Zodle Privacy Policy
The effective date of this Agreement is January 1,
2007.
Zodle is an online application that helps people find local services they can trust
by soliciting and aggregating reviews. To accomplish this, our users write reviews
about local services that are posted to the Zodle Site. These reviews can then be
accessed and read by other Zodle users. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy,
a "user" is defined as someone using the Zodle Site, and a "friend" is defined as
someone you have explicitly invited to share reviews with you. To fulfill the purpose
of our site, we need to display a limited amount of personal information, so that
users are able to evaluate the trustworthiness of a particular review. By using
Zodle, you permit the collection and use of your personal information as outlined
below in our Privacy Policy. You should visit this page periodically to review any
changes to the Privacy Policy.
I. Information We Collect
Zodle collects user
submitted account information such as name and email address to identify you and
send you notifications related to the use of the service. Zodle also collects user
submitted location information such as city, state or zip. Zodle also collects user
submitted photos, reviews, and ratings of local businesses and service providers.
II. How We Use Your Information
Information such as your full name, profile photo
and any personally identifiable information you have included in your reviews may
be shown to friends or other users primarily in conjunction with reviews you have
contributed. If a person is a friend they can also see your name or email address
in their list of friends.
Your full name and email address may also be used when you send an email notification
to a friend (such as in an invitation, or when sharing a review). We may also use
your email address to send you updates or news regarding our site, but you may choose
not to receive email of this type by accessing the "Account" tab of the web site
and updating your notification settings. Additionally, we use your email address
to contact you on behalf of your friends (such as when someone sends you a personal
message).
Browser-type related information, IP address, requested URL, referring URL, and
timestamp data help us diagnose problems with our server, administer Zodle, and
otherwise provide the highest possible level of service to you. In addition, we
use this information to perform statistical analyses of user behavior and characteristics
in order to measure interest in and use of the various areas of the site and to
inform advertisers of such information as well as the number of users that have
been exposed to, or clicked on, their advertising banners.
III. Transfer of Information
We do not sell, rent, share, trade or give away any
of your personal information. Zodle will disclose information about individual users
to governmental or judicial authorities or law enforcement agencies, or to other
individuals or entities in response to subpoenas, court orders, or other legal processes.
Further, Zodle may share information in order to investigate, prevent, or take action
regarding illegal activities or suspected fraud, or to enforce or apply the terms
and conditions of this Privacy Policy.
We reserve the right to transfer your personal information in the event of a transfer
of ownership of Zodle, such as an acquisition by or merger with another company.
In such an event, Zodle will notify you before information about you is transferred
and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
Zodle will notify you when information about you may be provided to third parties
in ways other than explained above, and you will have the option to prevent such
information sharing.
IV. Links
Our website may contain links to third party websites
to which we have no affiliation. Zodle does not share your personal information
with those websites and is not responsible for their privacy practices. We suggest
you read the privacy polices on these third party websites.
V. Use of Cookies
Like most websites, Zodle requires cookies to function
properly. Cookies are small text files that reside on a user's computer and identify
you as a unique user. We use cookies to refine our site and simplify the user experience.
For example, the use of cookies allows registered users to enter our site without
explicitly typing in their email address and password every time. You should be
aware that Zodle cannot control the use of cookies by advertisers or any information
advertisers may gather from their use of cookies. If you do not want information
collected through the use of cookies, there is a simple procedure in most browsers
that allows you to deny or accept the cookie feature; however, you should note that
cookies may be necessary to provide you certain features (e.g., customized delivery
of information) available on the Zodle site.
VI. Controlling Your Personal Information
You should be aware that when you voluntarily disclose
personally identifiable information (e.g., user name, e-mail address) via reviews,
messages, forums, postings, or in other areas of the Zodle site, that information,
along with any substantive information disclosed in your communication, can be collected
and correlated and used by third parties and may result in unsolicited messages
from other posters or third parties. Such activities are beyond the control of Zodle.
Please do not post any personal information on the Zodle site or in other areas
that you expect to keep private.
As a registered Zodle user, you can modify your personal information at any time
by accessing the "Profile" section of the site. Also, upon your request, Zodle will
use commercially reasonable efforts to functionally remove you and your personal
information from the site; however, it may be impossible to remove your entry without
some residual information being retained by Zodle. Registered users who wish to
close their account should contact info@zodle.com.
VII. Security
Your Zodle account is password-protected. Zodle tries
very hard to protect our users' information. We use industry standard measures to
protect your information that is stored within our database. We limit the access
to your information to those employees who need access to perform their job function
such as our customer service personnel. If you have any questions about the security
at our website, please contact us. Although we take appropriate measures to safeguard
against unauthorized disclosures of information, we cannot assure you that personally
identifiable information that we collect will never be disclosed in a manner that
is inconsistent with this Privacy Policy.
You hereby acknowledge that Zodle is not responsible
for any intercepted information sent via the Internet, and you hereby release us
from any and all claims arising out of or related to the use of intercepted information
in any unauthorized manner.
VIII. Emails and Opt-out
At this time, registered members cannot opt-out of
personal messages initiated by friends and users, however they may opt-out of receiving
notifications initiated by Zodle (note: notification settings can be found under
the " Profile" tab). Unregistered users that do not wish to receive emails may opt-out
of receiving any communications by following the instructions contained in all emails.
IX. Children
This website is not directed to children, and Zodle
does not knowingly solicit information from any child under the age of 13. Should
a child whom we know to be under 13 send personal information to us, we will use
that information only to respond directly to that child (or a parent or guardian)
to inform him or her that we must have parental consent before receiving his or
her personal information.
X. Terms and Modifications to this Privacy Statement
By using the website, you signify your agreement
to the terms of our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with these terms, you should
not use the site. Zodle may modify this Privacy Policy at any time. If a material
change is made to this Privacy Policy and/or the way we use our users’ personally
identifiable information, then we will post a prominent notice of the nature of
such change on the first page of this Privacy Policy and also on our home page.
You are responsible for reviewing this Privacy Policy periodically to ensure that
you are aware of any changes to it. Your continued use of the site indicates your
assent to any changes to this Privacy Policy.
XI. Contacting the Web Site
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy,
the privacy practices of this website, or if you want to exercise any of the rights
that you are given under this Privacy Policy, you can contact:
Zodle
3905 State St., Suite 7280
Santa Barbara, CA 93105