National Theft Search & Recovery

Days after buying a new vehicle I received a letter from "National Theft Search & Recovery" It had my name address and partial new vehicle information. It gave me 13 days to high pressure the consumer to buy their stickers to put on your car and failure to do so the police will not be able to return your stolen car back to you. This is deceiving statement that some consumers may fall for when in fact all vehicles have numerous VIN numbers which are what all law enforcement use to track vehicles ownership and status. The letter mention that if I act sighing within those 13 days they waive the $399 registration fee. This practice should not be legal as it pressures unknowing consumers into buying a worthless sticker. I called the company and they refused to informed me who provided then with my information nor how they obtained it. A honest company should had no problem producing that information. Please don't fall for this worthless high pressure practice.

I believe the card I received from this "company" is a scam. I just purchased a truck a month ago. Already, I am getting info, through local mail,(has nothing to do with this company) that my warranty is about to run out and extended warranty is encouraged. Now, I get a notice from this company about the fact that our anti-theft tracking is expiring. Our protection system is built into the automobile. We do not have a separate contract with anyone.
I encourage anyone to check out any information you receive from National Theft Search 7 Recovery before dealing with them in any way.

Today I received a very official looking piece of mail. Where the return address is normally found was" NTSR", second line "FORM: GML-470" third line: "ANTI-THEFT EXPIRATION NOTICE". Below that "2016" in a box with 20 in white with a black background and 16 in black with a white background. Below that TOYOTA. In the middle of the mailer is a bar code with the words "IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE REQUESTED" immediately beneath. Then, of course, my mailing address.

Inside a 1-844-638-5584 Ext. 2 phone number, a PIN#: GV2168759 and a notice date of 9/9/2016 ( today is 9/13/2016) and an expiration date of 9/19/2016. I've already lost 4 days by the time I opened the mailer. They go on to explain that my new car has not been registered to the National Theft Search and Recovery Database. I am to call the phone number to register to receive my anti-theft Police Traceable Labels and Decals. Then I am told I am leaving my vehicle "AT RISK" of not being recovered if stolen. Then I am told they will waive the $399 fee the decals cost when I register before the expiration date. No further fees are mentioned. All the foregoing would lead someone to believe they are just renewing an expiring service for free if done before the expiration date.

Upon further research, I find they also want extra fees. A, one time, $129 registration fee plus an annual $25 maintenance fee.

Finally, I had to get my magnifying glass to read the fine print paragraph at the bottom of the page. This is the first I learned "this is an advertisement for anti-theft deterrent".

I have always made a living without deceiving people. How can "outfits" like this operate with impunity?

I concur with all the other reviewers. This NTSR says they wave the $399 fee but no where do they tell you how much you will end up paying to stay in their "database". That monthly service could wind up being thousands of dollars over the life of your vehicle. They probably hit you with that after you agree to take the so called "DNA" stickers. Stay away from this company. It is a SCAM in all definitions of the word.

I called my local law enforcement agency's non-emergency number and asked them about a NTSR letter that I recieved in the mail. And the desk office, after having me read the letter to him, immediately said that it was a scam

Just got my vehicle and assumed this came from the manufacturer or the dealer, boy was I wrong. Just another scam. Company sends you a mailer after you have bought a new car. In the mailer it claims to give you a 'free' period to sign up for a service that gives the police a way to identify you car immediately if it got stolen "again for free that is a 399.00 value.. Queries to Revdex.com shows several others complaints against the company while it is not even registered with the Revdex.com. The promised in the mailer are shady, confusing, not precise, and you never know what you are paying for, other than that you'll get a few 'stickers, that chemically do something magical to help police find your VIN and trace you (as the owner) down ... Our boys in blue already know how to do that, right? Isn't that why mu VIN and registration are being kept up at the tax office, right? Companies like this are a rip off and the owners are sm.

We just bought a new vehicle and I just received one if these letters. Glad I went with my first mind to Google this company first before I did anything. Just what I thought. Scam. If it's not coming from the dealership directly don't fool with it. I work for the post office and notice that this letter was not sent first class mail which means this is "junk mail". Just another way for some company to scam people out of their hard earn money. I have enough insurance and anti-theft on this vehicle I have. So I will be ok. Stay far away from this!

