(Last Updated on December 1, 2006)
American Pardon Services Inc. ("APS," "we," "us") shares the concerns
of visitors ("Visitors," "you") to our Internet
world wide web site (the "Site") that links directly
to this privacy policy about the protection of personal information
online. This privacy policy (the "Policy") describes
our practices regarding the privacy of information that we collect through
the Site, which is hosted and operated from the United States and Canada. This Policy
does not govern our collection of information through any web site, or
by any other means, other than through the Site, or the collection of
information by any parent, subsidiaries, sponsors or affiliated companies
("Affiliated Entities").
We encourage you to read this Policy before using our Site. By using
the Site, you agree to the terms and conditions of this Policy. If you
do not agree to the terms and conditions of this Policy, please do not
use the Site.
1. Information APS Gathers Through
the Site.
APS gathers two basic types of information
through the Site: "Personal Information," information from which
an individual can be identified, and "Aggregate Information,"
from which an individual can not be identified.
a. Aggregate Information. When you visit and interact with the
Site, APS and third parties with whom
APS has contracted to provide services
to APS, may collect anonymous information
from three sources: server log files, cookies, and "pixel tags".
i. Server Log Files. Your Internet Protocol (IP) address
is an identifying number that is automatically assigned to your computer
by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This number is identified
and logged automatically in our server log files whenever you visit
the Site, along with the time(s) of your visit(s) and the page(s)
that you visited. We use the IP addresses of all Visitors to calculate
Site usage levels, to help diagnose problems with the Site's servers,
and to administer the Site. We may also use IP addresses to communicate
or to block access by Visitors who fail to comply with our Terms of
Service. Collecting IP addresses is standard practice on the Internet
and is carried out automatically by many web sites. ii. Cookies. Cookies are data that a web server transfers
to an individual's computer for recordkeeping purposes. Cookies are
an industry standard used by most web sites, and help facilitate users'
ongoing access to and use of a particular web site. Cookies do not
cause damage to your computer systems or files, and only the web site
that transferred a particular cookie to you can read, modify or delete
such cookie. If you do not want information collected through the
use of cookies, there are simple procedures in most browsers that
allow you to delete existing cookies, to automatically decline cookies,
or to be given the choice of declining or accepting the transfer of
particular cookies to your computer. You should note, however, that
declining cookies may make it difficult or impossible for you to use
portions of the Site.
b. Personal Information. You are not ordinarily required to
register or provide Personal Information in order to access our Site,
though certain functionalities (such as applying for a service)
may require registration. We collect Personal Information from you only
when you voluntarily provide it to us - for example, in contacting us
through the Site, signing up for email updates and announcements
concerning our services and special promotions, and purchasing APS services. Personal Information may include your contact information
(such as your name, postal address, telephone numbers and/or email address),
as well as your payment information, such as credit card number, credit card security (cvv2) code and
expiration date ("Payment Information"), which we collect
if you wish to purchase any service made available through
the Site ("Transaction").
2. Use and Disclosure of Information APS
Gathers Through the Site.
a. Personal Information. We may use your Personal Information
in any of the following ways.
i. Communications. We encourage Visitors to contact us with
questions and comments. Personal Information may be used in order
to respond to your questions and comments.
ii. Business Purposes. We may also use your Personal Information
for internal business purposes, such as analyzing and managing our
businesses. The Personal Information you provide through the Site
may be combined with other information you provide to APS (via online or offline means), with demographic information
and other information that is publicly available, or with other information
about you that APS may otherwise obtain
online or offline.
iii. Transactions. When you take part in a Transaction through
the Site such as purchasing any APS services, we
may collect Payment Information from you related to such Transaction
as well as other Personal Information such as a shipping address so
that we can send you and documents related to the services you have purchased. We may use your
Personal Information or Payment Information in order to complete the
Transaction and, if applicable, to fulfill your purchase. We may also
provide such Payment Information to third parties as necessary to
complete your Transaction (for example, to process your credit card).
iv. Special Promotions and Product Information. In addition,
APS may use your Personal Information
to provide you with email updates and announcements concerning our
services and special promotions. You may opt-out of receiving these
messages from us at any time (see "Contact Us" below).
v. Critical Communications. From time to time we may use
your Personal Information to email you important information regarding
the Site, your Transactions, or changes to our terms, conditions,
and policies ("Critical Emails"). Because this information
may be critical to your use of the Site, you may not opt-out of receiving
these emails.
vi. Third Party Service Providers. We work with third parties
who provide services, including web site hosting, credit card processing,
data analysis, newsletter services, promotional activities, and other
administrative services. We may share your Personal Information, including
your Payment Information, with such third parties for the purpose
of enabling such third parties to provide such services.
vii. Miscellaneous. Finally, we may disclose your Personal
Information if we believe that we are required to do so: (i) by law;
(ii) to comply with legal process or governmental requests; (iii)
to enforce our Terms of Service; (iv) to protect our operations; (v)
to protect the rights, privacy, safety or property of APS, you or others; and (vi) to permit us to pursue available
remedies or limit the damages that we may sustain.
b. Aggregate Information. We analyze Aggregate Information in
order to enhance web site security, track the popularity of certain
pages of the Site, the success of our email notifications, traffic levels
on the Site and other usage data, all of which helps us to provide content
tailored to your interests, improve the Site and related services and
to otherwise enhance your experience on the Site. We may share Aggregate
Information with Affiliated Entities and other third parties.
