Catalog Choice Privacy Policy

CatalogChoice.org Privacy Policy

Effective Date: March 28, 2008

General Overview

Catalog Choice, a sponsored project of the Ecology Center (“we” or “CatalogChoice”), owns and operates www.catalogchoice.org (the “Site”). CatalogChoice is committed to protecting your privacy. We encourage you to ask questions and to be very cautious before you disclose personally identifiable information (“PII”) to others.

Non-Personally Identifiable Information

We may collect IP addresses and/or click-stream data for purposes of system administration and to report aggregate information to our advertisers and sponsors. An IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you access the Internet. Our computers identify your computer by its IP address. When you request Web pages from the Site, our computers log your IP address. Click-stream data is information collected by our computers when you request web pages from the Site. Click-stream data may include such information as the page served, the time, the source of the request, the type of browser making the request, the preceding page view and other such non-PII. When analyzed, this data helps us analyze how visitors arrive at the Site, what type of content is most popular, what type of visitors in the aggregate are interested in particular kinds of content and advertising, and the like. Catalog Choice may also collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to its websites. Catalog Choice may display this information publicly or provide it to others. This information is not considered PII and we may use and disclose it in any number of ways.

Type of Personally Identifiable Information That May Be Collected

In the process of providing the services offered by the Site (“Services”), we may require that you provide certain PII. Specific details may include, but are not limited to the following and may be subject to change:

* If you create a CatalogChoice account and register as a member on the Site (“Member”), you will be asked to provide certain PII, including your first and last name, mailing address(es) (street, city, state and zip code), telephone number and e-mail address. Registration is voluntary but may be a prerequisite if you want to take advantage of some of our Services, including selecting catalogs you no longer wish to receive in the mail (“Catalog Opt-Out Service”).

* In the case of contests, promotions, and/or newsletter registrations, we require all users and/or Member wishing to participate in any of our contests, drawings, sweepstakes, promotions, or newsletters to complete a registration form. During this registration process we collect certain PII which you affirmatively supply including, your first name, last name, zip code, phone number, age and email address. Winners of contests, drawings, sweepstakes, and/or promotions may be required to provide additional PII such as a shipping address, telephone number and social security number.

* If you send us personal correspondence, such as emails, texts or letters, it is not covered by this Privacy Policy and we may collect such information into a file specific to you.

How Information is Collected

We may collect PII from you in several different areas on the Site or through mobile technology, including but not limited to those described below:

*Registration: You may be asked to complete a registration form and provide PII; you may also be asked to choose a user ID and password in order to take advantage of certain features we may choose to offer, including, but not limited to, the Catalog Opt-out Service, newsletters, text alerts, contests, or other services.

* Newsletters, Emails and Text Alerts: We may offer free newsletters via email, email and text alerts and other communications to share information with you about the Site, about upcoming events, about us and our affiliates and subsidiaries, or about our partners, advertisers and sponsors. You may receive such information either by registering for a particular communication or in conjunction with a special feature or membership for which you have registered. You may opt-out of getting such communications by following the instructions provided on the Site or in the designated area of such communications.

* Contests or Sweepstakes: We may operate contests and sweepstakes that require users wishing to participate to complete a registration form. Your PII may be used to contact you for winner notification, prize delivery confirmation or other related purposes. We may publicly post some of your information, such as your name and location, on the Site, such as on a winner’s page, in the event you win a contest or sweepstakes. In some instances, a third party advertiser or sponsor may operate or host a contest or sweepstakes on the Site or in conjunction with us, and collect your PII. In those cases, where we are not the operator or host of the contest or sweepstakes, we have no control over the information collected and accordingly urge you to review the advertiser's or sponsor's privacy policy applicable to the contest or sweepstakes before participating.

* Surveys or Voting: From time-to-time, we may request PII from you via surveys or voting polls. Participation is voluntary and you will have the opportunity to decide whether or not to disclose information. At times, you may have to register to vote or to take part in a survey.

* Cookies: As with many websites, the Site uses standard technology called "cookies," which are small data files that are transferred to your computer when you allow your browser to accept cookies. Cookies automatically identify your Web browser to the Site whenever you visit the Site, and make using the Site easier for you by saving your passwords, purchases, and preferences. By tracking how and when you use the Site, cookies help us determine which areas are popular and which are not. Many improvements and updates to the Site are based on data obtained from cookies. Accepting cookies allows you, among other things, to personalize your experience on the Site. Cookies may also allow the Site to present to you advertising which may be of interest to you. If you do not want information collected through the use of cookies, you generally can opt out of providing this information by turning the cookies off in your browser; however, some areas of the Site may not provide you with a personalized experience if you have disabled the use of cookies.

How We Use Personally Identifiable Information

We use PII about our Members in order to provide the services available at the Site, including to contact catalog providers and marketing companies on your behalf and request that they remove your name and address(es) from their catalog mailing lists. Some of those third parties may be located outside of your home country. By becoming a Member to the Site, you consent to the transfer of such information to them.

We also use PII about our Members internally to improve our marketing and promotional efforts, to statistically analyze user usage, to improve our content and product offerings and to customize content and layout. We believe these uses allow us to improve the content we provide and provide better service to our Members.

