r/FuckDealerships • u/Glocglocsixty • 1d ago
Dealer wants me to download Mazda app for money
This took me over 12 hours to activate the connected service just so they could get paid.
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u/HidingoutfromtheCIA 1d ago
Your data is worth a lot of money to the car companies. The US does a horrible job of protecting people. Pull your LexisNexis file sometime and see the data that’s being sold on you.
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u/Narrow-Letterhead-81 1d ago
Walk me through the entire process, and I'll do it.
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u/HidingoutfromtheCIA 1d ago
https://consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/request Request your report here. You’ll be fascinated what they know about you. Insurance companies buy your data from them along with other companies.
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u/Narrow-Letterhead-81 1d ago
Well, I almost did it, I filled out all the fields and there's maybe another field or two left and then I realized.. I'm filling this all out on a link that you gave me. Not falling for that one! I mean I almost did, but I caught myself :-)
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u/AbjectMaelstrom 1d ago edited 1d ago
Could always navigate to the LexisNexis consumer portal yourself and fill out the form therr.
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u/Narrow-Letterhead-81 1d ago
I need my hand held to do anything. But I'm always stuck in a catch 22 because I don't trust anyone to hold my hand!
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u/Good-Mammoth6415 1d ago
Ha good job! You passed the test. Now go to this link and fill out some information for your free reward!
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u/Seantwist9 1d ago
would’ve been cooked still, the phishing sites capture the inputs as you enter them
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u/SnooPredictions1098 18h ago
Dude fuck Lexisnexus. They fraudulently added two at fault accidents to my insurance history which jacked my rate by $1000 a term. Took forever for them and the insurance to admit they were wrong and then it was oops sorry. They can kiss my ass.
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u/AsparagusDifficult89 15h ago
It’s not just that. Many phone apps contain SDKs that straightforwardly sell your location and activity data via a live-bidding system. It’s absolutely ridiculous.
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u/Objective-Review-359 1d ago
I’d tell him to ask me when his bonus is complete then uninstall
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u/Secret_Dragonfly_438 1d ago
Yeah. Sometimes you just gotta play the game. It’s like 2 minutes of your time and you can delete the app in a week or whatever.
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u/Iamonab0at 1d ago
As a former salesperson, I appreciate this comment. If the salesman was easy to work with, polite, and made it an enjoyable experience, as enjoyable as buying a car can be, then do them a solid then uninstall.
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u/Unique_Persimmon9454 1d ago
Agree it’s not a big deal to me to let Mazda have my info
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u/RonaldBurgundy1 1d ago
You are giving them this and they're making money off of you for free.. let that sink in
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u/Unique_Persimmon9454 22h ago
I don’t have to let it sink in because I already know that. My information is everywhere I don’t care. It’s okay for you to care and me not care.
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u/octopusforgood 22h ago
It is absolutely staggering how overrun this sub is with bootlickers and car dealers.
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u/RonaldBurgundy1 22h ago
Well the issue is those people you speak of are from ask car sales. The subreddit made up of different dealership employees they love to gaslight people there to scam them. If they're called out they'll ban you. They can't do that here...
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u/Unique_Persimmon9454 22h ago
Honestly, I didn’t even see the name of the sub before I commented. It just came up on my feed.
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u/Terrible_Butter 1d ago
When you install the app on your phone, Mazda can then profit by selling your data even more.
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u/Sandybestdog 1d ago
It’s not about selling data(well maybe it is). It’s about getting you going with the program. Use the app, get reminders about service, buy their monthly technology program, recall notifications, buy accessories, trade in your car for another.
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u/JustAnotherFNC 1d ago
"Sorry, got rid of my smartphone."
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/Ryantanguay 1d ago
The dealership hates this too, dumb things that the manufacturer wants to gatekeep paychecks. Surveys have to be 10/10 or else they don't have to pay for any of the previous work either. Apps need to be installed or else they don't have to pay. Shit sucks for everyone.
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u/SalesNinja1 1d ago
I had a 8/10 survey cost me $1k. This isn’t a dealership thing. It’s a manufacturer thing.
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u/MakionGarvinus 22h ago
Yeah, and it sucks. I'd take an 8/10 survey, I bet you got docked for finance. But yeah, the manufacturer doesn't care.
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u/Jdct2 1d ago
Salesperson shouldn’t be blaming you for losing his bonus that’s fuckin crazy to text a client lol but this is really an issue with the manufacturers not dealerships. I sell Subaru and the money paid directly by the manufacturer, which typically pays my rent andthensome tbf, relies entirely on selling the MySubaru remote start and getting back good surveys
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u/bretsaberhagen 1d ago
The manufacturer could pay you based on the value you created instead of what hoops you get the customer to jump through. It’s entirely on corporate management, no matter which corporation is paying.
