Privacy Policy
Your privacy is important to us. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information.
Last updated: January 2024
Table of Contents
- Introduction and Commitment to Privacy
- Information We Collect
- How We Collect Information
- How We Use Your Information
- Information Sharing and Disclosure
- Data Retention Policies
- Your Privacy Rights
- Cookie Policy
- Third-Party Services
- Children's Privacy
- Security Measures
- Updates to This Policy
- Contact for Privacy Concerns
- California Residents' Rights (CCPA)
- Data Protection Officer Contact
1. Introduction and Commitment to Privacy
Baltimore IBC Tanks ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, use our services, or interact with us in any way.
We understand that privacy is a fundamental right, and we take our responsibility to protect your personal data seriously. Our commitment to privacy is built on the following principles:
- Transparency: We are open about what data we collect and how we use it
- Purpose Limitation: We only collect data for specific, legitimate purposes
- Data Minimization: We only collect data that is necessary for our operations
- Security: We implement robust measures to protect your information
- Respect: We honor your rights regarding your personal data
By using our website or services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our services.
2. Information We Collect
We collect various types of information to provide and improve our services to you. The categories of information we may collect include:
Personal Information
Personal information is data that can be used to identify you directly or indirectly. This includes:
- Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and fax number
- Business Information: Company name, job title, industry, company size, and business address
- Account Information: Username, password, account preferences, and communication preferences
- Financial Information: Billing address, payment card details (processed securely through our payment processors), and transaction history
- Communication Records: Correspondence with our sales team, customer service inquiries, and feedback
Usage Data
We automatically collect certain information when you access our website or services:
- Device Information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, and screen resolution
- Browsing Information: Pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns, and navigation paths
- Referral Information: The website that referred you to us and search terms used
- Location Data: General geographic location based on IP address
- Session Information: Date and time of visits, session duration, and frequency of visits
Technical Data
- Log Files: Server logs that record website activity
- Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Data collected through cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies
- Performance Data: Page load times, error reports, and technical diagnostics
Service-Related Information
- Order Information: Products or services ordered, delivery preferences, and special instructions
- IBC Tank Requirements: Tank types, quantities, specifications, and intended use cases
- Service History: Previous orders, service requests, and maintenance records
- Quote Requests: Information provided in quote request forms
3. How We Collect Information
We collect information through various methods to ensure we can effectively serve your needs:
Direct Collection
- When you fill out forms on our website (contact forms, quote requests, newsletter signups)
- When you create an account or register for our services
- When you place an order or request a quote
- When you contact us via email, phone, or other communication channels
- When you participate in surveys, promotions, or marketing campaigns
- When you provide feedback or reviews
- During in-person meetings, trade shows, or events
Automatic Collection
- Through cookies and similar tracking technologies when you browse our website
- Through web server logs that record your interactions with our site
- Through analytics tools that track website usage patterns
- Through pixel tags and web beacons in our marketing emails
Third-Party Sources
- Business directories and public databases
- Social media platforms (when you interact with us through these channels)
- Marketing partners and advertising networks
- Credit reporting agencies (for business credit evaluations)
- Industry associations and trade organizations
Combined Information
We may combine information collected from different sources to create a more complete picture of your needs and preferences, allowing us to better serve you and improve our products and services.
4. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for various purposes, all aimed at providing you with the best possible experience and service:
Service Delivery
- Process and fulfill your orders for IBC tanks and related products
- Provide quotes and estimates for your specific requirements
- Arrange delivery and logistics for your orders
- Handle returns, exchanges, and refunds
- Provide customer support and respond to inquiries
- Manage your account and preferences
Communication
- Send order confirmations and shipping notifications
- Provide important service updates and announcements
- Respond to your questions, comments, and requests
- Send newsletters and marketing communications (with your consent)
- Invite you to participate in surveys or provide feedback
- Notify you about changes to our services or policies
Business Operations
- Process payments and prevent fraudulent transactions
- Manage our business relationships and vendor partnerships
- Maintain accurate records for accounting and legal purposes
- Conduct internal audits and quality assurance
- Train our staff to better serve customers
Improvement and Development
- Analyze usage patterns to improve our website and user experience
- Develop new products and services based on customer needs
- Test and optimize website features and functionality
- Conduct market research and industry analysis
- Personalize your experience based on your preferences
Marketing and Advertising
- Send promotional offers and discounts (with your consent)
- Display relevant advertisements on our website and third-party platforms
- Measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns
- Create lookalike audiences for advertising purposes
- Retarget visitors who have shown interest in our products
Legal and Compliance
- Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
- Enforce our terms of service and other agreements
- Protect our rights, property, and safety, and those of our users
- Detect, prevent, and address fraud, security, or technical issues
- Respond to lawful requests from public authorities
6. Data Retention Policies
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected and to comply with our legal obligations. Our retention periods are based on:
Retention Categories
- Active Customer Data: Retained for the duration of our business relationship plus 7 years after your last transaction
- Quote and Inquiry Data: Retained for 3 years after the last interaction
- Marketing Data: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion
- Transaction Records: Retained for 7 years for tax and accounting purposes
- Communication Records: Retained for 5 years for quality assurance and dispute resolution
- Website Usage Data: Retained for 26 months in analytics systems
- Cookie Data: Varies by cookie type (see Cookie Policy section)
Criteria for Retention
We consider the following factors when determining retention periods:
- Legal and regulatory requirements
- Statute of limitations for potential legal claims
- Industry standards and best practices
- Business necessity and operational requirements
- Your preferences and consent
Data Deletion
When personal information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it. Deletion requests are processed within 30 days, subject to any legal retention requirements. Some information may be retained in backup systems for a limited period before complete deletion.
