SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: My SL55 was stolen last night…
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 397
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From: san diego
2001 viper rt-10, 2007 SL65
get a dog
Originally Posted by AAG
What a day. Went to the Menton Gendarmerie... which is a national police force. They were the ones we had to file the theft report with. They didnt have the car and sent us over to the Police Nacional (not to be confused with the Police Municipale)... don't ask me wht the difference is, I don't know.
Waited for an hour to see an officer; during this time a number of people came in mostly having been robbed (break in, hand bags ******ed, mobile phones grabbed... makes you wonder what this world is coming to).
A very nice police officer spent half an hour entering data into the computer, printed a bunch of papers I had to sign... still have not seen the car by the way. He didnt know about the condition of the car.
Had to then go over to a yard near the motorway where recovered stolen cars are held. Mine was sitting in the middle... from the outside looked undamaged but dirty. Number plates the same... hadnt been changed. More paperwork being prepared while I opened the car with my spare key... the car ownership certificate is there... also, some personal belonging... nothing seemed missing.
Paid up Euro 320 in towing charges and I was off. I then realised that the Sat Nav CD is gone... this is the only item that seems to be missing from the car.
The car drives as good as ever.
To be honest the joy of driving away then was better than when I got the car originally. The roof was down, the sun was shinning and life was good. Having been driving in a rented Opel Astra (Diesel!!!) for three days, you really appreciate the SL55!
Now, to Mercedes to sort out the keys. I can't remember if I mentioned that as many of you probably do, I sometimes separate the plastic key from the small metal one... this happens if I need to use other keys which are on the same key ring as the car keys while the car is running. On the day the car was stolen, I had thrown the keys in the cigar box we keep the keys in but they were separated (in other words, the metal key was not inside the plastic part). The thieve had only grabbed the plastic one. This was very lucky because had he taken both parts I would have had to change the locks on the car... very expensive. As it is, Mercedes plugged the car into their computer and also the key and reprogrammed them so that the old key code is no longer valid. This was done on the spot and free of charge... I also orderd a spare key replacement (Euro 119).
Few lessons... improve security (certainly use the alarm in the house), get a dog, do not keep anything you value in the car, only keep photoopies of the car registration and insurance in the car, use a tracking device... that really saved the day, keep the metal key in another spot from the plastic key...
This has been a pain and an unnecessary stress. There has to be a way for car makers to deal with this problem. I think there are cars now that can be switched off via satellite... that certainly would discourage theft of such a car. If this was an option, I would pay for it.
Any thoughts?
Waited for an hour to see an officer; during this time a number of people came in mostly having been robbed (break in, hand bags ******ed, mobile phones grabbed... makes you wonder what this world is coming to).
A very nice police officer spent half an hour entering data into the computer, printed a bunch of papers I had to sign... still have not seen the car by the way. He didnt know about the condition of the car.
Had to then go over to a yard near the motorway where recovered stolen cars are held. Mine was sitting in the middle... from the outside looked undamaged but dirty. Number plates the same... hadnt been changed. More paperwork being prepared while I opened the car with my spare key... the car ownership certificate is there... also, some personal belonging... nothing seemed missing.
Paid up Euro 320 in towing charges and I was off. I then realised that the Sat Nav CD is gone... this is the only item that seems to be missing from the car.
The car drives as good as ever.
To be honest the joy of driving away then was better than when I got the car originally. The roof was down, the sun was shinning and life was good. Having been driving in a rented Opel Astra (Diesel!!!) for three days, you really appreciate the SL55!
Now, to Mercedes to sort out the keys. I can't remember if I mentioned that as many of you probably do, I sometimes separate the plastic key from the small metal one... this happens if I need to use other keys which are on the same key ring as the car keys while the car is running. On the day the car was stolen, I had thrown the keys in the cigar box we keep the keys in but they were separated (in other words, the metal key was not inside the plastic part). The thieve had only grabbed the plastic one. This was very lucky because had he taken both parts I would have had to change the locks on the car... very expensive. As it is, Mercedes plugged the car into their computer and also the key and reprogrammed them so that the old key code is no longer valid. This was done on the spot and free of charge... I also orderd a spare key replacement (Euro 119).
Few lessons... improve security (certainly use the alarm in the house), get a dog, do not keep anything you value in the car, only keep photoopies of the car registration and insurance in the car, use a tracking device... that really saved the day, keep the metal key in another spot from the plastic key...
This has been a pain and an unnecessary stress. There has to be a way for car makers to deal with this problem. I think there are cars now that can be switched off via satellite... that certainly would discourage theft of such a car. If this was an option, I would pay for it.
Any thoughts?
