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Who is responsible if an RAC Trackstar tracking device flattened the battery on our Porsche Carrera?
I bought a new Porsche Carrera 2S four years ago and we fitted a RAC Trackstar device. This work was carried out by a local RAC Franchise as we live in Guernsey. Subsequently we have had four years of problems with flat batteries. Despite using sophisticated chargers and buying new batteries, the problem did not go away. Eventually, the problem was traced to incorrect wiring of the tracker to the ignition causing a continual drain. The car is now running normally with no battery charging necessary. RAC Trackstar says it is a problem we should take up with the local tracker franchise, yet they say we should pursue the RAC for expenses, which have been considerable with breakdowns abroad and repatriation.
Asked on 20 November 2010 by MC, St Martin, Guernsey
Answered by
Honest John
The people who fitted the device and wired it incorrectly are responsible, but who is liable depends on who you paid. This is quite common after fitting a tracking device. I guess all we can take from this is if you have a tracking device and if your battery goes flat is that it is more likely to be the tracking device than anything else. But taking legal action is likely to be messy, time-consuming and expensive, with no guarantee of a result. Another battery flattener is hands-free Bluetooth on some models. If you leave the car unlocked (in a locked garage), the system will continuously search for the absent paired phone.
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