7. Your Privacy Rights
We respect your rights regarding your personal information. Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:
Right to Access
You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. We will provide this information in a commonly used, machine-readable format within 30 days of your request.
Right to Rectification
You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you.
Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten)
You may request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances, such as when the data is no longer necessary for the purposes it was collected, or when you withdraw consent.
Right to Restrict Processing
You have the right to request that we limit the processing of your personal information in certain situations, such as when you contest the accuracy of the data.
Right to Data Portability
You have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format and to transmit that data to another controller.
Right to Object
You have the right to object to processing of your personal information for direct marketing purposes or processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to Withdraw Consent
Where we rely on consent for processing, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing before the withdrawal.
Exercising Your Rights
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the Contact section. We will respond to your request within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
Right to Lodge a Complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
9. Third-Party Services
Our website may contain links to third-party websites and integrate with third-party services. This Privacy Policy applies only to our website and services.
Third-Party Links
When you click on links to third-party websites, you will leave our site and be subject to the privacy policies of those websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites and encourage you to review their policies.
Integrated Services
We integrate with various third-party services to provide enhanced functionality:
- Payment Gateways: Stripe, PayPal, and other payment processors for secure transactions
- Mapping Services: Google Maps for location and delivery information
- Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social platforms for sharing and authentication
- Communication Tools: Email marketing platforms and customer support systems
- Analytics: Google Analytics and other analytics providers
Social Media Features
Our website includes social media features such as share buttons and links to our social media profiles. These features may collect your IP address and set cookies. Your interactions with these features are governed by the privacy policies of the respective social media platforms.
10. Children's Privacy
Our website and services are intended for business use and are not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately. We will take steps to delete such information from our records.
If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.
11. Security Measures
We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement comprehensive measures to protect it against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.
Technical Safeguards
- SSL/TLS Encryption: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using industry-standard SSL/TLS protocols
- Secure Data Storage: Personal information is stored on secure servers with encryption at rest
- Firewalls and Intrusion Detection: We employ firewalls and intrusion detection systems to prevent unauthorized access
- Regular Security Updates: Our systems are regularly updated with the latest security patches
- Access Controls: Role-based access controls limit data access to authorized personnel only
Organizational Safeguards
- Employee Training: Staff members are trained on data protection and privacy best practices
- Background Checks: Employees with access to personal data undergo background checks
- Confidentiality Agreements: All employees sign confidentiality agreements
- Incident Response: We have procedures in place to respond to security incidents
- Regular Audits: We conduct regular security audits and assessments
Payment Security
We do not store credit card information on our servers. All payment processing is handled by PCI-DSS compliant payment processors who maintain the highest level of security standards.
Data Breach Notification
In the event of a data breach that may affect your personal information, we will notify you and relevant authorities as required by applicable law, typically within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach.
12. Updates to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes, we will:
- Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
- Post the revised policy on our website
- Notify you of material changes via email or prominent notice on our website
- Provide a summary of key changes where appropriate
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
Your continued use of our website and services after any changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms.
13. Contact for Privacy Concerns
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, we want to hear from you. You can contact us through any of the following methods:
Contact Information
- Email: privacy@baltimore-ibc-tanks.com
- General Inquiries: info@baltimore-ibc-tanks.com
- Mailing Address:
Baltimore IBC Tanks
Attn: Privacy Department
123 Industrial Way
Baltimore, MD 21201
We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 5 business days. For requests related to your privacy rights (access, deletion, etc.), we will respond within 30 days as required by applicable law.
14. California Residents' Rights (CCPA)
If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). This section describes your rights and how to exercise them.
Your CCPA Rights
- Right to Know: You can request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources of that information, our business purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it
- Right to Delete: You can request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions
- Right to Correct: You can request that we correct inaccurate personal information
- Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: You can direct us not to sell or share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising
- Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: You can limit our use of sensitive personal information to what is necessary for providing services
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights
Categories of Personal Information
In the past 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information:
- Identifiers (name, email address, phone number, IP address)
- Commercial information (purchase history, products/services considered)
- Internet/electronic activity (browsing history, search history, website interactions)
- Geolocation data (general location based on IP address)
- Professional/employment information (company name, job title)
- Inferences drawn from the above categories
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
We do not sell your personal information in the traditional sense. However, some of our advertising activities may constitute "sharing" under the CCPA. To opt out of this sharing, please contact us or use the preference options on our website.
Exercising Your Rights
To exercise your CCPA rights, you may:
- Email us at privacy@baltimore-ibc-tanks.com
- Submit a request through our website contact form
Verification
We will verify your identity before processing your request. This may require you to provide additional information to confirm your identity.
Authorized Agents
You may designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf. The agent must provide proof of authorization, and we may still require direct verification from you.
15. Data Protection Officer Contact
We have appointed a Data Protection Officer (DPO) to oversee our privacy practices and ensure compliance with data protection regulations. You may contact our DPO for any privacy-related concerns:
Data Protection Officer
- Name: Privacy and Compliance Team
- Email: dpo@baltimore-ibc-tanks.com
- Mailing Address:
Baltimore IBC Tanks
Attn: Data Protection Officer
123 Industrial Way
Baltimore, MD 21201
United States
DPO Responsibilities
Our Data Protection Officer is responsible for:
- Monitoring compliance with privacy laws and regulations
- Advising on data protection impact assessments
- Training staff on privacy requirements
- Acting as a point of contact for data subjects and regulatory authorities
- Handling privacy complaints and inquiries
- Overseeing responses to data subject requests
The DPO operates independently and reports directly to senior management to ensure impartiality and effectiveness in carrying out their duties.
Thank you for taking the time to read our Privacy Policy. Your trust is important to us, and we are committed to protecting your privacy and personal information. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.