Thinkwaredashcam Reviews 6

Ordered top of the range dash cam, paid for CPL filter extra £17.99 only to find one included in box. Contacted seller said I could return for full refund. Chased refund today as not received only to get just over £8 (cost me £4 to return). The say as I had discount that's all I'm entitled to despite previously confirming refund amount and plus the fact my invoice Cleary shows £17.99

Thinkware F800 Pro.
Whilst this is on paper a high-quality dashcam ( and is priced accordingly at over £230 ) I'm afraid I don't have positive comments to report on the build quality or indeed subsequent customer support which seems more intent on dismissing claims rather than acknowledging issues and addressing them.
Despite having registered to get 2 years warranty, the unit became inoperable just weeks into its use after detaching itself from the windscreen, the unit remained attached to the cables, however. When I claimed against the warranty, I had to pay to send it away and received an initial note advising that I was out of warranty. Having debunked this, I was then advised that the internal power socket had become loose and that I was to blame. They offered to attempt a soldered repair for £30 but then returned the item as unrepairable. The housing for the socket had become damaged when the unit dropped due to the poor adhesive provided. When I asked why the replacement car charger that I was obliged to buy to test the unit had a thicker diameter plug providing a much more snug fit, no answer was forthcoming. Why was it sold with a thinner cable socket and the housing so flimsy that it resulted in damage? I was however helpfully warned that any review would be monitored and that photos were taken in the event that they might claim from me! Nice approach to customer service! A chunk of cash is down the drain, which is a pity as the functionality of the kit appeared OK at first glance. I am sure cheaper alternatives with better build quality are out there and I will be seeking these out. I won't be buying anything else from Thinkware despite the offer of 20% off their non-sale items as a goodwill gesture.

I had the Thinkware ‘flagship’ U1000 dashcam and radar installed, having read the specifications on their web site… well, all singing/all dancing! (Or so I thought!)…
The install is hardwired into my vehicle, and as an extra security option, I had the radar also installed. The web site says the radar adds further benefits and the whole system is ‘cloud’ based. All seemed good.
After the installation, (and the guys installing it did state they didn’t know how the radar worked), I began to realise something wasn’t working properly. Having asked the installers what I could and referring to the Thinkware website, I ended up contacting Thinkware… one of the reasons I purchased the device is that is records ‘motion detection’ near the vehicle, so for example, someone walks past and ‘keys’ it, there should hopefully be some footage of them, (great security option). The radar was added, as it offered more ‘pre- incident’ impact recording that the standalone device, (another great security option). However, I noticed that things that should be recoded were not… bluntly, if you use the radar, you cannot use the facility for ‘motion detection’. It does not mention that on the website…
Then, the ‘cloud’ facility… what a waste of time! The system either needs to connect to Wi-Fi or a smart device hotspot… obviously, most of the time, I cannot connect to Wi-Fi, but as I have a smart phone, assumed the hotspot facility would be fine… (it is, when is pairs!). I would say out of about 30+ attempts, it has paired not more than 4 times!). The only way to view recorded footage is either through the ‘cloud’ app, (which doesn’t seem to work), or taking the sd card out and plugging it into a computer.
You only get notifications if there is an impact, so ‘motion detect’ won’t let you know, (sort of get that, could end up with loads of notifications, caused by people walking past). From what I can gather, if you get a notification, you can still only view it with a connected device or through the sd card… so, if you are away from the vehicle and you get a notification, you will most likely still have to wait until you get the sd card plugged in to a computer before you can see what has happened! (A simple Bluetooth connection would have been so much easier and simpler). As for the ‘motion detect’, what seems like a great idea again is flawed… if someone causes minor damage to your vehicle, and you don’t notice it, the chances are the recorded evidence will be overwritten within a day or two, (unless you get a massive memory sd card and set everything to the most conservative you can). Basically, you need to visually inspect your vehicle before you drive away in it, just in case… then you really want to remove the sd card and hope you don’t have an accident in the mean time!
For all the claims on the Thinkware website, there are several massive flaws…
. The cloud based app is rubbish.
. The radar conflicts with the system and makes great facilities redundant.
. There is no Bluetooth connectivity option for this device.

I have contacted Thinkware and advised them of the issues, and that I want a refund. I have advised them that it is not just the cost of the device, but the installation and removal costs, (I don’t see that I should be liable for either of these costs, as the device is not a described).
I will update accordingly, depending on what stance Thinkware adopt…

My Thinkware F750 was purchased many years ago and is still going strong today. Recording quality is clear enough to read a number plate at quite a good distance, the lens is wide-angled and good to record the action in front of you. The nighttime recording is perfect with visibility pretty amazing. This camera has various safety features built in to save you from an accident, I guess there's too much to mention in my review.

I decided to purchase a CPL for the front camera lens and placed my order with Thinkware's sales team, an afterthought came to me that I might require another CPL for my rear camera. Too late to change my order!

When my sales receipt came via email I requested if they could add another to my order and bill me for it. Their sales team added a "bulk CPL" (same filter not in retail packaging) for free to my order. Now, that's what I call an excellent service above and beyond the call of duty for customer satisfaction. Many thanks to Thinkware for an excellent product and after-sales service. I certainly recommend their products. Thank you Thinkware.