This Privacy Policy was last updated January 1, 2017.
General
ALWAYS BELIEVE TAKES MATTERS OF PRIVACY AND INFORMATION SERIOUSLY. Please read the following to learn more about our privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”).
This Privacy Policy applies to the use of the Sites (as defined below), including by both consumers and Professionals.
“Professional(s)” means individuals, companies and other organizations or persons acting as real estate professionals or otherwise engaged in a business relevant to the Sites, including, without limitation, realtors, agents, providers of moving-related services, products or information, homebuilders, lenders, brokers, real estate professionals, re-modelers, seniors-related housing, product or service providers, home service professionals and other service professionals. Except as otherwise indicated, Professionals, consumers and other persons using the Sites are individually and collectively referred to as “you,” and Always Believe, LLC, together with Always Believe, LLC’s subsidiaries and affiliates, is referred to as, “Always Believe”, “we”, “us” and “our.”
“Consumer” (or “consumer”) shall have its ordinary meaning but generally includes any visitor to or user of the Sites other than Professionals. We use the Sites to provide you with information, resources, tools, products and services specific to the real estate industry and related markets, and to provide you with information about us and our advertisers, and our respective products and services.
The Always Believe family of Web sites, and mobile apps, mobile-optimized Web sites and other applications and/or electronic media (such as emails Always Believe sends), linking to or bearing this Privacy Policy and operated by or on behalf of Always Believe (collectively, the “Sites,” and each, a “Site”) are committed to implementing policies and procedures designed to provide for privacy and security and deliver the best possible online experience. To that end, we want you to understand what kinds of information we gather about you, how this information, particularly Personal Information (defined below), is used and safeguarded, and how you can control its use.
In conjunction with this Privacy Policy, you should also review our Terms of Use for a more complete understanding of the rules governing our Sites.
Effective Date and Modifications
This version of the Privacy Policy is effective as of the date first written above (the “Effective Date”) and may be updated and modified from time to time by us in our sole discretion. If we choose to update or modify this Privacy Policy, such updated or modified policy shall become effective on the date that is five (5) days after its posting on the applicable Site(s) (the “Modification Effective Date”); this is true even if it were to happen that the Effective Date (as also modified) is a date earlier than the Modification Effective Date, in which case this Privacy Policy, as updated or modified, is effective as of the Modification Effective Date. We encourage you, therefore, to periodically review this Privacy Policy and the Sites in order to keep apprised of our current privacy practices. If you do not agree to any provision of this Privacy Policy, or any update or modification of it, please do not use the Sites.
Information Collected
Information You Give Us: Information collected from you will vary, depending on how you access, visit, use or otherwise take advantage of the Sites and what information you may choose to provide to us (whether through the Sites, email or otherwise). It may be possible to browse various sections of the Sites without submitting any Personal Information.
“Personal Information” means individually identifiable information about you that we collect online or otherwise through the Sites, including, but not limited to, your full name, a user name and password, email address, phone number, physical address, or, for certain products or services, your social security number, or financial information, and for certain e-commerce transactions your credit card information.
Information in a form that is aggregated with other information, anonymized or otherwise processed so as not to be reasonably identifiable with you, and information in a form that otherwise is detached, combined, organized, segmented, modified or processed so as not to be reasonably capable of being associated with you, will not be considered Personal Information, and will not be restricted by this Privacy Policy as to use, sharing or otherwise.
If you access, visit, use or otherwise take advantage of certain of our products and/or services, or certain of our tools, Sites or Site functionality, we may receive or you may be asked to provide Personal Information.
For certain Professionals, you may also be requested to provide your license or MLS ID#. Whenever we ask for Personal Information, we strive to provide a link to this Privacy Policy to help you understand how Personal Information will be used before you decide whether to disclose it. You can choose not to provide us with Personal Information, but then you may not be able to fully take advantage of certain features of our Sites and we may not be able to provide you with certain requested information, products and/or services.
