Privacy Policy
Ultimate Charity Auction (“we”, “our”, “us”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you visit and use our website, ultimatecharityauction.com.
1. Commitment to Privacy and Data Protection
We understand the importance of privacy in today’s digital environment. At Ultimate Charity Auction, we maintain a strong commitment to the protection and careful handling of all personal data entrusted to us. We adhere to applicable data protection regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), ensuring transparency, accountability, and your privacy rights.
2. Scope and Data Controller
This Privacy Policy applies to all users who access or use our website, ultimatecharityauction.com, and its related services. Ultimate Charity Auction acts as the “data controller” under the GDPR, responsible for determining the purpose and means of processing personal data.
3. Categories of Data We Collect and Process
We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:
a. Usage Data
Information about how you use our website, including IP address, browser type, referring pages, visit duration, pages viewed, and navigation paths.
b. Account Data
Details associated with account creation and maintenance, such as your full name, mailing address, email address, and phone number.
c. Profile Data
Information related to your preferences, past transactions, charitable interests, auction behavior, and user habits or saved settings.
d. Communication Data
Records of communications with us, including support requests, inquiries, personal interactions with our staff, and any contact through submitted forms or email.
e. Technical Data
Device identifiers, operating system, browser settings, and other system configuration details collected to enhance website compatibility and performance.
f. Transaction Data
Information involving auction bids, payments made, payment transaction details, delivery and fulfillment data, and billing information.
g. Preference Data
Records of how you respond to marketing requests, whether you opt-in to specific communications, and your expressed interests in campaigns or products.
4. Legal Bases for Processing
We process your personal data under the following lawful bases, as permitted by the GDPR:
– Consent: Where you have given clear permission for us to process your personal data for a specific purpose.
– Contractual Necessity: Where data processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you (e.g., completing an auction transaction).
– Legal Obligation: Where processing is necessary to comply with legal responsibilities.
– Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided such interests are not overridden by your fundamental rights and interests.
5. Your Rights
Under GDPR and CCPA, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
– Right of Access: You may request access to the personal data we hold about you.
– Right to Rectification: You may request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information.
– Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): You may request the deletion of your personal data where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing.
– Right to Restriction: You may request that we suspend processing of your personal data.
– Right to Data Portability: You have the right to obtain a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit that data to another controller.
– Right to Object: You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing purposes.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected].
6. Security Measures
We implement rigorous technical and organizational security controls to safeguard your personal data:
– All data transmission is encrypted using secure socket layer (SSL) technology.
– Access to personal data is limited to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis.
– We conduct regular staff training on data protection procedures.
– Backups are routinely performed and stored securely to ensure data integrity and availability.
7. International Data Transfers
Where personal data is transferred outside of your jurisdiction, including the European Economic Area (EEA), we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information. These safeguards may include:
– The use of Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.
– Verification that the receiving country ensures an adequate level of data protection.
– Where applicable, your explicit consent for such data transfers.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying legal, accounting, or compliance requirements. We retain data as follows:
– Usage Data: 12 months
– Account and Profile Data: As long as the account is active and for up to 24 months after account deactivation
– Communication Data: 24 months
– Technical Data: 12 months
– Transaction Data: 7 years (in compliance with tax and financial law)
– Preference Data: Until consent is withdrawn or for a maximum of 36 months from last interaction
9. Cookie Policy
Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and gather information about visitors:
– Essential Cookies: Required for core site functionality, such as logging in and managing auctions.
– Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and site behavior to personalize your experience.
– Analytics Cookies: Collect aggregated data on site usage and performance insights.
– Performance Cookies: Monitor and improve system responsiveness and usage experience.
10. Cookie Management and Regional Compliance
Consent management tools are implemented on ultimatecharityauction.com to give users full control over cookie preferences. Where required by law, particularly in the EU, we only set non-essential cookies after gaining your explicit consent.
In compliance with the CCPA, California residents have the right to opt out of the sale of their personal data (Note: Ultimate Charity Auction does not sell personal data for monetary value). Cookie preferences can be configured through your browser or device settings, or by using the designated tools available on our site.
11. Children’s Privacy
We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from anyone under the age of 13. If you believe that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information without parental consent, please contact us at [email protected]. We will delete such information promptly upon verification.
12. Policy Updates
We reserve the right to amend this Privacy Policy as our services, legal obligations, or processing practices evolve. Material changes will be communicated via this website, and where appropriate, through email notification or platform banners.
13. Contact Information
If you have any questions, concerns, requests, or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal information, please contact us:
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.ultimatecharityauction.com
We are committed to full compliance with all applicable privacy laws and regulations. Your data privacy matters to us, and we welcome your questions or feedback at any time.