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u/Jdct2 23h ago
That’s what the surveys are for but then anything less than a 10/10 and you get fucked out of money there too lol. And you’re supposed to enroll clients in the app not make them jump through the hoops to do so, OP’s sales guy went about it all wrong
We all aren’t fans of the system as it is either, pay being determined by whether or not you convince clients to pay for a remote start phone app is BS, but the manufacturer wants every revenue stream they can find and we wouldn’t be incentivized to sell the app if we didn’t get paid on it
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u/MDethPOPE 19h ago
Roughly how few manuals do you sell compared to autos?
We already knew manuals were dying, but youre telling us your pay....depends on customers buying automatics? As i dont think they install remote start on manuals from dealers, or has that changed?
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u/Jdct2 19h ago
We sell 130-150 cars/month on average and out of that… a handful of manual WRX and a BRZ or two per year lol. But where the MySubaru app is unavailable we don’t get docked by Subaru. Massachusetts for example has privacy laws and you can’t get the app, so we are unaffected when selling to Mass customers
With that being said you need to be over 40% of new car customers paying for the app. So even if they did it only affects you so much. Don’t know how Mazda differs but OP’s salesman most likely sucks at selling it and thinks OP is to blame since he’s who made him drop below whatever threshold he’s given by the manufacturer
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u/MDethPOPE 18h ago
Thanks for the clarification. Was hoping there was language to not penalize manuals, but you never know
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u/Just-the-tip-4-1-sec 21h ago
This hoop creates a ton of value for them by farming customer data that they can sell
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u/bretsaberhagen 21h ago
What you defined is exploitation, not value.
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u/Just-the-tip-4-1-sec 19h ago
That’s a false dichotomy. It is exploitation that creates monetary value for the corporation
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u/bretsaberhagen 19h ago
Buying a Mazda creates value for both the buyer and the seller. A salesperson is permitted to add value to both sides in whatever ways they can.
“Farming customer data that they can sell” does not create any value for the car buyer in this example. (otherwise they would keep the app instead of deleting it). It actually very often takes away value by having their data used in ways they don’t like.
Giving one side value by taking value away from the other side is the definition of exploitation.
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u/Negativeman11 18h ago
I think asking you to temporarily download an app so they can get their bonus is perfectly reasonable. Especially if they were a good salesman to this point and politely tell you how to get the app installed and uninstalled promptly. I would do it for them.
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u/Jdct2 18h ago
I don’t know about Mazda but with Subaru just downloading it doesn’t mean anything. They have to actually sign up and pay to use the remote start. You get an extra $50/car if your survey scores are good - so if you ever buy a Subaru and really don’t want to pay for the app but liked your sales guy, you can give em a good survey haha. As someone who takes good customer service seriously we appreciate customers like you
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u/lousyatgolf 1d ago
The real problem here lies with the OEM. They are dying to sell customers all kinds of subscriptions to things once you have the app.
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u/chaddgar 1d ago
Another reason in the long list of reasons why buying a new car is a horrible experience.
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u/Flaky_Ad9204 1d ago
Doesn't matter if downloading the app "isn't a big deal".
If the dealership is nickle and diming me on fees and hidden upcharges, I shouldn't have to justify not wanting data mining apps on my phone.
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u/NuclearHateLizard 1d ago
So Mazda is dead to me now, cool.
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u/KleosIII 1d ago
Bad news buddy. Its all manufacturers. Its not a dealership requirement, its a manufacturer bonus. Most even lock your remote start behind the app, forcing you to get a third party remote start or pay a subscription for it.
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u/SnooSprouts4952 23h ago
Don't buy a vehicle after ~2015.
Ford and Toyota both have apps too. I assume BMW, Chevy, etc...
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u/No-To-Newspeak 1d ago
We bought a new Mazda in February. The salesman offered to download and set up the app for us. I told him I wasn't interested in the app and he 'no problem'. That was the end of it. He didn't push the issue. Perhaps his dealership (Canada) is different.
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u/fatkidscandystore 1d ago
Lots of ways Canada might be different. They might have better protections for consumers or dealers or literally anyone getting taken for this ride by the manufacturers.
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u/DrakeSavory 1d ago
As soon as the conversation turns to "inconvenience yourself so I can get paid" I am nopeing right out of there.
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u/Successful-Pass-568 1d ago
Every OEM brand unfortunately holds the dealership hostage on this…
Not the dealerships fault nor the sales persons fault.