My comment is directed only to the reviews I have read here. Those reviews have clearly supported my earlier skepticism about the notice I received in the mail.

This company may be perfectly legitimate. However, the notice had an odor I did not care for. Moreover, the only hit I had online was with the Revdex.com hardly a ringing endorsement of an up and coming company.

Kudos to Revdex.com. I found the site to be very useful.

This has the appearance of a marketing ploy perpetuated upon car buyers by auto dealers and the National Theft Search and Recovery entity. Like others receiving this marketing mail, I too, received the National Theft Search and Recovery (NTSR) notice after the purchase of a new car. Despite claims that NTSR and the auto dealers are not in this together, I am convinced otherwise.

I suggest that others check their bills of sale from the dealership for a $399 charge hidden amongst the taxes, doc fees and other items contributing to the cost of the vehicle. While negotiating the price of my new car, I discovered a line item listed as "THEFT GUARD". Interestingly, the price of this item was $399 (the same fee that was being "waived" in the "THEFT SEARCH and RECOVERY" mailing). Very curious coincidence indeed.

When I asked the sales staff what "THEFT GUARD" was, I received vague references about vehicle "etchings" that was supposed to provide theft deterrence and/or theft recovery. I was given no brochures, paraphernalia or other paperwork that would provide insight into the "product"

Perturbed that the dealer would add a cost item to the car without asking me first, I demanded that the "THEFT GUARD" line item be removed from the price of the car. After some resistance, the dealer did remove it.

Had I not noticed and disputed it, the dealer would have gained $399 of pure profit. And the only thing I would have bought was my way into the records of NTSR. With the benefit of hindsight (and some deductive reasoning), I believe NTSR and the dealers have a relationship, disguised or not, and that the dealer somehow relayed my information to NTSR whether I paid for that "product" or not.

Check your bill of sale for a $399 charge and find out what you bought with that money. I'll be tossing the National Theft Search and Recovery's "advertisement for anti-theft deterrent" mailer in the shredder.

NTSR would do well to have Revdex.com accreditation. Without some form of credible endorsement it will always be regarded as a potential SCAM.
I wonder how they get details of vehicle purchases which is essential to their 'operations'. Are the car dealers supplying/publishing this information?

I too received an official mailer, requiring immediate response, as a result of my recent new car purchase. My friend looked it over and said to be careful, that it might be free the first year, but following years could be pricey. When I started the registration process, to my surprise (not) it wanted my credit card information and an upfront fee of $129. Whoa! The flier said nothing about that, only that I would avoid a $399 fee if registered by their deadline. Scam? Probably not. But worth the suspicion and worry that I just gave away my credit card number to be pinged annually and who knows what else? No. Been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt.

I too just bought a new vehicle. Less than a month after buying my new car, I get this mailing from NTSR. I simply sat it aside with the thought of addressing said mailing at a future date. Initially I knew that the $399 fee waiver was nothing but a tripwire and a hidden fee had to be present.

I'm always hesitant when it comes to unsolicited offers whether by mail or phone. It was no different with this one. No website address at all in the letter. That is a red flag for sure. Just a phone number to call, so you can get the obligatory and hyped sales pitch.

I am happy that I did my research and found this website. The reviews fully exposes this as a scam. The lack of transparency and full disclosure by NTSR is nothing new. You just have to be careful and not take things at face value.

In the trash bin goes this letter!

Like everyone else just bought a new car and received this "REQUIRED" notice. I called the dealership and they explained it didn't come from them and they don't give out personal information to third parties and suggested the information was given out by vehicle registration. Perhaps that is who all the complaints should be directed towards, our government agencies giving out our personal information to third parities without our knowledge or consent. makes you wonder who is getting the bucks for selling our personal information? Also; however, new cars require full coverage and like myself, I hope most have purchase Gap insurance (now a days you surely need it). Point being if my car was stolen I'm not sure it I would want it back after not knowing what it had been used for or what had been done in it, I bought a NEW car not a USED car. These people wasted my time.

