QualityDogs.com Privacy Policy

This privacy statement covers the site WWW.QUALITYDOGS.COM. The following are covered in this policy statement:

1. What personally identifiable information QualityDogs.com collects.

2. What personally identifiable information third parties collect through the Web site.

3. What organization collects the information.

4. How QualityDogs.com uses the information.

5. With whom QualityDogs.com may share user information.

6. What choices are available to users regarding collection, use and distribution of the information.

7. What types of security procedures are in place to protect the loss, misuse or alteration of information under QualityDogs.com control.

8. How users can correct any inaccuracies in the information.

If users have questions or concerns regarding this statement, they should contact Customer Support at support@qualitydogs.com

Information Collection
QualityDogs.com is the sole owner of the information collected on QualityDogs.com. QualityDogs.com collects information from our users at several different points on our Web site.

Visitors
Other than specifically outlined below under Notify Me and Question Forum, we do not collect any identifying information from visitors to the website.

Membership Registration
In order for a Breeder to join, create a profile, and advertise on this Web site, they must first complete the Membership Form. During registration a Breeder is required to give contact information, including Name, Address, Phone Number, and Email Address, as well as to create a User Name and Password. We use this information to contact the Breeder for billing, renewal, account maintenance, and any other purpose necessary for site operation. Also, because Members can input text and upload pictures that are immediately visible on our site, we collect identifying information to assure that the Terms of Use agreement is adhered to (i.e. no offensive language, no off-subject photographs, etc.)

Notify Me Service
Through our Notify Me service, visitors can request that a specific breeder contact them in the future. To do so, the visitor must provide an email address for the breeder reply. Optionally, the visitor may also provide their name.

Question Forum Service
Through our Question Forum service, visitors can post a question about a particular breed, which breeder members may then respond to. Do to this, the visitor must provide an email address. This is so that (a) they may be notified whenever an answer is posted, and (b) we can verify that our Terms of Use is being adhered to (since the question is immediately visible on the website)


Information Use
In addition to providing general canine and breed-specific information, QualityDogs.com allows Breeders to create profiles that detail their dogs and breeding. Unless otherwise noted, all information collected in the Profile will be displayed on the website. In creating or editing their profile, Breeders may choose (a) not to display their last name, (b) not to display their street address, and (c) not to display their phone number.

Additionally, Breeders may place ads to appear on the website. When the Ad is displayed, information from the Member Profile is incorporated in the ad. If that breeder has elected not to display certain elements of their Profile (see a, b, c above), then that information is also omitted from any ad the breeder creates.

If a visitor uses our Notify Me service, their email address (and optional name) are visible to the Member they wish to contact. That information is not posted on the website or visible to any other visitors or Members.

If a visitor uses our Question Forum service, their email address is not visible to any other visitor or Member.

Profile
We do not use cookies, clear GIFs, or any other method to profile our website visitors.

Cookies
A cookie is a piece of data stored on the user’s computer tied to information about the user. We use only session ID cookies, and only for Members. A Session ID cookie is information stored in the computers memory, not on the hard drive, and once users close the browser, the cookie simply terminates. We use these Session ID cookies to verify that a member has logged in with their User ID and Password so that they may access their secure personal data. The other type of cookie, the persistent cookie, is a small text file stored on the user’s hard drive for an extended period of time. We do not use persistent cookies on our site.

Some of our business partners may use cookies on our site (for example, advertisers). However, we have no access to or control over these cookies, once we have given permission for them to set cookies for advertising.
This website may utilize certain services provided by DoubleClick, Inc. (DoubleClick). For further information concerning DoubleClick's privacy practices, including the ability to opt-out from any data collection, reporting and/or targeting activities associated with its services, please go to http://www.doubleclick.com/us/about_doubleclick/privacy/


This privacy statement covers the use of cookies by QualityDogs.com only and does not cover the use of cookies by any advertisers.

Log Files
Like most standard Web site servers we use log files. This includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, platform type, date/time stamp, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement in the aggregate, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. IP addresses, etc. are not linked to personally identifiable information.


Communications from the Site

Special Offers and Updates
We send all new members a welcoming email to verify password and username. Established members, as well as visitors who have provided their email address for the Notify Me or Question Forum services, will occasionally receive information on products, services, special deals, and a newsletter. Any such email will come only directly from QualityDogs.com. Out of respect for the privacy of our users we present the option to not receive these types of communications. Please see the Choice and Opt-out sections.

