Bedding brakes & auto insurance spyware

[D60]

I'm sorry, but I'm going to call it spyware: all the things you plug into your OBD port to supposedly get better rates. Actually, I'm not sorry, but I know I've already triggered the "I've got nothing to hide!" crowd

Anyway, I think a vehicle I recently serviced had one. There was something blue plugged in. I didn't think much of it and figured maybe it was a tracker. Only after bedding the brakes with ten relatively hard stops from ~40mph did it occur to me that it might be spyware and their insurance may wonder what was going on.

It didn't make any beeps -- do they still do this? Years ago my FIL had the Progressive version that would beep on hard stops.

Have any other techs ever had any problems with these, like customer complaints, etc?

 

[GMBoy]

See these often and usually they beep at you in agressive driving actions like bedding brakes. I ignore it but let the owner know so they can explain if need be. I find more GPS tracking devices than anything else lol.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Wouldn't you pull out the spyware plug when you need to use the OBD yourself?

 

[FowVay]

They are either spying on you via the tracking device or selling your information through a data mining operation when they install the device on your phone. The promise is a 30% reduction in your car insurance but trust me, no amount of money can ever clear your good name once they put you in the system as a violator or a "high risk" driver.

 

[JeffKeryk]

The spying horse was outta the corral a long time ago...

 

[JohnnyG]

I had one of those Progressive things installed on my last trip to Pgh. Yes it had a blue light in it, and yes it beeped on hard braking. Needless to say, the beeping drove me crazy when driving on unfamiliar roads, and not being used to blind hills and sharp curves!
The braking sensor is MUCH too sensitive, brake to miss a squirrel, or a bicyclist, and you get a beep. Particularly when the Mercedes brakes are so good!
They seem to be more concerned with the time of day that you drive. So if you avoid night driving, or early/late commute times you'll do ok.
I think I got a small reduction in premiums, but it was negated by the increase in insurance costs anyway.
I figure every little bit helps.
No accidents in 50 years of driving should be sufficient for a good rating.

 

[D60]

Wouldn't you pull out the spyware plug when you need to use the OBD yourself?

No need just to compress pistons (no EPB), unbolt caliper brackets and slap on new pads & rotors.

I didn't need to touch it, so I didn't. I try to only lay hands on that which I MUST with someone else's property.

 

[ctechbob]

They are either spying on you via the tracking device or selling your information through a data mining operation when they install the device on your phone. The promise is a 30% reduction in your car insurance but trust me, no amount of money can ever clear your good name once they put you in the system as a violator or a "high risk" driver.

I think you need an 'AND' in there instead of an 'OR'.

 

[bbhero]

I say blank that… No saving money worth that in my opinion.

And yeah I may accelerate hard at times… Brake hard on occasion…Though no where near as much as when I had my 3.5 2door Nissan Altima coupe. Overall I am a very safe driver in general and very courteous to other drivers as well. I have no desire to be monitored like that.

And I know when I come up on a person doing the speed limit I automatically think.. They have a spyware device plugged in that darn thing…