[CANPUSH]

@Hammerhead's pictures of Polo with both logos removed have scared me. Rear logo I believed was hard to pluck and costs 8000. With my front logo already gone I will be now too scared to park my car on street.

@noopster: Which model is yours? I heard removimg Jetta or Passat rear logo is very easy.

Front logo of Polo, I am told, can be removed in less than 30 seconds by a screw driver.

VW logos when removed, unlike many other cars, leave a huge cavern behind that is too obvious and eye catching.

Today in Mumbai I saw atleast three polos with front Logo missing.

I agree with anjam_c2007.. They should fix logos with small nuts and bolts.

Still I must say again: Making these logos available cheaply will stop the menace.

Will manufacturers listen?

[Swanand Inamdar]

Noopster, sad to hear the logos being stolen of your VW.
Well, the same happend to me (in my building parking).

I feel your pain, when you say you want to leave it like that.

My opinion is, either get it back on, as unlike Skoda, the VW logo is HUGE, and the gap does look aweful, or, go the the place Sam got his logos from and get them fixed.

I plan to do just that. Whenever i get time to go to Bombay, ill be going to Opera house and getting at least half a dozen logos and stickers.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by CANPUSH

Rear logo I believed was hard to pluck and costs 8000. With my front logo already gone I will be now too scared to park my car on street.

@noopster: Which model is yours? I heard removimg Jetta or Passat rear logo is very easy.

Mine is a Vento. Am thankful it's not integrated with the boot opener like the Polo- so the damages to replace it is 1700 and not 8000. I feel your pain, bro!

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

Noopster, sad to hear the logos being stolen of your VW.
Well, the same happend to me (in my building parking).


My opinion is, either get it back on, as unlike Skoda, the VW logo is HUGE, and the gap does look aweful, or, go the the place Sam got his logos from and get them fixed.

I agree it looks awful, but till the problem is solved, this will keep happening no? Maybe if they see that we aren't really bothered to replace the logos, they lose interest and leave us alone.

[iIncepted]

On Saturday, I took my new Vento and parked it near a basketball ground when visiting one my friends house. It was around 8, but the area was well lit up. When I returned, I drove my car home and only while I was leaving my garage I noticed the front logo missing. Immediately I went to the rear side and found the situation to be no different. I am 100% sure that when I drove to my friends house the logo was there, so someone definitely stole it while it was parked near the basketball ground.
I got the logos replaced by paying the huge dealers margin price, but am now trying to work out something to prevent this from happening again. I saw a product somewhere that you can install and if someone touches your logo he/ she will get a shock. Don't know whether that product was just a gimmick or it actually works, but I will surely do something if it happens again.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by iIncepted

when I drove to my friends house the logo was there, so someone definitely stole it while it was parked near the basketball ground.
I got the logos replaced by paying the huge dealers margin price, but am now trying to work out something to prevent this from happening again. I saw a product somewhere that you can install and if someone touches your logo he/ she will get a shock. Don't know whether that product was just a gimmick or it actually works, but I will surely do something if it happens again.

I can understand your loss and do sympathize with you. But the alternative which you are thinking is not correct. I dont know if such thing does exists but imagine you got one such brillaint idea implemented and some one close to you touches the logo. I am sure you dont want that to happen. Secondly even if you introduce something like a shock inducing logo, the thieves would definitely have something up their sleeve to counter that. Maybe activating an alarm would be good alternative.

IMO the only thing that can be done for logo stealing:
1) Vigilant police who could nab these thugs and good punishment - an eye opener for others in process.
2) Car manufacturers do a quality job to ensure that logos dont get easily stolen
3) Even if they get stolen, replacement should be affordable.

No Car owner worth his salt would want to drive his prized possesions without any logos.

[Swanand Inamdar]

Originally Posted by noopster

I agree it looks awful, but till the problem is solved, this will keep happening no? Maybe if they see that we aren't really bothered to replace the logos, they lose interest and leave us alone.

Aint nothing stupid about it bro. As someone posted earlier in this thread, just leave it like that and in a couple of days we get used to it. Thats the policy im following as of now.