Service Announcements
On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement to one or more Members. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send Members an email. Generally, Members may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service
We communicate with Members on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regards to issues relating to their account. We reply via email, unless for technical reasons that is impossible, in which case we reply via phone.

Sharing

Legal Disclaimer
Though we make every effort to preserve user privacy, we may need to disclose personal information when required by law wherein we have a good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with a current judicial proceeding, a court order or legal process served on our Web site.

Aggregate Information (non-personally identifiable)
We share aggregated demographic information with our partners and advertisers. For example, we publish the total number of page views and visits to the website by all users. This is not linked to any personally identifiable information.
Personally Identifiable Information
Members and visitors to the QualityDogs.com website may be presented, on various screens, with the option to join one or more opt-in mailing lists. Unless otherwise disclosed in the opt-in instructions, these mailing lists are for information or services provided by QualityDogs.com, its subsidiaries, or other entities or agencies under the same ownership as QualityDogs.com. QualityDogs.com may share these opt-in mailing lists within its subsidiaries or within other sites owned or co-owned by the same legal entity as QualityDogs.com or its shareholders. At no time will QualityDogs.com share opt-in mailing lists with any other business, website, or individual, except as outlined herein.


Other than as stated herein, we DO NOT share Member or Visitor personal information.

Service Providers
We partner with a third-party credit card processing service, GoEMerchant, to provide credit card payment for Member services. To enable these credit card transactions, and to tie the payment back to the Member account, we provide the processing company with the Members email address. During the course of the credit card transaction, the third-party will collect personal information necessary to process the credit card order. You can view their privacy policy at http://www.goemerchant.com/privacy.asp

Business Transitions
In the event QualityDogs.com goes through a business transition, such as a merger, being acquired by another company, or selling a portion of its assets, users' personal information will, in most instances, be part of the assets transferred.

Choice/Opt-out
Our users are given the opportunity to ‘opt-out’ of having their information used for purposes not directly related to our site at the point where we ask for information. For example, our Membership Form has an ‘opt-out’ mechanism so users who buy a product from us, but don’t want any marketing material, can keep their email address off of our lists.

Users who no longer wish to receive our promotional communications may opt-out of receiving these communications by following the instructions included with each email or by emailing us at optout@qualitydogs.com

Links
This Web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we, QualityDogs.com, are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every Web site that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this Web site.

Message Boards and Public Forums
Please keep in mind that whenever you voluntarily disclose personal information online - for example on message boards, through e-mail, or in chat areas - that information can be collected and used by others. In short, by posting personal information online that is publicly accessible, you may receive unsolicited messages from other parties in return.

Security
This Web site takes every precaution to protect our users’ information. When users submit sensitive information via the Web site, their information is protected both online and off-line.

When Members are redirected to our third-party credit card processor and enter credit card information, that information is encrypted and is protected with the best encryption software in the industry - SSL. While on a secure page, the lock icon on the bottom of Web browsers such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer becomes locked, as opposed to un-locked, or open, when users are just ‘surfing’.

While we use SSL encryption to protect sensitive information online, we also do everything in our power to protect user-information off-line. All of our users’ information, not just the sensitive information mentioned above, is restricted in our offices. All personally identifiable information is stored in a password-protected database, and employees are only allowed access to information necessary to perform their specific tasks.

If users have any questions about the security at our Web site, users can send an email to support@qualitydogs.com.

Correcting/Updating/Deleting/Deactivating Personal Information
If a user’s personally identifiable information changes (such as zip code, phone, email or postal address), or if a user no longer desires our service, we provide a way to correct, update or delete/deactivate users’ personally identifiable information. This can be done at the Member Profile Page.

Notification of Changes
If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes to this privacy statement, the homepage, and other places we deem appropriate so our users are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it.

If, however, we are going to use users’ personally identifiable information in a manner different from that stated at the time of collection we will notify users via email a minimum of 14 days before the change takes effect, and that email will include instructions for opting out of the program in question.


Contact Information
If users have any questions or suggestions regarding our privacy policy, please contact us at:

support@qualitydogs.com

or

QualityDogs.com
Customer Support
2075 North NC 62
Burlington, NC 27217