Submitted via IRC for FatPhil
Mercedes has sparked a privacy row by admitting it spies on drivers with tracking devices covertly installed in its cars. The secret sensors, fitted to all new and used motors sold by the firm's dealers, pinpoint the vehicle's exact location.
The firm sold more than 170,000 new cars in Britain alone last year. Mercedes will not say how long it has used the sensors. And it insists they are only activated in "extreme circumstances" — when finance customers have defaulted on their payments.
But it admits sharing car owner information and vehicle location details with third-party bailiffs and recovery firms who repossess the cars.
Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/9756250/mercedes-spies-drivers-tracking-devices/
Submitted via IRC for SoyCow3196
British publication The Sun, a sometimes terrible and occasionally entertaining tabloid across the pond, is reporting that concerns are boiling among human rights groups, former government ministers, and some legal experts about Mercedes-Benz using vehicle location data to track down customers who default on their finance program payments.
Source: https://jalopnik.com/brits-are-pissed-about-mercedes-benz-tracking-down-cust-1837449509
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 23 2019, @08:24PM (6 children)
Back in the 80s and 90s, it had luxury/technology prestige, but since then...
At least I can understand the appeal of beemers - they are another expensive-to-operate junk, too, but it offers the enjoyable suspension/handling characters.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 23 2019, @08:38PM (4 children)
"beemers enjoyable suspension/handling characters"
LOL... You've never driven a Porsche.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 23 2019, @08:45PM (3 children)
"LOL"
Porsche makes sports cars (or they used to). Beemers make sedans and wagon, bit more practical. Both are garbage that break down all the time, but you can justify better for porsche because it's a sport car, it's not meant to be honda civic.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Friday August 23 2019, @10:44PM (2 children)
These cars are not meant to be economical, efficient, or practical.
These are status symbol cars to signal the owner had lots of disposable income.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 23 2019, @11:03PM (1 child)
You're disposable income, abubi! YOU"RE DISPOSABLE INCOME!!!
(Score: 1) by anubi on Saturday August 24 2019, @06:11AM
I know.
That has already been demonstrated.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by epitaxial on Saturday August 24 2019, @12:26AM
They depreciate at incredible rates. Let the first sucker take that hit. Some models are pretty trouble free. I bought a 10 year old E class for $9500 and it has tons of options along with 5.5L V8. Sure the AMG models need more maintenance and some S class with the air suspension but they aren't difficult to work on. I love having a car that can do 155 all day on the Autobahn.