Exporting data and erasing a customer

Your data belongs to your dealership. You can take copies of it as CSV files at any time, and when a customer asks you to delete their personal information, you can erase it while keeping your sales history and reports intact.

Export your data #

Each list has its own Export CSV button, shown only to people with the matching permission. The file uses the filters you have applied, so filter first if you only need part of the list.

1. Open the list, for example Sales › Customers.
2. Search or filter to the records you need.
3. Select Export CSV. The file downloads to your computer.

Every customer export is written to the audit log with the number of rows. Treat exported files with care: they contain personal information and live outside MotoDealerHQ's protections once downloaded.

On plans with REST API access, you can also read your data through the API. See Exports and schedules for scheduled report deliveries.

Erase a customer's personal data #

Use this when a customer asks you to delete their information (for example under a state privacy law).

1. Open Sales › Customers and select the customer.
2. Scroll to Erase personal data in the side panel.
3. Read the description, then type ERASE in the confirmation box.
4. Select Erase personal data.

The customer page then says "Personal data was erased on … at the customer's request", and the record can no longer be edited.

What is removed #

• The customer's name (replaced with "Erased customer"), email, phone, address and contact preferences.
• What they wrote: lead messages, form answers, trade-in notes and VIN, service request descriptions, service booking concerns, and repair order concerns.
• Message contents and recipients in the customer's email and text history, and their website chats.
• Web store order contact and shipping details.
• Credit application details: the encrypted Social Security number, date of birth, income, address and employment, plus names and contact details.
• Anything staff wrote that names them in lead notes, tasks, activity and next actions (replaced with [erased]), and staff alert emails and notifications that mention their full name, email or phone.
• IP and browser details on their consent records.
• Any automated follow-up sequences they were in stop for good.

What stays #

• The customer, their leads, appointments and trade-ins remain as anonymous records, so your pipeline, reports and counts stay correct.
• Consent history keeps only what was agreed and when.
• Signed service authorizations stay, because they are legal records.
• The erasure itself is recorded in the audit log.

If you leave MotoDealerHQ #

1. Export first. Download your vehicles, leads and customers.
2. Request cancellation on Settings › Billing (see Managing billing). A cancelled account is read-only and its website is offline, but all data is kept.
3. Permanent deletion is a separate step that only MotoDealerHQ can carry out, and only after your account has been archived for at least 30 days with no open invoices. It removes all of your dealership's records and files and can't be undone. Billing history is kept without your dealership's name attached, for accounting.

Tips #

• Agree a simple privacy-request process: who receives requests, who checks the customer's identity, and who presses the button.
• Search for the person by email and phone before erasing; if they appear as two customers, erase both.
• Keep exported files in a secure, shared location rather than on personal laptops, and delete them when no longer needed.

Permissions #

Limitations #