Toyota, or Toyota dealers, sold my information - Finished

[Drheim]

Hey Guys,

I have had Toyota trucks for a long time. Put 275k miles on my last tacoma and my current 4runner has 120k miles and still seems great. I always do the Toyota maintenance at the recommended service mileage at Toyota dealers, etc. just to make sure everything is always 100%. The trucks have always held up great, but I am extremely mad at Toyota.

I always have (2)phone numbers because I am always on-call. I went to a Toyota dealer a few years ago and gave them my business cell phone number. Since then I started getting about 2-3 calls per week about 3rd party extended warranties, and I have been unable to get them to stop. I was also getting junk mail with pictures of my model of 5G 4runner on them, etc. I have tried Call Protect on my iphone, reporting numbers to the FTC, etc., but it has been a problem that I cannot fix. I thought Toyota had sold my info, but could not be 100% because I thought it might have be the state, until I moved recently.

I just moved to a new state did not receive any of the junk mail/calls for months, etc because no one knew my address. After a year, I went into a new Toyota dealer for service and gave them my information and then started getting calls and junk mail a few times a week. That is what I probably get for giving them my information, but this has really been a disaster.

I then noticed Toyota has a privacy hub up for CA where you can keep them from selling your information.
Toyota - Lexus Privacy Hub

To me that is really bad business that they are going to sell your info. I think I am finished with Toyota. Hard to appreciate it unless you are on-call and cannot mute all your lines when needed, etc., but I just ordered a new Ford Bronco and hoping it holds up over the next 5-10 years so I do not have to reconsider leaving Toyota.

 

[HanginInUtah]

I would bet that it could end up the same way, but I'd be curious to know for sure. I have a 2018 Toyota, my wife has a 2020 Ford Edge, and we both get those calls.
You have a very good case for Toyota being the cause, but it's become such a common thing for everyone to get robo-calls that I wonder if it's really just them.
Good luck! I can completely understand your frustration, as I'm in the same situation (phone on all the time for work.)

 

[Ryance39]

For right or for wrong, any dealer/manufacturer you buy from is going to do this. It's common industry practice. Your insurance company is doing it too, so it is your cell phone provider, your TV provider, and your ISP.

Data is incredibly valuable and a huge revenue stream. Part of the world we live in. Hope you enjoy the Bronco.

 

[spartacus]

When you get a loan for a house or a car. The bank or lender in the fine print forces you to sign two significant things in all the legal mumbo jumbo. They explain that they will take necessary steps to safeguard your information but if it is leaked or hacked then they are not liable. Also that your information will be used by them and shared with their affliates and also third parties. There really is no way around it.

 

[smeerun]

For right or for wrong, any dealer/manufacturer you buy from is going to do this. It's common industry practice. Your insurance company is doing it too, so it is your cell phone provider, your TV provider, and your ISP.

Data is incredibly valuable and a huge revenue stream. Part of the world we live in. Hope you enjoy the Bronco.

^^ This.

It's best to assume that your phone, address, email addresses, family member info, etc... are all out there getting sold somewhere. If you've used a credit card or debit card at a gas station, that's out there OR could be with a data breach.

And it's not that our info is out there because we did anything wrong or trusted the wrong people, it's out there because we willingly gave it in the first place, whether thats to someone/company who said they'd keep it safe or not.

All of that to say, I definitely wouldn't assume that any other dealer isn't doing this. And... forget the dealer, how about the information your phone gives your car over bluetooth or your GPS info? Car companies have that info, and I believe there was a thread talking about how to Opt Out of it for our 4Runner's.

 

[Bmnorm2]

If that is your only complaint, then I'd stick with Toyota. As others have said any brand, or anything else where you give out your information is going to sell it. At least you aren't dealing with your car not starting or otherwise.

Sorry, but this is really a world's smallest violin scenario and I don't get the whining.

 

[srsrogerissrs]

Welcome to 2021.

 

[02SE]

They'll all do it. That's why I give out a secondary phone number to non-critical entities. They can leave a message, and I'll likely never listen to it. Problem solved.

