How to prevent dashcam being manually turned off by repair shop/valet/dealer/etc.?

[ginmqi]

Hello all,

I've recently got into dash cam after realizing its usefulness. Unfortunately I did not do as much research as I should the first time around since my ebay-bought G1W crapped out on me just after a few months. So now I am in need of a replacement.

As I was reading stories of people catching unscrupulous dealerships/repair shops/etc. doing things to people's cars while getting recorded on dash cams...it seems they are getting wiser. I'm now reading stories of people saying that the repair shops/dealers/etc. are now turning off the dash cams in customer cars before they drive/work on the car.

So most dashcams have a cigarette power plug (easily taken out, are there "locking cigarette power adapters?"), or a power button on the camera body that may be used to manually turn off the camera.

So what can be done to eliminate others who may have to drive your car (repair shops, dealerships, valets, friends/family, etc.) from manually turning off the camera? I am also going to look into hard-wiring, of course, but not sure about if there are cameras that cannot be manually powered/button-ed off? (at least not too easily...)

 

[kamkar]

I think this will be hard to avoid, there is allways some plug that can be pulled or some button that can be pressed on the dashcam.
To capure that crafty/sneaky ppl you will have to outwitt them, witch i think can only be done with a hidden camera covering the inside of the car.
But i have no idea as to what to use for that or where to hide it, best thing i can think off is a sound recorder as a microfone is pretty easy to hide, where as a camera need to be on or in the dashbord.

As you said yourself you can hardwire witch is allso needed if you want the camera to run while its in the shop, though the last time my little car was in the shop it seemed from the footage that it spent quite some time with the key turned but not running.
But still there is the plug from the wire harness that go into the dashcam that can be pulled out, so a hardwire kit dont guard against a smart person.
Offcourse you could glue the plug onto the dashcam, but then you are pretty dedicated to a permanent install, and then there is still a power on/off button on the camera.

 

[throrope]

If they are in responsible charge of your vehicle and they are responsible for the consequences while operating it, I suspect the right to choose is theirs. From a recent thread, leaving the cam to record conversations could place the owner on the wrong site of law and subject to civil action.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

Welcome ginmqi!

 

[Ukraine Visitor]

(1) Start with stealthy dash cams (check this out), (2) proceed to install as many dash cams as possible (consider 4 to cover the exterior perimeter of the car; 2 to cover the interior; perhaps even 1 more cam for under the hood, as your front cam will likely be useless once the hood is open; maybe even a taxi cam pointing to the driver's face); (3) consider using only dash cams with remote lenses, that way the "evidence" (i.e., the SD cards in the DVR unit) can be locked away in the glove box or trunk; (4) obviously, be sure never to hand the key to the truck or locking glove box with your car keys to the valet guy or the shop mechanic.

 

[arcticfire]

The SG9665GC is good for helping reduce this happening because of the cable tidy cover but they could still unclip it and remove the power cable or switch off in camera. Just not as obvious.

 

[flank]

Glue the SD card and power connectors. This glue is easy to remove after your car gets home from the shop.

You can also bring this bat and tell them if they touch your camera or mess with your car.....

 

[niko]

The SG9665GC is good for helping reduce this happening because of the cable tidy cover but they could still unclip it and remove the power cable or switch off in camera. Just not as obvious.

Good point. Also if hardwires to fuse box instead of cig.ligther, this would give sort of extra piece of mind. However "bad dealer" may always unplug ftom fuse box, but its more hustle for them.

 

[niko]

Glue the SD card and power connectors. This glue is easy to remove after your car gets home from the shop.

You can also bring this bat and tell them if they touch your camera or mess with your car.....

Add a warning stickers

 

[arcticfire]

Also just thinking that some insurance companies provide a discount if you have a dash cam so you could use that as an excuse for it not to turned off. They could argue that the car is insured by them whilst in their care but I guess that's an area you'd have to discuss.

 

[Nigel]

When you book the car in for service, make a signed agreement that they will not turn the cameras off otherwise they will pay a large cash penalty. A decent garage will not mind signing it, a bad one will refuse and then you go somewhere else.

 

[jokiin]

Can't see anyone signing that no matter how good they are

 

[Nigel]

Can't see anyone signing that no matter how good they are

OK, maybe it wouldn't work in Oz. But in most places, if they want the work then they will accept your terms unless they have a good reason not to.

 

[jokiin]

Good luck with that

 

[Sabe]

Maybe you are living in a wrong kind of neighbourhood if hidden camera is necessary for normal everyday activities.

 

[Auld Reekie]

Simple answer for garage could be to disconnect the battery as is recommended for safety when carrying out some auto repairs

 

[niko]

Best solution is to install truly discrete dashcam and for the period of service connect it to hidden powerbank in case they disconnect car battery.

 

[kamkar]

What nico say is what i would do if i was going down that route, last time my car was in for service they did disconnect the battery cuz i dident get as much recorded as the time before that.

 

[Dashmellow]

 

[flank]

Better yet, just stand over their shoulder to watch and film.