Anyone know about Immobitag?

[BusDriver]

Has anyone used an Immobitag on their bike. I've been on Immobilise.com and had a look. They fit into your frame and if your bike is found, the police do a quick scan and your details come up. I've just ordered one for a tenner. If you don't fancy paying you can register your bike frame number for free and add pictures. If you bike is nicked you can login and report it with one click. You can also add other property such as phones and jewellery.

What do you think?

More info on Immobitag here


Simon

 

[trustysteed]

i think calling it Immobitag was a mistake. it sounds like it would immobilise your bike like a car immobiliser. but it doesn't.

 

[BusDriver]

I't would be nice if it could immobilise a bike. Something along the lines of shooting 4,000 volts up the arse of the chav nicking it. However it does make it easy for the police to trace the owner if and when it's recovered. You don't have to buy the immobitag. You could just register your bike frame number and add a few pics for free if you like.

 

[Dave5N]

I do love the independent reviews here.

 

[byegad]

However little it may cost if it relies on the Police doing anything it won't work. They are not interested in stolen bikes and IF they recover them they just want shot of them. This they tend to do in a sale after they've been held the requisit time.
You'd do better to use the money on a higher quality lock.

 

[Arch]

i think calling it Immobitag was a mistake. it sounds like it would immobilise your bike like a car immobiliser. but it doesn't.

I thought it sounded like a cure for the trots....

I have something similar in my FCR, put in free when the police were offering the service one time. For free, it's gotta be worth a try.

I'm afraid I also have my doubts about the ability and willingness of the police to bother scanning every nicked bike. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say it's probably because they are so busy... I suppose if they thought a bike was worth a few grand, thay might, but your average copper is not going to know much about bikes - I watched with amusement as they noted my Compact Road frame down as a Ladies Frame.

 

[Tynan]

do half decent bikes ever turn up again?

perhaps mtb that kids nick to ride round on

 

[Berserka]

ImmobiTag how it works

I bought Immobitag and fitted in the hope that if this one gets nicked the police may recover it.

For the benefit of the those interested in bicycle security...

If a theif steals an expensive bike I would assume they'll remove/replace the frame number. This leaves no identifier for the Police to trace the bike back to you, if registered... The good thing about the Immobitag gizmo is that once inserted into the frame of your bike its impossible to remove unless of course you deconstruct the bike and weld it back together again...yer right! Once the identifier - Radio Frequency Identification number (RFID) is registered on Immobilise.com the details are linked to Police National Computer Database and CheckMEND (I understand this is the database of stolen goods that the people like cashconverters check before buying dodgey stuff). If your bike is nicked you go to your account and flag it as stolen/lost which notifys everyone concerned. You can also create an official certificate of keepership with pics , receipts etc. Pretty useful for insurance claims. Regarding Police checks on recovered bikes I believe there has been a big initiative by the police recently to deal with bike theft. They're equipped with RFID scanners and use them not to just check bikes, some people even get that kids RFID'd these days...

Useful links...

https://www.immobilise.com/immobitag.ikml

http://www.immobitag.com/uk/index.html

 

[johnmacintyre]

immobitag


You can use a whole host of identifiers on property but having a national database which is available to the police is the winner in this case.

• www.immobilise.com- a National Property Database. Anyone can log on, open their own account and register any item of property (including cucles) and photos of the item. The police when searching for an item which has an identifier such as a serial number search via the NMPR (National Mobile Property Database). If it is recorded as stolen then the details come up. If it isn’t reported stolen but it has been registered then it will give the police the owners details so they can check with them. There are 22 million items of pre registered items on the immobilise database and 26 million items of stolen property on the NMPR. A similar system has just gone live in the USA, www.immobilize.net. Log on and have a look.

• www.immobitag.com An electronic tag in a shuttlecock shaped housing is inserted into the cycle frame and once in it is difficult to remove. Each tag has a unique code number. Once fitted the owner registers the cycle, their details, the tag number and the number on the hi visibility warning label onto the immobilise database. The police forces in the UK have scanners that will read the tag. A quick check on the MNPR via their control room or hand held PDA will tell them if the cycle has been reported stolen or if not who the registered owner is. It is quick and efficient. Tagged cycles are 10 times less likely to be stolen. Log onto the website and see for your self.

There are 35 separate tagging schemes being run by police forces in the UK. They are successful, cutting cycle crime by up to 35% but more importantly bring the public face to face with officers where they can discuss other crime issues.

