Cindy got robbed !!
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From: Land of the landeaus
Gan, you write:
I know I'm in the minority here, but I firmly believe they are NOT a theft deterrent.
Until I hear of a pair of seats stolen that were bolted down with the locks, I will most emphatically disagree. To date, I have heard of none. Why? Because the thief cannot tell that you have them until he has already ripped open your top and gotten inside the car . The top will be vandalized with or without seat locks. You can't tell an owner has 'em installed with the top up so avoiding seat locks thinking you're going to somehow minimize any damage doesn't make sense. Why bother even having an alarm if you think a thief is going to be pissed that you've made their job more difficult?
You continued:
Does anybody really think a thief, when confronted with seat locks, will go "aww gee whiz! I can't steal them. Damn my luck!" and simply exit the vehicle peacefully?
I won't pass on seat locks to massage the ego of a thief. Your sentence pretty much says it all. The thief can't steal them. I bought locks to protect my seats from theft. You're making quite an expensive assumption that a thief not being able to steal S2000 Recaros will ultimately cause more damage in some possessed fit of rage. I disagree. Hard to think more than $1K in damage is going to be caused by a missing gear shift or broken window and yet some people's deductibles are that high. Without ANY deterrents, you're playing right into a thief's hands by making things easy for them. Why even have a car alarm? Why bother locking the doors? Hell, post a sticker, "I'll let you take my seats if you don't scratch my car"
I'd rather have a window replaced than seats. I'd rather have them reskinned than replaced. A top is going to be replaced with or without one's seats missing unless they found another way to get to the car and your VAFC or high end stereo damn sure is going to disappear with or without seat locks.
It's cheaper to repaint scratches on a car than it is to replace the seats. Thank god for me I have a lifetime no-cancellation policy with State Farm but others might not be so lucky. Get your seats stolen a few times and see what that does to your insurance rate. One more thing nobody has mentioned. When a thief realizes a car is an easy target, they'll hit it again and again. If they hit on an S2K with locks, the might very well cause damage above and beyond the normal entry fiasco but chances are, they'll pass on it the next time because they know the seats aren't going anywhere. Keep your car as easy a target as possible and it'll remain an easy target.
I'll hedge a bet that those S2000's with a sticker on a window cleary showing the car has seat locks has, at some point, prevented a possible theft. How many preventions is hard to say but to date, I haven't read one single post
from a member with seat locks saying, "some thief slashed my seats, broke my window, cut my top, stole my steering wheel, etc and left a note saying they did it because I had seat locks."
You don't keep your house unlocked to spare the windows.
I know I'm in the minority here, but I firmly believe they are NOT a theft deterrent.
Until I hear of a pair of seats stolen that were bolted down with the locks, I will most emphatically disagree. To date, I have heard of none. Why? Because the thief cannot tell that you have them until he has already ripped open your top and gotten inside the car . The top will be vandalized with or without seat locks. You can't tell an owner has 'em installed with the top up so avoiding seat locks thinking you're going to somehow minimize any damage doesn't make sense. Why bother even having an alarm if you think a thief is going to be pissed that you've made their job more difficult?
You continued:
Does anybody really think a thief, when confronted with seat locks, will go "aww gee whiz! I can't steal them. Damn my luck!" and simply exit the vehicle peacefully?
I won't pass on seat locks to massage the ego of a thief. Your sentence pretty much says it all. The thief can't steal them. I bought locks to protect my seats from theft. You're making quite an expensive assumption that a thief not being able to steal S2000 Recaros will ultimately cause more damage in some possessed fit of rage. I disagree. Hard to think more than $1K in damage is going to be caused by a missing gear shift or broken window and yet some people's deductibles are that high. Without ANY deterrents, you're playing right into a thief's hands by making things easy for them. Why even have a car alarm? Why bother locking the doors? Hell, post a sticker, "I'll let you take my seats if you don't scratch my car"
I'd rather have a window replaced than seats. I'd rather have them reskinned than replaced. A top is going to be replaced with or without one's seats missing unless they found another way to get to the car and your VAFC or high end stereo damn sure is going to disappear with or without seat locks.
It's cheaper to repaint scratches on a car than it is to replace the seats. Thank god for me I have a lifetime no-cancellation policy with State Farm but others might not be so lucky. Get your seats stolen a few times and see what that does to your insurance rate. One more thing nobody has mentioned. When a thief realizes a car is an easy target, they'll hit it again and again. If they hit on an S2K with locks, the might very well cause damage above and beyond the normal entry fiasco but chances are, they'll pass on it the next time because they know the seats aren't going anywhere. Keep your car as easy a target as possible and it'll remain an easy target.