We may occasionally use a customer’s email address, mailing address or phone number to contact a Member regarding administrative matters or notices.

We may use information in the file we maintain about a customer to resolve disputes and troubleshoot problems.

With Whom the Information May Be Shared

We do not share your information with commercial entities or third parties. In the event that our ownership is transferred, your PII will also be transferred, however you will receive an administrative non-commercial notice via email notifying you of such ownership change and allowing you the chance to opt out of having your information forwarded. Under exigent circumstances that we deem appropriate (i.e., user safety), we may provide information we collect to third parties.

We may need to use or share your PII in response to any legal action or investigation by authorities. We may also share your PII if we believe that such sharing will prevent a potential or actual injury or if doing so will prevent interference with our operations, property, systems, or legal rights. In these cases, we will not secure your consent prior to sharing your information.

Choices You have About CatalogChoice Collecting, Using, and Sharing Your Personally Identifiable Information

It is possible for you to use the Site without giving us any PII but you may not take advantage of the Catalog Opt-out Service without registering and becoming a Member. When you do register with us or give us PII, you will have an opportunity at the time we collect your PII to limit communications from CatalogChoice and from our third-party partners. You can request at any time that CatalogChoice not send future communications to you either by unsubscribing from the communication or by contacting us at privacy@catalogchoice.org. Also, as mentioned above, there are ways to limit the information collected through technology although some of the Site’s features won't work if you decide to do this.

Security Precautions in Place to Protect Against the Loss, Misuse, or Alteration of Your Information

We use commercially reasonable efforts to safeguard the confidentiality of your PII. However, please keep in mind that "perfect security" does not exist.

Links to Other Sites

You should be aware that when you are on the Site you could be directed to other sites beyond our control. For example, if you "click" on a banner advertisement, the "click" may take you off the Site onto a different website. This includes links from advertisers, sponsors and partners that may use the Site's logo as part of a co-branding agreement. These other websites may send their own cookies to you, independently collect data or solicit PII and may or may not have their own published privacy policies. If you visit a website that is linked to the Site, you should consult that website's privacy policy before providing any PII. THIS PRIVACY POLICY DOES NOT ADDRESS THE PRIVACY OR INFORMATION PRACTICES OF ANY THIRD PARTIES.

Our Policy Toward Children The Site is not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 13. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that his or her child has provided us with personal information without their consent, he or she should contact us at privacy@catalogchoice.org.

Limitation of Liability By providing us with any PII you expressly and unconditionally release and hold harmless CatalogChoice, and our subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with the use and/or misuse of your collected PII. In addition, while we takes efforts to ensure the proper and appropriate use of data we provide to third party companies, we are not liable for any injuries, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with the use and/or misuse of your collected PII by us or the above-mentioned third-party entities.

Notification of Changes and Acceptance of the Privacy Policy; Governing Law

By using this Site, you signify your agreement to the terms of our Privacy Policy. CatalogChoice may change this policy from time to time. If so, any such changes will be posted on this page, so that CatalogChoice may keep its users informed of its information collection practices. Accordingly, we recommend that you consult this page frequently so that you are aware of our latest policy. Your continued use of the Site shall constitute your acceptance of such revised Privacy Policy.

California has passed legislation requiring certain specific disclosures be made available to California residents who use the Internet and provide information that may be used for marketing purposes. That legislation requires any business that discloses a customer’s PII to any third party for direct marketing purposes to provide the customer a method for obtaining the names, addresses and certain other specified details of anyone who might have received that PII. If you are a California resident you may request this information from us by writing to: Catalog Choice Attn: California Privacy Rights 1654 A Solano Ave, Berkeley, CA 94707 or by sending an e-mail to privacy@catalogchoice.org. We are not obligated to respond to more than one such request from you per calendar year.

This Site and information provided to you is governed by and operated in accordance with the laws of the United States of America (“USA”). CatalogChoice makes no representation that this Site or the information provided to you is governed by or operated in accordance with the laws of other nations, or that this Site, any part thereof or any information provided to you is appropriate or available for use in any particular jurisdiction. Those who choose to access the Site do so on their own initiative and at their own risk and are responsible for complying with all local laws, rules and regulations. By using this Site and submitting any information, visitors from outside the USA acknowledge this Site is subject to USA law, consent to the transfer of information to the USA, and waive any claims that may arise under their own national laws.

Correcting and Updating Your Personally Identifiable Information If your PII changes, or if you no longer wish to receive communications from us, you should make changes to your password protected Member profile on the Site, respond to an opt-out message in an email or text, or email us at privacy@catalogchoice.org. Please note that to the extent that such information is stored in our databases, we will respond to your changes as soon as reasonably practicable, however that information may remain stored indefinitely in our back-up and archival records.

Whom to Contact with Questions or Concerns About this Privacy Policy

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of this Site, or your dealings with this Site, please contact CatalogChoice by sending a letter to: Catalog Choice Attn: Privacy Policy 1654 A Solano Ave, Berkeley, CA 94707 You may also contact us by e-mail at privacy@catalogchoice.org.