Last month, Volkswagen garnered plenty of bad publicity when it emerged that the company's connected car service refused to help track a stolen car—with a 2-year-old child still on board—until someone paid to reactivate the service. Now, the automaker says it's very sorry this happened, and it's making its connected vehicle emergency service free to most model-year 2020-2023 Volkswagens.
[...]
Most MY2020 or newer VWs are able to use connected services, apart from MY2020 Passats.
Some additional story details for the click-averse:
As Lake County deputies desperately tried to find a stolen Volkswagen with a toddler still inside, they reached out to Car-Net, a service that lets VW owners track their vehicles.
But the Car-Net trial period had ended, and a representative wanted $150 to restart the service and locate the SUV.
The detective pleaded, explaining the "extremely exigent circumstance," but the representative didn't budge, saying it was company policy, sheriff's office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said Friday.
"The detective had to work out getting a credit card number and then call the representative back to pay the $150 and at that time the representative provided the GPS location of the vehicle," Covelli said.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Mykl on Monday March 13 2023, @10:13PM (7 children)
To me, the problem here was not that Volkswagen were a bunch of assholes trying to squeeze an extra dollar from a crisis. Rather, the problem was that the low-level peon did not have permission to think for themselves under any circumstances and make a call on something like this.
This is the sort of outcome that a company gets when they lock down their front-line staff and prevent them from having any decision making capability. My guess is that if the staff member involved had any discretion whatsoever then they would've provided the service to the cop.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday March 14 2023, @01:35AM
>the low-level peon did not have permission to think for themselves
Peons of all levels don't want to think for themselves.
Just ask Stanley
.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 14 2023, @03:18AM
a) tracking info is still collected but they're no longer giving you access to the tracking info.
or
b) there's actually no tracking info being collected - they actually need to reactivate it for the tracking info to resume collection.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by darkfeline on Tuesday March 14 2023, @03:39AM (1 child)
Did they not have permission to think for themselves, or were they unable to think for themselves?
Hint: you don't need permission to think
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by sjames on Tuesday March 14 2023, @07:01PM
You don't need permission to think, but often you don't have permission to act on those thoughts when they relate to the workplace. This increases stress and drives morale down, of course.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by sjames on Tuesday March 14 2023, @07:01AM
It's even worse in many companies. Not only do the call center people have no discretion, they are specifically isolated from anyone who does. As a customer, you actually cannot get in communication with anyone who has any actual discretion through channels. Your best bet is to hack their PBX or embarrass them on social media.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by PiMuNu on Tuesday March 14 2023, @10:32AM (1 child)
> did not have permission to think for themselves
If the child had been seriously injured, I think the peon would have, and should have, suffered a significant fraction of the blame. Appeals to authority are no defence against inhuman acts.
[Trying not to Godwin this one]
(Score: 3, Informative) by sjames on Tuesday March 14 2023, @07:05PM
Tell that to people who can only shrug when their kids ask "what's for dinner?" because they made the 'mistake' of thinking while employed.
If you want to see more thinking in the workplace, support stronger laws protecting employees and/or a stronger social safety net.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Mojibake Tengu on Monday March 13 2023, @10:13PM
Perhaps the toddler should carry a gun to defend itself and the car. I've heard American toddlers using guns before.
Respect Authorities. Know your social status. Woke responsibly.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by ChrisMaple on Monday March 13 2023, @11:45PM (4 children)
You will be charged with being an accessory to a kidnapping. You will spend the rest of your life in prison. Now: Where is the car?
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 14 2023, @03:25AM
Nice try Mr. Cop, but since I'm in a call center in India and using a "stage name", your threats really don't mean very much.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 14 2023, @02:04PM (2 children)
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 14 2023, @09:47PM (1 child)
Have you not watched Seinfeld? The good Samaritan-law (actually in reality it'd be the Duty to Rescue-law).
In this case the phone person was not putting themselves in danger and it was an infant that needed to be rescued. Also an officer told them to do it. I'd say pretty much a match for duty to rescue-law to be in effect. Though it doesn't make you exactly an accessory.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 15 2023, @01:31AM
Seems more like Good Samaritan laws are for protecting those who take action, not compelling them to take action:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Samaritan_law [wikipedia.org]
https://recreation-law.com/2014/05/28/good-samaritan-laws-by-state/ [recreation-law.com]
Also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duty_to_rescue#Common_law_system [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 1) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday March 15 2023, @12:16AM
The parents should have bought their late model infant with built-in GPS, along with a full suite of diagnostic software. Here they are, trying to blame Volkswagen for their own negligence!