I'll hedge a bet that those S2000's with a sticker on a window cleary showing the car has seat locks has, at some point, prevented a possible theft. How many preventions is hard to say but to date, I haven't read one single post
from a member with seat locks saying, "some thief slashed my seats, broke my window, cut my top, stole my steering wheel, etc and left a note saying they did it because I had seat locks."
You don't keep your house unlocked to spare the windows.
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Joined: Jun 2003
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From: It's a secret!
I know that the last time there was a group buy for the seat locks, there was also a window sticker you could purchase that basically said "Hey A-holes, there are seat locks on here and it won't be easy to rip these b!tches out". Of course, it was worded a bit more succinctly than that! 
Thread Starter
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From: South Florida
Russ, I meant a theft deterrent in the sense that it would cause a thief to look at the vehicle and go "no thanks. its got locks/alarms" etc, and prevent the attempt. Its the same reason that having an alarm on your house with signs showing you have Brinks may cause the thief to go next door to the neighbor who doesn't have that. Any cop will tell you that the theif is going to take the easier target.
So my statement still holds true. Unless you have a window sticker (which I was unaware existed), having the locks isnt going to prevent the attempt. It will keep them from getting what they wanted but it won't steer them away from the car in the first place.
And yes, thinking I will minimize damage does make sense. I still am of the opinion that a pissed off thief is going to do needless damage to your car. It happened to me. There was no reason at all for the hacking up of my seats and interior when my Civic was broken into....and no I didnt have an alarm.
Why bother having an alarm? Because the visible signs (blinking LED for example) may help deter a thief. If he still breaks in, the sound of the alarm can also help deter it. Yes, I know, a pro wont be stopped by these and if he wants your car, he's taking it. The same goes for "why lock the doors". Please dont insult everybody's intelligence with such an argument. This whole line of questioning is inane, but you asked a somewhat silly question so I answered it.
I never said anything about massaging a thief's ego. Where the hell did that come from?
I do agree with you that a thief may hit an "easy" target more than once, so I will give you that much, but my whole point was simply that if you have seat locks (without said window sticker) you are not DETERRING the attempted theft. You are preventing them from getting their intended prize, but they will still have damaged your vehicle getting into the car, and you invite the possiblity of further damage from an angry thief.
That was really all I was trying to say. Having locks (without a sticker) won't cause a thief to bypass your car in favor of an easier target, because he won't know you have them until he's already comitted to the act.
Just because nobody has posted a message saying that their car was vandalized by an angry thief who was pissed that he broke into the car and found seat locks, doesn't mean such a thing hasn't or won't happen. Thats a silly statement.
I'm not even going to bother responding to the rest of your argument.
- Gan
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Russ
Gan, you write:
I know I'm in the minority here, but I firmly believe they are NOT a theft deterrent.
Until I hear of a pair of seats stolen that were bolted down with the locks, I will most emphatically disagree.
So my statement still holds true. Unless you have a window sticker (which I was unaware existed), having the locks isnt going to prevent the attempt. It will keep them from getting what they wanted but it won't steer them away from the car in the first place.
And yes, thinking I will minimize damage does make sense. I still am of the opinion that a pissed off thief is going to do needless damage to your car. It happened to me. There was no reason at all for the hacking up of my seats and interior when my Civic was broken into....and no I didnt have an alarm.
Why bother having an alarm? Because the visible signs (blinking LED for example) may help deter a thief. If he still breaks in, the sound of the alarm can also help deter it. Yes, I know, a pro wont be stopped by these and if he wants your car, he's taking it. The same goes for "why lock the doors". Please dont insult everybody's intelligence with such an argument. This whole line of questioning is inane, but you asked a somewhat silly question so I answered it.
I never said anything about massaging a thief's ego. Where the hell did that come from?
I do agree with you that a thief may hit an "easy" target more than once, so I will give you that much, but my whole point was simply that if you have seat locks (without said window sticker) you are not DETERRING the attempted theft. You are preventing them from getting their intended prize, but they will still have damaged your vehicle getting into the car, and you invite the possiblity of further damage from an angry thief.
That was really all I was trying to say. Having locks (without a sticker) won't cause a thief to bypass your car in favor of an easier target, because he won't know you have them until he's already comitted to the act.
Just because nobody has posted a message saying that their car was vandalized by an angry thief who was pissed that he broke into the car and found seat locks, doesn't mean such a thing hasn't or won't happen. Thats a silly statement.
I'm not even going to bother responding to the rest of your argument.
- Gan
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Russ
Gan, you write:
I know I'm in the minority here, but I firmly believe they are NOT a theft deterrent.
Until I hear of a pair of seats stolen that were bolted down with the locks, I will most emphatically disagree.