Car Dealers Install GPS Tracking On Unsuspecting Customers

By Amy E. Feldman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - GPS is an incredibly helpful device. Not just for the driver, but also for the repo man.

When a Philadelphia woman snatched off the street by a dangerous kidnapper last month was returned safely after a combination of tips from the public and good police work, people rejoiced. They'd been appropriately creeped out by the thought of a stranger abductionM- but not by what ultimately led police to their suspect. The GPS and ignition kill switch that the car dealership put into the suspect's car.

So here's a creepy fact for you: it is estimated that nearly 70% of car dealerships that sell cars to people with poor credit install both a GPS tracking device and a remote ignition kill switch on the vehicle in order to repossess the car in the event that the payments aren't made on time. It might be in your car right now.

And, there's no law that prohibits that kind of tracking, provided that the dealership has provided notice.

So while three lawsuits were filed this year against a dealer in Florida who failed to notify customers of the practice, a single line in a ten page lease document you sign without reading can be considered notice to the consumer.

So if the thought that someone is tracking your movements is creepy even if not illegal, then ask before you buy a car whether you're going to be tracked.