What should you consider before buying a tracking system?

There are a number of tracking companies out there, so how do you know which one to choose?

Firstly, look at the company's track record. How long has this company been offering their system on the market? New companies and systems are appearing all the time, unfortunately, many disappear just as quickly. Should a vehicle tracking company go into liquidation, not only are you going to lose your after sales support, you will lose much more. Most systems are leased through a through a third party leasing company. The leasing company will still want their money and you will be left with the bill and without a tracking system. Ensure that you chose a tracking company that has been around for a number of years and has an excellent track record, before you enter into any contracts make sure you run a credit check on the company.

Navman Wireless has been supplying tracking systems since 2001, have operations in 10 different countries and have over 4,000 customers here in the UK. Over 40% of their business customers come to them via a recommendation from an existing customer and, in a recent survey, 95% said they were either satisfied or very satisfied. They are an established company who are going to be around for a very long time.

Once you are satisfied that the tracking company is reliable and stable, you need to be sure that the system is too.

What exactly are you paying for?

What does your quote include? A system may look like good value for money, until you realise that there are various hidden costs.

Is installation of the hardware to the vehicles included?

Is the software required to run it on your computer included?

How many computers can you install it on?

Do you pay 'airtime' fees on top?

How often are live updates sent from the vehicle?

If you want to have an instant update (often referred to as 'pinging' or 'polling') in between the timed ones do you have to pay extra?

If you want to generate a mileage report, an idling report or any of the other reports a quality system should be able to give you do you pay an additional cost?

Once you discover these hidden fees your 'value' system becomes anything but good value. Navman tracking systems offer you an all inclusive price - there are no extra charges regardless of how many computers run the system, how many reports you generate, how many times you 'ping' a vehicle etc. The cost includes installation, training and full aftersales support too. You would only have to pay additional costs if the equipment is damaged and needs repairing or if you decide to move it to another vehicle (please see Navman Wireless’s warranty document for full terms and conditions) .

The system should serve you well for a great many years, so as well as checking that it has a good warranty you need to ensure that it is future proof, you may not need to use all the functions now, but you may well need them in a couple of years, chose a system that can adapt to your future needs. In order for a system to serve you well you need a reliable after sales support service, chose a company that update their system regularly, updating software is key to ensuring the system remains cutting edge. Also ensure that you have support staff that are familiar with your account and have their own engineers close at hand should you need them. If you have a problem whether it be fault developing in the hardware or you simply cannot remember how to generate a certain report, you want to know that there is someone close at hand to help you and that you won't have to battle your way through to an anonymous call centre somewhere. Choosing Handsfree UK to supply your Navman system means that you can rest assured that you will have a professional and yet personal service throughout the term of your lease.

Talk to other businesses that already have tracking, specifically the tracking system you are looking to use. Handsfree UK can give you details of existing customers, we have nothing to hide.