Comment by jroll
14 years ago
Disclaimer: I work for GM, but do not know much about OnStar, especially internals. My reply is purely speculative.
I can't speak as to what OnStar actually does with this data, but I CAN tell you that GM wants to use it as a platform for the best customer service platform in the business.
Imagine that the "marketing" they do with this data is something like selling it to dealerships ("affiliates"); the marketing call being something like "Hi Mr. Smith, we noticed your fuel pump is going bad. You pass by our Main St. service center daily; would you like to schedule an appointment?"
They could also "sell" that data to GM engineering, to make future (or current, through controls software updates) products better.
You pass by our Main St. service center daily; would you like to schedule an appointment?
you don't think that would freak most people out?
The possibility of extrapolating your future behavior is even creepier: With a probability of 92% you will pass our Main St. service center between 05:23 to 05:28. We will be waiting for you...
Fair enough; how about "your closest certified service center is on Main Street"?
How about just crippling the car in front of the dealership and guaranteeing the sale?
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Well you would rephrase it. You could say, "We conveniently have a service center on Main St." (it knows you leave work at 5) "For your convenience, We're open until 8!"
You can let the customer put 2 and 2 together.
If they want to provide better customer service, stop bugging me. In the past month I have received several emails, at least three letters begging me to subscribe to OnStar and one phone call to my vehicle for the same. If decide I want to subscribe, I will contact them.
I have been pretty happy with my vehicle, but it is stuff like this that makes me wish I was dealing with another company.
That's why you don't give out your e-mail address.
If that was the only rationale than the T&C could call it out specifically, rather than allowing for sale to any third party.
I believe dealerships (or the dealership network) are an entirely different corporate entity.
But still, if you were carving out an exception for this type of thing in the Terms and Conditions, wouldn't you be explicit as possible?
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Onstar should link to wikispeedia and run your cruise control like the Speederaser app.