Privacy Policy

Introduction

Apex Lane Auto ("we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at https://apexlaneauto.com or interact with us in person at our dealership.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

• Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address
• Vehicle trade-in and purchase preferences
• Financing application details (income, employment, credit information)
• Driver’s license or government-issued identification
• Communications you send to us via contact forms, email, or phone

Information Collected Automatically

• IP address, browser type, operating system, and device information
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see below)

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to your inquiries and provide customer service
• Process vehicle purchases, trade-ins, and financing applications
• Send you information about vehicles, promotions, and dealership events (with your consent)
• Improve our website, services, and customer experience
• Comply with legal obligations and protect our rights
• Detect and prevent fraud or unauthorized activity

AI-Powered Chat and Tools

Our website features an AI-powered chat assistant and vehicle recommendation tools. When you interact with these features:

• What We Collect: We collect the messages you send through the chat, any contact information you voluntarily provide (name, phone number, email), and your vehicle preferences. We also record your IP address for security and rate limiting purposes.
• How We Use It: Chat data is used to respond to your inquiries, follow up on your requests, improve our AI assistant's accuracy, and provide customer support. If our system detects that you may need additional assistance, a summary of your chat may be shared with a team member so they can follow up with you personally.
• AI Accuracy: Our AI assistant uses automated technology that may produce inaccurate or incomplete responses. AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for purchasing, financing, or legal decisions. Always confirm information with a Apex Lane Auto team member.
• Third-Party AI Services: Our chat assistant is powered by third-party AI services (Anthropic). Your chat messages are processed by these services to generate responses. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and are prohibited from using it for their own purposes. No sensitive personal information (SSN, driver's license, financial account numbers) is requested or should be shared through the chat.
• Data Retention: Chat transcripts are retained for up to 24 months for customer service and quality improvement purposes, after which they are deleted or anonymized. You may request earlier deletion of your chat data by contacting us using the information in the "Contact Us" section below.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and understand where our visitors come from. Cookies are small data files stored on your device.

• Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly (e.g., session management).
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site so we can improve it.
• Marketing Cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and track campaign performance.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with:

• Service Providers: Third parties who assist us with website hosting, analytics, marketing, and payment processing.
• Financial Institutions: Lenders and financing partners when you apply for vehicle financing.
• Legal Compliance: When required by law, regulation, or legal process, or to protect our rights and safety.
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Transaction records related to vehicle purchases are retained as required by California law.

Your California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

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

Categories of Personal Information We Collect (per CPRA)

• Identifiers: Name, email, phone, mailing address, IP address
• Commercial Information: Vehicle preferences, purchase and trade-in history, financing inquiries
• Internet Activity: Pages visited, time on site, referring URLs, browser and device data
• Geolocation Data: General location derived from IP address
• Professional Information: Employment and income data (financing applications only)
• Inferences: Vehicle preferences, purchase intent, and other inferences drawn from AI chat interactions

Your Rights

• Right to Know: You may request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources of that information, our purposes for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
• Right to Delete: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., legal record-keeping requirements for vehicle transactions).
• Right to Correct: You may request correction of inaccurate personal information. Contact us using the information below and we will respond within 45 days.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: We do not sell your personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at [email protected] or call (747) 260-6781. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days as required by law.

Children’s Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Effective Date" at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us: