[s-cars] response to inquiry re. maintenance records

[Bruce Mendel]

Some states have enacted broader privacy laws like CA, but it's still 
doubtful if they apply to service records.

Sometimes if you tell them to remove owner's info via whiteout or 
something, they'll do it. Sometimes if you tell them what service you 
are looking for specifically, they'll give you a yes or a no on the 
phone. And sometimes if you hang up and call back and get a different 
service adviser, they'll do it.

I have said "I called AofA and they told me to call you and that you'd 
give me the service history with owner info whited out" and they do it.

The problem with Audi is that only warranty service history is in the 
national database. Since the timing belt job rarely comes up during 
warranty, you have to find the actual servicing dealer that would have 
done the job and speak to them. If the owner moved, cars was sold, etc 
you may not be able to find it (although carfax sometimes helps).

And if the owner did their own work or went to private shop, there may 
not be anything to find.

Bruce

On 6/25/2012 7:42 PM, John Cunningham wrote:
> Yeah that's a total bald faced lie as far as I have been able to determine. Certainly at the fed level , maybe some states have unique laws but most privacy laws i know about cover:
> - medical records
> - financial records
> - providing customer contact lists to marketing spammers / telemarketers
> - keeping the government from demanding your info without asking
> And not much else.
>
> I agree that's the common answer from dealerships and I am sure from experience asking that it's national policy from AoA and BMWCCA now, but the "because of like, it's the law and stuff" seems total BS - I looked around some time ago trying to validate that claim but haven't found any evidence of a law saying car repair records somehow qualify under right to privacy. Welcome any lawyers on the list to educate us otherwise but I've never been able to find it.
>
> The real reason I'm sure is not pissing off former/current/future customers. There's little to be gained by giving us the records but if it contradicts a sellers claim etc the dealer doesn't want to get in the middle and appear to be narcing him out and risk getting screamed at by some nut job about "violating my privacy!" when he was lying about the car...
>
> That said if you have p secret friends working at dealers who will pull the svc records quietly that seems to work fine...
>
> Sent from iPad
>
> On Jun 26, 2012, at 0:01, Taka Mizutani <t44tqtro at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Steve-
>> I don't know when they started this, but any service information that is
>> connected to a client cannot be disclosed. I've had this same issue with
>> buying used cars, although the dealership allowed me to view the screen at
>> the dealership with the service information displayed, along with the
>> previous owner's name and address (!).
>>
>> Taka
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Jun 24, 2012 at 9:33 PM, Steve Marinello <smarinello at entouch.net>wrote:
>>
>>> So, I was perusing ebay for an A4q for my daughter and found one that
>>> seemed
>>> interesting and queried the dealership as to whether they had knowledge or
>>> records of the service history, particularly the tb service.  A simple,
>>> "No,
>>> sorry" would have been disappointing, but acceptable.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The response: "Privacy laws prevent records being passed on."
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Really.?  Nice looking car, too.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>>
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