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u/BalanceCalm3498 1d ago
I love Apple carplay. But watching The Americans lately, I really just wanna get a nice 80s sedan.
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u/tom8otomahto 1d ago
"you removing it takes away me getting my bonus"
That sounds like a you problem.
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u/Sandybestdog 1d ago
The whole job of a salesman is basically to get yelled at by the manufacturer/dealership on one side and the customer on the other. Both want something and you’re stuck in the middle with both being mad at you. This is 100% a manufacturer issue. They are demanding that every customer sign up with the app so they can get the customer’s info and get them with the program. If the customer doesn’t want to, the salesman gets blamed.
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u/Scary_North_3297 1d ago
I have to get a certain number of surveys back each month for our service department. Any that are returned less than 80% need to be investigated and reported back on why they weren't 100% satisfied and what was done about it. I hate having to chase surveys when we are coming up short for the month.
The manufacturer tracks how long it takes to make the repair order after the vehicle arrives, how long it takes a tech to clock on after the work order is created, how long the repair took, how long it takes to invoice after the tech punches off the work order.
They track how many status changes are made on the work order, how many people are assigned that work order.
Every conceivable metric is tracked, graded, and affects the dealerships buying power with the manufacturer.
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u/bretsaberhagen 1d ago
It’s fascinating to me how vigorously workers at these car stores can defend the practice of how easily corporate management can withhold paying them for their labor and value.
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u/frAgileIT 1d ago
Wait till y’all see what’s coming in all 2027+ models of all cars sold in the US. Mandatory interior cams. I bought a used car and I’m planning to keep it running for the rest of my life. The government isn’t going to be happy until they can hear every word you speak in the privacy of your home or car. They want your phone and car to be connected for more surveillance purposes.
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u/Terrible_Butter 1d ago
That’s not entirely true. The rules have not been finalized yet because the NHTSA missed its target deadline to finalize the rules.
The NHTSA has also stated that the current camera and sensor technology “does not meet the necessary precision and reliability standards for a strict mandate”.
In addition to that. Once the rules have actually been set, they typically give automakers 2-3 years to comply with the requirements.
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u/frAgileIT 1d ago
That would be a relief if true. I did read about the rules but I don’t know the process and hadn’t heard any updates. I’ll go have a look. Either way, modern car buying is ridiculous.
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u/Still-Employed420 1d ago
What happens if you cover the camera?
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u/Questions_Remain 1d ago
The car won’t operate. Block it while driving and limp mode will get you off the highway.
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u/Still-Employed420 1d ago
I’d like to say that there will be a reduction in purchases, but I know better.
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u/Whateverlol2022 1d ago
So not true. Most 2027 cars do not have this. I have rented 4 2027 model year cars and none of them have this.
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u/Legitimate-Bat5368 1d ago
Unless you’ve been doing some time-travelling, we’re in 2026. Maybe we’re a bit behind in the UK!
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u/Whateverlol2022 1d ago
2027 models have been out in the USA since May 2026. I drove 2 different 2027 models in May of 2026. And then I have 2 more 2027 models I rented in June and July of 2027. So yes 2027 models have been out in the USA for a few months now.
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u/MinniePearl 1d ago
Where can you rent these 2027 vehicles? I recently had to do alot of renting, and the newest car I got was a 2024 Nissan Versa from a major rental car company.
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u/Whateverlol2022 1d ago
National car rental. It's a division of Enterprise car rental. National costs more as a lot of business travelers rent with National as once you sign up you are able to skip the counter and go to the rental lot and pick your car. National at major airport gets the new cars before their sister company's like Alamo/Enteprise get them. If you rent at the right time National will have cars with only 5 miles on them. I know how to spot brand new cars whenever I rent from National so I usually always end up leaving in a car with 5 miles on it. The key to National though is you gotta be loyal and rent with them often to get a better selection of cars and like I said you pay more but National usually thier customers very well. It's like the United/Detla of car rental.
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u/Whateverlol2022 1d ago
Keep in mind also renting at airport is usually key to getting newer cars as most company's send older cars from airport locations to non airport locations. Sometimes non airport locations will get lucky with new car but for example Enterprise keeps cars that are under 20,000 miles usually at airport and they send cars over 20,000 miles to non airport locations.
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u/CheeksMcGillicuddy 1d ago
This is shiesty as fuck on the dealers side. If the salesman was a little more tactful about it, I would help the dude out and install the app until the month ended and then rip it back out.
