VIDEO: Is Installing Cameras in Rental Cars Creepy?

Published
Jeff Somogyi
BY:
Contributing Writer
Additional contributions by Louis Ramirez and Dan Leadbetter.

Car rental company Hertz made some waves recently when they started installing cameras in some of their cars... and by "made some waves", we mean "people really freaked out." The company swears they're not functional, but that the cameras are there in case they want to start using video chat for customer service!

In this brief — yet lively — video, our experts try to decide if we should be creeped out by this or not!


What about you, readers? Are you creeped out by Hertz putting video cameras in their cars? Tell us why or why not in the comments below!

Related DealNews Features:
Jeff Somogyi
Contributing Writer

Jeff Somogyi is constantly trying to come up with ways to surprise and delight audiences the world over. He takes humor seriously ... too seriously. (Honestly, we've never seen him laugh ... it's kinda creepy.)
DealNews may be compensated by companies mentioned in this article. Please note that, although prices sometimes fluctuate or expire unexpectedly, all products and deals mentioned in this feature were available at the lowest total price we could find at the time of publication (unless otherwise specified).

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6 comments
baronial
If all concerned knows our conversation might/will be recorded when they come into my home, the same rights apply to my car. Of course I have the right to record, just as one has the right to refuse to come. I expect all participants to act honorably and honestly or go to someone else's house - I don't want them in my home or vehicle. Let them go to/with like minded people or walk.
March 20, 2015
vmnrao
dealnews-mbonebright is right. Amazon already figured out how to provide video chat customer service without putting the customer on camera. You're telling me Hertz hasn't figured this out yet? Yeah, right. Nice try, Hertz. Hope your sales tank because of this.
March 19, 2015
hazzah1234
This is absolutely insane. And a privacy invasion thinly veiled by "Customer Service" that would technically violate many distracted driving laws. Has anyone else had enough of civil liberties erosion, privacy invasion, and data mining?
March 18, 2015
MrF
Very Orwellian
March 18, 2015
Anthony S Jennings
Okay, Hertz. While you figure out why you want to watch me, I'm just gonna put this opaque cozy over your camera.
March 18, 2015
michael bonebright (DealNews)
For what it's worth, the tech support person can't see you with Mayday, just your screen: http://www.amazon.com/...lay.html?nodeId=201540070

The idea that even Hertz doesn't know why they want these cameras is soooooo creepy to me. Like, some random perv in the company jokingly submitted a request to put cameras in all the cars, and the whole chain of command was like, "seems legit."
March 18, 2015