillager]

There's no need to tow it home. Just pay the past due amount and the lender reactivates the car.

[@ScottysBackYardBBQ]

@@vivillager they had no money, at the time, so we towed it

[@Lionofjudah2013]

@@vivillager the car just doesn't magically turn back on once payment is made. You're out of luck if it's passed 6 or 7 in the evening or if it's a weekend . The place where I got my car deactivated my car after only 4 days of missed payment. Now I know there's no way in hell u never been 4 or more days late on a bill at least one time. Did you deserve to get whatever you were late on shut off for only 4 days ?? No!!! These people treat their clients like animals

[@vivillager]

@@Lionofjudah2013, Truth is, today I attended to a bill, my cable, that was 6 days late, it completely slipped my mind. Having said that, cable is a service, not a physical product. Should I stop paying for my cable, they just flip the switch, and all that they have lost is the service for which i didn't pay for. But on a physical product, like a car, people continue to drive, adding mileage to the odometer and devaluing the asset more and more. The dealer has an interest in that asset, the vehicle was the security in the loan, and the longer it stays out there without being compensated for, the more that the dealer loses. So, I answered your question as to, have I ever been late on a bill. My question is, how much have you loaned to complete strangers. Not people you've met at church, or at work, but people whom you've never met before in your life. My average is about eight thousand, more or less, depending on the vehicle. Multiply that times a couple of hundred per year, and that is how much I have out there, in the hands of people whom I've never met before in my life. If you were in a similar situation, with similar amounts being owed to you by people you've never met before, would you not be a tad bit "skittish", and keep a tight leash on your investment?

[@Lionofjudah2013]

@@vivillager keep a tight leash on your asset with a GPS not with a dang kill switch plus GPS. The GPS is more than sufficient to track an asset and to recover it if need be . The ability to kill a cars starter remotely AT MINIMUM IS A HUGE INCONVENIENCE and should be illegal entirely!!. It also can be a HUGE SAFETY CONCERN!! Imagine if a person is in a life or death situation and they need the use if the car or if they get stranded with children somewhere. This device has stranded many people INCLUDING MYSELF numerous times even after payment was made on time !!! So pretty much the system clitched and i was left stranded..ANOTHER thing is, the way they install these intrusive devices. THEY TAP INTO VITAL RELAY AND IGNITION cables that are not made to be played with !! In my situation I had them remove the device and the person who did it probably ruined my wiring harness somewhere and now IM STRANDED BECAUSE THE REMOVAL OF THAT DEVICE. I literally paid out a car thats unusable because of that shady practice..Another thing is The company that sold me the vehicle violated texas law by not disclosing to me the presence of this device in the vehicle BEFORE I PURCHASED IT. !!

[@clubalbert]

If somebody steals your car they will not turn it off unless you stop paying.

[@a.peoples2394]

Where is the guy that has the shop to REMOVE it !?!?

[@Coiltec]

Technically, one could just cut off the GPS device and bridge the starter interrupter relay. That's easy to do, but of course it's against the loan contract. And since the US legal system allows for pretty harsh penalties for breaking such a contract, it's best to stay away from these scammer car dealers.

[@johncastaldi4297]

those devices can not shut down the car while it is running. It can only prevent it from starting. Most of the software that controls these only shuts it down at your home address.

[@thakanyeeast]

I'm in a situation with one right now. Payed faithfully for a year. Went to Florida for vacation and was a victim of fraud. All my money was taken from my account and I have to wait for the bank to investigate. Meanwhile the car company decides to cut my car off. Now I can't go to work to make money and I can't get to the bank to inquire how long the process will take. This system punishes ppl.

[@vivillager]

You're objecting to this now? I'm asking because most lenders need your permission to have this installed on the vehicle. They make you aware at the time of signing by giving you a notice for you to sign. If you signed, your signature indicates that you've read the notice, you've understood the notice, and you've agreed to the notice. That's where I'm at a loss. It appears that you're complaining about an action that you agreed to in writing.

[@thakanyeeast]

No they never told me about the device they said a GPS device was installed not a device that cuts my car off at their discretion.

[@vivillager]

@@thakanyeeast, I apologize for taking so long to respond, preparing for tax season. Anyways, even under the circumstances that you state, it still works out to your benefit, and honestly I believed that you would be grateful to the dealership for installing the device on your car. It saves you the costs associated with repossession. The guy I usually turn to charges $200 for the repossession, $250 for towing, $3 a mile (so a 10 mile tow would be an additional $30), and $30 a day for storage. My average payment owed is about $350. So if the car was towed 10 miles and was stored for 3 days, the customer would owe me $1,020 to get the car back. On the other hand, if the car was fitted with a starter interrupter, the customer would only owe me the payment ($350). There wouldn't be any repossession, tow, mileage, or storage fees involved. I hope you can see how the device on your car is a benefit to you.