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Hong Kong
C55AMG W203; 330i E90
Goosh an SL55 AMG stolen from home, must be shocking and painful, and a big sorry to hear such shttt thing happened and also glad to know the owner has taken the situation lightly and most concern is the family's safety. Few years back, my wife's paid her first car a cute Japan newly direct imported Toyota MR-S roadster with pretty loaded options(stickers,spoliers, chrome finsihings) very unique indeed. That got stolen from our home's parking lot just right after 4 months. ( I guess it was sert up by the guys in the shop where I got them to install Mp3 audio ) It is not just hard to find the same one as replacement, but the car is surely a "bad luck" one. And, I know, even I could get my wife the same car, it is not the 'same' again because it was a hell of a decsion for my wife to start from looking a car and finally love so much of the MR-S . Postively looking, keep the money from insurance and find a used car for day to day, let the bad mood dies and with the money in hand, in the right mood, get a new car. May be a Porcshe 997 Twin Turbo something. Never rush for a big decsion just because you want to fill the empty gaps of losing something. It is scarely and I am very sorry to hear, thanks for sharing this.
cnt
cnt
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From: South Florida
ML350
Originally Posted by sprins
For example, your statement that Tracker would only go after the bad guys after you filed report. With the Belgian system you could kill the cars ignition yourself, wether it be driving or not.
Belgium has aways been some sort of free harbour for all kinds of stuff. I contemplate driving there to have such a system installed in my car.
Belgium has aways been some sort of free harbour for all kinds of stuff. I contemplate driving there to have such a system installed in my car.
Glad it all worked out. This brings up a point i asked about a few months ago....why can't we the owner have a GPS tracker on the car that we can track ourselves without having to pay a monthly fee? This has a few uses that i can think of off the top of my head. If the car is stolen you can track it immediately and alert the police. Second...to monitor the kids or spouse. Whoever implements this owes me 20% of the profit.
T
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G55, SLS, smart eq
Originally Posted by Doctodd33
This sounds like a great idea, but what happens if you kill the ignition while the thief is driving on the freeway and he ends up crashing into someone or causing a crash? It could work if the car was monitored in real time to make sure it wasnt moving....such as at a stop light.
Originally Posted by Doctodd33
Glad it all worked out. This brings up a point i asked about a few months ago....why can't we the owner have a GPS tracker on the car that we can track ourselves without having to pay a monthly fee? This has a few uses that i can think of off the top of my head. If the car is stolen you can track it immediately and alert the police. Second...to monitor the kids or spouse. Whoever implements this owes me 20% of the profit.
T
T
I can however track my own vehicle over the Internet via this tracker company.
Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 151
Likes: 1
From: london
Originally Posted by merc32
Tracker rules... Gives me so much peace of mind. I have it in all of my cars and would never not get it my next ones.
i had tracker on mine when it was stolen, activated it within 20 mins - car has never been found
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SL55 AMG
What make is your system?
Originally Posted by sprins
There are. Mine can for instance. However it depends on national regulations wether you are allowed to install them or not. For example The Netherlands have stricter rules that Belgium. Which means that you can get a safer system installed in Belgium than in the Netherlands.
The Belgian system allows the owner to do a lot of things (and more) that in other countries requires an Alarm Central.
For example, your statement that Tracker would only go after the bad guys after you filed report. With the Belgian system you could kill the cars ignition yourself, wether it be driving or not.
Belgium has aways been some sort of free harbour for all kinds of stuff. I contemplate driving there to have such a system installed in my car.
The Belgian system allows the owner to do a lot of things (and more) that in other countries requires an Alarm Central.
For example, your statement that Tracker would only go after the bad guys after you filed report. With the Belgian system you could kill the cars ignition yourself, wether it be driving or not.
Belgium has aways been some sort of free harbour for all kinds of stuff. I contemplate driving there to have such a system installed in my car.
Thanks
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G55, SLS, smart eq
Originally Posted by AAG
Sounds good... can you tell us what make your system is? Is it installed in a MB? Are these systems compatible with COMAND? Any useful information would be helpful.
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SL55 AMG
Originally Posted by SLK55_AMG
how about the Insurance? will they pay you anything?
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Melbourne, Australia
In Australia, top-end GM (Holden) cars come with "Holden Assist", these cars cost maybe $35k (USD). It tracks their car, can be shut down remotely, and can be used for other services (e.g. if airbags are deployed it alerts emergency services).
It has been successfully used to remotely deactivate and recover stolen cars. However perhaps the average crook in Australia is slightly more primitive than these Russian characters!
Sounds like they went to a lot of effort to steal your SL55. Scary.
I remember returning home from school to what was supposed to be an empty house once. I opened the gates, went in the front door, I heard hurried footsteps and started ****ting myself (12 years old, knew house ought to be empty). I heard the back door crash close. I went upstairs to discover valuables in piles ready to be removed en masse.
Luckily, for me as with you, things turned out okay in the end!
It has been successfully used to remotely deactivate and recover stolen cars. However perhaps the average crook in Australia is slightly more primitive than these Russian characters!
Sounds like they went to a lot of effort to steal your SL55. Scary.
I remember returning home from school to what was supposed to be an empty house once. I opened the gates, went in the front door, I heard hurried footsteps and started ****ting myself (12 years old, knew house ought to be empty). I heard the back door crash close. I went upstairs to discover valuables in piles ready to be removed en masse.
