The Remote Repo Man | The New York Times
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- Опубліковано 25 вер 2014
- As auto lenders reach out to those with poor credit, they are increasingly using starter interruption devices, technology that allows them to remotely disable a car, to spur timely payment.
Produced by: Sean Patrick Farrell
Read the story here: nyti.ms/1u2dACt
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The Remote Repo Man | The New York Times
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Here's a crazy idea. Don't finance crap you can't afford.
Mark B
Yeah man, you just gotta increase those loan terms. Make those payments go down. /s
So you must ride a bike and rent a cheap apartment then
James What's the problem with that lol? That's the mindset that will keep you being a slave to the banks your whole life, you probably have everything financed and if you lose your job you are screwed, now if someone has a cheap apartment and a "bike" or just a car that they paid in cash like every responsible person if they lose their job the won't be screwed like you. Also judging by your comments you like to live like a rich person while being broke.
Or don’t finance at all. If you can’t pay cash for it you can’t afford it.
Only exception to that rule is a purchasing a home, in which there are very specific rules to buying one if you want to build wealth.
James Thacker You can find plenty of running cars for under 3 grand. Some under 2k.
"This thing runs my life" LMAO......buy an old car lady, or learn to be responsible for your behavior.
Dave Stone Does not allow them to endanger your life when driving. Maybe just maybe it should be activated if the car is off.
The dealer had to pay money for the car, pay for transporting the car from the auction to the lot, pay for repairs, pay for cleaning, pay for the dealer license, pay for the surety bond, pay utilities, pay any associates their wages - retirement - sick leave - vacation - paid breaks - pay inventory taxes, etc.....
And some random lady come around, finds the vehicle to her satisfaction, and then has the attitude of "I actually have to pay to have a car?! That just ruins my life!"
What about the dealer, who basically just sits and watches a deadbeat drive away with his investment, doesn't he have a life?
JohnsRadios that's what the company said it should do they said that it should not allow the car to start again so they could finish driving then when they park they can't start again. The guy also said that he doesn't know of any tech to turn off an engine when it's running besides what the government has.
Many people who are responsible still cant afford to pay their bills on time. Your arrogance makes it obvious that you are white.
Its easy not to get triggered when you dont care about anyone but yourself. And I was right wasn't I?
She can barley pay the loan on her car but she can pay for an attorney???
My exact thoughts!
bequeef queefs Probably works and paid if they win
Murica!
Allot of time these lawyers do these types of cases for free just to make a name for themselves. . . . . . . It's bull-crap, I know.
Attorney might have taken this case pro Bono for a share of the potential pay out, happens very often.
Pay your bills or don't buy a car you can't afford and you won't have this issue.
Why do the most obvious thing when instead you can just pay a lawyer to sue the company that disabled THEIR car because you're not paying for it? That woman made a fool of herself, should have just payed her loan.
YAY Manslaughter is Perfectly Fine.
Neojhun Yes it is
Neojhun Lol she's lying, that's not how the device works. She just wants to have a car for free, she's an entitled person.
oh baby just wait till you fall on hard times youll see
i like the part that they don't tell you that the devise is an option to lower your rate, you agree to having it installed.
No they don’t control your life. You control your life by making a payment on time
Jose Omar Good point!
And when it causes a crash, injury or death it will be grand to see these fools get suited out of existence.
I'd never buy a car with that device.
Croo ookie Then you better have good credit.
Even the bus driver will make you pay before you ride
"you dont get a grace period...in three days after your payment they turn it off" -Sounds like you have a three day grace porky
Mr. Jim Business except most state laws protect the buyers for more than 30 days.. not 3 days.
