VIVOTEK’s IP Surveillance Cameras Resolve Parking Garage Disputes For Dot Baires Shopping Mall

The IP7151 can provide extremely sharp freeze-frames, even when objects in frame are moving

Dot Baires Shopping, an ultra-modern shopping mall in Buenos Aires, is the city's largest such complex and a major landmark, attracting both local shoppers and foreign tourists through its futuristic architecture and sumptuous shopping environment.

Attracting customers...and trouble

Located as it is by Avenida General Paz, one of Buenos Aires' busiest roadways, Dot Baires Shopping naturally sees many shoppers who arrive by car. Though the parking garage proved an important asset for attracting customers, it presented some vexing problems as well. When leaving, numerous shoppers would report that they had lost their tickets from the automated ticketing system, and then refuse to pay the all-day fee. Some customers claimed that their cars had been damaged while parked, demanding compensation.

As Adrian Iervasi, General Manager at Selnet, a major electronics distributor specializing in surveillance and networking solutions for businesses, explains: "Dot Baires Shopping just wanted to focus on delivering the best shopping experience, and not on dealing with these no-win disputes. They give in to everyone with a complaint about a lost ticket or damaged car, and they not only take a loss, but it also just encourages dishonesty. But if they stick to the letter of the law and refuse to waive the parking fee or pay damages, then they lose customers. They were really stuck."

Clear advantage

VIVOTEK's advanced IP7151 surveillance cameras proved to be a solution to these troubles. Clearly, the mall needed an extensive surveillance system in its parking garage, but not one based on typical security cameras used for less demanding applications such as countering theft and vandalism. "They really needed cameras that could clearly capture license plate numbers and details of a vehicle's exterior, so that there would be no room for doubt," relates Iervasi. This need led Selnet to recommend VIVOTEK's IP7151. With its progressive-scan CCD, the IP7151 can provide extremely sharp freeze-frames, even when objects in frame are moving. "That ability was a clear-cut advantage of the IP7151 over the usual interlaced-scan cameras," says Iervasi.

Everybody wins

The result of installing 22 of the IP7151 cameras at key spots on the parking levels has been an unalloyed success for Dot Baires Shopping according to Iervasi. Persons who might have been tempted to deceive the mall by falsely reporting lost tickets or vehicle damage have been dissuaded, realising that with high-quality surveillance footage and images from the IP7151 available, the effort would be futile. On the other hand, honest customers who genuinely lost tickets or believed their cars were damaged while parked can rest assured that they won't overpay parking fees or get embroiled in irresolvable disputes about the source of damage. "It's a big win for everybody," concludes Iervasi.