Page 11 | Ring doorbell hell!

Biddums · 2020-12-16T16:25:59+00:00

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.

mutantelfoftraal · 17/12/2020 05:41

Somebody here got burgled and the culprit was caught because he went right up to the neighbours ring camera and tried removing it I'd put up with it tbh.

Yeahnahmum · 17/12/2020 05:52

Yabu and paranoid. and OTT😂
"What if they know people who rob houses? They will know when we have all gone out by simply looking at the videos."

Seriously? ...

Just get some sort of a fence or put like blunders next to your door (blinders as the ones the put on horses)
And how many times a day do you hear the bell anyway? You make it sound like they have a brothel in there with people coming (cumming😂) and going every 30 minutes

WidowTwonky · 17/12/2020 05:59

@MorganKitten

Ring cameras only record when motion is detected, Ring stores videos for 60 days before deleting them to make room for new recordings.

Not true. As has been said multiple times it only records if you pay for the cloud storage. It doesn’t record by default

BatshitCrazyWoman · 17/12/2020 06:42

@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.

I'm glad you had a good result from talking to your neighbours OP. I'd feel similarly to you - a lot of PPs have said they don't care, which is fine for them, but you are allowed to be concerned and the ICO guidance is clear.

User43210 · 17/12/2020 07:04

if they want to film kids

😂😂😂 as if they have any interest at all in your kids and deliveries.

Please do be aware that, if they did have it to capture movement and not just the doorbell being rang, and it captured your movements, that would be more annoying for them than for you. It would soon make them turn off motion and only have the doorbell on. Your neighbours don't care enough about what you're doing.

I have the sections set up so we don't include our neighbours house but it does sometimes still ping when they're outside and it's more of a hindrance, not "oooh what they doing".

Also it's not easy to hear what's being said on playback if it's not directly to the camera (sometimes even then) so no privacy concerns there.

Threatening to "have it removed yourself" does not shine you in any decent light at all. I feel bad for your neighbours to have someone with such crazy, extreme views.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 17/12/2020 07:44

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.

But not everyone uses them like that, in fact I would think most people have it set to alert for doorbell only as it's so bloody annoying otherwise! Anyway, in the case of my neighbours if they don't want me knowing when they are leaving house don't slam the door so hard my hall door rattles!

Al1langdownthecleghole · 17/12/2020 08:45

Thank You PerkingFaintly for posting the ICO guidelines.

OP glad it’s sorted.

saffire · 17/12/2020 08:49

They need one of these.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078RM8X8Q/ref=cm swwr cppapi fabcc_KSX2FbXXKDF95

it will angle it away from your door.

Biker47 · 17/12/2020 09:26

Can see why they want a ring camera, living next door to you.

PerkingFaintly · 17/12/2020 09:51

@80sColourfulChristmas is that the actual view from your Ring doorbell?

Because if so, you need to take measures so that you are not breaking the law.

It looks like the camera covers:
a) your path (OK)
b) the public pavement
c) the public road
d) a private property on the other side of the road, including looking straight into their windows.

And you've stated that you are recording.

The ICO's page is quite clear. You need to have signs up saying that you have CCTV and are recording.

You also need to answer any SARs you get from anyone walking or driving along the street, and give them all the footage you have of them or delete all the footage of them if they request.

As for claiming it won't audio record your neighbour... You say your door is near your neighbour's. If your neighbour is having a conversation on their own property (eg at their own front door, which is hardly unusual), and a dog-walker passes on the pavement or the postie comes up your path, or whatever else triggers your Ring, then it will capture audio from your neighbour.

At the very least, you need to make your neighbour aware that you are recording them (if they're not aware) so that they can stop having private conversations on their own doorstep.

Yes, I know all the above restrictions mean most Ring doorbells are currently being used in breach of the law. That's pretty much the point of many of us on this thread!

ScrapThatThen · 17/12/2020 09:54

Well done for cooling down and dealing with it so reasonably OP and good on your neighbours for their response.

theemmadilemma · 17/12/2020 10:15

You can set up Ring so it doesn't cover you. I had similar with a neighbor where we had close front doors. We both however had Ring doorbells so we decided to leave full coverage on protecting both us better.

Seriously, people have better things to do with their lives, and I assure you neither of us bothered watching what the other was up to anymore that we already did out of the window.

theemmadilemma · 17/12/2020 10:15

Didn't read the full thread. lol

PerkingFaintly · 17/12/2020 10:21

You may think of your Ring as only existing in relationship to yourself, and what you would want to do with it.

But from Amazon's point of view, you are just one camera in a network covering the whole area, and they collect data from all of them.

In fact in the US your Ring arrives opted-into an app called Neighbors (I haven't been able to find out if this is true in the UK, but can't see why it wouldn't be unless the ICO has actively stamped on this.)

This article was last updated in October 2020, and tries to do a fair and non-scaremongering assessment of the privacy issues around Ring. It's worth reading all of to make your own judgement.

Ring Neighbors Is the Best and Worst Neighborhood Watch App
www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/ring-neighbors-app-review/

PerkingFaintly · 17/12/2020 10:36

Excerpt from that NY Times article:

Issues on the horizon

Ring’s devices and services share a lot of turf with those from other high-profile companies, so the controversy surrounding Ring’s products deserves to be shared, too. And because smart devices are relatively new, powerful, and evolving quickly, it’s certain that a whole crop of new privacy and security concerns are on the way.