The lender isn't sending any sort of code to disable the car. The car was delivered with a timer that only allowed it to start for a limited time. The dealer provides a numerical code to extend that period when the customer makes a payment. The customer enters the extension code into a little remote control that must be inside the car to work. Some devices also have tracking functions that allow a repossession agent to locate the car after the lender gives up on getting more payments. The tracking function uses cell phone texting technology, so there there are monthly expenses involved. The tracker has its own cell number (without voice service) that isn't provided to the customer.
robertvirginiabeach Get out of here without hogwash you don’t know what you’re talking about it’s a disabler it’s not a timer in the dealer has nothing to do with the dealer sells the car belongs to the finance company at that point
Haven't you seen used car dealers with "Buy here - Pay here" on their signage? Sometimes the "dealer" is essentially a subsidiary of a locally owned lender that specializes in auto loans.
it more than 30 days, 3 Day isn't really a grace period especially for those with tight schedule.
These people entered into an agreement with the sellers of the cars. They made a promise. Keep your promises and it is very unlikely that you'll have problems. As to the gal who's car shut off, I bet the news people looked right past the technological fact that these devices are not capable of that.
Except the devices are in fact capable of it. If they are wired in such a way as to interrupt the ignition circuit rather than the starter circuit they will cause hte car to shut down while it is on.
While the devices are intended to be wired to the start circuit, there is nothing really which electronically would prevent them from being wired to the ignition circuit instead.
Candice was smart. Bought a car she could afford with cash.
Umm pay you bill on time???
They haven't repo it at 3 they just make it so you can't use there product till you pay for it
From an Audi to a Hyundai it's really her fault for not paying her note
It doesn’t shut the car down. That’s a lie. It interrupts the starter. Meaning it won’t start after it is shut down by the driver.
I suspect either:
A) She fabricated or exaggerated the story, or omitted details. For example, maybe she was stuck in bumper to bumper traffic due to an accident ahead creating a stand still, so she turned off her car to save on gas, and couldn't start it up again upon traffic moving again, stranding her on a busy highway. Or maybe she was just so upset over getting Repo'd that she made up a BS story to get back at the company.
B) The device had a glitch or mechanical error that shut down the car.
You're an auto electrician now?
Make your payment end of story. I have the same exact system in my truck for almost a year and never had a issues. Why? Because I make my payments on time
My very first car was through autotrakk had one of those devices and payments were due weekly. I would pay for four weeks at a time and punch the codes in and there was never an issue.
that alot of hassle to be honest i would just buy a beater car that mechanically sound and skip the whole thing entirely i bet the interest must be a killer on those cars cash is king man
as I have said to others with your arrogance your day is coming, nothing is promised. I hope you keep that same energy if this ever happens to you.
No i wont my car is paid for title and all so is my house i am not rich by any means but i dont have any real debt either and a modest saving. So yeah cash is king my friend only buy what you can afford in cash never buy anything lease that a chain strap on your leg until the lease is paid off you never know what might hit the economy folds and boom your broke your car are towed yours house is foreclosed and your out of job out of option either you become homeless or you commit suicide. Like you said nothing is promised except taxed and the repo man if you decide to overstretch your financial decision then live with it when things goes wrong
I really dont want you or anyone else to go through those kind of misfortunes in life. Im glad youre car is paid for. It just upsets me that some of the attitudes on here towards people's situations. Some people were not raised to know about certain financial situations. Or they just made a mistake. Some of of the comments seem to put everyone is a box. Because you did not pay on time doesnt make you a bad person. I was just always taught not to look down on someones situation because you never know what they wen through, or you could be in the same place.
If the bills aren't paid in full you don't own it. If you own it then you can decide what to do with it way better option in my opinion
or i mean the easier option is buy a car you can pay for with cash or at least one you can afford to make the payments on
I call BS. Car steering does not lock. Look how she is driving, knee up, foot on seat, too far from steering wheel. An accident waiting to happen. I think I would support her not being behind the wheel. Pay your bills, buy what you can afford and you don't have problems. Oh....sorry that's common sense. No one says you have to buy from these people.
It disables the starter, not the engine. As implied from it's name, the starter starts the car, that's all it does, it doesn't keep it running, so the device couldn't shut it off, also these things are REEEEAAALLY easy to remove.