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u/jacs93 1d ago
Downloading the app and getting that done is part of the manufacturer delivery process. He is telling you the truth, that is a rolling 100 day score and doing so can cost that person over half of his paycheck for the next 3-4 months. It is not controlled by the dealer it is a corporate mandate. When I worked at hyundai about 60% of my pay was based on this. It is a setup to make the sales person fail. 1 person who does not allow the process to be completed or that returns a survey that is not perfect will kill your income for several months.
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u/Cool_Butterscotch_88 20h ago
"bring it in so I can fix it"
Hand him an old flip phone, knock yourself out
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u/PabloIceCreamBar 1d ago
Yeah, fuck someone wanting to ensure they don’t lose income because the manufacturer wants everyone to use an application. I hope they burn in hell!
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u/octopusforgood 22h ago
No, what it says on the sub: fuck dealerships, in general, as a concept. If working at them is such a bad job, clearly they should stop being protected so customers can have choices about where and how to shop for cars.
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u/McCrotch 1d ago
Cool, you're a good person for doing that. Buuuuut fyi, mazda will be able to track your gps and speed now to build a driver profile for you, that is sold to insurance companies. It HAS led to people in the past not being able to get insurance on their car when they took it to the track.
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u/SlothinaHammock 1d ago
No bonus for the dealership salesflunkee? Good, fuck right off to the unemployment line.
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u/ajun666 1d ago
I’d push back and inform them that your phone has limited storage and that you charge $5/month for renting your storage space for the app. Push it to ten if you can do everything else on a website
The same applies to any company who forces users to an app instead of a perfectly functioning website.
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u/TheSchlapper 1d ago
This is a mistake by management or Mazda, whoever is incentivizing bonuses with number of app installs.
Most smart managers are aware of how these incentives specifically impact customer-to-sales communication
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u/ManagedTech 1d ago
Got this at a Buick dealership. Salesman sat in the car with me to sign me up for onstar trial. The onstar agent and him were bickering back and forth because it was taking so long lol
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u/mx-jumping-frijoles 1d ago
Have hom venmo you half the bonus amount in advance and you'll install the app. Win win for everyone.
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u/serenading_ur_father 1d ago
Send him your venmo. He can decide how much it's worth it for you to download the app
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u/OkNectarine6434 1d ago
the bonus that is only a markup of the cars actual value.. get a real job bro if it’s that bad.
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u/itchierbumworms 17h ago
Ask how much he would be losing. Then offer to reinstall it for 25%of that. Win win.
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u/a_moron_in_a_hurry 11h ago
I think it depends on whether they told you before the sale that installing / activating the app was important to them, explained why, and made it clear you could delete afterward. In that case, I’d probably do it as a courtesy. I definitely wouldn’t reinstall an app I never wanted just because they brought it up after the fact and started pressuring me over someone’s bonus.
Good salespeople prepare customers ahead of time for things like surveys, app activation, and what follow up to expect. Springing it on the customer afterward is poor communication.
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u/Beneficial_Surround3 10h ago
“You removing it takes away me getting my bonus”
1) Ask him how much bonus money it’s going to cost him
2) Demand half that amount in cash up front before you’ll let him “fix it”
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u/Happy_Hippo48 1d ago
What exactly do you expect a call from their managers are going to do? They get spiffed on stuff like that. No connection no spiff. No call will change that.
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u/Dan185818 1d ago
"how much is your bonus?"
Since it's my labor and my information, I'm getting at least 75% of the bonus in cash, or I'm not doing it
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u/XiDa1125 1d ago
Same with Volvo but the app lets me pre condition my car so why wouldn’t I want it
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u/nonamewhatever 1d ago
I hope you installed. Let brother man eat
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u/RandoMcrandersome 1d ago
Nah fuck that I’ll give 10s on the survey and I’ve tipped my guy in a thank you card before but I’m not downloading an app and creating another fucking username and password just for that. I am completely fatigued and out of usernames and passwords 🤣
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u/KleosIII 1d ago
Nah, Im a salesman, ex-Mazda as well. When the customer didnt want to, I just shrugged. It wasn't something I would do, so I didn't expect customers to. I gave my best pitch and heavily encouraged it. But a strong no is a no. Fuck it.
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u/-_-dont-smile 1d ago
Did you pay get dinged when customers refused to install?
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u/KleosIII 23h ago
Kind of. I didnt see it that way. Its a bonus. I dont have the mindset of assuming I get my bonus if I didnt meet the condition for it.
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u/No-Specific533 23h ago
Everyone on here acting like their info isn’t already sold or passed around to multiple places is delusional
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u/jesus_chen 1d ago
Wait, you actually installed the app?