Privacy policy

1. The information we collect

Information you provide to us

When you use our services or participate in our research processes, we collect various types of information that you provide directly. This includes:

• Account information: When you create an account, you provide us with details such as your name, email address, and potentially your LinkedIn profile. If you purchase certain services, we may also request payment details, such as credit card or bank information. Additionally, you can enhance your profile with additional information like your location, industry, bio, photo, and phone number. If you believe someone has created an unauthorized account using your information or likeness, please contact us to request its removal.
• Review and testimonial submissions: As part of submitting a review, we collect your name, company name, phone number, and email address for internal use. These details are not shared publicly. You also have the option to remain anonymous, in which case only non-personally identifiable details such as job title, company, and location will be shared. If you choose to attribute the review, we may display your full name, company details, and even your photo.
• Survey responses: When you participate in a survey, your responses are anonymized, and the resulting data is shown with generalized information such as job title, department, company size, and location.
• Project or consultation requests: If you submit a request form for a project or consultation, we collect necessary information including your name, company, project details, and preferred method of contact. The more detailed your submission, the better we can match you with suitable service providers. Please note, that your contact information will be shared with the relevant service providers and partners who may be able to assist with your needs.
• Information about others: You may choose to provide information about other individuals, such as clients, to support our reference check and review process. Before submitting this information, we ask that you obtain consent from the individual(s) concerned. This data is used exclusively for our internal processes related to references and reviews.

Information we obtain from third parties

• Social media accounts: If you connect to our services through a social media account (such as LinkedIn), we may collect information linked to your profile, as authorized by you. This could include data you’ve made publicly available or information provided by the social media platform. We handle this data in accordance with our Privacy policy. For details on what data a social platform shares, please refer to their privacy policy.
• User-generated content: We may also gather information about you if it is shared by other users within the content they post on our platform. For example, if another user includes your name or details in a review they post, we may store that information.

Automatically collected information

To enhance your experience, we and third-party providers use automatic technologies to collect various types of information when you interact with our website or services. This may include:

• Cookies and similar technologies: We use cookies, HTML5 cookies, and local storage to recognize your browser and store your preferences or settings. These technologies help us improve your experience, ensure the security of our services, and analyze website usage. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings; however, disabling cookies may limit some website functionality.
• Web logs and tracking tools: We collect data about your device and how you use our services via server logs, web beacons, and JavaScript. This includes details such as device type, operating system, browser type, IP address, referring website, and pages visited on our site. This data helps us understand how you interact with our services and improve them accordingly.
• Location information: We may collect location data through your IP address or GPS-based information, especially when you access our services on a mobile device. This helps us provide location-specific content, features, and advertisements. If you do not wish to share your GPS location, you can disable location services on your device. Please check your device’s settings for instructions on how to do this.

By using our services, you agree to our collection and use of this data as described. We may share location-based information with our agents, vendors, or advertisers for the purpose of customizing the services or providing targeted ads. However, you can opt-out of location tracking at any time by adjusting your device settings.

2. How we use information

We process your information based on several legal grounds, including:

Legal basis for processing your personal data

• Consent: When you sign up to receive promotional materials or other communications, you consent to us processing your Personal Data for those purposes. You can withdraw this consent at any time, and we will stop processing your data for these purposes when consent is the sole legal basis.
• Contractual necessity: We process your Personal Data to enter into or fulfill a contract with you. This includes processing your data when you sign up for a free trial, purchase our products, or use our services.
• Legitimate interest: We may process your data when it serves our legitimate interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms related to your personal data.
• Legal obligation: We may process your data to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, including but not limited to preventing fraud, investigating crimes, or cooperating with law enforcement agencies.

Purposes for using your information

We use the information we collect about you for the following purposes:

• Account management: To establish and manage your account, provide the services you request, and communicate with you regarding your account.
• Service customization: To fulfill your requests and provide tailored content or services.
• Communication: To send you important notifications, including updates, promotional material (if you consent), and other communications through email or notices posted on our website.
• Advertising & analytics: To create, deliver, and assess the effectiveness of advertising and promotional materials both on and off our website, and to conduct analytics to improve user experience.
• Service improvement: To enhance the functionality and user experience of our website and services, and to develop new features and services
• Third-party feedback: To provide feedback to third-party businesses listed on our platform.
• Investigation & prevention: To monitor and take action against unlawful or harmful activities, including fraud prevention, addressing potential threats to safety, and enforcing our terms of service.

Please note that we may anonymize or de-identify the information we collect. Once anonymized or de-identified so that it no longer identifies you personally, such data is not subject to this Privacy policy and may be used and shared without restriction.

3. How we disclose information

We may disclose your information in the following ways:

• User profile and content: Any information you include in your user profile, as well as content you post (such as reviews or feedback), may be visible to other users. If you post a review, your name (unless the review is anonymous) and the content may be displayed publicly, including in search engine results.
• Reviews and testimonials: If you submit a review or testimonial about our services or service providers featured on our platform, we may publish it, in whole or in part, along with your name (if not anonymous), title, company, and other details you provide. These reviews may also be used in marketing materials or advertisements.
• With your consent or to fulfill your requests: We may disclose your information if we have obtained your consent or if it is necessary to carry out your instructions.
• To provide our services: We may share your information with third-party vendors, service providers, or business partners who assist us in operating our website and services. This may include companies that help us with analytics, customer service (including communication platforms), surveys, payment processing, marketing, and fraud prevention. These third parties are authorized to use your information only as needed to perform their functions and are prohibited from using or disclosing it for any other purpose.
• Corporate events: In the event of significant corporate changes, such as a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, or sale of assets, we may transfer or disclose your information as part of the transaction or in anticipation of such an event.
• Legal compliance and safety: We may disclose your information when we believe, in good faith, that it is necessary to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding potential unlawful activities, legal requirements, or violations of our terms of service. This could include sharing information with law enforcement, government agencies, courts, or other entities to address concerns about safety, fraud, or legal compliance.

These disclosures are made in accordance with the purposes outlined in this Privacy policy and to ensure the smooth operation and legal compliance of our services.

4. Data retention

We retain your Personal Information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. If you wish to request that we delete your Personal Information, please contact us at the details provided below.

5. Your rights and choices

You have several rights regarding your Personal Information, including:

• Access: You have the right to request access to the Personal Information we hold about you.
• Correction: You can request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete Personal Information we hold.
• Deletion: You may request that we delete your Personal Information, subject to certain exceptions.
• Opt-out of communications: You can opt out of receiving promotional communications from us by following the unsubscribe instructions in the emails we send or by contacting us directly.
• Cookies preferences: You can manage your cookie settings through your browser settings. However, please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of certain features on our website.

6. Security of your information

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your Personal Information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

7. Third-party links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

8. Children’s privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected Personal Information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information as soon as possible.

9. Changes to this Privacy policy

We may update this Privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a new effective date. We encourage you to review this Privacy policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy policy or our practices, or if you wish to exercise your rights regarding your Personal Information, please contact us at: privacy@vendorland.com.

By using our website or services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy policy and agree to its terms.