Kaiden Rogers the one in this video ? It’s hard I’ve tried everything
Sue’s Girl Room they work like a remote controlled light switch. They splice your ignition wires and add a switch that they control. All you should have to is disconnect the device, find the same colored wires that go into the device twice and reconnect them. It's also not uncommon to have more than 1 interrupt device either. I've seen vehicles with one under the dash and another one under the hood, each made by a different company with a different look.
You may have to go buy a Hanes Manual for your vehicle and a few tools and go trace the wires from the ignition to the starter.
Keep in mind I'm not advocating you remove it. You assume all risk if you attempt this. But you have the right to know how it works, if you choose to exploit that, that's up to you.
Everyone here is making the assumption the device was wired as it was intended to be to the starter rather than the ignition..... simple fact is this device can in fact be wired in such a way to cause the car to shut down if it is in motion if it is not wired the way it in intended and interrupts the ignition circuit rather than the starter circuit.
You don’t have to buy a car with that device. It seems like these people have bad credit and they gave them a loan and they agreed to that loan and system that is in the car. It should never cut the engine off it you are driving, but I have no problem with it shutting off the car so it won’t start after 3 days. This should not violate state law because these people with bad credit know full well what will happen. The rest of us pay higher premiums because of people who don’t pay their loans. Stop protecting the bad people and protect the good people.
The 2nd woman would rather hire a lawyer than pay the loan....
Pay your bills, don't expect a free ride. If you don't want a starter interruption device installed on your car, buy one with cash.
Jason or have acceptable credit :3
this is only done to customers with bad credit as far as i'm aware
angrydragonslayer You are correct. Hence, pay your bills.
You guys talking all this s*** about pay your bills one of these days something will happen and you will be on the other side we'll see how much compassion everybody else will have
Winstard Robinson That's highly unlikely. I use credit responsibly and don't buy more than I can afford. Having an interlock required to get a car loan shows a repeated pattern of being a deadbeat and not paying your bills.
Winstard Robinson i have no bills i can not instantly stop and have been putting money in various funds since i was 12 when i got my first part-time job
She dont have money for car payments but she was money for a lawyer 😂✌🏼
There is a difference between helping people rebuild their credit and predatory lending. If you have to structure a deal to include a system like this you shouldn't have financed the individual.
this is why you don't buy a car that you can't afford these people deserve this
youre day is coming my friend... your day is coming
childof83 Lmao
its good to laugh there are many health benefits, it's nice to see people taking charge of their health. Marc D the bravery you displayed here will not be forgotten ride on brave solider....ride on
childof83 Triggered
Some people need a car to get to work and can't afford even used cars without a loan. Long-duration car loans at high interest rates for poor credit buyers with low stagnant incomes, and rapidly increasing cost of living, can lead to very high default rates.
This is partially why stock of auto companies like Ford and GM are trading so cheaply despite record earnings. They've extremely leveraged on subprime auto loans to consumers, and default rates are climbing rapidly. Unlike mortgages, where homes are an appreciating asset that can provide a profit upon foreclosure, vehicles are rapidly depreciating assets that provide little value upon repossession.
Protecting ethics and liberty in a digital age against corporate infringement is a proving increasingly important and difficult. There is no reason to feel helpless while operating or needing to operate a motor vehicle.
Thorodin Solutions I once saw a company refuse to send any bills and then call the repoman. How is anyone supposed to pay the bills if they don't receive any bills? There is no shortage of crooks in this world. Don't always assume that someone could pay the bill, esp. if they didn't ever see the bill. Don't always assume that the bill is fair. I have seen companies agree to $x per day only to add $3x to the bill in extra "fees" without telling the customer. Sometimes life is hard when the courts back the crooks. Typically, there is no justice in our courts.
I never got monthly bills for my first auto loan. Soon after making the loan the bank sent a batch of payment slips for the entire loan period. Each slip had a progressively later due date printed on it. I had to include one of the slips with every payment.
