Install A GPS Tracking Device On A Client’s Vehicle
In California is it legal to pay someone to secretly install a GPS tracking device on a client’s vehicle & deny it?
I live in California and last week I paid for a used car from a mid-sized used car lot. Eairler this evening they requested I bring the car in for them to take a few photos requested of them by the finance company.
We didn’t make it there until after the sun had set, and offered to bring the car back tomorrow when it was light out. They said that wasn’t necessary and requested the keys to move car to lower level of lot to “photograph” under the shop lights.
While waiting for our car and walking around the uppper sales lot to pass the time, my fiance was able to see our car below and noticed mechanic working under the dash for a solid 10-15 min (no one was taking photos). When we asked about the mechanic we were told he was taking pics, and when we asked if they were installing a GPS in our vehicle, we were told “absolutly not”,.
Knowing that finance companies have been known to install tracking devices in vehicles sold to individuals with crumby credit (for repo purposes) I demanded a straight answer from the salesmen in regards to our car.
After alot of talking in circles we finally pulled a mostly TRUTHFULL answer out of the GM. And “Yes,-Indeed” a GPS tracking device had been installed in our car. Is this legal? From the info I can find online it appears that it is legal, but laws change from state to state.
And if it is legal to secretly track our every move (because we are considered a “risk” with our very less then perfect credit), and then to not disclose this info to us upon our request? Sounds Like a violation of personal privacy rights to me.
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