As a for the Bronco... Good luck. I had the chance to drive one that was loaded with all the bells and whistles, 35" tires, 2.7 TT engine, etc, etc. It felt cheap in comparison to the 4Runner, but definitely wasn't, pushing 70k MSRP.

Maybe they'll improve the materials and build quality in time, or not.

 

[thennen]

Agree with others - our privacy isn’t what it should be anymore, and we need to push back wherever we can. Every place you share personal info is a place where it can be spread around. I too understand the on-call dilemma. Maybe you shouldn’t provide that number to anyone anymore, in light of the associated risks. I get the warranty calls and mail too, and the calls are on my personal phone. I just let those go to voicemail. Junk mail doesn’t bother me.

Plus, it irritated you the first time, then you gave out the exact same phone number after you moved. I don’t get that.

 

[2021nightshade4x4]

Cutting your nose off to spite your face.


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[Drheim]

I am positive that it was not the insurance company because I forgot to update them until just the other day. I did not have a car loan or anything else I can think of because I had not changed my license plate over, etc. I also agree that the junk mail does not matter that much, but the calls do and the timing had to at least been with the dealer. I received another 3rd party warranty call today ,since I started this thread this morning. I definitely agree it was stupid to give them information again, but I was kind of wondering if it was possibly something else.

I do feel the Broncos are more likely to have issues and if Toyota had brought back the convertible version of the FJ40 land cruisers, etc., it would be almost impossible to turn down, but I am going to give Ford a try, for the first time in my life, and see if their trucks are becoming more reliable. Just really mad that Toyota sells my information when I give them tons of business over the years, but I am sure some other companies probably do it as well.

 

[Flighht2k]

I am positive that it was not the insurance company because I forgot to update them until just the other day. I did not have a car loan or anything else I can think of because I had not changed my license plate over, etc. I also agree that the junk mail does not matter that much, but the calls do and the timing had to at least been with the dealer. I received another 3rd party warranty call today ,since I started this thread this morning. I definitely agree it was stupid to give them information again, but I was kind of wondering if it was possibly something else.

I do feel the Broncos are more likely to have issues and if Toyota had brought back the convertible version of the FJ40 land cruisers, etc., it would be almost impossible to turn down, but I am going to give Ford a try, for the first time in my life, and see if their trucks are becoming more reliable. Just really mad that Toyota sells my information when I give them tons of business over the years, but I am sure some other companies probably do it as well.

What makes you think ford won’t do the same thing?

 

[patkelly4370]

I get those calls too. Thing is, they're all from where I used to live (another State).
We still have our same cellphone numbers with the old area code. The calls are from the old area code.
They're phishing the fine book.

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[Drheim]

I know they are not simply phishing the phonebook, because the junk mail that started showing up at the same time had pictures of a 2013 4runner on them. Ford might do the same thing, but I bet they do not. There are obviously exceptions, but I still think most companies realize that when someone comes in and spends a lot of money they should not take the customer info and sell it. Maybe I am just too old school, or maybe it is because I am always on-call, but I am just mad that Toyota or the Toyota dealers are doing this.

 

[Charlievee]

Fun fact. I get emails from Toyota recall groups about my wifes Yaris. She bought it long before we got hitched and my name is not on any of it's paperwork. Picked up th 18 TuRD and get all kinds of spam calls, including spam about her yaris.

 

[Pedro367]

Honestly I don't even answer my phone anymore unless I know who it is. If they want me they can leave a VM. Our data has been sold, turned over, whatever you want to call it so many times to count anymore. I still get letters, and I'm sure some of the calls I let go to voicemail, from Kia asking for my Optima that I haven't owned since 2016. Voicemails telling me they'll help me with my college loans that I already paid off. That's only a few examples. Everything is sold. It's just the times we live in. There is zero privacy unless you truly disconnect, but good luck doing that.

Good luck with your Bronco when you finally get it in 2023. Hope they are as good as Ford has hyped them to be.