[@charliebrooker3077]

These car dealerships are trying to be like apple is with iPhones with your car that's sad

[@applepie3800]

I mean... If you don't pay!!??

[@russellmania5349]

@@applepie3800 They should be requires to remove the device after you pay off your car.

[@patriotkieler9750]

I would be pissed if they damaged my wire harness on a car I am financing to buy. If this Disable device malfunctions and death is caused during an emergency those dealers that use these are subject to punishment and legally liable for injuries and damage.

[@vivillager]

It's part of the contract. I tell my customers that ALL the cars I have for sale are equipped with such. If they want a car that doesn't have it, there's other car dealers besides me.

[@vivillager]

@Rk0788 k, Did I strike a nerve? I suppose that happens punks realize that they don't get to keep cars without paying. And last time I was in an accident, the car that hit me was a total loss, while my truck needed a new coat of powder coat on the bumper. My truck weighs 10,800 lbs, without me in it. It gained a little weight after install full steel bumpers with winches on both front and rear. Thanks for the laugh!

[@vivillager]

@Rk0788 k, I've never met you, but judging by your "hopes", your life must be truly depressing. I live my life by doing business. Repossession is part of my business. It's not the prettiest part in life, but it needs doing, so I do it. You live your life by "hopes." You hope I go to hell, you hope I get t-boned, you hope to burn my money in front of me, you hope I become paralyzed. I know what I get in life, a family, two kids in private school, a trust for college, a house that is paid for. But what I want to know is, what have your hopes gotten you? How has it benefited you? Has it prevented your car from being repossessed? Have your hopes given you a lower APR? Call it idle curiosity, because as hard you try to "trigger" me, to make me upset, to get my blood pressure to rise (at least that's what I assume that you're trying to accomplish), you're forgetting one important detail. People like you, make me rich. So from the bottom of my heart, I want to express my gratitude for paying off my home, for funding my children's trust, for contributing to my portfolio, and perhaps future expansions. I really mean it, thank you.

[@RealPolitik-dy4it]

Most of these devices disable the starter. So even if they shut it off while you were driving down the highway, you will be able to drive to your destination. You just won't be able to start it.

[@russellmania5349]

@@vivillager I'm just carious do you offer to remove the device after the car is all paid off and you send them the title?

[@Coiltec]

These things should be illegal, for a simple reason: Safety. In automotive engineering, there are strict requirements for electrical component reliability. Every automotive component has to be specially qualified, and every connector and control unit is thouroghly tested so that it is very unlikely to fail; and if it fails, it should do so in a safe manner (like the ECU's fail-safe programs). And when I look at the installation of these devices, the installers seem to just cut some cables, twist the kill switch wires on and wrap some duct tape around the mess. Okay, this may be a bit exaggerated, but you get the point. A loose wire or a short circuit could easily cause the engine to stop suddenly, and possibly cause even worse malfunctions. This could easily cause an accident. Also, the car loan business works very well without such devices. Thay are just an unneeded piece of evil.

[@GPSTrackingReview]

Well in many circumstances they are. With all technological products, a person can use GPS trackers for nefarious reasons, but the majority of people do not kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpmlkJR4p9xnmsk

[@TheSJCieply]

These devices keep an engine from starting, they don't stop a car in motion. It's like an ignition interlock device for DUI offenders. I wonder what they would do if someone had both...

[@scottbrazinsky615]

All you need is alittle money n pay your note,that you signed for!

[@Lionofjudah2013]

I PAID OFF my damn car and the disabler still disabled my car and right now I'm figuring out how am I gonna get to work right now!! Those devices are pure evil .

[@fh3486]

When you don't make Mortgage payments , they will activate gas in ur house

[@RealPolitik-dy4it]

You can avoid all of this by paying cash for car. If you financed your car, you promised to pay the monthly payments ON TIME when you signed on the dotted line. Totally understand the dealers who install it.

[@4thstooge75]

Used car dealers hate people who want to pay cash. Some actually raise the price if you do. They want their kick back from the finance companies.

[@hotrodpawns]

I been restoring vehicles for almost 30 years, never came across one yet, if I do.... hahahaha....it's going in the trash.

[@lot2196]

America 2023. God I miss Trump.

[@pacotaco4859]

Wow

[@nicholaslandolina]

Wow