Hello all

Recently I received a letter from the outfit that fitted my Clifford alarm/immobiliser saying that as it is coming up to a year since it was fitted, it must now be "serviced". Failure to do this will result in the expiry of its thatcham certificate and hence invalidate motor insurance secured on the basis of a thatcham approved alarm/immobiliser

Is this true? The cost of this is approx £20 and I will be issued with a new thatcham certificate.

If it is neccessary, I would appreciate any recommendations for GOOD clifford dealers in the Essex area as I am very reluctant to use the supplying dealer (but thats another story )

Also are you restricted to only use the supplying dealer for future visits (maybe only they know how they wired up each individual alarm/immobiliser?)

Thanks for any help

PS I know there is a security section but we all know this section gets looked at the most

 

I think someone is pulling your plonker!

I have never seen or heard of this before now... I have had three cars with Thatcham Cat 1 alarms fitted and numerous clients...and this has never been mentioned before...

 

Rum*

Thanks for the quick reply I will ring the dealer concerned tommorrow to clarify his claim. My main concern is his suggestion that the thatcham certificate is effectively invalidated if an annual inspection by an approved clifford dealer is not carried out.

Thanks again

 

I dont think it invalidates the certificate but i would reccommend it, all your alarm componants are checked and any adjustments are done, would you not service your car???? its just the same with an alarm!

Tony

 

Must agree get it serviced last year my insurance asked about alarm certificate any
way its nice to know its ok

 

I agree about getting the alarm and immobiliser checked....nothing wrong with that.....I would suggest that they should really say that it will cost you £20.00 for the trouble....but the Thatcham thing....PAH!!!....tho I may be wrong...its just I've never heard of it before *S*

All the best

Tom

 

I was under the understanding that the 'certificate' was for VSIB approved <B>fitting</B> of the alarm, not whether it worked a year later or not.

My alarm system (not Clifford) came with a little service booklet for a yearly service stamp. It says in the booklet that this is voluntary but is advised as system defects may not be noticed in normal operation. I guess I have never checked whether levering the boot open sets the alarm off or not I've had it stamped by the nice guys at a garage local to me who are approved to fit them, but wasn't the guys who originally fitted it.

I take the oppotunity to get all my key fobs fitted with new batteries and the guy there just checks that the sensitivity of the sensors hasn't drifted, that all the functions still work and that the alarm mountings/wiring is OK and that the siren is still OK under the bonnet.

Costs me half an hour of my time and the cost of the batteries and labour charge.

However, my insurance company don't ask for a new 'cerfiticate' every year.

Cheers

Ian