After poking around in my car whilst cleaning it I noticed a black box cable tied to the "ceiling" of the glove box.
Anything cable tied in surely isn't stock and I'd hazard a guess that this is a black box that insurers put in the vehicles of first time drivers. It's code a bar code but no other writing on it.
I've attached the picture that I took on my phone.

AdamEvo said:

After poking around in my car whilst cleaning it I noticed a black box cable tied to the "ceiling" of the glove box.
Anything cable tied in surely isn't stock and I'd hazard a guess that this is a black box that insurers put in the vehicles of first time drivers. It's code a bar code but no other writing on it.
I've attached the picture that I took on my phone.

Click to expand...

I'ts more than a black box recorder. I can just see IMEI on the label so it has a cellphone module in it. I'd guess it's a tracker of some kind. Where did you buy the car and who was the last owner on the registration? I'd cut the cable tie and see what else is written on it. There may be contact info on it.

Robert G8RPI.

I brought it from a local car dealer. My friend worked there at the time so I got a good deal and they seemed legit people.
The last owner was some dude from Southampton. That's all I know about it.

Almost certainly some telematics/tracking box. Insurance companies don't seem too bothered about getting them removed after the policy has finished, they just "deactivate" them.

Can you scan the QR code?

jw4821 said:

Almost certainly some telematics/tracking box. Insurance companies don't seem too bothered about getting them removed after the policy has finished, they just "deactivate" them.

Can you scan the QR code?

Click to expand...

I'll try and cut the cable tie and wiggle it forward to scan it if I can get a good angle. There's no way it's coming out without taking the glove box apart - something that I'm reluctant to do.

Also the metal frame that the box sits atop seems to have a few holes, suggesting that something was in it's place before. Can anyone provide me with a picture of their glove box so I can see how different mine is.

It's an OCTOBOX. As mentioned above it's a vehicle tracking system. It uses GPS to track location and GSM to send the information.

http://www.octotelematics.com/en/site/pages/stolen

There's lots of them for sale on eBay. Usually by car breakers that have removed them from various makes of car.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2002-FIAT-STILO-BLACK-RADIO-RECIEVER-BOX-A6006410-/172160114804?hash=item28158ae074:g:It4AAOSw0e9Ust95

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-POLO-MK6-9N-RADIO-RECEIVER-BOX-P-N-A6006410-/172143906016?hash=item2814938ce0:g:K4IAAOSwk5FUtENs
.

Davren said:

It's an OCTOBOX. As mentioned above it's a vehicle tracking system. It uses GPS to track location and GSM to send the information.

http://www.octotelematics.com/en/site/pages/stolen

There's lots of them for sale on eBay. Usually by car breakers that have removed them from various makes of car.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2002-FIAT-STILO-BLACK-RADIO-RECIEVER-BOX-A6006410-/172160114804?hash=item28158ae074:g:It4AAOSw0e9Ust95

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-POLO-MK6-9N-RADIO-RECEIVER-BOX-P-N-A6006410-/172143906016?hash=item2814938ce0:g:K4IAAOSwk5FUtENs
.

Click to expand...

Ah OK. That's a very long lead! That'll be interesting when I rip it out ?