Luckily, for me as with you, things turned out okay in the end!
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Switzerland
C 32 AMG (203.065)
The south of France is really no safe place for nice cars.. It's like the car-stealing capital of the world.
Glad everything has worked out for you and you and your familiy are okay. I probably wouldnt take it as calm as you.. I'd go nuts if I just got a door dent..
Glad everything has worked out for you and you and your familiy are okay. I probably wouldnt take it as calm as you.. I'd go nuts if I just got a door dent..
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From: Sydney, Australia
W203 slightly modified
Originally Posted by AAG
Woke up to find the car gone. We live in the South of France… they climbed over the fence, picked the main door lock (new door with multiple locking points, etc) found the keys, seem could not find the gate remote in my car so they went back in, unlocked my wife’s car to get her remote, RETURNED her key to the same spot and were gone. We didn’t hear anything… I am thankful that we didn’t… we have kids and the thought of these guys in the house makes me sick. We have an alarm but it wasn’t on… not sure if it would have made any difference.
The police were too busy to come… Tracker is fitted in the car but here Tracker need a police report faxed to them before they can feed the police system so it was lunch time before they were tracing it. We had to go the police station to get the report… the police said they will still come to see the site but never showed up.
I am thankful no one was hurt… a car is only a car… my initial reaction was ‘I will get another one tomorrow’ but on reflection I am not sure if it is worth the hassle. You hear that this is a real problem with dozens of expensive cars taken every month and end up in other countries. Apparently, these are organized gangs and have orders to fill!
I loved my car… can’t think of another I would rather drive but I am now thinking of getting an ordinary car that might not be a target. These guys left my credit cards in my wallet (took the cash) and left mobile phones and expensive cameras that were next to the car key! Also left my wife’s BMW 530 untouched other than opening it to get the remote.
Sorry to unload here but perhaps it helps to do so.
The police were too busy to come… Tracker is fitted in the car but here Tracker need a police report faxed to them before they can feed the police system so it was lunch time before they were tracing it. We had to go the police station to get the report… the police said they will still come to see the site but never showed up.
I am thankful no one was hurt… a car is only a car… my initial reaction was ‘I will get another one tomorrow’ but on reflection I am not sure if it is worth the hassle. You hear that this is a real problem with dozens of expensive cars taken every month and end up in other countries. Apparently, these are organized gangs and have orders to fill!
I loved my car… can’t think of another I would rather drive but I am now thinking of getting an ordinary car that might not be a target. These guys left my credit cards in my wallet (took the cash) and left mobile phones and expensive cameras that were next to the car key! Also left my wife’s BMW 530 untouched other than opening it to get the remote.
Sorry to unload here but perhaps it helps to do so.
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From: Khalifonia.
4 wheeled car.
Originally Posted by Jon200
sorry to hear about this man, I hope insurance will cover everything for you
You're lucky the car didn't make it into Italy. Menton is right there on the border if I remember right.
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From: Miami
I didn't know that South France has so much crime, I have been to Poland so many times, my uncles radio was stolen from his E320 right as we got up stairs to his apartment, his cell phone was taken from his hands to, till he chased the theives and he dropped the phone. Many of his Opel's and Mercedes have been stolen to, Europe just has so much theft of high-end cars which America really doesn't have much of.
Glad you got the car back, I would not let this incident make you not want to drive a expensive, I would surely keep driving it, but take extra security measures.
Glad you got the car back, I would not let this incident make you not want to drive a expensive, I would surely keep driving it, but take extra security measures.
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From: Malaysia
'92 R129 300SL-24, '01 W210 E240, '03 W220 S320, '02 745Li
Glad you got you car back, but it sucks to have gone through this hell.
We got the new 745Li carjacked a few weeks ago. They caught the crooks and recovered the ALL the keys but the car's still missing. No tracker, unfortunately. Very sad. At least we know the car hasn't been shipped off to Indonesia or Thailand. It was meant to be sold locally for a tenth of what we paid for it. Thos *******s.
We got the new 745Li carjacked a few weeks ago. They caught the crooks and recovered the ALL the keys but the car's still missing. No tracker, unfortunately. Very sad. At least we know the car hasn't been shipped off to Indonesia or Thailand. It was meant to be sold locally for a tenth of what we paid for it. Thos *******s.
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SL55 AMG
Originally Posted by j0shua
Glad you got you car back, but it sucks to have gone through this hell.
We got the new 745Li carjacked a few weeks ago. They caught the crooks and recovered the ALL the keys but the car's still missing. No tracker, unfortunately. Very sad. At least we know the car hasn't been shipped off to Indonesia or Thailand. It was meant to be sold locally for a tenth of what we paid for it. Thos *******s.
We got the new 745Li carjacked a few weeks ago. They caught the crooks and recovered the ALL the keys but the car's still missing. No tracker, unfortunately. Very sad. At least we know the car hasn't been shipped off to Indonesia or Thailand. It was meant to be sold locally for a tenth of what we paid for it. Thos *******s.
