HOWCO DISTRIBUTING CO., (collectively referred to in this Privacy Statement as “we”) recognizes the importance of protecting the privacy of all information provided by users of our web sites, registrants for our events, recipients of our e-mail newsletters and all other customers of our products and services. We created this policy with a fundamental respect for our customers’ right to privacy and to guide our relationships with our customers. This Privacy Statement discloses the privacy practices for all products and services owned by HOWCO DISTRIBUTING.
INFORMATION COLLECTION AND USE
HOWCO DISTRIBUTING may collect information from our website users and other customers. In this section of our Privacy Statement, we describe the type of information we collect and how we use it to provide better services to our customers.
Ordering
We may collect information about a user’s professional responsibilities (such as job title and purchasing responsibilities, company information and professional certification). We use such information to improve our service, for marketing purposes.
For our services and products that require payment, we also collect credit card information (such as account name, number and expiration date), which is used for our or our agent’s billing purposes only, and is not otherwise shared.
E-mail Newsletters
If users wish to subscribe to our e-mail newsletters, we ask for contact information (such as name, e-mail address, phone number) and information about the subscriber’s professional interests and responsibilities. We use this information in the same manner as in the ordering process described above.
Communications from Us: Service Updates, Special Offers
In order to best serve our customers, we may send updates that contain important information about our products and services. For example, we send new members a welcoming message, and verify password and username for our password-protected web sites. We may also communicate with a customer to provide requested services and for account-related issues via e-mail, phone or regular mail. In addition to such service and product-essential messages, we offer our customers the option to receive information about our company, related products, services and special deals. Users, however, can choose not to receive these communications from us, as set forth in the “Permission” section below.
Automatic Data Collection
Our web sites, newsletters and, from time to time, certain other products and services have features that automatically collect information from customers, to deliver content specific to customers’ interests and to honor their preferences. This information assists us in creating products and services that will serve the needs of our customers.
WITH WHOM YOUR INFORMATION IS SHARED
We do not share personally identifiable information with other companies, apart from those acting as our agents in providing our product(s)/service(s), and which agree to use it only for that purpose and to keep the information secure and confidential. Also, our parent, subsidiary and affiliate companies, entities into which our company may be merged, or entities to which any of our assets, products, sites or operations may be transferred, will be able to use personal information. We will also disclose information we maintain when required to do so by law, for example, in response to a court order or a subpoena or other legal obligation, in response to a law enforcement agency’s request, or in special cases when we have reason to believe that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be causing injury to or interference with (either intentionally or unintentionally) our rights or property. Users should also be aware that courts of equity, such as U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, might have the authority under certain circumstances to permit personal information to be shared or transferred to third parties without permission. We may share aggregate information, which is not personally identifiable, with others.
CORRECTION/UPDATING PERSONAL INFORMATION
If information which you have submitted to us changes, or if you no longer desire our product(s)/service(s), we provide a way to correct or update your personal data: you may either contact Customer Support for the applicable product or service or, to change your preferences, complete the “Conytact” page.
Please note that we will endeavor to implement your permission requests within a reasonable time, although for a time you may continue to receive mailings, etc., transmitted based on information released prior to the implementation of your request. In addition, please note that even after such request is implemented, you will continue to receive information directly related to the product or service for which you registered (or which you otherwise agreed to receive), so you always are kept informed.
SECURITY
We use reasonable precautions to protect information about our customers while it is stored on our servers or in transit to our vendors processing on our behalf. Sensitive information that is transmitted to us online (such as credit card number) is encrypted and is transmitted to us securely. In addition, access to all of our customers’ information, not just the sensitive information mentioned above, is restricted. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, a billing clerk or a customer service representative) are granted access to personally identifiable information. Finally, the servers on which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.
LINKS
Our web sites contain links to other sites. HOWCO DISTRIBUTING is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each web site to which we may link that may collect personally identifiable information.
NOTIFICATION and CHANGES
If we change our Privacy Statement, we will post those changes on this page so our users are aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under which circumstances, if any, we disclose it. Users should check this policy frequently to keep abreast of any changes.
For questions about this Privacy Statement, contact:
HOWCO DISTRIBUTING
6025 East 18th Street, Vancouver, WA 98661 360-693-9092
