Professionals? They are criminals.
Get a grip... just because there are a few people doing bat **** crazy things doesn't mean I won't secure my property. Grow some balls.
Obviously a car isn't worth your life, but to suggest you should take measures to secure your property is bonkers.
"CCTV to massive high gated/fenced houses in the nicest of areas" <<-- I am gonna suggest this to you... the fact they have 'massive high gated fenced houses, probably means they weren't in 'the nicest areas'.
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p.s. When I was in Birmingham, we had gang members with guns threaten us and break into our house looking for one of the guys that lived with us. We also watched someone get hammered to nearly death in the street from the drug dealer across the street. I guess I've differently than you in my experiences.
You've never heard of a professional criminal? Anyone can be a master at their trade, their trade is car theft/crime.
Yes suggesting to secure a car beyond the standard security to the point IS bonkers.
Nope it's just snobby posh areas, no rough areas. All these massive houses/land in that area are like that, they like their privacy and that style of wall/gated driveway entrance with a long driveway leading up to the house/manor. Which is the perfect place to attack someone, as they never see it coming because it isn't Birmingham or rough areas, nor is the crime rate high in general, thus scares the **** out of people like that when attacked, as they're not living near/around scum/crime.
So you're well aware of what people are capable of, yet think a car that's covered under insurance is worth winding up these scumbags even further by putting a ghost combo on it, versus letting them take it and your family safe! Madness.
I'm sure your kids/wife would thank you for that when they wake up with a knife to their throat and have PTSD for life/therapy...
All for what is probably a financed Chelsea tractor that you don't need.
So you still think after being awoken with 5+ guys in the room with a gun/knife to your kids/wife, that you can magically win whilst in your boxers... Come on man? You WONT win. Let alone twice. Nor when jumped surrounded in a car park by a group of them whilst they again threaten your kids/wife... All because you thought you'd be a clever and fit a silly hidden start ghost immobiliser start combination...
They are professionals in the context that some of these gangs are very organised, have what they are doing "down to a T" and know exactly how far they will push it, etc. basically a step ahead of you (the general public) in terms of being prepared when it comes to these situations.
It is fairly rare for them to involve violence, but not unheard of - if it is something particularly rare/desirable and/or you look like easy pickings i.e. sloppy about locking doors, etc. some will do home invasions. You do need to think carefully as to the approach you take but personally I err on the side of making things more secure - making it harder from the very start would have nipped much more of this in the bud, the car industry has a lot to answer for IMO.
Quite commonly they will have someone running interference to avoid confrontation with the owner - often you'll see one of them holding the front door or in other ways preventing the front door from being used, etc.
All depends on where it is mate, if it's a quiet rich area, like I've mentioned, scaring them/slapping them about will make for an easy win for them, as people that live in a quiet/low crime/non scummy area, simply do not expect that, so if they refuse to comply when catching someone in the act/disturbed, then even the slightest bit of violence/threats will easy make them cave.
But yes violence is usually only used when they have to enter the house to grab the key/combination due to some idiot programming a ghost combo, which is very common for high value stuff, because it IS simply worth the risk to them, plus with a gang of them, your average joe isn't going to magically fight off 5 people who wake him up ballied up with knives...
Usually they'll scope it out first though and either come back whiling to go the extra step after trying to open it whilst you're shopping and failing to start it for example, but have followed you home to see where the car resides, then plan to take further action depending on the value of what you drive...