Car Research, a CRM company, takes an EXTREMELY strong dealer-protective and data-protective stance--essentially, they're first to take a strong public stand that they do NOT share data with anyone and only use the data as a dealer directs. No selling of data! No remarketing to your customers!  No condescension!  ON A DEALER'S SIDE RIGHT OUTTA' THE GATE FOR YEARS NOW AND STILL GOING FORWARD!  WONDERFUL!!!!  Here's their email announcement:

January 18, 2012

You may have recently learned that many automotive vendors and independent third party marketers have built their business model around sharing/selling your customer information. Dealerships across the country have unwittingly allowed access to their customers' most sensitive information, including but not limited to: Name, address, email, VIN, contract rate and term, as well as aftermarket products purchased. These Trojan Horse tactics are a direct assault upon your customer base and ultimately the Blue-sky of your franchise.

Imagine a competitor across town, or a public dealer group that knows virtually everything about your customer. For example, they are aware that your customer is 16 months into a 60 month contract; paying 7% interest, purchasing service and gap products. How difficult would it be to target that customer for new backend products? How grateful will your customer be when those nice people call and save them $1,500 by selling them a warranty that you could have sold? They are aware that your customer's current payment is $325 per month, with only 5 payments remaining. How grateful will your customer be when those same nice people save them $25 per month on a brand new car that you could have sold?

We challenge you to take immediate action and review your existing agreements with any vendor with access to your customer information. Question your relationship with any CRM company, Inventory Management company or Third Party Lead Provider that states they have the authority to aggregate, share or sell your information to an affiliate or third party! You should "red-flag" statements within your agreements that are similar to this actual excerpt from a CRM vendor's current Dealer Agreement:

1. Customer hereby grants to (Vendor XYZ) and its Affiliates a perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable right and license (i) to use, copy, perform, display, distribute and modify the Performance/Transaction Data in any manner or medium, now known or hereafter developed, for (Vendor XYZ) and its Affiliates' business purposes, and (ii) to prepare statistical analyses based on such Performance/Transaction Data ("Statistical Data"), which (Vendor XYZ) and its Affiliates may use to improve their services and may combine with other similar data from other customers and disseminate and otherwise use in aggregate form.

We want you to know that CAR-Research XRM has not, and will not, share, sell or trade your private customer data, short of a government subpoena, or with your consent. CAR-Research XRM guarantees that your data is safe and will only be used (in conjunction with your efforts) to help you sell cars!

In closing, your bottom line, and ultimately Blue-sky, is being impacted everyday that you elect to share your proprietary information with the world. Take action today and contact CAR-Research XRM to discuss our Data Safeguard Guarantee. For 17 years and counting, we are the Gold Standard in the CRM industry.

Patrick Kelly
President and COO
CAR-Research XRM
www.car-research.com