Why Do Auto Warranty Telemarketers Call?
Wilsonville Toyota management gets many questions like these:
- Why do auto warranty telemarketers call?
- How did they get my information?
- You sold my personal data to telemarketers.
Why do auto warranty telemarketers call?
Many of our customers have received calls from aggressive warranty telemarketers saying they are “acting on behalf of Wilsonville Toyota.” These calls come in months or years after a purchase here and can be confusing. You might be asking yourself, “Are they a good deal?” or “Why are they calling and how did they get my information?”
As stated in our privacy policies, we don’t sell or give your information to any 3rd parties other than those disclosed to you at the time of purchase. Those companies would include places like the manufacturer, the DMV, the company financing your purchase, and your insurance company. Each of those companies/agencies has their own privacy policy that states when and to whom they will share your information.
Rest assured that these companies are not calling on our behalf or at our direction. We do not profit from trading your non-public information. We will continue to protect your privacy as promised. And we would certainly not encourage you to do business with one of these unreliable service plan companies. (See links below about avoiding warranty scams.)
How did they get my information?
You may not be aware, however, that your state DMV does make information about your vehicle purchase available for sale to 3rd parties. For instance, the largest aggregators of vehicle purchase data have agreements in place with most DMVs around the country, including Oregon. These companies bundle that data into reports which can then be purchased by businesses. The data includes specific information about the vehicle, purchase information, and registration location for the vehicle.
Aggregators like this don’t necessarily sell your complete personal information. Excluding your name, there is a lot of other information included in your registration though. Third-party warranty companies combine the vehicle and address information with other publicly available mailing lists to discover names and phone numbers of people whose cars may be reaching the end of their factory warranty periods.
Most experts agree that, to protect your vehicle and your peace of mind, factory warranties are your best bet. They tend to offer more complete protection, at more locations, and with less money out-of-pocket than even many “good” 3rd party warranty companies.
Below are research resources you can use to determine if making a vehicle warranty purchase is right for you. We have always honored – and will continue to honor – our commitment to stand behind our privacy policies and not make your information available to anyone beyond those disclosed organizations.