The best feeling I've ever gotten was paying off my car and not having to worry about it getting repoed anymore. Never will I take out a car loan again!
(5th Element) "You have one credit left..."
I agree with this completely. If you can't pay then you can't drive. That simple. I am sure theres a grace period like most places have if your running a little late on payment. That first one woman was playing victim for no reason and expecting a free ride cause clearly If she had good credit she wouldn't have to go to a company like this. It sounds like you get three or four days of driving after your missed payment. The second woman just said you hit 9 times for an emergency then the car will start then the next clip says if her daughter gets sick then shes stuck? Sounds like a bunch of bs from your typical low credit people that think they deserve free stuff. It's their own faults they screwed their own credit up. At least there's actually a company giving them a second chance. This type of stuff doesn't exist in a lot of places in this country yet outside of your major cities. These people are always looking for a free ride in life and that's what is wrong with this country. That car the black woman paid with cash? Yeah that came from the settlement she received that she only received because she had to go through that company cause of her bad credit - which she will always still have. It should be embarrassing for these people to be on this video.
Here is a novel concept....just pay your bills on time.
What if there were an emergency, like if my toddler needed a pack of smokes...
She can’t pay her car, but can afford a lawyer? SMH.
Here’s a novel idea! Make your payment on time!
I am a tow truck operator and mechanic and I charge a minimum of $250 to repossess a vehicle. That price can go up if I have to do skip trace on the purchaser of the car for weeks sometimes months to find it. Those that consistently don't make car payments also don't make home/rental property payments so they move and of course take the car. They usually don't provide the finance company with a new address making it more difficult to find the collateral. So it cost the finance company to find their own car. Then they take the car to auction where they do not get what is owed on the car so they lose more money. And a settlement is not an indication of guilt sometimes proving their innocence is more expensive than just settling and they've already lost the money for the car and for the repossession now they have to spend more money to prove that they did not install something that shut down the car. None of those devices are capable of shutting down the engine of a car while it's driving down the road it is a very simple installation a couple power wires to power the system a wire to let the system know when the ignition is on and you cut the wires going to the starter and Route them through the device to disable only the starter they cannot shut down the engine while it is going down the road. This system attempts to make it a little easier to recover the collateral.
OnStar can do this for a stolen car which is cool.
RedLight GreenArrow i believe that system disables the throttle. The car still runs and drives but can't go over 3 or 4 mph.
How come there are several stolen cars every year?
Starter interrupt is fine, even reasonable (if the person is in default). Deactivating the vehicle while in operation is *NOT* cool. That can cause fatalities.
Only in American can you sue someone for not making you payment. Lmaooo
Don’t buy a car you can’t afford 🤷🏻♂️
Wow another Einstein here. Let me ask you, do you have $25K+ just laying around? Didnt think so. Now I wonder do you walk everywhere? Nah you probably drive a car thats falling apart.
James Thacker nah I don’t live in a shithole country :)
James Buy an old car if you can't afford monthly payments on a new one, if you can't afford it don't finance it, really easy equation. (plus the car in the video is not 25k lmao)
Make your payment on time. Problem solved
And now you're on the news letting everyone know you can't pay your bills on time. Genius
Should have left the car in the middle of the 15 would be totaled for sure
My car has that LOL
just pay your bills on time, problem solved. or don't buy stuff you cant afford
Determined she was late for a payment, or she WAS late for her payment. I love how the publication makes these people look like victims of unscrupulous greedy bankers. Let's keep in mind the only reason these folks have these devices is because no lender would touch them without it. They complain about having to work their driving around their payment yet fail to realize they wouldn't have a car at all. Why do the media not allow anyone to take any responsibility. Now because of these "victims" states will legislate these devices away and many people who rely on them and make their payments on time won't be able to get or keep their car. Frankly shameful
Just make your payment or take the bus!
I'm amazed at how the defaulter can play the victim. How do you not know when your payments are due? What an excellent device. Pay your bill....no more problem.
