App for Dashcam taken off App Store

PanickedTurtle

Hello, I bought a Halfords-branded dashcam (from Halfords online store) just under 18 months ago. It worked reasonably well for a while despite the app being a bit buggy.

I recently went to open the app in order to download some footage to discover I could no longer use said app because it had been removed from the App Store.

I contacted Halfords and they have told me there is nothing they can do because it is not under warranty and have told me to contact the manufacturer. For what it's worth, the manufacturer email and phone number are both dead (bounce from email and non-stop ringing on phone).

Halfords have also said that they're not liable because "the device itself is not faulty" which I will concede but the advertised features are completely inaccessible without the app. I can't modify settings for the dashcam, see journey maps, etc without the app. All I can do is put the SD card into the computer, but that's not useful.

Do I have any recourse here with Halfords? Surely it is expected that a dashcam would last longer than 18 months.

powerful_Rogue

PanickedTurtle said:

Hello, I bought a Halfords-branded dashcam (from Halfords online store) just under 18 months ago. It worked reasonably well for a while despite the app being a bit buggy.

I recently went to open the app in order to download some footage to discover I could no longer use said app because it had been removed from the App Store.

I contacted Halfords and they have told me there is nothing they can do because it is not under warranty and have told me to contact the manufacturer. For what it's worth, the manufacturer email and phone number are both dead (bounce from email and non-stop ringing on phone).

Halfords have also said that they're not liable because "the device itself is not faulty" which I will concede but the advertised features are completely inaccessible without the app. I can't modify settings for the dashcam, see journey maps, etc without the app. All I can do is put the SD card into the computer, but that's not useful.

Do I have any recourse here with Halfords? Surely it is expected that a dashcam would last longer than 18 months.

The issue is the dashcam has lasted longer then 18 months, as it still works. How often do you need to download dashcam footage?

Android or iOS? If Android, you may still be in luck.

What do the T&C's say about the app?

TadleyBaggie

The last dashcam I bought would show up as an external hard drive went connected to my Laptop, I could simply copy the files locally.  

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

It's a tricky one OP.

If goods come with digital content and that digital content does not conform then the goods do not either, however in this instance the digital content didn't come with the goods. 

I assume the dashcam was described as having such features but I think goods need to conform at the point of delivery, if I'm not sure what happens when something changes after delivery meaning the goods no longer do what was said they would. 

born_again

Most dashcams require you to put card in a computer.

Which brand is it?

Halfords are right. As nothing wrong with camera. Still works & you can still get video's off the card. 

PanickedTurtle

It's Halfords branded but manufactured by a third-party.

My problem isn't so much with retrieving the footage, I'm able to do that by connecting the SD card to my laptop. The problem is that I'm no longer able to configure any settings on the device. For example, I want to change it from ignition-switched to always-on which requires changing the connection but also configuring the device settings via the app. So effectively I'm unable to use the advertised features now.

@powerful_Rogue I'm iPhone unfortunately, so not able to sideload the app. Presumably they removed it to avoid paying developer account subscription/keeping the app up to date with store policies.

powerful_Rogue

PanickedTurtle said:

It's Halfords branded but manufactured by a third-party.

My problem isn't so much with retrieving the footage, I'm able to do that by connecting the SD card to my laptop. The problem is that I'm no longer able to configure any settings on the device. For example, I want to change it from ignition-switched to always-on which requires changing the connection but also configuring the device settings via the app. So effectively I'm unable to use the advertised features now.

@powerful_Rogue I'm iPhone unfortunately, so not able to sideload the app. Presumably they removed it to avoid paying developer account subscription/keeping the app up to date with store policies.

That's a shame. I just bought a Cleverspa which went out of business last year. Was able to sideload the app no issue.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

PanickedTurtle said:

It's Halfords branded but manufactured by a third-party.

My problem isn't so much with retrieving the footage, I'm able to do that by connecting the SD card to my laptop. The problem is that I'm no longer able to configure any settings on the device. For example, I want to change it from ignition-switched to always-on which requires changing the connection but also configuring the device settings via the app. So effectively I'm unable to use the advertised features now.

@powerful_Rogue I'm iPhone unfortunately, so not able to sideload the app. Presumably they removed it to avoid paying developer account subscription/keeping the app up to date with store policies.

If it's branded by them it might be worth simply "complaining" rather than mentioning rights.

If you Google "ceo email" and search that site for Halfords there's an email address there that would hopefully get a response from a higher level of customer service. 

RefluentBeans

In the coming few months, Apple will be forced to let users side load apps on to their phones (at least in the European Union, which I would imagine Apple will apply to the whole European Market). You may be able to find somewhere that has the app and be able to side load it. 

Unfortunately this is a common issue with ‘smart’ devices. At least the device isn’t totally bricked - if a device requires an internet connection (or an app) to work/perform vital functions, you have to ask how long will it be supported for. Generally, these sort of devices age like milk and leave consumers holding a less functional device by no fault of themselves. Outside of legalisation change (which I would have no idea how that would work…) there’s not much you can do except appeal to Halfords. 

PanickedTurtle

RefluentBeans said:

In the coming few months, Apple will be forced to let users side load apps on to their phones (at least in the European Union, which I would imagine Apple will apply to the whole European Market). You may be able to find somewhere that has the app and be able to side load it. 

Unfortunately this is a common issue with ‘smart’ devices. At least the device isn’t totally bricked - if a device requires an internet connection (or an app) to work/perform vital functions, you have to ask how long will it be supported for. Generally, these sort of devices age like milk and leave consumers holding a less functional device by no fault of themselves. Outside of legalisation change (which I would have no idea how that would work…) there’s not much you can do except appeal to Halfords. 

I suspect that even when the sideloading is available for iOS, apps will need to be published on alternative stores. I’m not holding my breath on that though.

I’m actually a software engineer which makes this even more frustrating for me. If they chose to open source the app at the end of the product’s life they’d enable people to run and maintain it themselves. Or if they provided documentation for their internal software I could write my own solution. Alas, I’m stuck with a dud device.

timtimtimtim

A bit late to the conversation but!! according to amazon now the LuckyCam app is a generic app that works, tried on an android phone and it seems to