Toyota dealers should be wary of Callsource agreement

Toyota dealers should be wary of Callsource agreement

Central Atlantic Toyota dealers have received an agreement from Toyota Motor Sales that, if the dealer signs it, would allow Toyota access to tapes of all phone calls between dealership staff and customers. Toyota would provide dealers with the taping system from Callsource Automotive on the condition that dealers provide the access.

The agreement creates several potential problems, according to law firm Charapp & Weiss, a WANADA Kindred-line member. Although the agreement says it is a way of tracking Scion customer leads, there is nothing in the agreement that limits Toyotas access to only Scion customer calls, says C&W. Whats more, taping has many ramifications under state and federal law. Considering all the recent publicity about National Security Agency surveillance of phone calls, many customers may be unhappy with the idea of having their conversations taped and shared with the manufacturer.

Sending customer information to the manufacturer must be done strictly in accordance with the dealers privacy policy. And, says C&W, taped conversations would be a treasure trove for anyone who wishes to have access to those tapes, such as a plaintiffs attorney.

Last, the agreement would indemnify Toyota against everything, even though the information sharing is for the benefit of Toyota, according to C&W.

The bottom line: Dealers are strongly urged to consult with legal counsel before signing the agreement.