If you have to take your daughter to the doctor and you're late on your car payment, you better start walking or call a taxi lol. There's always a way
You can sue them for this because it can cause a panic attack!
If someone cannot afford to make payments on their car maybe they shouldn't buy a car...
you must not be from the U.S.A. Here a car is a necessity because public transport is barely developed in most places and even then it can't help you get to many places.
I used to work at a body shop/rental place and the GPS units in our cars could shut off the cars remotely but we didn't even install that functionality as a liability thing
You should have just drove that car in the wall then sue the report company
One of the women said that this controls her life, but more than likely, the lender/dealership wouldn't sell her a car without 1 of these devices.
So maybe she should be happy that someone sold her the car in the first place.
“They do not have a grace period” “After two or three days they shut off your car”. Yeah the grace period is 48 hours.
The woman is lying. The device will not shut off a car while it's running.
Don’t buy cars if you can’t afford the payment.
the key is to find a mechanic and tell him to remove it from the starter power wire...problem solved
They can't stop you either lol.
The key is paying in time.
And since having the device in line with your starter wire is a requirement in your finance agreement you are in breach and the lender has grounds to repossess.
Mr Jim Business, I am am ASE Certified Master Tech, I have had many people over the years ask me to disable those devices, I used to have to install them to insure that the shop i worked for RECEIVED THEIR PAYMENTS ON TIME AND IN FULL. I would never disable such a device. Thats helping someone steal a car. I have way too much integrity to do that. Any shop that would do such a thing you should never do business with in the first place. Also there is more than 1 type of default, such as leaving the designated operational area (cant cross state lines without approval), Of course the payments, and the 3rd big one is NOT KEEPING PROPER INSURANCE in force which is in immediate default and not subject to time limits. 1 more is multiple loans that are cross collateral, 1 default is ALL default. so Mr Jim, make payments, keep insurance, stay in your designated operational area, dont take or cosign (which can also have a cross collateral contingent between loans) additional loans. PROBLEM SOLVED. these people have crappy credit for a reason.
no name, if the device detects tampering, or goes dark the customer will immediately be contacted to bring it in to be fixed, and failure to do so in the allotted time period (as determined by the contract) will be in automatic default. I have one in the shop now that was bought 3rd hand and the installers tapped the anti theft system to disable the vehicle (device was removed but the wire repairs after removal were crap newbie helper quality). I have it working but still have to finish rewiring.
it should be illegal to allow a device like this if the vehicle control can be lost at any time while running down a highway, its only going to cause a accident honestly and then they get at fault for a wreck the person was in for lack of payment, raising their insurance rates making it harder to get another car. what a help to your credit rating and lets not forget, raising your full coverage cost your required to get that likely won't even pay off the car you wrecked due to their interest rates they charge.
Just pay... you enter into an agreement, and I'm sure the lender had this device in the agreement. These lenders are trying to avoid getting screwed.
I want to buy a car from a place like this, take the device off and walk in to their office and hand it to them.
Here’s an idea, if you have the money to go the the doctor when your daughter has a little fever, you have enough money to make your car payments, I’m not talking about dying, I’m just talking about being a little sick
she should sue the company, they are putting her and the general public in danger. Also, easy to remove.
Lol I steer it into a tree
Well then maybe don’t buy a car you can’t afford ???
Then you wouldnt have one, or a house, or pretty much anything as stagnant wages have rendered almost everything unaffordable. Capitalism reducing most to slaves.
you know a simple way to prevent your lender from legally shutting down your vehicle? paying your bills on time or don't get a car loan
Don't buy a car you can't afford the payments for. These people seem surprised that the system did what it says it would do.
Pay your bills.
I love how everyone is villianizing the lenders that are trying to not get screwed by the people who skip payments, yet those poor poor people that can't finance their vehicle should just be given a pass it seems. It's stupid. If you don't want to lose a thing you don't own, keep up on your payments.