If you would like any more information please let me know. By the way I am a retired police officer and sell the tags to police forces and retailers- and carry out the role of police liaison. It’s a great system which is very popular with the public.
Regards

John Macintyre
0044 1469533130
0044 7779097991

 

[johnmacintyre]

do half decent bikes ever turn up again?

perhaps mtb that kids nick to ride round on

Yes they do turn up but many owners do not have the serial numbers etc so in the end the ones that do not get identified are sold off. Froim the research I have done about 50% of the 400,000 stolen bikes each year are recovered but only about 5% are ideniified.
The database www.immobilise.com will allow anyone to register their bike free of charge and for the first time will provide a National Database for bikes (as long as they are regisiterer). It only takes a few minutes.
The immobitag gives the police a greater chance of identifying the bike should the serial number be removed, and ffinally your bike is 10 times less likely to be stolen if tagged.

John Macintyre

 

[Twenty Inch]

Any of these will depend on police officers having the equipment, training and time to spend scanning stolen recovered bikes.

John, you may want to take your phone numbers off your post, plenty of scammers looking for personal info use automated search programmes for that sort of thing.

 

[adrianportlock]

Immobitag update

Hi, my name is Adrian Portlock and I am the MD of Recipero Limited who provide the ImmobiTag product and also host the Immobilise National Property Database which is supported by all the major UK Police forces - do a google search on immobilise to see for yourself.

Just to clarify - Immobilise is the largest regsiter of its type in the UK if not the world of property recorded before loss or theft with over 20 million UK members with over 24 million items recorded. The service is free of charge and allows people to record their ownership information of any item of serialed number of property, bikes, phones, laptops, cameras etc and photos of any item can also be uploaded.

In the event of loss or theft the item can be reported to Immobilise via the members account and this then means the item details, the registered owners details and any information about the loss and theft can be viewed by the Police via their own systems, Immobilise does not rely on Police ringing anyone up or emailing people etc, they can view the information via their internal system called the NMPR. As a result thousands of checks are run a day on the system and the hit rate on the NMPR is about 20%

So what about ImmobiTag? A lot of cycle owners have told us that they dont have serial numbers or frame numbers etc on their bikes or they are easily ground off by thieves so working with the bike community we developed the Immobitag which means the bike has a unique identity and can be registered on Immobilise. Feel free to ask any questions I will return and do my best to answer them, thanks

 

[fossyant]

Got my commuter done for free - didn't bother with the label as I'd rather the thief didn't know it was tagged.

PS My bike was registered via the police, how do I set an account up on the net for my other bike's references and link it to my tag on the commuter...... do I just need the tag number ? Wasn't clear on the site.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

You can use a whole host of identifiers on property but having a national database which is available to the police is the winner in this case.

• www.immobilise.com- a National Property Database. Anyone can log on, open their own account and register any item of property (including cucles) and photos of the item. The police when searching for an item which has an identifier such as a serial number search via the NMPR (National Mobile Property Database). If it is recorded as stolen then the details come up. If it isn’t reported stolen but it has been registered then it will give the police the owners details so they can check with them. There are 22 million items of pre registered items on the immobilise database and 26 million items of stolen property on the NMPR. A similar system has just gone live in the USA, www.immobilize.net. Log on and have a look.

• www.immobitag.com An electronic tag in a shuttlecock shaped housing is inserted into the cycle frame and once in it is difficult to remove. Each tag has a unique code number. Once fitted the owner registers the cycle, their details, the tag number and the number on the hi visibility warning label onto the immobilise database. The police forces in the UK have scanners that will read the tag. A quick check on the MNPR via their control room or hand held PDA will tell them if the cycle has been reported stolen or if not who the registered owner is. It is quick and efficient. Tagged cycles are 10 times less likely to be stolen. Log onto the website and see for your self.

There are 35 separate tagging schemes being run by police forces in the UK. They are successful, cutting cycle crime by up to 35% but more importantly bring the public face to face with officers where they can discuss other crime issues.

If you would like any more information please let me know. By the way I am a retired police officer and sell the tags to police forces and retailers- and carry out the role of police liaison. It’s a great system which is very popular with the public.
Regards

John Macintyre
0044 1469533130
0044 7779097991

There are many different schemes out there which promise to return your bike, car, clock, motorcycle etc. However, I cannot picture the brave boys in blue taking the time to check each and every website which promises the return of your stolen property. Sure, if it's free, then nothing lost or gained, but I am perennially sceptical of the sites that charge good pound coins for the service.

 

[adrianportlock]

You are all missing the point!

Sorry to harp on but you are missing a major point here! When you get stopped in your car what do you think happens? the police use their systems to check your car registration number before they even speak to you, they do not ring up third parties for information or drop them an email and wait for the answer, and this is why Immobilise is different and unique.
Immobilise is checkable via the Police systems via their comms desk or directly from their PC's and they do checks thousands of time a week on mobile phone IMEI numbers, laptop serial numbers, bike identifiers including Immobitag, ipods etc when doing stop and search, execute a warrant on dubious second hand shops, check prisoner property etc.
The result rate is over 20%. I have spent 8 years of my life as the MD of the company that run Immobilise and it is this spade work that has made this a reality and that is why it is different from any other pre loss pre theft registration service.
Hope this helps