kscarrol

Thx for the confirmation JDN, I thought it could, but I guess my real point was that BMW did miss out on an opportunity with some of the functionality of BMW assist. I renewed my OnStar every year just for the ability to track my SUV if stolen, and I got a discount, however small, on my insurance for having this feature. I don't think I'll be renewing BMW assist as it stand today.

Tofu Warrior

Guest, this is a matter of subjective judgement I think because people I've spoken to are not always happy to get their car recovered. Often there is damage done to the car (joyriding, collateral damage caused by removal of parts for sale or break-in). In this case you still need to negotiate with insurance to get the car repaired, and at that point you no longer have a new car.

The negotiations with insurance companies depend on the age of the car. If the car is new, then it will be easy to recover 80%. Even under the most conservative estimates for BMW, that falls within depreciation ranges and you will not have owned the car long enough for the adjusters to make any claims about your ownership habits for the vehicle.

Also, 10%, or even 5% annual theft rate for a vehicle is an incredibly high underwriting rate: national rate is approximately 0.4%, even in the highest risk metropolitan area in the country (miami, i think), it's just 1%.

I really enjoy this forum because the discussions are reasonable and people take thoughtful perspectives. Personally, I think in this case the facts show that failing to install Lojack isn't penny wise and pound foolish. In fact, by the pure actuarial math of pennies and pounds, the opposite is true: if one looks at the financial amounts and risks it is usually better not to install Lojack. One additional point is that in a (mostly) free market economy like the US with a reasonably efficient consumer market, it's always helpful to see how consumers vote with their choices, and I believe the stronger majority of BMW owners do not install Lojack.

That doesn't mean this isn't the right decision for you or I. Depending on your aversion to risk and to inconvenience you may swing one way or another, but it clearly is at least a debatable decision that merits a level-headed and not a dismissive attitude to the topic.

Guest

Agreed Tofu Warrior. If you do not want to recover your car, then it makes no sense to spend any $$ on any kind of Lojack product.

As I understand it, most people who buy Lojack have a strong desire to recover their cars and there are testimonials of Lojack owners who recover their cars within hours, and sometimes minutes, of the theft without any kind of damage (I believe there is Lojack data that shows the vast majority of cars are recovered in less than 24 hours). My insurance agent tells me that most of his policy holders with "high end" vehicles (BMW 5/6/7, Porsches, Mercs, Range Rovers, etc.) have purchased Lojack even though there is no insurance discount.

If the stolen vehicle is quickly recovered with Lojack, then one avoids the burden, aggravation, delays, inconvenience and out-of-pocket costs of having to negotiate with the insurance company to maximize the payout (less comp deductible) for a total loss and these "subjective" factors (in addition to the comp deductible) do not appear to have been "monetized" in the actuarial analysis. In addition, it is much easier and quicker to establish to the insurance company that a Lojack equipped vehicle is not recoverable (otherwise, one may have to incur substitute transporation costs while waiting for the duration of the contract period in the policy to lapse to establish that the vehicle is not recoverable).

Good luck with your new e60.