For instance, although Ring currently doesn’t offer facial-recognition technology, there’s been buzz* indicating that it’s in the works, and it’s clearly mentioned in the Ring privacy policy. And Amazon filed a patent noting that this tech could serve “to determine whether the video contains a known criminal (e.g., convicted felon, sex offender, person on a ‘most wanted’ list, etc.) or a suspicious person,” and that the information could go directly to police. Notably, some Nest cameras already offer facial recognition.

Companies routinely rely on their privacy policies and their terms and conditions to bury objectionable or controversial policies. Wirecutter reviewed the privacy policies for Ring and Neighbors and found that they include a number of clauses that do feel dicey: the right to collect contact information, details about your Wi-Fi network, connections to third-party services (which have their own policies), and other personal info. However, those are also standard for most camera and security companies, as well as smart-home companies in general. As Robert Siciliano, privacy expert and CEO of Safr.me, noted, the issue is that most people don’t bother to read such policies from any company and would be shocked if they did.

www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/ring-neighbors-app-review/

Leaked pics from Amazon Ring show potential new surveillance features Amazon wouldn't be the first consumer company to do it, but it would be the biggest. arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/04/ring-cameras-may-someday-scan-license-plates-and-faces-leak-shows/

PerkingFaintly · 17/12/2020 10:41

Ah, OK, Privacy International did a Freedom of Information request in June this year. Many UK police forces do indeed have information-sharing arrangements with Ring.

Obviously police can already acquire CCTV footage from any camera by getting a warrant and demanding the footage from Amazon. The Ring neighbourhood system allows them to circumvent the warrant by creating a low-friction way for to acquire footage from the Ring owner (or "host", as I tend to think of people who have surveillance kit on their property which sends the data back to Amazon or other tech giant. See also: Alexa.)

Ring owners/hosts can of course refuse the police request, should they wish to.

People will have to decide for themselves the extent to which they are comfortable with their neighbours having the system.

One Ring to watch them all
privacyinternational.org/long-read/3971/one-ring-watch-them-all

IMNOTSHOUTING · 17/12/2020 10:45

Is there some backstory here? Why do you think your neighbours are going to watch footage on their ring doorbell of your children leaving the house or your deliveries coming through? Surely they're only going to look if they have reason to do so e.g. a buglary or a package going missing?

If there were that interested in children entering or leaving your house couldn't they just look out of the window anyway?

Rockdown2020 · 17/12/2020 11:13

Really glad it’s all sorted. I imagine anyone rational would see what an invasion of privacy it is. I would be really uncomfortable with it too but not sure I’d be brave enough to politely ask for it to be removed. Well done you!

80sColourfulChristmas · 17/12/2020 11:26

[quote PerkingFaintly]@80sColourfulChristmas is that the actual view from your Ring doorbell?

Because if so, you need to take measures so that you are not breaking the law.

It looks like the camera covers:
a) your path (OK)
b) the public pavement
c) the public road
d) a private property on the other side of the road, including looking straight into their windows.

And you've stated that you are recording.

The ICO's page is quite clear. You need to have signs up saying that you have CCTV and are recording.

You also need to answer any SARs you get from anyone walking or driving along the street, and give them all the footage you have of them or delete all the footage of them if they request.

As for claiming it won't audio record your neighbour... You say your door is near your neighbour's. If your neighbour is having a conversation on their own property (eg at their own front door, which is hardly unusual), and a dog-walker passes on the pavement or the postie comes up your path, or whatever else triggers your Ring, then it will capture audio from your neighbour.

At the very least, you need to make your neighbour aware that you are recording them (if they're not aware) so that they can stop having private conversations on their own doorstep.

Yes, I know all the above restrictions mean most Ring doorbells are currently being used in breach of the law. That's pretty much the point of many of us on this thread![/quote]
You clearly have not read my posts! Only looked at the images

PerkingFaintly · 17/12/2020 11:44

@80sColourfulChristmas, I read your post that was with the images at Wed 16-Dec-20 22:27:16.

I've been dipping in and out of the thread over the last few days and haven't searched for all of your posts.

If you have set up your privacy zones differently you may not need the CCTV warning sign (although other people with Rings will still need to, so I'm happy to have made the point).

However in the post I read, you say this:
"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."

So unless I've drastically misunderstood something, you are audio recording your neighbour's doorstep conversations every time that coincides with someone entering your zone.

Postie dropping a letter through your box and then chatting with your neighbour; you chatting with your neighbour; you coming up your path as your neighbour is saying goodbye to someone...

Sarahrellyboo1987 · 17/12/2020 17:30

Get a fence? Put a trellis up?
There’s lots of things you can do.

But, you can’t make them take it down.

Elle2018 · 17/12/2020 17:31

Not sure if this has been mentioned as I haven’t read the thread but they could put it on your side of their door and use the angle piece that comes with it to angle away from your door and towards theirs

Sarahrellyboo1987 · 17/12/2020 17:31

Actually individuals do not have to have signs up saying they have CCTV.
Otherwise dashcams would be illegal. Dashcams record all sorts including people, people’s homes and gardens etc.

Abracadabra12345 · 17/12/2020 17:36