There probably was a clause in the contract that they signed that allows the lenders to turn their cars off before a legally required grace period
They endangered that woman's life she needs to sue the company who put her car out of service while she was driving what would happen if 50 people got killed on that interstate
*shows how to drive in emergency*
'IF MY DAUGHTER HAD AN EMERGENCY THEN THERE WOULD BE NOTHING I COULD DO!!!!'
Already I can stop you there for lying. "The steering wheel locked up" " If it wasn't for the person with me punch the car over to the left" uh thought the wheel locked up
i was behind 4 months payment 2 years ago, nobody even contacted me lol
I got the perfect fix for this. Make your payments or don't take out a loan you can't afford. You do not own the vehicle and it is not "your property" until you have paid it off.
I think it's important to note the difference between a steering lockup and loss of power assist. That said, modern keyless cars would become deathtraps as powering off the car will mean a lockup and subsequent death for all occupants if the car is at speed.
I had a friend purchased a Mustang with this installed. While current on his payments the system malfunctioned and fried the ignition and the dealership said it was my friends responsibility to get it repaired as it was his car and warranty did not cover what had happened.
Maybe with the money she was paying that lawyer she could have paid her auto loan 😂
Pro bono their both looking for easy money.
What I don’t understand is that lady 4:40 can afford a lawsuit and a lawyer but can’t afford to pay her car ? I don’t understand her logic that the banks or loners have control over her life. If she makes the payment in time the car will start so I think she is the one in control.
Make your payments on time. They absolutely have to right to repo your car after a missed payment, and these devices provide flexibility to car owners and help lenders combat non-payers. She is the one cheating the system; if she wants to have a car, she has to pay for it.
We can argue all day long about people buying used cars at Buy Here Pay Here places due to low income or bad credit but that doesn’t mean that u put peoples lives in danger. They have tracking devices they could put in those cars and just repo the car.
Late is late, pay your note .
So if the car breaks down for some reason,
and your sick daughter doesn't make it to
the hospital, how is that better than ignoring
the four stage flashing lights?
How is reality persecuting you?
I PAID THAT BILL!
LMFAO........IF u want this taken off ur car call me ......
Omg people if your bill is due on the 1st, PAY IT ON THE 1ST. If you can't afford something don't finance it. They said that the company sends out a welcome letter stating the terms so they know the risk of they are late. These company's don't have to give lowlife a car to begin with because it's a risk and all this does is ensure they will get their payment.
i dont think thats tough love haha
whats the outro song?
My lender gives me a 5 day grave period. But I always pay on time.
4:00 "If I have an emergency I have to press 9 six times, and then the car will start." Next scene "It's like they control my life. If my daughter got sick, i'd have no way to take her to the doctor."
OR! You could just press the 9 button six times like you said :D smfh
If you have horrible credit, this is the price you pay!...pay your bills on time!..I sell cars for a living and see customers like this all the time. These devices don’t shut the car off, they’ll disable the start and give lenders gps location!.. She probably ran out of gas or something, She forgot to buy it!..
BTW. That said, as an auto mechanic It looks to me like that device could quickly and easily be defeated by someone with even a basic understanding of an automobile.
she probably ran out of gas...
This device is not hidden or magically added to the vehicle. They knew it when they bought it that this was a condition of getting the car
That is a lawsuit waiting to happen...
Just unwire it from the starter
Somebody hooked it up incorrectly, they interrupted the ignition when they should've interrupted the starter, she lost power steering when the engine shut off
We had similar tech decades ago for a car we fiananced in house with a used car dealership. These devices DON'T turn your car off while driving ever. Not how it works. Ours however was a little different, we were given a code every payment to input into the device instead of remote disabling of the vehicle.
If the car that is disabled and struck from behind and people are killed, who is responsible.
Wtf... then don’t buy a car with one of these. I think these people just wanted camera time or the ability to sue. I’ve bought reliable cars for around $1000 I’d have to imagine that’s probably 4 or less of their payments.
This has more to do with greedy salesman than it does people not paying their bills people. They sell to people that they know can't afford stuff.