Essociate Privacy Policy
Information Collection & Use
Registration
In order to use the Essociate service and Web site, you must
first complete the registration form and create a user name and password. During registration you must give contact
information (such as name and email address), Web site information (such as URL or domain), and commission payment details. We use this information
to contact you about our services and provide commission payments.
Essociate Inc. is the sole owner of the information collected on this site.
To improve our services, we may collect personally identifiable information from our users at several different points on our Web site.
Social Security Numbers & Tax Payer IDs
We require your U.S. social security number and/or tax payer ID to provide commission payments. When you enter your sensitive information on our registration form, we encrypt it using secure socket layer technology (SSL). You may elect to provide your sensitive data via phone or fax, however we may withhold payment until such data is received by Essociate.
Communications from Essociate
News and Updates
We will occasionally send you information on new products and services. Out of respect for your privacy, we present the option not to receive these types of communications. Please see the "Choice and Opt-Out" section below.
Service-Related Announcements
We will send you strictly service-related announcements on rare occasions when it is necessary to do so. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance, we might send you an email. Generally, you may not opt-out of these communications, which are not promotional in nature. If you do not wish to receive them, you have the option to deactivate your account.
Customer Service
Based upon the personally identifiable information you provide us, we will send you a welcoming email to verify your username and password. We will also communicate with you in response to your inquiries, to provide the services you request, and to manage your account. We will communicate with you by email or telephone, in accordance with your wishes.
Information Sharing and Disclosure
Personally Identifiable Information
We DO NOT share personally identifiable information with third parties.
Profile Data
We store information that we collect through cookies, log files, clear gifs to create a "profile" of your preferences. We DO NOT share your profile with other third parties.
Legal Disclaimer
We reserve the right to disclose your personally identifiable information as required by law and when we believe
that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights and/or to comply with a judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process served on our company.
Choice and Opt-Out
If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter and promotional communications, you may opt-out of receiving
them by following the instructions included in each newsletter or communication or by contacting us.
We also offer an opportunity to opt-out of certain communications within your login area, or you may contact us in any manner listed below.
Log Files
As is true of most Web sites, we gather certain information automatically and store it in log files. This
information includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, operating system,
date/time stamp, and clickstream data. We use this information, which does not identify individual users, to analyze trends, to administer the site,
to track users' movements around the site and to gather demographic information about our user base as a whole.
We do not link this automatically-collected data to personally identifiable information.
Cookies
A cookie is a small text file that is
stored on a user's computer for record-keeping purposes. We use cookies on this site. We do not link the information
we store in cookies to any personally identifiable information you submit while on our site. We may use both session ID cookies and/or
persistent cookies. We use session cookies to make it easier for you to navigate our site. A session ID cookie expires when you
close you browser. A persistent cookie remains on your hard drive for an extended period of time. You can remove persistent cookies by following
directions provided in your Internet browser's "help" file. We may set a persistent cookie to store your passwords, so
you don't have to enter it more than once. If you reject cookies, you may still use our site, but your ability to use some areas of our site will be limited.
Some of our business partners (e.g., advertisers) use cookies on our site. We have no access to or control over these cookies.
This privacy statement covers the use of cookies by Essociate.com only and does not cover the use of cookies by any advertisers.
Clear Gifs (Web Beacons/Web Bugs)
We may employ a software technology called clear gifs (a.k.a. Web Beacons/Web Bugs), that help us better manage content on our site by
informing us what content is effective. Clear gifs are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies, and are used
to track the online movements of Web users. In contrast to cookies, which are stored on a user's computer hard drive, clear gifs are embedded invisibly on Web pages and are about the size of the period at the end
of this sentence. We do not tie the information gathered by clear gifs to our customers' personally identifiable information.
Links to Other Sites
This Web site contains links to other sites that are not owned or controlled by Essociate. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage you to be aware when you leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every Web site that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies only to information collected by this Web site.
Bulletin Boards/Chat Rooms
If you use a bulletin board or chat room on this site, you should be aware that any personally identifiable information you submit there can be read, collected, or used by other users of these forums, and could be used to send you unsolicited messages. We are not responsible for the personally identifiable information you choose to submit in these forums.
Security
The security of your personal information is important to us. When you enter sensitive information (such as your social security number) on our registration forms, we encrypt that information using secure socket layer technology (SSL). We follow generally accepted industry standards to protect the personal information submitted to us, both during transmission and once we receive it. No method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure, however. Therefore, while we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. If you have any questions about security on our Web site, you can contact us here.
Business Transitions
In the event Essociate Inc. goes through a business transition, such as a merger, acquisition by another company, or sale of all or a portion of its assets, your personally identifiable information will likely be among the assets transferred. You will be notified via by email and/or prominent notice on our Web site of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.
Privacy Statement 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 that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it. We reserve the right to modify this privacy statement at any time, so please review it frequently. If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you here, by email, or by means of a notice on our home page.
Contact Essociate
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding our privacy policy, please contact us at:Essociate Inc.
548 Market St #89706
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: 415.750.2570
Web: Contact Form
UPDATED: April 1st, 2008