Updated: April 8, 2019

This Privacy Policy informs you about the information that the Vinyl Institute, Inc. (“we,” “our,” or “us”) collects when you use the website or mobile app (the “Services”) where this Privacy Policy appears and how we use, share, and protect the information collected. Your use of the Services constitutes your agreement with this Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree, you should not use the Services.Your use of the Services is also subject to the separate Terms and Conditions.

We collect information voluntarily provided by you, and we collect certain information automatically when you use the Services. This includes information about an identified or identifiable natural person (“personal information”) and non-personal information.

We collect information voluntarily provided by you when you use the Services.

For example, we collect information from you when you:

• sign up to receive e-mail updates;
• register for an event;
• place an order;
• participate in a survey;
• interact with features of the Services; or
• contact us with a request, question, or comment.

The information collected depends on the feature offered, and may include your first name, last name, e-mail address, mailing address, zip code, company name, and phone number.

As a general matter, each time you use the Services, the hosting company’s server automatically collects basic technical information, such as your IP address, device information, browser type and operating system, referring domain, clickstream data (e.g., pages viewed and time spent), and access times.  We use this information, which does not allow us to contact you, to understand and analyze trends, administer the Services, learn about user behavior, and gather demographic information about our users as a whole.

We or our third party technology partners may also collect location information provided by a mobile device interacting with our app(s) or associated with your IP address or Wi-Fi network. You can generally limit or prohibit the collection of location information using the built-in settings on your mobile device. Check the device instructions for more information. We do not permit the collection of precise location information (actual address) in mobile apps without your consent.

Any of the information we collect from you may be used, either individually or combined, to:

• administer and facilitate use of the Services;
• provide member benefits;
• communicate with you and respond to your requests;
• register you for e-mail updates, events, and other features;
• conduct surveys;
• publish membership directories and event registration lists;
• understand our users; and
• enhance and improve the Services and user experience.

We strive to employ reasonable security measures to maintain the security of your personal information. We use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to encrypt information during transmission. We do not process or store credit card information on our servers; when you provide credit card information, it is sent to a third party service provider who processes and stores the information on its servers. Keep in mind, however, that no data transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee its absolute security. You transmit information to us at your own risk.

We retain information collected for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which the information is collected, as required by applicable laws, or for other legitimate purposes such as resolving disputes and enforcing our agreements.

We and our third party service providers may use “cookies,” which are identifiers that facilitate the interaction between your computer or device and the Services. Different types of cookies, such as session and persistent cookies, are used for different purposes. We and our third party analytics providers may place cookies or use other technologies, such as tags and clear GIFS (sometimes called web beacons), to facilitate site navigation, personalize your experience, perform analytics, and remember your information when you use the Services. Information collected through cookies and other technologies may include your IP address, device information, browsing activity, and search engine referrals.  Read our Cookies Policy to learn more about cookies and how you can change your preferences.

We may share your personal information with select third parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you. We engage third parties perform the following types of services on our behalf:

• order fulfillment and processing;
• website hosting;
• database and server maintenance and security; and
• sending postal mail and e-mail communications on our behalf.

We will not otherwise share your personal information without your consent, except when we believe release is appropriate to comply with laws, in response to a court order or legal request, to enforce our site policies and to investigate violations, to safeguard this website, or to protect ours or others rights, property, or safety. However, non- personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.

The Services are hosted in the United States, where the Vinyl Institute is located. The data protection laws of some countries, such as the United States, may not offer a level of protection equivalent to that within the European Economic Area or your home country. By using the Services, you consent to the transfer of your personal information to the United States.

If you are a resident of the European Union, we are required to identify the legal basis for which we collect, use, share, and otherwise process your personal information. We rely on the following legal bases for processing:

(1) Consent.  For example, when you sign up to receive newsletters and e-mail updates from us. You can withdraw your consent at any time (for example, by clicking on the “unsubscribe” link in our marketing communications).

(2) Our legitimate business interests. For example, to perform data analytics,
maintain system security, communicate with members and other users of the Services and respond to their questions and comments, conduct surveys or
market analyses, and improve the Services.

(3) Performance of a contract with you.  For example, when you submit a
membership application, register for an event, or place an order.

(4) Compliance with laws.

EU residents also have certain rights in relation to personal information, subject to certain exceptions. These include: the right to object to our processing of your personal information for certain purposes, the right to access your personal information, and the ability to correct, erase, restrict or receive a copy of your personal information. We will handle any request to exercise your rights in accordance with applicable laws and any relevant legal exceptions. We may take reasonable steps to verify your identity before responding to any request. If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact details below.

You may also have the right to complain to a local data protection authority if you have concerns about our processing of your personal information. If you have any concerns, we request that you contact us first (using the contact details below) so that we can investigate, and hopefully resolve, your concerns.

If we decide to change our Privacy Policy, we will post those changes on this page. Any changes will take effect upon posting. Please check back periodically for any changes we may make to this Privacy Policy, as your continued use of this website constitutes your agreement with the then current Privacy Policy.

Vinyl Institute
1747 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Suite 825
Washington, DC 20006
privacy@vinylinfo.org
T: 202.765.2200