Received a letter from this company requesting immediate response to renew anti-theft tracking before expiration. I do not own the vehicle in question. I feel this is a false advertising campaign to lure vulnerable people to call them to correct the error so their representatives can pitch their product.
BE AWARE! This company is not rated by Revdex.com only because they have not been in business long enough to gather enough information.

Didn't find much on the NTSR Anti-Theft Tracking Expiration Notice on Google, so tried the Revdex.com. Very helpful. Although maybe not a "scam", it sounds shading. We just purchases a new truck less than 30 days ago, just got the license plates and this "notice" shows up. They just strong language as "IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE REQUESTED"... and "Registration is REQUIRED (underlined) and they act like they are doing you a favor by "waiving the $399 fee".... this is just plain ol' unwanted solicitation with threatening sounding language.

Utterly disgraceful mail tactic. The way they format their mail so soon after you purchase a car is to make you think it's related to something you bought with the carprotections, LoJack, etc. It says, "You have not yet contacted us to receive your anti-theft protection DNA Laberls and Decals." The way that is phrased ("You have not yet') is implying you WERE SUPPOSED to contact them. That is deceitful and someone should clamp down on them. It would be easy for someone to fear that they were supposed to register and missed that in the reams of documents one signs buying a car and protections/warranties.

If this business was aboveboard and legit, they would not have to use this deceptive and misleading type of mailer.

This company using this tactic is, imo, unethical and should be ashamed. I frankly hope they get sued for this. This should not be allowed. It's like a car- chaser con job. A pox upon their business and may rust eat up their cars. Disgraceful.

I urge you to stay away from them. STAY AWAY. A decal won't stop a thief. Trust me, they probably already know this is an iffy business. Get LoJack. They don't use decals anymore. They know better.

I just bought my car in August. Just received this letter today. I was very skeptical, so I Googled NTSR and found all these reviews. Made up my mind not to get involved. Sounds like a scam to me also. Thank you all for your posts.

Received the notice today - our car is less than than 2 months old. It has all the earmarks of which to beware. I never purchase anything that is marketed in a deceiving way. The form is already in the recycling bin.

This "NTSR" is a bunch of bull people do not do it. You already have a number that law enforcement uses to track your vehicle in the event it is stolen, it is called your vehicle VIN. We have a National Data Base that all stolen vehicles are entered into, it is the "NCIC" nation wide. So every time an officer or a license plate scanner scan your license plate it will alert the officer if your vehicle has been reported stolen.
You want to spend money on anti theft device, go LOJACK, 100% recovery.

This service is as useful as a Gerber's life insurance for healthy babies. Maybe not an official SCAM, but surely another inventive way to hustle money from consumers for a totally UNNECESSARY service. First hint of a hustle: correspondence warns recipient "IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE REQUESTED". Or else what? For me, correspondence with all bold caps is an automatic toss-in-the-garbage solicitation mail, but I decided to read on and learn about this strange offer I wasn't familiarized with so I can warn others. Second hint it is a hustle: they offer an anti-theft "Police Traceable Labels and Decals" that if I do not get for my new vehicle, the Police and Law Enforcement Agencies will not have access to track my vehicle back to me through the "National Theft Search & Recovery Database". There's that word "National" that wants to make me think it's a useful and important government agency but surely it is as worthless as the National Do Not Call Registry. The correspondence also warned me that if I didn't stick the decals and the vehicle is stolen, I would be putting my vehicle "AT RISK". This business tactic is plain fear mongering. The probability that my vehicle will get stolen does not warrant the cost of the offered surveillance. Third hint it is a hustle (bordering on deceit): they tell consumer they are waiving the $399 cost of the decals (probably laced with 14 carat gold for that price) but they don't tell them the service requires $129 activation fee plus $20 per year. In the event my alarmed and smart-key required SUV gets stolen, I would simply call the police and my insurance company. They won't cost me a dime. If I don't recuperate it, I'll buy another one with the insurance money.