Ring doorbell hell!

[Biddums]

Hi all,

My neighbors door is right next to mine with only a brick between them. They have just got a ring doorbell (2 days ago) and I hate it!

Not only is the noise bloody annoying but it's covering my door. There is no way they can set it up to not cover both doors, they are just too close.

I don't like the fact whoever comes to my door is now on their bell cam. I also feel uneasy about the fact my kids will be on there, because you know kids leave the house, my house!

I'm pissed off that anything I buy, like a new TV, they will see and be able to have a good nose. Because they can rewatch and bloody pause.

So I need Mumsneters help. How do I go about this? Do I talk to them? How do I word it? How do I tell them that the bell they paid for has got to go? Do I offer to pay for it?

What if they say no? Do I have a leg to stand on here?

Or do I just get a family member with face covered in the night to nick it and smash it? Yes ring do replace nicked bells but not unlimited. I could get it nicked time and again.

AIBU here? Should I just accept that this is the way now? People videoing your door and kids? Idk I just feel they were wrong to get it without asking if I minded.

Funny enough a family member asked me if I wanted one about a year ago and I said no because it would invade my neighbors door.

No @mollypuss1, I'm not that type of person. That's why I made a post to ask others and also vent. If I was that type, I would have just gone round and told them to shift it.

@Beautifulbonnie, I asked in my OP if I should offer. If I had to get it removed then no, I would not be paying at that point. Because I would deny any involvement. Yes they would know but if they were as rude as to bang the door in my face then why would I grace them with manners?
The path is shared, it's owned by both. No not a public path.

Yes I know I came across unhinged on here but it was mainly venting. However yes to protect my kids from being videoed by random people I would get it removed, again a last resort.

I have answered time and again. The doors are too close to block out enough of the view from the camera and it still be of use to them.

@YellowandGreenToBeSeen, yes I was emotional. No not the law but we all know the law already fails our children, so I'm not above breaking it to keep them safe.

Oh and to the pp who have said I could be reported from this post, please remember no crime has been committed yet.

@theantsgomarchin, yes I wanted to live here, it was my choice. However it was 20 years ago, no ring doorbell back then. I did not consent to having my front door recorded by neighbors who did not live there when we moved in.

Anyway I have spoken to my neighbors, yes I was nothing but nice. I did not demand anything but I explained everything and how I'm unhappy with the setup. They showed me the app and yes it covered both doors. I asked if they would remove it or cover the camera and keep the bell for intercom. I offered to pay for it as I know they had only had it a few days. They were nothing but lovely, said they understood where I was coming from and told me they will send it back as it's not working right anyway. They said even though it rings outside, it's not always working inside.

I guess, I explained it a lot better in real life then on here. They did not laugh and tell me to fuck off.

Thank you everyone for the support and letting me vent.

Would you be happy with a neighbour's CCTV covering your property then?
Yes I would.
I would feel safer knowing cameras are a deterrent to criminals and that if anything was to happen like an attempted robbery or something there would be video evidence of the perpetrators.

never in a million years would I opt for a house with front doors that close together
You realise that some people won't have the luxury of that level of choice?
I have never in all my years of being alive seen a house with neighbouring doors as close as the OP describes.
I have a hard time believing more sensibly built houses were not available to move into.
And for the record, I’m in a small rented terrace so that isn’t a snobby comment about buying big perfect homes but an observation of houses.

Extracts from the ICO page that people have linked, answering questions on this thread.

ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/domestic-cctv-systems-guidance-for-people-using-cctv/

"The phrase ‘domestic CCTV system’ refers to the use of any video surveillance equipment mounted or fixed on your home. It can include cameras fitted to doorbells."

"Think about the following questions:
"• Do I really need CCTV?
"• What is the most privacy-friendly way to set up the system?
"• What areas do I want the cameras to capture?
"• Can I position the cameras to avoid intruding on my neighbours’ property or any shared or public spaces ?
"• Do I need to record the images, or is a live feed enough?
"• Has my CCTV system got an audio-recording facility? Audio recording is very privacy-intrusive. So in most cases where householders use CCTV, they should disable audio recording."

"If you are capturing images beyond your property boundary, you should have a clear and justifiable reason for doing so. In particular, you will need to think why you need these images. If asked by an individual or the ICO, you will need to be able to explain your reasons, so you should write them down now. You should also write down why you think capturing the images is more important than invading the privacy of your neighbours and passers-by.

"You will also need to:

"• Let people know you are using CCTV by putting up signs saying that recording is taking place, and why.
"• Ensure you don’t capture more footage than you need to achieve your purpose in using the system.
"• Ensure the security of the footage you capture – in other words, holding it securely and making sure nobody can watch it without good reason.
"• Only keep the footage for as long as you need it – delete it regularly, and when it is no longer needed.
"• Ensure the CCTV system is only operated in ways you intend and can’t be misused for other reasons. Anyone you share your property with, such as family members who could use the equipment, needs to know the importance of not misusing it.

