VSC MEDIA CORP. PRIVACY STATEMENT
VSC Media Corp. (collectively referred to in this Privacy Statement as “we” or “VSC”) recognize the importance of protecting the privacy of all information provided by users of our web sites, subscribers to our print and electronic magazines, registrants for our events, recipients of our e-mail newsletters and all our other customers of our products and services. We created this policy with a fundamental respect for our customers’ right to privacy and as a guide to our relationships with our customers. This Privacy Statement discloses the privacy practices for all products and services owned by VSC.
INFORMATION COLLECTION USE
VSC collects information from our website users, magazine subscribers, 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.
REGISTRATION AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
We ask users to register their contact information when signing up for specific services such as subscriptions and newsletters. During registration, users are required to give their name, e-mail address, mailing address, and phone number. For internal purposes, we use this information to communicate with users to provide requested services and to improve content and services in our magazines and websites. For our services that require payment, we also collect credit card information (such as account name, card number, and expiration date), which is used for our or our agent’s billing purposes only, and is not otherwise shared.
E-MAIL NEWSLETTERS AND UPDATE FEEDS
If users wish to subscribe to our e-mail newsletters, we ask for contact information such as name, address, e-mail address, and phone number. We use this information in the same manner as described in the registration and subscription process described above. Recipients of our e-newsletters can unsubscribe using the opt-out link at the bottom of the e-mail newsletter or by emailing admin@9magazine.com and identifying the product they wish to opt-out from.
SURVEYS AND CONTESTS
Occasionally, we invite our website users, advertisers, subscribers, and other customers to provide information for surveys or contests. Participation in these surveys or contests is completely voluntary so participants have a choice whether to disclose requested contact information, such as name and mailing address, zip code, and job title. In addition to the uses described earlier in this policy, contact information is used to notify the winners and award prizes, and to monitor or improve the use of the website or other VSC products or services. Contact information may also be shared with third party sponsors of the surveys or contests.
INTERACTIVE FEATURES
In some of our websites, we offer interactive and community features such as discussion boards, webcasts and user profiles. Note that all personal information sent or posted via such features becomes public information. VSC assumes no responsibility for information shared in a public forum.
COMMUNICATIONS WITH US
We offer multiple features that allow our customers to communicate with us. When submissions include requests for service, support, or information, we may forward them to our agents who can best respond to the specific request. In addition, we may retain e-mails and other information sent to us for our internal administrative purposes and to help us to serve customers better. Please note that letters to the editor and similar submissions may be made public. Personal comments made by customers in surveys may be retained, but any public use of such will first require the customer’s written consent.
COMMUNICATIONS FROM US: Service Updates, Special Offers
To best serve our customers, we may send updates that contain important information about our products and services. For example, we may send new members a welcome message, and verify password and username for our password-protected web pages. We may also communicate with a customer to provide requested services and for account-related issues via e-mail, phone, or postal mail. In addition, we offer customers the option to receive information about our company, related products, services, and special deals.
AUTOMATIC DATA COLLECTION
Our web sites, newsletters, and other electronic products and services have features that automatically collect information from customers. This helps us deliver content specific to the customers’ interests and Preferences. We can then create new products and services that will better serve the needs of our customers. For example, we use “cookies” a piece of data stored on the user’s hard drive containing information about the user. Cookies benefit the user by requiring login only once, thereby saving them time. We also note specific pages the user visits on our web sites and via our e-mail newsletters through the use of pixel tags. The use of cookies, and pixel tags enable us to track and target the interests of our users to enhance the experience on our sites and via our e-mail newsletters. If users reject the cookies, they may be limited in the use of some areas of our web site. For example, the user may not be able to participate in contests or reach important updates that are posted daily.
Some of our business affiliates use cookies in their ads or promotions that appear on our websites and in some of our e-mail newsletters. We have no access or control over these business affiliates’ cookies; we urge our users to read their privacy policies for more information.
Occasionally, we use third-party technology to service ads for VSC electronic products and services. This technology uses information about user visits (not including the name, address, or phone number), to help us understand the value and interest of our content. In the course of serving our ads, a unique third-party cookie may be placed or recognized on the user’s browser. In addition, we use web beacons provided by our ad-serving partners to help manage our online advertising for VSC products and services. These web beacons enable our ad server to recognize a browser’s cookie when a browser visits these sites and to learn which banner ads bring users to our websites. The information used in this process is not personally identifiable.
We also use an email delivery company to send e-mails and e-newsletters that users have subscribed to or otherwise agreed to receive. Web beacons and cookies may be used in such e-mail messages to help us measure the effectiveness of our advertising and how customers use our web sites and other products and services.
For internal purposes, we gather date, time, browser type, navigation history, and IP address of all visitors to our web sites. We use this information for the internal security audit log, trend analysis, system administration, and to better understand our user base. We may combine information supplied by a customer at registration with web site usage data to learn more about users and their preferences. We use this information to tailor services to the users’ interests or to contact the user with offers from our business associates. We do not disclose this information to third parties.
WHO WE SHARE INFORMATION WITH
We may provide targeted lists of names and offline and online contact information for marketing purposes to third parties. Other than as set forth above, 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 also be able to use personal information. We will 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 customer information changes, or if the customer no longer desires our product(s)/service(s), we provide a way to correct or update the personal data. Customers may contact the Publisher or any Sales Rep for the applicable product or service.
OPT-OUT
VSC utilizes state of the art email distribution software. Each electronically transmitted product contains a clearly marked hyperlink allowing for Opt-out. Opt-out information is transferred to a VSC master database and is kept in the Opt-out state indefinitely unless the user re-subscribes.
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. VSC is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of other sites not owned by us. We encourage customers to be aware when they leave our site, and to read the privacy statements of each website we are linked to that may collect personally identifiable information.
CHILDREN
VSC websites are not directed at individuals under thirteen years of age, and VSC does not intend to collect any personally-identifiable information from such individuals.
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:
VSC MEDIA CORP.
PO BOX 110263
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34211
877-842-0009
Admin@9magazine.com
© 2010 VSC Media Corp.