YBOW PRIVACY POLICY

Last Updated February 13, 2019

Thank you for using YourBusinessOurWorld.com (the “Website”). We provide this Privacy Policy to explain how Your Business Our World (“YBOW” or “we”) collects, uses and shares information from you when you use the Website and to help you make an informed decision as to whether to use or continue using the Website. This Privacy Policy is part of the YBOW Terms of Service. Capitalized terms not defined in this Privacy Policy have the same meaning given to them in the Terms of Service.

  1. Who controls my personal information?

Any personal information provided to or gathered by YBOW is controlled by:

Your Business Our World
P.O. Box 31
Merrifield, VA 22116
UNITED STATES

  1. What information does YBOW collect from me?

The amount and type of information we gather depends upon your use of the Website and, in some cases, what type of information you choose to disclose. We may collect the following information from you:

Personal Information Provided by You

We collect information from you when you voluntarily register with YBOW and/or submit your personal information to us over the Website. Such personal information may include your name, email and postal addresses, phone number, Business name, information regarding the goods, services, and volunteer opportunities provided by your Business, any account number assigned to you by YBOW, your Payment Account information, and other information which you voluntarily provide to us.

Personal information is always provided voluntarily by you, and we never collect it surreptitiously or without your consent.

Information You Make Public or Disclose to Third Parties

The Website may contain features that allow you to upload, post, transmit, display, perform or distribute content, including personal information about yourself. For example, you may choose to include personal information within a public-facing Listing, which is available and accessible to other users of the Website, or communicate with a Business through the Website. Any information that you choose to disclose by means of such features becomes public information over which YBOW is unable to exercise control. You should take caution when deciding to disclose personal information by means of such features.

Device/Internet Connection Information

When you use the Website, we automatically gather information made available by your web browser (such as Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome), if applicable, Internet service provider (such as Comcast or Cox), and device (such as your computer, phone, or tablet), depending on your settings for each. For example, we may collect your IP address, information about the operating system or type of device you use, the date and time you access the Website, your log-in attempts, and the location of your device.

Payment Information

If you set up or initiate any payments through the Website, associated information is collected from you, including the amount of the payment, the purpose for the payment, the account numbers, routing numbers, and/or credit card information, expiration dates, and billing addresses associated with your Payment Account, payor and payee information (collectively, “Payment Information”). Such information may be sent directly from you to our payment processors through embeddable widgets.

Other Information

From time to time, we may obtain other information from you, such as when you make a claim for a prize pursuant to a contest or other promotion run on the Website, when you request assistance through our customer service department, and when you voluntarily subscribe to YBOW promotions, reminders or newsletters. You will always be asked to provide such other information voluntarily, and we will not collect it without your permission.

  1. How does YBOW use Cookies?

“Cookies” are files that are placed on your device by websites you visit. The purpose of a Cookie is to identify you as a unique user of the Website. As we add features and new services to the Website, we may use Cookie technology to associate certain Internet-related information about you with information we already have in our database, for any or all of the following purposes:

  • To Verify You. We use Cookies to verify your account and make it so you do not have to reenter your login information each time you use the Website.

 

  • To Analyze User Trends. We also use Cookies for analytics and performance—that is, to gather information that helps us understand how you and other users engage with the Website and our Third-Party partners and figure out how to do it better. The Third-Party analytics vendors we work with include Google Analytics and Bing Analytics.

 

  • To Provide Support to You. We may also use Cookies, including those placed by Third Parties, to provide customer support services.

 

  • To Advertise to You. We may also use Cookies, including those placed by Third Parties, to deliver advertising that may be of interest to you. Cookies also help us and our Third-Party advertising partners ensure you do not see the same advertisements over and over and to identify and block unwanted ads.

 

  1. How does YBOW use my information?

We use the information we’ve gathered from you, including through Cookies, for the following purposes:

To Communicate with You

We use information gathered on the Website to personalize communication with you, and to respond to your requests for products, services, and information. By providing your email address, you consent to receive emails from YBOW, including information concerning your Listing and/or special offers from YBOW. You can unsubscribe from advertising emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link within the email, or by contacting us by filling out the “Contact Us” form on the Website. Please note that, even if you unsubscribe from advertising emails, we will still call you, text you, and/or send you any emails, as is necessary, to communicate with you about your Listing, payments, or Business Package.

