Dealership Privacy Issue

Update:

Sales Director contacted me and said he investigated the issue...The sales person who leaked my info has received disciplinary action...he asked to setup a meeting with me to discuss how he intends to make this right...glad to see they are stepping up to the plate and taking responsibility for this...Ill let you all know the outcome of the meeting...

 

Yes Bill I understand that, I was pointing out a previous statement and how it was incorrectly being quoted.

 

Wow! Good Luck!

 

subbed to see whats going to end up from this meeting!

GL OP

 

they are definitely going to try and offer you free service of some sort. if they ask you to sign any paperwork, then you know for sure they violated the privacy laws of some sort. i would not sign anything and speak to a lawyer ASAP because i promise you that they have already spoken to theirs. they are just trying to save their a$$ from a lawsuit. i worked in the parts department at a toyota dealership that changed owners 3 times in 2 years. ive seen my fair share of shady people in the car business. they will do anything to take advantage of anyone, even their own co-workers.

 

Subed for outcome

 

Sub'd...

 

Thanks for the update. I am curious as well. I am willing to bet perhaps free detail as mentioned, or discount on services or parts. Perhaps even free oil changes. Let us know.

At, my bad. I didn't catch that part. I need to slow down on my reading. Hahaha.

 

sub'd, this has got interesting

 

Thanks for the info...Ill see what he has to say/offer and go from there...

 

talked with some co-workers and one who used to work in the service department at a dealership....contact a lawyer, see what they have to say.

 

Saturday afternoon

 

They'll pre-order a PS4 or Xbox one for him at no cost and no games though. And in writing that he won't sue them for releasing his information without consent.

 

I am somewhat surprised after reading all the responses in this thread that not one person cared to mention something vital. All used cars have a title. That title has the full name and physical address of ALL previous owners. While I would love to be able to look at my current car title to verify whether or not a phone number is also documented there too, I can't because my local DMV lost my title after I surrendered it for registration of a vehicle with a lienholder per TN law. (In TN, if a bank owns the note on a car being financed, the title goes from the new owner to the DMV to the lienholding bank. Once the note is paid off the title is returned to the vehicle owner)

But my point is, the new owner would be holding the vehicle title walking out the door. The salesman could just point to your name on the title to show the previous owner's info. The only thing is if your phone number was provided directly from the salesman and not on the title.

Hope all that makes sense. But there is serious practicality to the situation no one has addressed.

If your phone number was given to the new owner AND not documented on the title, then there is an issue of privacy. But your name and address are plastered on the title. That document is now the property of the new owner OR the lienholder (bank, etc.)

 

John, thanks for your input. Im not exactly sure how it works here in FL, but Ive never received a title on the spot when buying a used vehicle...then again, Ive always financed...The sales director confirmed that it was indeed a salesman who gave the info to the new owner and acknowledged this wasnt normal practice...

 

It makes sense that for dealership financing that the title would not exchange hands to the new owner.

I had bank financing settled before getting my truck, since I did not use the dealership financing. In essence, I was courier of the title. There were 2 previous owners to my truck with their information.

In your case, it does appear the salesman was 100% at fault and the dealership is to be held accountable.

 

not all states have previous owner info on them.

 

That is a huge Privacy Policy Violation.....

FWIW, when I worked for Honda of America we weren't even allowed to leave an RO on our desks with the info exposed, everything had to be turned over and or filed away.

I hate to say this but a dealer or someone there needs to be made an example with.

 

I believe Florida does e-titles, unless selling it out of state or requesting one. I requested one that I bought used and it only showed my info on it. We recently sold another one that was titled/registered in Florida and had to request a paper title for the dealership out here and it only had our info on it.

 

In most states, a dealer that takes a vehicle in on trade will have to transfer the tile into the dealers name. I believe Kansas is an exception to that rule. Still, the new owner of the used car at a dealership should never see the personal info from the owner that the dealer bought the car from. The new owner bought the car from the dealership. The dealership becomes the previous owner once the car is gone from the lot.
It might be worth a google on Florida title laws. Or not. I'm just bored at work.