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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that some people don’t use the ring doorbell as they think it stops them being on camera

41 replies

Sleephelpneeded · 05/05/2025 08:42

Some people that come to our house do not press our ring doorbell and simply knock the door instead (no knocker so just tapping on the door). The ring doorbell is hard to miss.

I think they do it as they think they won’t be on camera if they don’t press the bell (it records from 1m away so we know they’re there before they even knock!)

Next time I'm planning to wait and let them knock again so i can point out the bell and say we don’t really hear it when people just knock.

OP posts:
cardibach · 05/05/2025 08:58

I have an ordinary door bell and nobody uses that either. Drives me mad as I can’t hear knocks if I’m upstairs or in the kitchen. The bell is loud though and I can hear it everywhere. No idea why people ignore it but it’s not a camera thing exclusively.

Motherknowsrest · 05/05/2025 08:57

WhereIsMyLight · 05/05/2025 08:54

When I’ve knocked and not used the ring doorbell, it’s because I’ve not noticed it. I know ring doorbells will record if the motion is activated, my mum had one. When they haven’t answered the door, I’ve then tried the ring doorbell. When they still didn’t answer the door I assumed they were a MNer. I wasn’t selling something, I was letting them know their lights on their car were still on.

Where, you can leave a message if you've rang the bell. It'll record anything once it's been rung. The kids in my street leave a message when a football has gone over the fence so I know to grab it when I get in.

JoyousEagle · 05/05/2025 08:56

Well if they don’t have one, it’s not that surprising that they aren’t totally aware of how they work 🤷🏻‍♀️

Motherknowsrest · 05/05/2025 08:55

My non wired Ring battery lasts at least six weeks. I have a second battery that is fully charged so I can just swap them over.

WhereIsMyLight · 05/05/2025 08:54

When I’ve knocked and not used the ring doorbell, it’s because I’ve not noticed it. I know ring doorbells will record if the motion is activated, my mum had one. When they haven’t answered the door, I’ve then tried the ring doorbell. When they still didn’t answer the door I assumed they were a MNer. I wasn’t selling something, I was letting them know their lights on their car were still on.

VexedofVirginiaWater · 05/05/2025 08:54

My postman usually does both.

Gettoachiro · 05/05/2025 08:53

Home shopping delivery driver here and I always knock rather than press the ring camera (I know it records and has motion sensors etc) or a normal door bell. The amount that don't work of both sorts is frankly ridiculous.

If no answer from a normal knock then I will ring any bell.

MemorableTrenchcoat · 05/05/2025 08:52

flossydog · 05/05/2025 08:46

A lot of people have non-working doorbells, so postal workers etc. will often just knock first rather than press and wait, hoping it's worked.

This. It may even be worse now that smart doorbells are so popular, as the non-wired ones often chew through batteries.

TY78910 · 05/05/2025 08:50

It’s happened a couple of times but I didn’t realise it’s because they think they won’t be on camera!
also sometimes my camera runs out of battery (not hard wired) so they knock instead

Motherknowsrest · 05/05/2025 08:48

Yanbu. I've had a couple of dodgy looking sales / tradesmen knock. I don't think they realise they're still being recorded.

WasherWoman25 · 05/05/2025 08:48

Yes, I’ve even heard some cold callers saying, don’t press the ring, we’ll be on camera.

Beachlovingirl · 05/05/2025 08:48

I don’t have one but my parents do and most people will knock, and then notice the door bell.

my mother in law also has one but she forgets to change the batteries so it doesn’t work half of the time - she’s glad people also knock

Original poster
Sleephelpneeded · 05/05/2025 08:48

Whiskyfromsmallglasses · 05/05/2025 08:46

This happens at my mum's and when she asks why they didn't use the bell the answer she always gets is "I don't want to be on camera" this is from a range of people from delivery men, to the window cleaner to even a district nurse. Some people are just odd about it

Exactly this! I don’t think they realize its got a motion sensor and records even when they don’t press it!

OP posts:
flossydog · 05/05/2025 08:46

A lot of people have non-working doorbells, so postal workers etc. will often just knock first rather than press and wait, hoping it's worked.

Whiskyfromsmallglasses · 05/05/2025 08:46

This happens at my mum's and when she asks why they didn't use the bell the answer she always gets is "I don't want to be on camera" this is from a range of people from delivery men, to the window cleaner to even a district nurse. Some people are just odd about it

CorneliaCupp · 05/05/2025 08:44

Is it not more likely that they just knocked out of habit?

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