Privacy Policy

Maxim Autos ("we," "us," or "our") is a licensed Illinois used motor vehicle dealer operating the website at maximautos.com. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights as a consumer. We keep it plain and direct with no fine print.

Our physical location is 9101 Terminal Ave, Skokie, IL 60077. You can reach us by phone at (847) 510-8947 or by email at jerryf@maximautos.com.

1. Information We Collect

We only collect information you choose to give us. This may include:

• chevron_right Contact details: name, phone number, email address, and mailing address when you fill out a contact or inquiry form.
• chevron_right Vehicle interest: stock number, VIN, or other vehicle details you reference in an inquiry.
• chevron_right Financial information: income, employment status, Social Security Number, date of birth, and credit information submitted through a credit application for financing purposes. This data is governed by the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and is handled in accordance with Section 6 below.
• chevron_right Driver's license and identity documents: when required for a test drive, vehicle sale, or title transfer under Illinois law.
• chevron_right Text and SMS messages: content of text conversations you initiate with us through the site or by texting our number directly.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information you provide to:

• chevron_right Respond to your questions and inquiries about vehicles
• chevron_right Process financing applications and connect you with lenders
• chevron_right Schedule appointments and test drives
• chevron_right Complete a vehicle sale, including odometer disclosure, title transfer, and plate registration
• chevron_right Follow up with you on a vehicle you expressed interest in
• chevron_right Comply with Illinois state law, IDOT regulations, and federal requirements applicable to licensed motor vehicle dealers

We do not sell your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

3. Who We Share Your Information With

We share your information only when necessary to provide our services:

• chevron_right Formspree: our website contact forms are processed by Formspree, Inc. When you submit a form, your data is transmitted to Formspree and forwarded to us. Formspree's privacy policy is available at formspree.io/legal/privacy-policy.
• chevron_right Financing partners and lenders: if you submit a credit application, your financial information is shared with our lending partners to process your application. These lenders operate under their own privacy notices and are subject to the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), which governs how financial institutions handle your nonpublic personal information.
• chevron_right Illinois Secretary of State: vehicle title transfer and plate registration require submitting buyer information to the State of Illinois as required by the Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/).
• chevron_right Dealer management and listing platforms: we use dealer software (such as DealerCenter) and third party listing platforms (such as CarGurus, Facebook Marketplace) to manage inventory. These platforms may receive limited vehicle and inquiry data as part of normal dealership operations.
• chevron_right Law enforcement and legal process: if required by court order, subpoena, or applicable law, we may disclose information to comply with legal obligations.

4. SMS and Text Message Consent

When you initiate a text conversation with us (via a link on this website or by texting our number directly), you are providing consent to receive SMS responses related to your inquiry. We do not use any automated text messaging platform or mass texting service.

• chevron_right We will only text you in reply to your inquiry or about the specific vehicle you asked about.
• chevron_right We do not send bulk promotional texts or add you to a marketing list.
• chevron_right You can opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message from us. Message and data rates may apply depending on your carrier plan.
• chevron_right Your mobile number and text message content are never sold or shared with third parties for marketing purposes.

5. Data Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. Contact forms are transmitted over HTTPS. Financial data submitted through credit applications is handled by our lending partners through their secure systems, which are subject to federal financial institution data security standards. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach affecting your information, we will notify you as required by applicable Illinois law.

6. Financial Privacy (GLBA Notice)

As a licensed auto dealer that arranges financing, Maxim Autos is subject to the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) with respect to nonpublic personal financial information collected in connection with a credit or financing transaction.

• chevron_right We collect financial information (such as income, employment, Social Security Number, and credit history) only for the purpose of arranging or processing a vehicle financing transaction.
• chevron_right We share this information only with lending institutions that you are applying to through us. We do not sell or share your financial data with any marketing company.
• chevron_right Each lender we work with provides their own GLBA-compliant privacy notice at the time of application. You should review their notice as well.
• chevron_right If you do not wish to proceed with financing, you are not required to submit any financial information to us.

7. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain inquiry and customer records for as long as reasonably necessary for business and legal purposes. Records related to completed vehicle sales, including title documents, odometer disclosures, and bill of sale records, are retained as required by Illinois dealer licensing law and the Illinois Vehicle Code. Financial records related to Retail Installment Sales Contracts (RISCs) are retained as required by applicable federal and state law. You may request deletion of your non-transactional data at any time (see Section 9).

8. Your Rights as an Illinois Consumer

Illinois residents have rights under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act (ICFA), the Illinois Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) (we collect no biometric data), and related state consumer protection laws. These rights include:

• chevron_right The right to know what personal information we hold about you
• chevron_right The right to request correction of inaccurate information
• chevron_right The right to request deletion of your personal data, subject to any legal retention obligations
• chevron_right The right to opt out of any future marketing communications from us

We do not sell your personal information. If our data practices change in a way that would constitute a "sale" under applicable law, we will update this policy and provide opt-out mechanisms before doing so.

9. California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)

Although Maxim Autos is an Illinois business, California residents who interact with our website have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). These include the right to know, the right to delete, the right to correct, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising these rights.

We do not sell personal data to any third party. To exercise any CCPA rights, contact us using the information in Section 11. We will respond to verifiable consumer requests within 45 days.

10. Children's Privacy

This website is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has submitted information to us, contact us immediately and we will delete it.

11. Contact Us for Data Requests

To request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information, contact us directly:

We will respond to verifiable requests within 30 days.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the Effective Date at the top. Continued use of the website after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically.