Pawfinity Privacy, Cookie, And Data Policy

Privacy & General Data Policy

Last Update: May 12th 2018

Definitions

  • "Service Provider" - Service providers consist of professional groomers, boarding kennel facility operators, trainers, and other pet pros servicing the end client (pet owner)
  • "Service Facilitator" - That's us! Also described as simply Pawfinity
  • "Client" - this is the pet parent / owner
  • "Data Incident" - a breach of Pawfinity's systems leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, Client Personal Data on systems managed by or otherwise controlled by Pawfinity. "Data Incidents" do not include unsuccessful attempts or activities that do not compromise the security of Client Personal Data, including unsuccessful log-in attempts, pings, port scans, denial of service attacks, and other network attacks on firewalls or networked systems.
  • "Bot" - an automated program ranging from benign to malignant in purpose, often simply to collect data displayed online

1) CLIENT INFORMATION SHARED WITH US

BASIC ACCOUNT INFORMATION

You are not required to have an account to interact with the main pawfinity website or to view company pages. Pawfinity does not allow information from our site to be displayed on any 3rd party sites (such as external API or iframe).

PRIVATE INFORMATION

We use Client contact information, such as email address or phone number, to authenticate their account and keep it, and our services secure, and to help prevent spam, fraud, and abuse. If a Client or Service provider provides us with a phone number, you agree to receive text messages from Pawfinity to that number as your country's laws allow. Clients can use the settings for email and mobile notifications to control notifications you receive from Pawfinity directly from the client dashboard here. You can also unsubscribe from a notification by following the instructions contained within the notification. When you create an account via online client application or through your Service Provider, you share private information including (some fields are optional):

  • Your full name
  • Address
  • Phone numbers
  • Email addresses
  • Pet info such as name, breed, and birthday
  • Pet medical records
  • Pet Photos
  • Credit card information (stored with Stripe.com)

If you email us, we will keep the content of your message, your email address, and your contact information to respond to your request.

PUBLIC INFORMATION

The following areas contain information which is publicly available:

  • The Pet Registry - a pet registry entry is made available only once requested by either your Service Provider, or via the client dashboard. The records listed here are not searchable and utilize random IDs which cannot be reasonably guessed or trolled by bots. Information contained in the pet registry is intended to be used to identify a lost pet and includes the pet's name, breed, age, and medical flags. Limited contact information is also made available to assist in rescuing a lost pet.
  • Company Pages - a micro website included with each Pawfinity subscription. This contains public information about a Service Provider.

DIRECT MESSAGES WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS

We provide certain features which allow communication between pet owners and Service Providers in which they are connected. For example, replies to automated notifications by pet owners will be displayed inside the business dashboard for the pet business you are communicating with. This reply will be visible to all employees of the business who have access to the account via secured login. When you communicate with others by sending or receiving Direct Messages, we will store and process your communications and information related to them. This includes link scanning for malicious content, link shortening to http://pawf.co URLs, detection of spam and prohibited images, and review of reported issues. We share the content of these direct messages only with the Service Provider you are communicating with.

PAYMENT INFORMATION

Clients may provide payment information, including credit or debit card number, card expiration date, CVV code, and billing address, in order to store it for future purchases at your selected Service Providers, however, actual credit card numbers are stored remotely with a PCI-DSS compliant payment processor (Stripe.com). There is no charge to access or use the client dashboard. Neither the Pawfinity staff, nor the Service Provider has access to identifiable stored card information.

Service providers will be required to store a minimum of 1 card on file to collect monthly subscription payments, which is stored in the same manner.

HOW YOU CONTROL ACCESS TO YOUR DATA

Each owner of a Forever Free™ client account has the ability to connect or disconnect their information from a Service Provider at any time via the client dashboard, found here. Account deletion also takes place through this portal.

2) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WE RECEIVE ABOUT YOU

LOCATION

We require information when signing in to our site to enhance security and prevent fraudulent usage. Information such as:

  • ip address
  • device information
  • browser information

is collected and stored to validate your login session and prevent unauthorized account access. The ip address can be used to derive a general locality in which you are accessing your account.

INFORMATION PROVIDED WHEN YOU CONTACT US

We may collect Personal Information that you voluntarily provide when contacting us with a question or comment about our products and services. We generally collect one or more of the following types of Personal Information when you contact us with a question or comment or request information from us about our products and services:

  • Name
  • E-mail address
  • Phone Number
  • Company Name

COOKIES AND OTHER TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES WE USE

A cookie is a small piece of data that is stored on your computer or mobile device. Like many websites, we use cookies and similar technologies to collect additional website usage data and to operate our services. Cookies are not required to browse the main sales website, other than to accept this privacy policy. Although most web browsers automatically accept cookies, many browsers' settings can be set to decline cookies or alert you when a website is attempting to place a cookie on your computer. If you disable cookies, you will not be able to use the client or business dashboard.

Learn more about cookies here http://www.whatarecookies.com/

HOW COOKIES ARE USED

We use cookies to:

  • analyze traffic
  • measure ad performance
  • store your agreement to this privacy & data policy
  • assist in persistent logins and session management

BEACONS

A beacon is programming code that is designed to collect information about your interactions with the Site, such as the links you click on or an email you open. The code is temporarily downloaded onto your computer or device from our web server or a third-party service provider, is active only while you are connected to the Site, and is deactivated or deleted thereafter. Beacons can be found in the notification emails received from a Service Provider.

GOOGLE ANALYTICS

To help facilitate the delivery of relevant content, we use Google Analytics and have implemented the following Google Advertising Features: Remarketing, Impression Reporting, and Demographics and Interest Reporting. We use Google Analytics cookies and other Google advertising cookies to track our inbound ad performance. Google also provides a complete privacy policy, and instructions on opting out of Google Analytics here. Note that Google's opt-out mechanism is specific to Google activities and does not affect the activities of other ad networks or analytics providers that we may use.

Google Privacy & Terms: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites

STRIPE.COM

Pawfinity utilizes https://stripe.com payment processing service. If your Service Provider has activated this service, your credit card information will be stored on their PCI-DSS compliant servers. Sensitive credit card information, even for stored cards, is not available to Service Providers nor to Pawfinity.

Stripe Worldwide Privacy Policy: https://stripe.com/us/privacy

Stripe EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Policy: https://stripe.com/privacy-shield-policy

LOG DATA

We receive information when you view content on or otherwise interact with our services, which we refer to as "Log Data", even if you have not created an account. For example, when you visit our website, sign into our services, interact with our email notifications, or use your email address to verify your account, we may receive information about you. This Log Data includes information such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, the referring web page, pages visited, device information, search terms, and cookie information. We also receive Log Data when you click on, view, or interact with links on our services. We use Log Data to operate our services and ensure their secure, reliable, and robust performance. For example, we use Log Data to protect the security of accounts.

WHAT WE DO WITH THE INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We may use this Personal Information to administer your access to our service, verify your identity, and provide our products or services to you.

3) INFORMATION WE SHARE

CLIENT PERSONAL DATA SHARED WITH 3RD PARTIES

Pawfinity does not share personal information with 3rd parties other than with Service Providers which have been approved by the Client and what is necessary to process a credit card payment.

SERVICE PROVIDER PERSONAL DATA SHARED WITH 3RD PARTIES

Pawfinity does not currently share any information about Service Providers nor employees or agents thereof.

CONTROLING YOUR DATA

We share or disclose Client personal data with your consent or at your direction, such as when you fill out a client application for a particular Service Provider or when you submit an online appointment request. Keep in mind that we do not share your information without your permission and that we cannot control what happens to your data once it is in the hands of your Service Provider.

SERVICE PROVIDERS

Pawfinity operates as a service facilitator. As such, our service is used by the end Service Provider (your groomer, kennel, trainer, ect) to perform your requested service. We share your private personal data with such Service Providers subject to obligations consistent with this Privacy Policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures, and on the condition that the third parties use your private personal data only on our behalf, pursuant to our instructions, and within the scope of use applicable to the services rendered.

In special circumstances, we may share your payment information with payment service processors to process payments; prevent, detect, and investigate fraud or other prohibited activities; facilitate dispute resolution such as chargebacks or refunds; and for other purposes associated with the acceptance of credit and debit cards.

LEGAL OBLIGATIONS

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Privacy Policy or controls we may otherwise offer to you, we may preserve, use, or disclose your personal data if we believe that it is reasonably necessary to comply with a law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request; to protect the safety of any person; to protect the safety or integrity of our platform, including to help prevent spam, abuse, or malicious actors on our services, or to explain why we have removed content or accounts from our services; to address fraud, security, or technical issues; or to protect our rights or property or the rights or property of those who use our services. However, nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to limit any legal defenses or objections that you may have to a third party Service Provider, including a government's, request to disclose your personal data.

NON-PERSONAL INFORMATION

We share or disclose non-personal data, such as aggregated information like the number of times a page was visited with our 3rd party Google Analytics account in order to help track traffic patterns and other strategic business practice planning.

4) THE ROLE OF THE SERVICE FACILITATOR

PAWFINITY'S ROLE

It is our role as the Service Facilitator to:

  • Store and secure information sent to / through our service on behalf of the Service Provider
  • Offer means for Service Providers and clients to easily find, review, and remove personal data from the system
  • Continuous security monitoring, scanning, and updates which adhere to the specifications set forth by the PCI-DSS and GDPR regulations
  • Investigate disputes and data handling practices on behalf of clients when Service Providers fail to sufficiently handle data privacy complaints
  • Notify affected parties (both Service Providers and Clients) in the event of a data breach

5) THE ROLE OF THE SERVICE PROVIDER

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR CLIENTS

Clients must keep in mind that, while we've entered into a data contract with each Service Provider which holds them to a high standard for proper data handling, as the Service Facilitator, Pawfinity does not and cannot directly control the activities of a Service Provider. If a Service Provider is found in continuous violation of our data policy standards, they will be penalized up to and including the termination of their account and the deletion of all data contained within.

It is the role fo the Service Provider to:

  • Maintain a compliant data privacy policy for their organization
  • Obtain written agreements on this policy with each client to ensure their agreement to the policy
  • Adhere to best practices regarding the handling of personal data, including those set forth in the GDPR (EU Citizens only)
  • Resolve client data complaints, including assisting in the removal of personal data upon request

DATA HANDLING COMPLAINTS

Inquiries regarding issues with improper data handling should be directed at the Service Provider in which you are connected. If the Service Provider is unwilling or unable to properly address your request, you are encouraged to contact us here with details on your complaint. We will perform an investigation into the business practices of the Service Provider. If a Service Provider is found to be operating outside our data agreement, they will incur penalties beginning at warnings and leading ultimately to account cancellation (should the violations continue).

6) MANAGING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION WITH US

ACCESSING OR RECTIFYING YOUR PERSONAL DATA

If you have information stored on Pawfinity, we provide direct account access here, where you are able to correct, update, modify, or delete the personal data associated with your account. You may download your personal information by visiting Account > Manage Account > Data Export. This will generate a CSV file, which can be imported to any service as well as opened in popular spreadsheet programs.

CLIENT DATA DELETION

Due to the nature of our service, we do not set a time limit for the storage of client data. This will ultimately be determined by the Service Provider. Should you choose to, you can delete your data in the using the following methods:

  • Method 1) from our service by logging into your client dashboard here, and visiting Account > Manage Account > Delete Account
  • Method 2) you may request full account deletion through our automated public channel here

You will need to enter a valid email address and have access to the email account on file to use method 2. It is your responsibility to ensure the email address on file is valid and active. once deleted, this information will be removed from active access, and destroyed from backups within 7 days from the time of the deletion.

If you do not have / cannot access to your client account through the previously listed channels, your pet Service Provider will be able to remove your information from their business dashboard directly. Keep in mind that claimed client accounts can only be deleted through the client dashboard or automated removal request form.

Accounts are claimed after one of the following occurs:

  • logging in to your client dashboard
  • connecting to more than one Service Provider.

GENERAL DATA DELETION

Pawfinity data is stored and will remain in encrypted backups for 7 days following the deletion of client or Service Provider information, after which it is permanently deleted. While technically existent in the backup, we cannot reasonably recover specific information from these backups. We do not offer a service to retrieve information from our backups. Keep in mind that search engines and other third parties may still retain copies of your public information, such as company page data, even after you have deleted the information from our services or deactivated your account. We do not control the removal of this information.

Non-identifying, non-personal data is stored by Google Analytics for 26 months before being removed.

WITHDRAW CONSENT

If you are intending to withdraw consent to our policies, you may do so by deleting your account and / or information stored on our service, and discontinuing use of our service immediately.

CLIENT DATA PORTABILITY

Pawfinity provides a means to download your personal client information by visiting the "My Profile" area of the client dashboard here, and clicking the Download link.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Thoughts or questions about this Privacy Policy? Please let us know by contacting us here

7) DATA SECURITY

We use reasonable and appropriate physical, electronic, and administrative safeguards including but not limited to Encryption in transit and at rest, firewalls, access control measures, and more to protect Personal Data from loss, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction, taking into account the nature of the Personal Data and the risks involved in processing that information. Our system security is scanned / tested at regular intervals and monitored constantly to ensure high-level security performance consistent with the guidelines for PCI-DSS and GDPR regulations.

8) NOTICE OF DATA INCIDENT

If Pawfinity becomes aware of a Data Incident, Pawfinity will notify clients of the Data Incident promptly and without undue delay, and promptly take reasonable steps to minimize harm and secure client Personal Data.

9) CHILDREN AND OUR SERVICES

Our services are not directed to children, and you may not use our services if you are under the age of 16. You must also be old enough to consent to the processing of your personal data in your country (in some countries we may allow your parent or guardian to do so on your behalf).

10) GLOBAL OPERATIONS AND PRIVACY

To bring you our services, we operate globally. Where the laws of your country allow you to do so, you authorize us to transfer, store, and use your data in the United States and any other country where we operate. In some of the countries to which we transfer personal data, the privacy and data protection laws and rules regarding when government authorities may access data may vary from those of your country.

When we transfer personal data outside of the European Union or EFTA States, we ensure an adequate level of protection for the rights of data subjects based on the adequacy of the receiving country's data protection laws, contractual obligations placed on the recipient of the data.

11) CHANGES IN POLICY

We may revise this Privacy Policy from time to time. The most current version of the policy will govern our processing of your personal data and will always be at https://www.pawfinity.com/privacy-policy/. If we make a change to this policy that, in our sole discretion, is material, we will notify you via email to the email address associated with your account. By continuing to access or use the Services after those changes become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised Privacy Policy.

12) Contact Pawfinity

All data handling inquiries can be submitted through our contact form, found here. Pawfinity is based out of Raleigh, North Carolina in the United States Of America.