Lexus To Start Spamming Car Buyers In Their Cars

techmuse writes "Lexus has announced plans to send targeted messages to buyers of its cars based on the buyer's zip code and vehicle type. Unlike regular spam, these messages will be delivered directly to the buyer's vehicle, and will play to the vehicle's occupants as audio. Lexus has promised to make the messages relevant to the car buyers." Imagine the fun that some targeted malware could do — not that such a thing could happen to a Lexus.

Comments

Amazing

[DoofusOfDeath]

I'm stunned that Lexus just made me appreciate my crappy Neon.

Re:Amazing

[Kjuib]

If the lexus buyers are compensating for something... what sort of spam do you think would be relevant?

Re:Amazing

[iminplaya]

Hair transplants?

Re:Amazing

[plover]

As for sports cars... you are of course, absolutely right.

Reminds me of a riddle:

Q: What's the difference between a Porsche and a porcupine?
A: With a porcupine, the prick is on the outside.

Thanks, I'll be here all the week. Tip your servers, they work hard.

Re:Amazing

[drinkypoo]

You know...I"ve just never understood this 'critisizm' people try to heap onto people that buy nice luxury or high end sports cars.

Speaking of someone with a great deal of automotive experience, all I can say is that people who buy a Lexus are big dumbfucks anyway. A Lexus is a COMPLETE PIECE OF SHIT. We had a Lexus come in to the shop with a bad ball joint, turns out you have to replace the whole upper A-arm. And Toyotas handle like dogshit compared to Hondas (Acuras) or Nissans (Infinitis) anyway. But the simple truth is that any Lexus, Acura, or Infiniti is just a Toyota, Honda, or Nissan (respectively) with different styling and more asphalt. They are a little quieter and have a little smoother ride, but that is strictly because they have more mass in between you and the road, which costs you fuel.

The problem is compounded by the difficulty of actually finding a car worth buying today. Mercedes vehicles have gone right in the toilet in the last few years; they join BMW, which has been there for some time. It's gotten to the point where a VW can actually be more reliable than either one - provided it was made at the plant in Wolfsberg, and not Mexico.

If you want a quality luxury car, buy a W126-bodied Mercedes and put a modern stereo system in it. The only other thing it's missing will be cupholders. You can get some nice one that will match the interior if you look around the 'net a bit.

Stupid

[eln]

They claim it won't be used to bombard customers with ads...yah right. If the capability exists, it will eventually be used for advertising.

So now, I get to spend a huge premium so I can have a car with the Lexus name, thereby making all the other suburbanites jealous, and on top of it I get "targeted" advertisements. I'll think about getting a car that spews ads at me if and only if you give me the car for free.

On the other hand, if you subscribe to the prevailing theory as to why people buy a Lexus in the first place, all of the "targeted" ads will be for Viagra.

Re:Stupid

[tsstahl]

How long before the first law suit claiming the ad is responsible for whatever driving calamity happened?

I can't believe this made it through a thought/mouth filter.

Re:Stupid

[Anonymous Coward]

The worst mistake I made when I bought my Lexus is that I gave the dealer my cell phone number. Now, I routinely get robo calls from Lexus, reminding about service, my birthday, customer appreciation events, etc... It drives me apoplectic! I have complained multiple times to no avail. It is mind boggling to me that such a quality oriented organization can so completely botch such a simple thing. They buy this new technology that allows them to reach out and annoy their customers and now they can't stop using it.
 

Re:Stupid

[garett_spencley]

Take your car back and ask for a refund. Even if you don't get it at least you will have made it very clear to the dealership that you are extremely unhappy and want to take back your business.

Also try to get in touch with someone fairly high up in Toyota's management / marketing at their corporate HQ and explain to them that you will never buy Toyota again and why. In the mean time keep complaining on the Internet and contact the local business / consumer watch-dogs (Better Business Bureau or whatever) and tell them that it was not made clear to you that your information would be used this way and that you are outraged.

It's a lot of work but this crap has to stop.

I'm self-employed and actually work as an advertiser (and I expect to wake up next to a dead horse tomorrow for admitting that here on /.) but I've never been tempted to think up ways to annoy users like this. In fact, I'm of the mind that making customers happy is the best road to success. I know. It's a pretty radical way to think. Give customers what they want, customers pay you and, *gasp*, come back!

I guess I'm old fashioned. I watch all of my colleagues come out with all of these flash ads and flash pop-ups etc. and I scratch my head wondering how these things catch on. I've had good success sticking to clean, simple, non-obtrusive ads and have never received a single complaint. Consequently my web-site user-base and my bottom line grow month after month (who'd'a thunk it!?). I will never understand why people think there is money in pissing people off.

If these ads really are relevant to the buyer

[Abstrackt]

If these ads really are relevant to the buyer, my first and only ad would start with "To stop receiving this 'service'..."

Why, Lexus, Why?

[bignetbuy]

Have these people lost their minds? I spend $60,000 for an automobile and now it will spam me while driving it? Are you serious, Lexus? What could possibly motivate these people to want to spam their customers AFTER a purchase? We are getting closer and closer to Idiocracy.

Promise to be discerning and restrained.

[ivanmarsh]

Toyota officials promise to be discerning and restrained.
"We're not going to barrage customers with marketing messages," vows Jon Bucci, vice president of Toyota's U.S. advanced technology unit.

Yeah... and cable television will always be uncensored and commercial free... and sattilite radio will always be uncensored and commercial free...

Re:This won't go well

[Greyfox]

I was thinking more along the lines of a trojan commercial if the car is parked but the rear shocks are registering motion.

Or maybe Planned Parenthood at that point...

Security?

[evanbd]

What's that you say? It might be like other software and have occasional security holes in it? I'm sure that won't be a problem.

Imagine all the possibilities

[TTURabble]

Scene: Inside Lexus Car

Driver: (turns on ignition, car starts)
Lexus: Good morning Driver 1, thank you for choosing lexus. Today's commute is brought to you by McDonalds, why don't you stop in on your way to work and get a McGriddle and McCoffee?
Driver: (backs out of driveway, heads down the road) No thanks car, It'll just be to work and back today.
Lexus: (tone of car changes to be deeper and more aggressive) I'm afraid I can't let you do that Driver 1. (car auto steers to nearest McDonalds, forces driver to purchase McGriddle and McCoffee)

Re:I'm not familiar with Lexus models . . .

[KDR_11k]

There is no "too big", there is only "insufficient force".

Re:This is a great idea!

[Valdrax]

Why? Because I own stock in GM.

Personally, I use Charmin, but I guess some people like to splurge on the fancy paper.