"You also need to make sure you respect the data protection rights of the people whose images you capture. This includes the following things:

"• Responding to subject access requests (SARs), if you receive any. Individuals have a right to access the personal data you hold about them, including identifiable images. They can ask you verbally or in writing. You must respond within one month and give them a copy of the data.
"• Deleting footage of people if they ask you to do so. You should do this within one month. You can refuse to delete it if you specifically need to keep it for a genuine legal dispute – in which case you need to tell them this, and also tell them they can challenge this in court or complain to the ICO."

I have never in all my years of being alive seen a house with neighbouring doors as close as the OP describes.

Don't get out much then. There are thousands of this type of house. I live in one because it's the type of house I can afford in the area I live in, where I can get a job and my children go to school. The whole area is made up of those types of Victorian terraces.

This thread is full of people who have no empathetic skills whatsoever. YOU don't live in a house where the doors are close together? They don't exist. YOU don't mind somebody videoing you all the time? Nobody should.

@ILoveYoga

Well, what about a piece of tape over the door bell and a little sign, please knock?

Wind chimes outside your door that will cause the doorbell to record so they’ll have nothing but hours upon hours upon hours upon hours of recording nothing?

You could open your door quietly, reach over and ring their bell (so you’re not in the frame), then quietly close your door. This way they’ll think it’s malfunctioning, get tired of the noise and get rid of it.

Glad it's sorted nicely, OP.

In fact, I don’t ever recall seeing a house in my life with a neighbouring front door as close as you describe, that sounds quite unusual to me and not the ‘norm’ for any kind of house.

As for this ^^

Never heard of flats, social housing, private sector 'Tyneside flats'? Ok.

Some families btw don't get a whole lot of choice about the distances between front doors. That would have been up to the architects and builders, and the developers, planners and housing authorities who control construction and housing allocations.

All of which evolved prior to Ring Doorbells.

@Hotchocolatewithcream I live in one of these. Hundreds of thousands of this house type are being built up & down the country

@Biddums The doors are too close to block out enough of the view from the camera and it still be of use to them.

This is not true. Please see my images below. You can clearly see where I have drawn a zone in which it is to film ONLY. I have also included an image of the house type I live in.

I think you're being ridiculous! They will almost certainly have drawn a privacy zone excluding your front door if nothing else, than to stop the constant notifications it would pick up from your door, if they hadn't!

@Biddums ALSO! There is an additional option to create specific 'blackout' areas, purposely blocking out neighbours areas from view. I have demonstrated 2 privacy zones, which despite the mere inches between mine & my neighbour's front doors, I can STILL block it from recording ANYTHING (inc sound) from this area. The reason it won't pick up sound from those areas is simply because it ONLY starts recording once a person is detected entering my personalised Recording Zone which I showed in my previous image.

Yup I’d hate this too OP

@Biddums

No *@mollypuss1*, I'm not that type of person. That's why I made a post to ask others and also vent. If I was that type, I would have just gone round and told them to shift it.

@Beautifulbonnie, I asked in my OP if I should offer. If I had to get it removed then no, I would not be paying at that point. Because I would deny any involvement. Yes they would know but if they were as rude as to bang the door in my face then why would I grace them with manners?
The path is shared, it's owned by both. No not a public path.

Yes I know I came across unhinged on here but it was mainly venting. However yes to protect my kids from being videoed by random people I would get it removed, again a last resort.

I have answered time and again. The doors are too close to block out enough of the view from the camera and it still be of use to them.

@YellowandGreenToBeSeen, yes I was emotional. No not the law but we all know the law already fails our children, so I'm not above breaking it to keep them safe.

Oh and to the pp who have said I could be reported from this post, please remember no crime has been committed yet.

@theantsgomarchin, yes I wanted to live here, it was my choice. However it was 20 years ago, no ring doorbell back then. I did not consent to having my front door recorded by neighbors who did not live there when we moved in.

Anyway I have spoken to my neighbors, yes I was nothing but nice. I did not demand anything but I explained everything and how I'm unhappy with the setup. They showed me the app and yes it covered both doors. I asked if they would remove it or cover the camera and keep the bell for intercom. I offered to pay for it as I know they had only had it a few days. They were nothing but lovely, said they understood where I was coming from and told me they will send it back as it's not working right anyway. They said even though it rings outside, it's not always working inside.

I guess, I explained it a lot better in real life then on here. They did not laugh and tell me to fuck off.

Thank you everyone for the support and letting me vent.

It's not supposed to work inside! 🤣🤣🤣 You have to buy an additional 'Chime' plug in device for £29. They don't sound particularly sharp!

@80sColourfulChristmas, thank you for your picture. However our doors are closer then your picture. I have also seen their app now and can confirm it was covering my door.

Just to give a better idea. It's my door frame, 3inch brick, their door frame.

There is no wall between the doors. The brick is our internal wall parting. I understand it can be hard to picture and you think I'm being ridiculous, however I know my own front door. I know how close they are and yes I know that a camera can't be put up without it covering both and the shared path.

Even with your zone input, how does that stop them removing such a zone if they wish? Just because you are honest and not nosey, does mean my neighbors who you don't know are such people.

That all being said, they were lovely to me and are removing it. Due to it not working right and my upset over it.

Trellis?

@Biddums you threatened to destroy their property if you didn’t get your own way. You are that type of person.

@mollypuss1, on a rant, yes I did. And I stand by that, if they want to film kids, they can do it elsewhere. Not right on my doorstep, literally.

However I never said that to them. Because I was not a ranting mess like I was on a my own thread on here.

Anyway it all ended nicely.

That’s good OP

Are they going to relocate it? Seems a bit too good to be true that they'll get rid of it completely.

[quote Biddums]@mollypuss1, on a rant, yes I did. And I stand by that, if they want to film kids, they can do it elsewhere. Not right on my doorstep, literally.

However I never said that to them. Because I was not a ranting mess like I was on a my own thread on here.

Anyway it all ended nicely. [/quote]
I’m not sure what you mean by ‘if they want to film kids’. Do you seriously believe your neighbours installed a ring doorbell so they could film your children leaving the house? Do you believe everyone with a ring doorbell is using it to film kids or is it just your neighbours? Why do you think they would want videos of your children?

I’m glad it ended without you causing any damage but I don’t like the insinuations about your neighbour’s intentions unless there is a backstory you haven’t divulged.

Bit of electrical tape over it should do the trick 😉

Gosh nobody tell OP about the millions of cctv and traffic cameras that literally track her and her children’s movements from the minute they step out the front door.

@RunningFromInsanity

Gosh nobody tell OP about the millions of cctv and traffic cameras that literally track her and her children’s movements from the minute they step out the front door.

They are not watched by people you know and who know you and have an unhealthy interest in your comings and goings (my neighbours, for instance)

I couldn't give a damn about traffic cameras and CCTV in shops etc. They're impersonal. Your next door neighbour being alerted every time you get a visitor or step out of your front door, is not.

[quote Biddums]@80sColourfulChristmas, thank you for your picture. However our doors are closer then your picture. I have also seen their app now and can confirm it was covering my door.

Just to give a better idea. It's my door frame, 3inch brick, their door frame.

There is no wall between the doors. The brick is our internal wall parting. I understand it can be hard to picture and you think I'm being ridiculous, however I know my own front door. I know how close they are and yes I know that a camera can't be put up without it covering both and the shared path.

Even with your zone input, how does that stop them removing such a zone if they wish? Just because you are honest and not nosey, does mean my neighbors who you don't know are such people.

That all being said, they were lovely to me and are removing it. Due to it not working right and my upset over it. [/quote]
I never said it was hard to picture? I said you can get your neighbours to fine tune the zone they film and add a privacy block. Even if I wanted to put a plant pot in the middle of my doorstep, the Ring app would enable me to block it out with a big black rectangle. Or triangle. Or circle if I wished or even a bizarre looking shape. Or even the shape of a penis if I was that way inclined!

I really dont know what you think they would do from clips of your children leaving and entering the house..?

You are not at all unhinged OP. You certainly don't know who could be watching you and your kids coming and going on video and what they are into. Very few people ever truly know their neighbors.

Also people do sh*tty things with those ring videos. Just look at FB. My elderly rottweiler and I got attacked by my neighbors two loose dogs while out on a walk. Apparently another neighbor got it all on her Ring camera, including me falling flat on my ass trying to break them all up with no help from the neighbors. My dog and I were both injured in the fight, and my shit neighbor posted the video because she thought it was funny I fell on my butt. Guess who got taken off my Christmas list this year?😠

I think if they replace it as it's not working and then setup the zones so that they do not film form your side of the line then it's a win win. They get the security they want and you don't get the filming of your kids that you do not want.

If after that sort of solution you still decide to destroy their property then I guess you can pretend its practice for being looked at my the cameras in the local nick as you are processed for criminal damage.

I would suggest letting them setup the zones and leave it at that.

OP I think you’re vastly overestimating and dramatising how the majority of people use their Ring doorbells. They don’t care what you’re doing, if they did you’d know about it before now!