Automatic Collection of Information: Like many Web sites or media on or using the Internet, we automatically track certain information about you as you access, visit, use or otherwise take advantage of our Sites; this is for various reasons, including to help us (i) better understand, offer, operate, improve and modify the Sites, (ii) better understand how the Sites are used and experienced and (iii) enhance, or better understand how we can enhance, your or others’ overall experience on one or more of the Sites, including providing advertising and other information that is relevant to you. This tracked or automatically gathered information may include, among other things, your computer’s (as used in this Privacy Policy, meaning a computer, tablet, smartphone or other relevant device) IP address (Internet Protocol address), identification number or location, the URLs and Site pages you visited, sections of or content on Site pages on which you click or in which you are interested, the number of times you visit each Site page, what downloads and/or search queries you have made, when emails are opened or links are clicked, how long you spent on particular sections of each Site and on each Site generally, and information about your computer, browser or operating system type. This automatically gathered data includes information provided through the use of “cookies” (which is described in more detail below) and other technology or methods and may also include information gathered in connection with your use of third-party Web sites and media (for example, through the use of “web beacons,” “clear GIFs” or “pixels”). Although not restricted by this Privacy Policy, we may also gather and use information, generated our self or obtained from others, derived from or based on information you have provided or that is obtained by way of the collection means referred to in this Privacy Policy (e.g., automatically).
Information from Cookies: Cookies are small files that we or others send to and store on or with your computer so that your computer, browser, mobile app or other application can be recognized as unique the next time you access, visit, use or otherwise take advantage of the Sites or other media. Cookies may also reflect demographic data pertaining to you or other data linked to information you submit. One use or consequence of cookies is to enable you to receive customized ads, alerts, content, services or information. You are always free to decline any cookies we use by adjusting the settings of your browser, as your browser may permit; however, some products, services or features might not be available or operate properly if cookies are not enabled. Some of our advertisers and third-party service providers may also utilize their own cookies. You may be able to opt-out of third-party cookies, or learn more, by going to http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp.
In addition, we, our service providers and others sometimes use “web beacons” or “clear GIFs.” These perform statistical and administrative functions, such as ascertaining and measuring site and page traffic, verifying advertising paths, better understanding user interests and activity, gathering related information (such as information relating to a particular browser, device or IP address) and positioning images, and typically do so without detracting from your online experience. Web beacons and clear GIFs are not necessarily designed to collect Personal Information. In addition, if you have provided your email address, we might use a non-human unreadable form (or “hash”) of your email address to deliver, or facilitate delivery of, relevant advertisements and information to you on or by way of the Sites or on or by way of other Web sites or media, including, for example, popular social media sites and features.
Information Sharing Disclosure – How Is Information About Me Used and Shared?
The use of information about you depends on the context in which it is collected. Therefore, pay special attention to the categories below that relate to the features of the Sites that you wish to utilize.
Personal Information
We may share the Personal Information we collect from you with your consent or under the following circumstances or understandings.
User-Requested Services and Information: Certain features, products or services on or of our Sites may seek or obtain Personal Information from or about you, which may be used in the following ways:
For information, features, products and services provided by the Sites, the information you submit is used by us to provide the information, feature, product or service you’ve requested. We may also share this information with others to fulfill your request or to facilitate your use of the information, features, products or services, or as otherwise outlined in this Privacy Policy. When sharing Personal Information in such a manner, we may also share your computer’s IP address, identification number or location. In addition, we may use and share any registration information that you submit as set forth in the “Registration Information” section below.
We may use other companies and individuals (1) to perform supporting functions for the various tools, functionality, information, products and services offered through our Sites on our behalf, (2) to perform or support various tasks or initiatives instrumental to the business of, or related to operating or improving, the Sites or (3) to assist us in testing, maintaining or improving the features, content or effectiveness of the Sites or in performing research or development. These service providers may be permitted to receive from us and use information collected from you but will not be authorized by us to use Personal Information for any other purpose other than in connection with performing the support functions for Always Believe or such other tasks, initiatives or assistance for or expressly permitted by Always Believe.
For information, features, products and services marketed or offered to you jointly or on a coordinated basis by us and a third party, Personal Information may be shared with or independently gathered by the third party. In these situations, Always Believe will be free to use Personal Information to facilitate such information, features, products and services (or information about them) being made available to you and as otherwise outlined in this Privacy Policy, and you understand the third party may use the information in different ways. Although not always the case, you often can tell when information, features, products or services are marketed or offered jointly or in coordination with a third party because a page or area of the Sites often will be “co-branded” in such cases, will display the third party’s logo and/or name (whether or not along with our own), will describe or reference the relationship between Always Believe and the third party or will be set up so that you can contact or be linked to the third party or its Web site to initiate, complete or learn more about the transaction. Please be aware that each company we do business with (including, without limitation, Professionals and Providers, each as defined herein) has its own policies regarding its use, sharing and protection of information about you and that such policies may differ from those outlined in this Privacy Policy.
