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Dashcams, again!


Jonro2009
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Okay peeps, I can't find this question asked previously but apologies if it has been. What are the legalities of turning off someone's dashcam when it is taken in for service or repair work etc? Can the mechanics turn it off just because they don't like it recording what they do while your back is turned?

 

 

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Privacy rights come into play here.
If you inform the garage that the camers is on then fair enough, if you do not inform them or attempt to record in a covert manner then you are likely to annoy them.
There is no legal implications in them dractivating a camera however if it is set to activate with the ignition unless you manually override it and they have cause to start the vehicle on numerous occasions then don't be surprised if you end up with a moved camera or tape over the lens.


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I know of a few mechanics who will switch off dash cams when taking cars into the workshop. 

I guess if you don't like it then tough. 

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I did have a garage go one further and actually try to remove the dashcam from the windscreen during non MOT work.

They snapped the mount then refused to admit liability saying "well it shouldn't of [sic] been there mate".

That was a ANOTHER garage I never went back to...

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I did have a garage go one further and actually try to remove the dashcam from the windscreen during non MOT work.
They snapped the mount then refused to admit liability saying "well it shouldn't of [sic] been there mate".
That was a ANOTHER garage I never went back to...


Pretty sure they wouldn't have a leg to stand on if you pursued that. Just because they say 'it shouldn't have been there' doesn't mean they can damage it, it's also only their opinion that it shouldn't be there.

I'm not really bothered that they turn it off, it's just I don't see why they feel the need to do it. It may cause privacy issues while it is on the mechanics own/employers private property but once it is on public property then there is no law against it, providing the mic is turned off. The camera screen does not illuminate and it doesn't beep to say it comes on so it can't irritate them. It just makes me wonder what they do on the test run, and I don't mean what laws they may or may not break or how fast they go. I'm talking about what constitutes a test run? Why is it that after a first service in my Mondeo and a first service in my wife's Fiesta there is a difference of 12m put on? It was the same garage, within a month of each other yet one car was out for 9m and the other for 21m, I know they are different cars but I wouldn't have thought the run needed to be much different. To be honest as long as the car is driven with care I don't care how fast they drive it, it's not my license.

So it's purely out of curiosity that I would want to leave it on, I like a record of things. That's the reason my mobile records all calls too.




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 I think I posted before about picking up a car dropped in for MOT that had over 100 miles more on it.

Turned out they'd been back and forward to the parts place all day in it.

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That will have been free MOTs for life then!


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Can you imagine what quality of work they are likely to perform if they know they won't get paid for it?

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Can you imagine what quality of work they are likely to perform if they know they won't get paid for it?


You have an excellent point there. A little bit like sending your food back to a kitchen accompanied by a complaint and an open invitation for the chef to spit in your food before it is retuned to you!


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Part of the reason I don't complain about my food until after I have eaten it! Bit harder to justify your complaint but less chance of a bodily fluid garnish...

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On 17/09/2017 at 9:37 AM, Jonro2009 said:

That will have been free MOTs for life then!


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I got a full refund for service + mot from a large national dealer under similar circumstances. 

Mixture of dashcam footage of the mechanic speeding on his way home for lunch, and also how they had advertised the package wrong to begin with (was lead to believe it was a full service, but was actually just oil+filter, which was done after the MOT for some reason). 

Wouldn't take free service as noted above! 

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I got a full refund for service + mot from a large national dealer under similar circumstances. 
Mixture of dashcam footage of the mechanic speeding on his way home for lunch, and also how they had advertised the package wrong to begin with (was lead to believe it was a full service, but was actually just oil+filter, which was done after the MOT for some reason). 
Wouldn't take free service as noted above! 


It's an industry that can very easily exploit its customers. I think next time I'll opt to sit in their viewing area. No idea what I'm looking for but they don't know that lol


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6 hours ago, Jonro2009 said:

 


It's an industry that can very easily exploit its customers. I think next time I'll opt to sit in their viewing area. No idea what I'm looking for but they don't know that lol


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Put a hi-vis vest/jacket on and take a clipboard as well. Stand at the window and write something down every now and then! :ph34r: :biggrin:

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If you ever met me or spoke to any of my 'real life' friends then you would know how close to the truth your statement is, I would absolutely do that. May even stencil VOSA on to the jacket or clipboard too lol.


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Mine was running during its two previous service/mots. It's a discreet unit where the actual recording box is away from the cameras, and makes no sound. I did have a quick glance at what went on (curiosity more than anything) - all I saw was people dedicated to their job, and attention to detail. There were a number of other cars in the car park with dash cams fitted (and I think the garage fits them also).

