Lancashire businessman Pete Marquis uses social media to track down stolen Range Rover
A Lancashire businessman has spoken out after having his rare Range Rover stolen.
Pete Marquis, who runs Preston-based Pete Marquis Contractors, had his silver Ranger Rover Vogue stolen from a friends house in Lea on Friday night.
But within 24 hours, the car - which cost more than £100,000 new and is one of only a few hundred in the country - was back with Pete thanks to tip-offs from his social media followers. He said: “I work too hard to have my stuff taken”.
After putting an appeal out on Facebook, Pete said he was sent seveal Snapchat images of the car in Preston and using that information, it was then tracked down by the police and Pete himself.
He said: “It’s a big issue nationally, owners are on pins, but the biggest advice I have is to put your keys in a faraday pouch and have that as far away from the front door as you can.”
Pete believes his car was stolen by his car keys being cloned from distance by theives using an electronic device. He believes it was stolen by a group who look to movce cars on to others quickly, or have them broken up for parts.
He said: “Luckily I’ve got a big social media following and when I put an appeal out, it was shared 1,700 times, so that’s a big reach. I feel sorry for people who might not be as well-connected as I am. It shows that when when social media works, it works well.”
Pete said he’s pleased to have the car back, because the car is worth more to him - the specification and the low mileage - than an insurance payout. He also said it wouldn’t put him off buying another Range Rover.
He said: “I’d buy another one. If you have one, use it, enjoy it, but be aware and use a faraday pouch. I’ve heard that Range Rover have issued recalls on cars between six and eight years old to solve a security issue, but it’s the same with anti-fraud measures on bank notes - as soon as there’s an upgrade, thieves will also be upping their game.”
What do Jaguar Land Rover say?
JLR UK is accelerating its roll‑out of security software updates for vehicles manufactured as far back as 2018, across its range of Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar models.
They say: “Proactively updating out‑of‑warranty vehicles of this age for clients’ greater piece of mind, is unprecedented in the automotive industry. The software update, which brings older vehicles up to today’s security levels, removes the risk of thieves starting a vehicle through its Body Control Module, a method often referred to as ‘keyless’ theft, making it a vital measure for clients and a priority for JLR. So far, more than 160,000 vehicles have received the software.
“The pioneering initiative is part of a £15 million investment by JLR to support UK owners, insurers and law enforcement agencies as they tackle a rise in organised criminality, namely the targeted thefts of vehicles including Range Rovers. The programme includes an expanded team of dedicated client care specialists, which has grown by 26 per cent to facilitate the completion of updates ‑ bringing the latest security technology to as many clients as possible, as quickly as possible.”
Patrick McGillycuddy, managing director of JLR UK said: We understand that being a victim of car crime is deeply distressing so we are working hard to mitigate this risk for our clients wherever we can. Our security update initiative directly and positively combats known methods of thefts used in the UK today.I am personally committed to providing the highest levels of protection as possible, to as many clients as we can; our team has grown to match the scale of this task and we are actively seeking clients who may have missed our correspondence or purchased from outside our network. We urge owners of models from 2018 and later to contact their preferred retailer for a security consultation as soon as possible, to understand their specific options, at their earliest opportunity.”