To Populate Your Listings

We use information provided by you through the Website to populate and format your Listings for display through the Website.

To Improve our Website and Services

YBOW uses the information we collect from you and other users to improve the Website. For example, we may consider analytics, demographics, and user feedback collected via the Website in determining whether there is sufficient demand for a new feature, plug-in, or expansion of YBOW’s green business directory coverage into a new geographic area.

To Improve the Website

YBOW uses the information we collect from you and other users to provide and improve the Website. As explained above, we use Cookies, including those placed by Third Parties, to gather statistical information that helps us understand how you and other users engage with the Website and improve its performance.

To Personalize Your Website Experience

We use information gathered from Cookies to determine whether you are logged in or not, to allow you to set personal preferences when using the Website, and to make it so you don’t have to reenter the same information when you visit the Website several times within a short timeframe.

  1. How does YBOW share my information?

To Display Your Listings

We share your Listings with other users of the Website to advertise and market your Business and our products and services.

To Our Affiliated Companies

We may disclose, transfer, and sell your information to our affiliated entities—that is, businesses that have common ownership with us—at our discretion, in which event, your information shall be treated by the affiliated entities in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Should YBOW be subject to an acquisition, merger, sale or other change of control or business entity status, we reserve the right to transfer or assign your information as part of that acquisition, merger or sale.

To Our Third-Party Service Providers

We may disclose your personal information as needed to our Third-Party service providers and advertising partners. For example, we may share your Payment Information with our payment processors, such as PayPal.  

To Comply with Legal Process and Prevent Harm

We may disclose your information to respond to subpoenas, court orders, and other legal processes. In rare circumstances, we may disclose personal information when we believe it is necessary in order to prevent illegal, fraudulent, or injurious actions that may cause harm to individuals or measurable harm to property.

  1. How and where does YBOW secure my information?

YBOW, and the Third-Party vendors we use to store your information, employ security measures (such as SSL encryption and HTTPS protocol) to protect against the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information under our control. For payment processing, we use PCI compliant payment processing and card holder data solutions protected by secure cryptographic protocols and algorithms and hashes. However, no system can be completely secure. Therefore, although we take steps to secure your information, we cannot promise, and you should not expect, that your personal and commercial information, or other communications, will always remain secure.

YBOW stores personal information in the United States. If you are visiting the Website from a location outside of the United States, your connection will be through and to servers located in the United States, and all information you provide will be processed and securely maintained in our web servers and internal systems located within the United States. By using the Website, you authorize and specifically consent to the transfer of personal information to the United States and its storage and use as specified above when you provide such information to us.

  1. How can I access or correct my information?

You may access all information we’ve collected about you for purposes of correcting, amending, transferring, or deleting such information from our records. Access can be obtained by contacting us by completing the “Contact Us” form on the Website and explaining that you would like to correct, transfer, or delete your personal information. To protect your privacy and security, we may take reasonable steps to help verify your identity before granting access or making corrections.

  1. How does YBOW protect the privacy of children?

YBOW will never knowingly collect any personal information about children under the age of 13. If we obtain actual knowledge that we have collected personal information about a child under the age of 13, that information will be immediately deleted from our database. Because we do not collect such information, we have no such information to use or to disclose to Third Parties. We have designed this policy in order to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

  1. Does YBOW respond to Do Not Track (DNT) Signals?

DNT is a feature offered by some browsers which, when enabled, sends a signal to websites to request that your browsing is not tracked. YBOW does not currently respond to DNT requests.

  1. What about Third-Party practices?

The purpose of the Website is to provide a directory of Third-Party businesses. Thus, The Website and email messages may contain links to the websites of Third Parties, or provide other means of contacting such Third Parties. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such other websites and Third Parties. Such links are provided for your convenience and reference only. We do not operate or control in any respect any information, software, products or services available on such Third-Party websites. The inclusion of a link to a website does not imply any endorsement of the services or the site, its contents, or its sponsoring organization.

  1. How will I find out about changes to the Privacy Policy?

Each time you use the Website, the then-current version of this Privacy Policy will apply. Although most changes are likely to be minor, we reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy by posting such modification on this page; however, if changes are significant, we may provide a more prominent notice or email you. Unless we receive your express consent, any revised Privacy Policy will apply only to information collected after the effective date of such revised Privacy Policy, and not to information collected under any earlier version.