3. Other Important Notes Regarding Our Privacy Practices.
a. Special Note for Parents. APS
takes seriously its obligations under the Children's Online Privacy
Protection Act concerning the collection of Personal Information from
individuals under the age of thirteen (13). The Site is not directed
at children, and we request that children under the age of 13 not provide
Personal Information through the Site.
b. Security. We have security measures and tools in place to
help protect against the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information
under our control. Any time you provide us with your credit card number,
that credit card number is transmitted to us by your browser in an encrypted
format using industry-standard, SSL (secure socket layer) encryption.
No method of transmitting or storing data is completely secure. As a
result, although we strive to protect your Personal Information, we
cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us
through or in connection with the Site. If you have reason to believe
that your interaction with us is no longer secure (for example, if you
feel that the security of any account you might have with us has been
compromised), you must immediately notify us of the problem by contacting
us in accordance with "Contact Us," below (note that
physical mail notification will delay the time it takes for us to respond
to the problem).
c. Other Third Party Sites. The Site may contain links to third
party web sites. These linked sites (including the web sites of Affiliated
Entities) are not under APS's control
and we are not responsible for the privacy practices or the contents
of any such linked site, or any link contained in any linked site. We
provide such links only as a convenience, and the inclusion of a link
on the Site does not imply endorsement of the linked site by APS. If you provide Payment Information or other Personal Information
through any such third party web site, your transaction will occur on
such third party's web site (not the Site) and the Personal Information
you provide will be collected by, and controlled by the privacy policy
of that third party. It is important that you familiarize yourself
with the privacy policies and practices of any such third parties.
d. Assignment. We reserve the right to transfer any and all
information that we collect from users of the Site to a third party
in the event of any merger, sale, joint venture, assignment, transfer
or other disposition of all or any portion of APS's assets or stock (including without limitation in connection
with any bankruptcy or similar proceedings).
4. Updating Your Information and Contacting Us.
APS has procedures in place to keep your
Personal Information accurate, complete and up to date for the purposes
for which it is collected and used. You may review the information we
have collected and where appropriate you may request that it be corrected.
We also provide you with you several options for reviewing, correcting,
updating or otherwise modifying information you have previously provided:
1. You may email us at: privacy@americanpardons.com
2. You may call us at 1-800-360-8763
3. You may send mail to the following postal mail address:
Attn: Website Privacy Officer
American Pardon Services Inc.
1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW - Suite 300
Washington, DC 20004
Please clearly indicate the information that you wish to review or
have changed. We will endeavor to comply with your request as soon as
reasonably possible.
Note that despite any removal of or change to Personal Information
requested there may also be residual information that will remain within
our databases and other records, which will not be removed or changed.
5. Choice
From time to time, we may ask you to indicate whether you are interested
in receiving emails and other information from APS. If you elect to receive these communications, we will occasionally
send you emails or other information that match your requests and offer
you promotions and coupons.
If at any time you wish to stop receiving these email communications
from us, please just let us know by emailing, calling or writing to us
using the contact information listed above in Contacting Us. Please indicate that
you wish to stop receiving email communications from APS.
In addition, we do not disclose your Personal Information to third parties
for the third-party's direct marketing purposes if we have received and
processed a request from you that your Personal Information not be shared
with third parties for that purpose. If you would like to submit such
a request, please just let us know by emailing, calling or writing to
us using the contact information listed above in Contacting Us. Please
indicate that you request that APS not
disclose your Personal Information to third parties for direct marketing.
6. Changes to This Policy.
We reserve the right to change this
Policy, and any of our policies or procedures concerning the treatment
of information collected through the Site, without prior notice. You can
determine when this Policy was last revised by referring to the "Last
Updated" legend at the top of this page. Any changes to our Policy
will become effective upon posting of the revised Policy on the Internet,
accessible through the Site. Use of the Site following such changes constitutes
your acceptance of the revised Policy then in effect. We encourage you
to bookmark this page and to periodically review it to ensure familiarity
with the most current version of our Policy.
This Policy represents the sole, authorized statement of APS's practices with respect to the collection of Personal Information
(defined below) through the Site and APS's
use of such information. Any summaries of this Policy generated by third
party software or otherwise (for example, in connection with the Platform
for Privacy Preferences or "P3P") shall have no legal effect,
do not bind APS, shall not be relied upon
in substitute for this Policy, and neither supersede nor modify this Policy.
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