Sooner or later this has to stop. I mean whoever is stealing the logos for whatever reasons, their hunger would die down at some point or the other.

[Dieseldunk]

This trend is being noticed in Chennai too. Would agree or rather understand if it were logos of real rare or high value ones like a Merc,Bentley but now that the Marutis, Hyundais, Ford, are so common no valid reason except some wisecrack wanting quick and easy money. Best option adjust the car trigger alarm to a moderate to high sensitivity ( not to the extent that a fly sits and the alarm ticks off!).
The only reason i see is that these common logos will attract more customers to the spares shop who may backsell your own logo to you

[Arkin evoisrevo]

Boy! Am I glad this problem hasn't plagued Bangalore (yet)! Or has it!? Have any Bangaloreans experienced it.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

1) Vigilant police who could nab these thugs and good punishment - an eye opener for others in process.

Well, it is the job of the court to decide what has to be done to these vagabonds. The police can just catch them and produce them in court.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by Arkin evoisrevo

Well, it is the job of the court to decide what has to be done to these vagabonds. The police can just catch them and produce them in court.

Just producing them in court is nopt going to help, the punishment should be harsh enough for others to stop the vandalising.

I dont think so Bangalore has been spared of the logo theft. Its a national issue now.

[moralfibre]

Is there a way we could get together and design a tazer circuit around monograms at least for the ones that are Metallic? A CCTV camera around the parking lots should be a good investment. I feel, people from housing societies should get together and join the cause.

[neoonwheels]

I guess the VW logo has the maximum ratio in getting stolen. I guess ppl have some fancy about VW. I have seen many polo's with missing front logo.

[dot]

Originally Posted by noopster

They sympathised when I said no thanks I will leave it this way.

I think it is the best attitude that can be taken at this point of time. Way to go, noopster.

Originally Posted by noopster

Suggestions how to creatively plug the gap?

Originally Posted by CANPUSH

VW logos when removed, unlike many other cars, leave a huge cavern behind that is too obvious and eye catching.

VW and Skoda leave a big circular dent on the trunk lid and the grill. Maybe we can get a customized India flag sticker to fill the gap. That will show that we the owners dont care a fig.

Originally Posted by CANPUSH

Still I must say again: Making these logos available cheaply will stop the menace.
Will manufacturers listen?

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

Sooner or later this has to stop. I mean whoever is stealing the logos for whatever reasons, their hunger would die down at some point or the other.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Its a national issue now.

It is an epidemic and not stopping. Manufacturers maybe equally surprised by the recent spread. I think this is an indicator of a deep social divide and a scant regard/respect for other people's property.

[fuel_addict]

A very common menace in Mumbai especially if you have a VW, Skoda or a BMW. My City's logo was stolen thrice including the rear chrome strip which had the logo integrated. At 4.3K, it was too pricey and I stopped after a couple of occasions until the car was sold off.

A Polo in my area was once found with the front logo prized out but still hanging off a metal wire. I informed the car owner who told me that the logo was internally secured with the metal wire. It makes makes the thief's job harder. Maybe you guys can try that.

Its time that car manufacturers come up with a solution to this menace. Either do away with the metal logos or have some mechanism whereby the logos would retract into the body.

[tj123]

Looks like street guys have found out a easy way to make cash, definitely it’s a big racket.
I am sure the police is not doing enough to do an in-depth investigation to catch the people involved in it.

I think it will be futile to replace your logos with a new one as it will also be flicked in due time, only practical solution which come to my mind is by making logo’s cheaper or going back to stickers.

[CANPUSH]

In Pune the situation is changing fast. Till December end you were occasionally seeing a Polo without front badge. Now you occasionally see a Polo with a front badge.

There are still not many Ventos around but still half of them have both badges missing. I am trying to work out an Idea to cover the front hole. I have found that the size of the front hole matches with that of a CD. I want to stick one there and see. Did not had enough free time to do that. But I think CD with transparent logo like sticker on it will do the trick. If we print transparent VW logo stickers in bulk (since most of the Polo owners will need one) it will be a nice replacement at almost no cost.