I recently took my car to the dealership, and when I reviewed the footage from my dashcam, I saw a technician disconnect it. Later, I found that some items in my car were missing. I don’t have proof that he took them, but there was no reason to unplug the camera unless he wanted to hide something. Any advice on how to handle this?
File a police report. That’s what I’d do. No need to waste time with the dealership if they don’t take it seriously.
If it were me, I’d talk to the service manager first. Let them know you’ll contact the police if they don’t want to investigate.
I’m a tech, and I usually disconnect dashcams as standard practice. It doesn’t necessarily mean something shady happened.
Clay said:
I’m a tech, and I usually disconnect dashcams as standard practice. It doesn’t necessarily mean something shady happened.
Why disconnect them though?
Clay said:
I’m a tech, and I usually disconnect dashcams as standard practice. It doesn’t necessarily mean something shady happened.
Why disconnect them though?
I prefer not to be recorded while I’m working.
@Jensen
But there’s no expectation of privacy while at work. Would you unplug your shop’s cameras too?
Patrice said:
@Jensen
But there’s no expectation of privacy while at work. Would you unplug your shop’s cameras too?
There’s a difference between being recorded by your employer versus a customer.
@Reeve
But a customer has the right to record what happens to their property. It’s not much different.
Patrice said:
@Jensen
But there’s no expectation of privacy while at work. Would you unplug your shop’s cameras too?
The difference is that the shop records for liability, but a customer recording feels more invasive. Just my take.
@Jensen
If the customer has their own dashcam for liability, it’s not so different. Plus, it could protect you if nothing went missing.
As a tech myself, I’d never mess with a customer’s belongings. Disconnecting the dashcam might be routine for some, but stealing is a huge no-no. I’ve seen a lot of strange things left in cars, but messing with customer property crosses a line.
Is it common practice to disconnect dashcams? I have a hardwired one in the rearview mirror and worry about it being tampered with.
Raine said:
Is it common practice to disconnect dashcams? I have a hardwired one in the rearview mirror and worry about it being tampered with.
Some techs do it as a routine. They may worry customers won’t understand certain things we do to the car. But honestly, I’ve just gotten used to leaving them on.
@Vero
Makes sense. There have been cases of joy rides caught on dashcams, so it’s not surprising people are wary.
Just curious, how did you catch him disconnecting it?
PaulMagnet said:
Just curious, how did you catch him disconnecting it?
It’s a dual dashcam that records the interior too, so I saw him reaching to unplug it when I reviewed the footage.
What items were missing from the car?
This is why so many of us have dashcams – to hold people accountable. Too many horror stories about techs taking joy rides or damaging things without fessing up.