Privacy Policy

Introduction

CarDealership.com (“we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Site”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and what rights and choices you have regarding your data.

By accessing or using CarDealership.com, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please do not use the Site. This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and subject to our Terms of Service.

CarDealership.com is a free car-buying comparison and information platform. We are not a dealership, lender, or financial institution. We do not sell cars, process loan applications, or handle financial transactions directly.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 — Information You Provide Directly

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us when you interact with the Site. This may include:

Contact form submissions: Your name, email address, subject selection, and message content when you use our contact form.

Newsletter subscriptions: Your email address if you subscribe to receive updates, guides, or promotional content from us.

Feedback and correspondence: Any information you include when you email us directly at support@cardealership.com or other email addresses listed on the Site.

We do not collect sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account details, driver’s license numbers, or any financial account credentials through our Site.

1.2 — Information Collected Automatically

When you visit CarDealership.com, certain information is collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies. This may include:

Device and browser information: Your device type, operating system, browser type and version, screen resolution, and language preferences.

Usage data: Pages visited, time spent on each page, links clicked (including affiliate links), referring URL (the page that brought you to our Site), and exit pages.

Network information: Your IP address (anonymized where possible), approximate geographic location (city/region level, not precise), and internet service provider.

Cookie and tracking data: Information collected through cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, and similar technologies as described in our Cookie Policy.

1.3 — Information from Third Parties

We may receive limited information from third-party partners in connection with our affiliate and advertising programs. This is typically aggregated or anonymized data about referral performance (for example, the number of users who clicked an affiliate link and completed an action on a partner platform). We do not receive personally identifiable information about you from our affiliate partners.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To operate and maintain the Site: Ensuring the Site functions properly, loads efficiently, and is secure.

To respond to your inquiries: Replying to contact form submissions, emails, and feedback you send us.

To improve the Site: Analyzing usage patterns to understand which content is most useful, identifying technical issues, and optimizing the user experience.

To send communications: If you subscribe to our newsletter, sending you automotive guides, tips, and updates. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email.

To track affiliate referrals: Understanding which content and links drive traffic to our partner platforms, which enables us to earn revenue and continue providing the Site for free.

To serve and measure advertising: If we display advertisements on the Site, using cookies and similar technologies to deliver relevant ads and measure their effectiveness.

To comply with legal obligations: Responding to lawful requests from law enforcement or regulatory authorities, and complying with applicable laws and regulations.

To protect our rights: Detecting, preventing, and addressing fraud, security issues, or technical problems, and enforcing our Terms of Service.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

3.1 — Service Providers

We may share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as web hosting (e.g., SiteGround, Cloudflare), email delivery (e.g., Mailchimp, ConvertKit), and analytics (e.g., Google Analytics). These providers are contractually obligated to use your information only as necessary to provide services to us and are prohibited from using it for their own purposes.

3.2 — Affiliate and Advertising Partners

When you click an affiliate link on our Site, the destination platform may collect information about your visit through their own cookies and tracking technologies. This data collection is governed by the third party’s privacy policy, not ours. We do not share your name, email address, or other personally identifiable information with affiliate partners.

If we use advertising networks (such as Google Ads or Meta), these networks may collect information through cookies and tracking pixels placed on the Site. See our Cookie Policy for details on how to opt out of personalized advertising.

3.3 — Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to: comply with a legal obligation, court order, or government request; protect and defend our rights or property; prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Site; protect the personal safety of users or the public; or protect against legal liability.

3.4 — Business Transfers

If CarDealership.com is involved in a merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale of assets, or bankruptcy, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via a prominent notice on the Site or by email if your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy as a result of such a transaction.

3.5 — With Your Consent

We may share your information for other purposes with your explicit consent.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect and store information when you visit CarDealership.com. For detailed information about the types of cookies we use, why we use them, and how you can manage your preferences, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

5. Third-Party Links

CarDealership.com contains links to third-party websites, including automotive platforms (CarGurus, TrueCar, Edmunds, AutoTrader, Cars.com, KBB, Carvana, CarMax), lending partners, and other external resources. These links are provided for your convenience and information.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of these third-party websites. When you leave CarDealership.com by clicking an external link, you are subject to that website’s privacy policy and terms. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party website before providing personal information.

