How do dealerships know I bought?

I've been in the market for a 4runner for months and had made contact with several dealerships. Finally, one landed on a dealer lot and I bought it. Now I'm getting form emails from reps from other dealerships I had contacted implying they are aware of the sale. Curious about how that works...

Do the reps somehow get notified when one of their potential customers buys from a competing dealership?

Just curious.

 

Maybe they are doing a soft credit check and it’s coming up?

 

I think all this privacy protection agreement that we sign is BS. I think they share details. Everytime I buy vehicles or even renew insurance I get emails and mails via post.

 

I have a 4th Gen, I had the dash which had cracking issues replaced under an extended warranty at my local dealer, I started getting texts, emails and regular mail from several other semi local dealers wanting to do maintenance work on my 13 year old T4R, these dealers are like all other business they must sell contact info!!

 

Yep, it's an age of data peddlers and miners. Anything to create a revenue stream.

 

The sales record and info goes into database from the automotive company (Toyota) who then shares the info with other dealerships. Ford and several other companies do this and I would guess Toyota does it as well.

Lenders also know and they can share the info as well.

 

Aliens are tracking your every move. They fund their interstellar projects by selling your information. Time to wrap that 4Runner in foil.

 

Shiny side or dull side out?

 

Any good sales organization will/should change there marketing once someone purchased. Its all Toyota, so even with privacy protection its still only used within Toyota.

Besides, everyone wants the same warranty even if they go to another dealer, so they have a record/access of the sales and service for all Toyota dealerships. Super helpful in providing the best service possible. Any good sales person within an organization should know when there client purchased from them or another location.

 

Shiny side out of course. Have to reflect those signals and rays. Lol

 

No! Shiny side in! It’s the outgoing signal you want to stifle.

 

First thing I’d reacting to is “why the f-ck are they contacting to let you know they know?” I would flip out. How is an email like that productive for the sales team of that dealership??? What is their endgame for an email like that? I have worked at 2 different dealerships (one as a sales rep) and the GSMs I know would not approve of this action, as it would creep out customers and risk “word of mouth” sales.

 

Businesses have become so damn needy. Just about every time I order something on line, within a few days of delivery the company is begging me to post an online review (of a product I've just received and at most barely used) and take an online survey and sending regular marketing emails trying to sell me more stuff. So I hit unsubscribe from their emails and they ask if I'll tell them why.

I recently bought a 2018 4Runner Limited and registered online with Toyota so I will hopefully get a notice on any future recall issues or service bulletins. I was thinking about signing up for their emergency communications service but the one they had for my vehicle is gone. The last thing Toyota asked for when I was signed up was to pick a Toyota dealer in my area. I bought my 4Runner from a guy who had it serviced by the local Toyota dealer through the warranty period, but I will never take it there for service unless it's for a recall issue. I didn't pick a Toyota dealer because I'd prefer they don't know that I exist, but I'm sure they can all identify me as a 4Runner owner from public records even if Toyota doesn't tell them.