If the garage asked for them to be turned off/disabled, I would happily do so - however in the same vein I would not expect to find that they had been tampered with or forcibly disabled without my input.

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On ‎18‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 8:41 PM, jbell said:

I got a full refund for service + mot from a large national dealer under similar circumstances. 

Mixture of dashcam footage of the mechanic speeding on his way home for lunch, and also how they had advertised the package wrong to begin with (was lead to believe it was a full service, but was actually just oil+filter, which was done after the MOT for some reason). 

Wouldn't take free service as noted above! 

Dealers like doing service and MOT together to save money. 

Most of a service is checking the same things that the MOT does, so once you've done the MOT (do that first as it must be done on the MOT ramp with only MOT specific tools) you can just change the oil and a filter or two, saving time over doing both separately.  Saves the customer a bit of money and the tech only has to be paid for about half as much labour lol.

 

As for dashcams, mine is quite small and well hidden behind the mirror, does make a small jingle when it switches on though.  Been to two MOTs with it in place and it hasn't been touched, I wouldn't mind switching it off if asked but would be a bit peeved if they just turned it off/damaged it without saying first.  My car doesn't go to garages for anything other than MOT though lol, don't trust anyone! :tongue: 

 

 

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When mine went for a m.o.t last year my dashcam fell off and was just on the seat when i got the car back as i waited for it (ford) said it fell off ????

Very strange as its been there for 8 or so months and never fell off,i just pull the wire out now and let them see it hanging there.

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My car went into a Ford dealer a month ago, for some repairs.

My dashcam is wired to the ignition. Out of curiosity, I played back all the footage, and noticed nothing interesting or unusual. From the footage I did notice that the guy who washed the car did have a quick fiddle with my custom android headunit though lol.

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On 21/09/2017 at 12:10 AM, Micro said:

It's a discreet unit where the actual recording box is away from the cameras, and makes no sound.

Could you let me know what you have please and what quality footage you get out of it? I'm after a minimalist setup too =]

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On 10/1/2017 at 10:56 PM, Phil21185 said:

Could you let me know what you have please and what quality footage you get out of it? I'm after a minimalist setup too =]

Its the K1S. It has its quirks, including filessystem errors causing the cam to stop and start recording (Caused by parking mode, and when the battery is flat and you turn the car off before it can charge enough), and the quality is average. But, it has all the features you need, and as long as you regularly chkdsk / format the card then its all good.

 

The two attachments are stills, night pic is only main beam no external lighting, but exposure has been increased hence poorer daytime footage. front cam also has a cpl fitted.

vlcsnap-2017-10-03-00h39m23s057.png

vlcsnap-2017-10-03-00h43m06s418.png

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Thanks for that. Seems pretty good quality but I think I'll need something more fire and forget... Because I WILL forget!

 

Edit: yikes! I've just seen the price too...

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Discretion and price was the main criteria for my replacement camera.  Used to have a mini 0801 which was rubbish tbh!  I've got the wedgecam now, has plenty of names and brands but mine is an Elephas B40c (c stands for capacitor rather than battery).  It's been in for over a year and not had any issues so far.  Obviously it's visible above the mirror but nothing underneath which is about as discrete as you can hope for with a simple cam.

 

IMG_20160827_165826317_HDR.jpg

 

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Thanks for that. Seems pretty good quality but I think I'll need something more fire and forget... Because I WILL forget!
 
Edit: yikes! I've just seen the price too...


After your comment about the price I thought I would have a quick nosey, crikey (avoiding swear filter) for the price on amazon I would be expecting no quirks and good not average quality.


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6 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Discretion and price was the main criteria for my replacement camera.  Used to have a mini 0801 which was rubbish tbh!  I've got the wedgecam now, has plenty of names and brands but mine is an Elephas B40c (c stands for capacitor rather than battery).  It's been in for over a year and not had any issues so far.  Obviously it's visible above the mirror but nothing underneath which is about as discrete as you can hope for with a simple cam.

 

IMG_20160827_165826317_HDR.jpg

 

I have the A119s in rear and A119 in front,rear one the S is amazing in the dark this is why in the rear as no headlights to help and through tinted window,front is

1440 Res being not the S and day and night are good as i have the headlights,i was very surprised on how good the picture was being a £70 area camera

also so well hidden being the wedge type, no big sucker.

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