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the information we collect. These measures include:

SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers; secure hosting infrastructure with regular security updates and monitoring; access controls limiting who can access user data within our organization; and regular review of our data collection, storage, and processing practices.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially reasonable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. You use the Site and provide information at your own risk.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Contact form data: Retained for up to 24 months after your last communication, then deleted unless there is an ongoing business reason to retain it.

Email subscriber data: Retained until you unsubscribe. Upon unsubscription, your email address is removed from our active mailing list within 30 days. Suppression records may be maintained to honor your opt-out preference.

Analytics data: Google Analytics data is retained for up to 14 months (GA4 default setting). Aggregated analytics reports that do not contain personally identifiable information may be retained indefinitely.

Server logs: Automatically collected server logs (including anonymized IP addresses) are retained for up to 90 days for security and troubleshooting purposes.

8. Children’s Privacy

CarDealership.com is not directed at children under the age of 16 (or 13 in jurisdictions where that is the applicable age threshold). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@cardealership.com and we will take steps to delete such information from our systems promptly.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. Below we outline rights under major privacy frameworks.

9.1 — All Users

Regardless of your location, you have the right to:

Opt out of marketing emails by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link in any email we send you, or by emailing privacy@cardealership.com.

Manage cookies through our cookie consent banner, the “Cookie Settings” link in the footer, or your browser settings. See our Cookie Policy for full details.

Contact us with any questions or concerns about your data by emailing privacy@cardealership.com.

9.2 — California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

Right to Know: You have the right to request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources from which the information was collected, the business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling the information, and the categories of third parties with whom we share the information.

Right to Delete: You have the right to request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.

Right to Correct: You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate personal information we maintain about you.

Right to Opt Out of Sale/Sharing: You have the right to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of your personal information. While we do not sell personal information in the traditional sense, certain uses of cookies for targeted advertising may constitute a “sale” or “sharing” under California law. You can opt out by clicking “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” in the footer, adjusting your cookie preferences, or emailing privacy@cardealership.com.

Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA/CPRA rights. We will not deny you goods or services, charge you different prices, or provide a different quality of service for exercising your rights.

To exercise any of these rights, please email privacy@cardealership.com with the subject line “California Privacy Rights Request.” We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days as required by law.

9.3 — European Economic Area / United Kingdom Residents (GDPR)

If you are located in the EEA or the UK, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR:

Right of Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

Right to Erasure: You have the right to request that we delete your personal data, subject to certain legal exceptions.

Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we limit the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.

Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit it to another controller.

Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for certain purposes, including direct marketing.

Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

Legal bases for processing: We process personal data on the following legal bases: consent (e.g., newsletter subscriptions, non-essential cookies); legitimate interests (e.g., Site analytics, fraud prevention, improving our services); and legal obligation (e.g., responding to lawful government requests).

To exercise any of these rights, please email privacy@cardealership.com with the subject line “GDPR Privacy Rights Request.” We will respond within 30 days as required by law. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

9.4 — Other US State Privacy Laws

Several other US states have enacted comprehensive privacy laws, including Virginia (VCDPA), Colorado (CPA), Connecticut (CTDPA), Utah (UCPA), and others. If you are a resident of one of these states, you may have similar rights to those described above, including rights to access, delete, correct, and opt out of certain data processing. To exercise your rights, please email privacy@cardealership.com with a description of your request and the state in which you reside.

10. International Data Transfers

CarDealership.com is operated from the United States. If you access the Site from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction. By using the Site, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States.

Where required by applicable law (such as the GDPR), we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place for international data transfers, including standard contractual clauses or other approved mechanisms.

11. Do Not Track Signals

Some web browsers transmit “Do Not Track” (DNT) signals to websites. There is currently no universally accepted standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. At this time, CarDealership.com does not respond to DNT signals. You can manage your tracking preferences through the methods described in our Cookie Policy.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the information we collect, or applicable laws. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we may also provide notice through a banner on the Site or an email to subscribers.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Privacy Inquiries: privacy@cardealership.com

General Support: support@cardealership.com

Mailing Address: CarDealership.com, [Your Business Address], United States

For privacy rights requests, please include “Privacy Rights Request” in the subject line and specify the right you wish to exercise and the state or country in which you reside. We will verify your identity and respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

Contact Us →