[Third party] Volkswagen’s car tracking firm demanded $150 to renew expired subscription to help police locate stolen car with abducted boy inside.

[wemay]

Not VW proper but a contracted firm.

What's wrong with people nowadays?!

Volkswagen’s car-tracking firm demanded $150 to renew expired subscription to help police locate stolen car with abducted boy inside

Detectives had to pay $150 to reactivate the service before the company would find the stolen vehicle with the 2-year-old inside.

fortune.com

 

[researcher]

I wonder if they could charge them with interfering with the police? If there's an active investigation for law enforcement to do their job.. I'm thinking it's official name is obstruction of justice.

 

[researcher]

also the fortune.com's article is behind a paywall.. here's the article from yahoo

Volkswagen’s car tracking firm demanded $150 to renew expired subscription to help police locate stolen car with abducted boy inside

Detectives had to pay $150 to reactivate the service before the company would find the stolen vehicle with the 2-year-old inside.

finance.yahoo.com

 

[atikovi]

A detective reportedly explained the gravity of the situation to Volkswagen’s representative, to no avail. In the 30 minutes it took to make the credit card payment

Why didn't the detective just pay with a credit right then and get reimbursed later? And I'm guessing the operator has no control of the payment and can't activate the tracking unless the system sees it paid up.

 

[bullwinkle]

That was the most expensive $150 VW & their 3rd party generic On Star ever made-talk about bad publicity...

 

[mk378]

They are allowed to recover any actual costs incurred to serve a law enforcement request, but not to demand money upfront.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I wonder if they could charge them with interfering with the police? If there's an active investigation for law enforcement to do their job.. I'm thinking it's official name is obstruction of justice.

and possibly extortion too

 

[10WSmuckers]

Who in their right mind would buy a car with any sort of tracking software?

 

[Pew]

Who in their right mind would buy a car with any sort of tracking software?

Parents, companies, extra security like lo-jack. I'm not 100% sure, but I would think the company does not have to give any information up until the court says so.

 

[atikovi]

Who in their right mind would buy a car with any sort of tracking software?

Guess you never had your car stolen?

 

[dishdude]

Guess you never had your car stolen?

Who would want it back? Please chop it up into a hundred pieces.

 

[atikovi]

Who would want it back? Please chop it up into a hundred pieces.

Few people have insurance on cheaper cars, so getting back a $5,000 or $10,000 car is better than eating it.

 

[dishdude]

Few people have insurance on cheaper cars, so getting back a $5,000 or $10,000 car is better than eating it.

If you can't afford to eat it you better insure it.

 

[dogememe]

Few people have insurance on cheaper cars, so getting back a $5,000 or $10,000 car is better than eating it.

I have comprehensive on both my vehicles which are both cheap and old lol.

 

[wwillson]

Who in their right mind would buy a car smart phone with any sort of tracking software?

FIFY

 

[Skippy722]

If you can't afford to eat it you better insure it.

Exactly. My parents had full coverage on a Rusty but trusty 2004 Grand Caravan in 2018, came in handy when my sister rear ended someone with a trailer hitch in the school parking lot.

 

[researcher]

and possibly extortion too

yup.. I agree.. also private companies can refuse to work with law enforcement but if law enforcement had proof that the boy was in the vehicle and the company wouldn't help.. The District Attorney might be talking to that company. But most companies if presented this info of a present danger (like kidnapping) would worry about the cost incurred later! Just wow.. I'm all for privacy but there are exceptions like this instance!

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Not justifying what happened at all, but the third-party company probably has heard loads of sob stories and assumed the cops calling were fakes just giving them another sob story to get free service. It's possible. If someone calls you and says he/she is with X police agency and wants you to give them a free something, are you necessarily going to believe them right off?

 

[researcher]

Not justifying what happened at all, but the third-party company probably has heard loads of sob stories and assumed the cops calling were fakes just giving them another sob story to get free service. It's possible. If someone calls you and says he/she is with X police agency and wants you to give them a free something, are you necessarily going to believe them right off?

No, that's a really good point! What credentials did the officers offer the company besides saying they're the police.. prove it..

 

[dogememe]

No, that's a really good point! What credentials did the officers offer the company besides saying they're the police.. prove it..

I watch a lot of bodycam cop vids on YouTube and mostly when they’re doing insurance verifications they just call that insurance company’s 1-800 number and be like this is officer abc with xyz police dept can you verify insurance coverage on this vehicle with vin 1234 drivers license abcdef. So you have a valid point.