1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains how Dealers Engine (“Dealers Engine”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, stores, and discloses information when you or your dealership use our platform at dealersengine.com.
By using DMS you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use.
2. Meta / WhatsApp Integration
DMS integrates with the Meta WhatsApp Business Platform (including the WhatsApp Business API and Cloud API) to enable dealerships to communicate with their customers directly from the DMS.
What we access
- WhatsApp messages — we send and receive messages on behalf of authorized businesses using their verified WhatsApp Business Accounts.
- Message metadata — timestamps, delivery/read receipts, message IDs, and phone numbers.
- Contact information — phone numbers and display names provided by your customers when they message your business number.
- Conversation content — the text, media references, and structured data contained in messages exchanged through our platform.
- Webhook payloads — raw event data delivered by Meta’s servers to our endpoints, including status-change notifications and inbound message objects.
How we use this access
We use the WhatsApp integration strictly to provide the DMS communication and CRM features you have enabled:
- Delivering messages you compose in DMS to your customers.
- Displaying inbound messages in the DMS inbox.
- Syncing conversation threads to customer records (CRM).
- Triggering automations you configure (e.g., appointment reminders).
- Storing audit logs to meet regulatory and business requirements.
We do not use your customers’ WhatsApp data to train AI models, serve advertising, or share with third parties for marketing purposes.
Meta data usage
Our use of WhatsApp data is governed by the WhatsApp Business Policy and the Meta Platform Terms. Data received through Meta APIs is only used to provide and improve the features your dealership has authorized.
3. Data We Store
The following categories of data are stored by DMS:
| Category | Examples | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Message metadata | Message IDs, timestamps, delivery status, phone numbers | CRM sync, conversation history, auditing |
| Contact information | Customer phone numbers, WhatsApp display names | CRM records, conversation threading |
| Conversation content | Message text, media references (images, documents), templates used | Support, CRM sync, automation, auditing |
| Webhook payloads | Raw Meta webhook events (message status, received messages) | Event processing, reliability, debugging, auditing |
| System logs | API request logs, error logs, audit trail entries | Security, debugging, regulatory compliance, auditing |
| Account & dealership data | User accounts, roles, dealership configuration, connected phone numbers | Authentication, authorization, multi-tenancy |
4. Why We Store It
We retain data for the following purposes:
- CRM synchronization — keeping conversation history, contact records, and deal notes in sync with your customers’ profiles.
- Customer support — allowing your team to view conversation history and respond effectively.
- Auditing & compliance — maintaining tamper-evident logs of actions taken in the platform, required by many automotive regulations.
- Automation — powering scheduled messages, follow-up workflows, and triggered notifications you configure.
- Security & debugging — identifying and resolving errors, preventing unauthorized access.
5. Data Sharing & Disclosure
We do not sell your data. We may share data only in these limited circumstances:
- Meta / WhatsApp — data transits through Meta infrastructure as required to deliver messages.
- Infrastructure providers — cloud hosting, database, and storage providers operating under confidentiality agreements (e.g., Supabase, Vercel).
- Legal obligations — when required by law, regulation, or valid legal process.
- Business transfers — in the event of a merger or acquisition, with notice to affected dealerships.
6. Data Retention
We retain data for as long as your dealership account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter as required by law or operational necessity. Conversation logs and audit records are retained for a minimum of 12 months. You may request earlier deletion (see Section 7).
7. Your Rights & Deletion Requests
You and your customers have rights over the personal data we hold:
- Access — request a copy of data we hold about you.
- Correction — request correction of inaccurate data.
- Deletion — request deletion of personal data. Note that some data may be retained to comply with legal obligations or legitimate business purposes (e.g., audit logs).
- Portability — request an export of your data in a machine-readable format.
- Objection — object to certain processing activities.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@dealersengine.com. We will respond within 30 days. Dealership administrators can also manage their own data directly within the DMS platform.
End-customer deletion requests: If a consumer wishes to have their WhatsApp conversation data deleted from a specific dealership’s account, they should contact that dealership directly. Dealerships can initiate deletion within DMS, or contact us and we will assist.
8. Security
We implement industry-standard security controls including encryption in transit (TLS), encryption at rest, role-based access controls, and audit logging. Access to data is restricted to personnel who need it to operate the platform.
No system is completely secure. If you discover a potential security vulnerability, please report it to privacy@dealersengine.com.
9. Children's Privacy
DMS is a business-to-business platform intended for use by businesses and their adult employees. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top and notify dealership administrators via email or in-app notification for material changes. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.
11. Contact Us
Questions or concerns about this policy? Reach us at:
Dealers Engine Privacy TeamEmail: privacy@dealersengine.com