Why get a Ring doorbell?

[WhistPie]

Don't get me wrong, we've got one and it's useful but it only records the first 20-30 seconds after it's detected a motion or a bell ring. So why do people suggest getting one to record doorstep interactions? Or have I not got mine set up right?

(Oh, and nobody can hear me talking properly through it if I don't go to the door and use it as a walkie-talkie)

I love mine.
The notifications aren't really a hassle you don't have to look at them all and you can make it less sensitive.

We have a Nest doorbell, similar I presume.
If someone rings the bell, and we are out, we can answer using our phones, which my DH has done. It could be a parcel, but it could be someone else.
We only check the footage if something unusual occurs.
I am not sure if it actually notifies us if someone passes, but it records it.
We checked while away and saw an accident outside our house (middle of the night, when a car driven too fast went into parked cars opposite). We gave the footage to the neighbour concerned for his insurance. His car was a write off.

We have the cameras, not the doorbell. We also still have our car as it alerted us to someone trying to steal it and we were able to shout at them through the speaker and scare them off. The ones at the back are mainly used for hedgehog watching.

I find it useful if I am in the garden and don't hear the bell go for deliveries, my watch pops up with it so I don't need my phone with me

Fit a 2 or 4 camera CCTV system instead much better coverage from a security point of view.

Gif my after the house gif broken into. I feel very secure with it

Got mine after my house was broken into

I find it reassuring to see that DD2 has got home after a night out. We've also had some amusement over the years from watching both DDs trying to get in after nights out. "Won't someone please rescue me" whispered in a desperate voice was one highlight.

Yes, I find it very useful for answering the door when I'm either in the garden or in bed on the 2nd floor! But it had stopped recording when a chugger was very aggressive towards me, so I had no footage to prove it to the charity - I had his face recorded but not the aggression, so it wasn't able to be used for evidence. For that, I think I'd need CCTV

Ours is a cheaper one, not ring brand. It records more than 20 seconds, I've got a downloaded video that's several minutes long. ExH can't try to pick arguments on my doorstep anymore. Well he could, but he doesn't want anyone seeing that! I can talk through mine from my phone, so if I'm out, I've answered the bell ring and asked delivery drivers to please put the item in the bike shed. It's been pretty useful, and it was only about £50.

I have one. I use it to watch the hedgehogs that visit my back garden. Thinking of getting another one at the front of our house to watch the deer that roam our road late at night.

We're out most of the week so helps to keep an eye on the front of the house really and if the bell is pressed and we're out can talk to whoever has rang the bell. Your delivery driver reads notes - great? Can't say some of ours do.
Even if we are in the house, it's the ease of seeing who is at the door without getting up and any night time activity.

You can add ‘safe place’ instructions to your Amazon orders on the website. If Amazon delivers to your “safe place” and the parcel goes missing from there, you have No come-back against Amazon, it’s now your responsibility.

@WhistPie Your first mistake was buying a ring doorbell.

Id suggest getting a Euphy Dual 4k doorbell with home hub and a sensor. I've never missed anyone and the facial recognition is great.

Our ring doorbell alerted us to a trespasser checking out the equipment in our garden (currently having building work done). We have a large front garden, so it only goes off if someone is approaching the house. I never felt the need in our previous house as it was on a busy road with a short driveway. Glad to have one now we are in a more secluded area.

Is Eufy as good as Ring?
Conclusion: Eufy and Ring are both excellent smart home security ecosystems, but they differ in terms of features, pricing, and user experience. Eufy is an excellent option for those on a budget, while Ring offers advanced features and more polished user experience.

That's the fantastic thing about the way things work. If you don't see the need for it, you don't have to buy one. You don't need to understand why someone else might want one .

We have one to screen having to answer the door to chuggers and other unwanted visitors. As soon as the doorbell goes the video comes up in the Alexa device and I can just ignore it. If you don't want your phone alerting you, you don't have to.

To answer the OPs question, you can increase the time it records for in the settings.

Thank you very much!!!

I’ve got the Eufy one, it’s great imho.

It's the same if you leave the instruction verbally.

I agree, there are far better solutions than Ring, although I see the appeal simple and cheap.

Personally I can't see the point if it doesn't record 24/7

If someone was breaking into your house or a neighbour you wouldn't think like this. You can speak through then also. Police often ask if people have video footage if an incident has happened I think they are quite good! Footage is pretty clear too... you just never know!

Can you tell me how you do that? (Make the screen appear on your Alexa). I can do that on mine, but I have to say "Alexa show the front door" and then she thinks about it for a bit and then shows me. If it did it automatically that would be great.

Love ours especially now I work from home. Can see who's at the door and answer accordingly. Great for ignoring the constant stream of people trying to sign me up for Hello Fresh, Salvation Army etc etc.

Totally this. I really don't understand them - just seem like total paranoia.