User-Initiated Communication: From time to time, portions of the Sites may enable you to send email and other types of messages to us or to third parties and to participate in bulletin boards and discussion groups. All such emails and messages, and all such postings to bulletin boards and discussion groups, become our property once you submit them. Your computer’s IP address may be included in any email that you send, whether to us or to third parties. Whenever you choose to initiate these kinds of communication with us, or anyone else, you may be contacted in return.
Also, remember that our bulletin boards and discussion groups are open to the public, and, therefore, your postings can be seen by anyone and are not protected by us or any other entity. Please use your own discretion when deciding whether and what to post and whom to contact. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to edit or delete postings from our bulletin boards and discussion groups. This reservation of rights shall not under any circumstances obligate us to conduct such edits or deletions, nor shall it cause us to be liable for any such edits or deletions.
Leads and Referrals. If you participate in or inquire about any lead, referral or similar service we may offer:
- Consumers. We may use the information you submit, as well as other data we might have or obtain ourselves or from other sources (for example, based on or related to such information), to determine which of our participating Professional(s) may be willing, able and/or compatible to serve your needs or possible interests and to assist them or others in doing so.
We may forward or share information relating to you, which may include such information as well as Personal Information obtained through our sign-up form or otherwise, to certain Professional(s), which may sometimes include multiple Professionals (such as in cases where a given Professional has a marketing or business relationship with one or more other Professionals and designates them to receive such information, or in cases where the nature of a product, service or feature offered on or through a Site is designed to involve participation by multiple Professionals). Those Professionals or their affiliates, contractors, advertisers, agents or other designees may use such information and contact you regarding your needs or possible interests, as may we ourselves.
The following paragraph applies only to Professionals; others may not infer any commitments or assurances from such following paragraph.
- Professionals. This paragraph applies only to Professionals, but does not apply to a Professional to the extent modified in a separate written agreement signed by an authorized officer of Always Believe, which agreements may be entered into by Always Believe in its sole discretion and without notice to others. Professionals might receive information from, or originating from, consumers seeking the Professional’s products or services or related information. These information submissions or related inquiries or leads might include, without limitation, Personal Information. Because protecting personal privacy is important, we require that Professionals treat data received from Always Believe consumers as if it was still on the Sites and in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Professionals may use the information sent to the Professionals via our Sites only for the purposes of providing the consumer products and/or services about which the consumer inquired or such purpose(s), if any, specified by us in connection with such information being made available to you. We require that Professionals not make any other use of any such data and that Professionals otherwise not share or transmit this information with or to any third party without the consumer’s consent.
Protection of rights: We will release Personal Information or other information we collect from you if we believe that such action is appropriate to: (1) comply with legal process; (2) enforce the Terms of Use agreement for the applicable Site; (3) identify, contact or bring legal action against persons or entities who are or we believe have caused or might cause injury to us or a third party, (4) defend or respond to claims brought or threatened against Always Believe, its employees, directors, suppliers or service providers, Site users or others or (5) otherwise protect or assert the rights, property, interests or personal safety of Always Believe, its employees, directors, suppliers or service providers, Site users or others. Any such release decisions may be made by us in our sole discretion.
Asset transfers: We continue to develop our business and in doing so might choose to buy or sell, or expand or otherwise restructure (e.g., by way of joint ventures or otherwise) with respect to, businesses or assets. Personal Information and other information we collect from you is generally one of the assets acquired, transferred, shared, or otherwise affected in connection with such transactions.
Registration Information: The Personal Information you provide when you become a registered user or customer of one of the Sites is used primarily to help us customize or enhance your or others’ online experience, increase the convenience of accessing new or existing tools, products and services, and, if applicable, provide the information, features, products and/or services you purchase or request. This Personal Information may also be shared among the Sites to make use of the Sites more convenient by, for example, limiting the number of times you have to register with us. Your email address serves as a unique identifier in our record system, and together with your password is designed to help us prevent unauthorized access to information you choose to store on the Sites. The data you give us about your personal preferences and demographics (e.g., your age, ZIP code, occupation or the like), as well as other information we might have or obtain ourselves or from other sources (for example, based on or related to such data), may be used to help us offer content, advertisements, products, and services that we believe will be of interest to you. In addition, we may share this information, in aggregate or other protected form (see “Information Collected,” above) or under confidentiality terms, with our current and potential advertisers and service providers so that they, or we, can present and deliver advertisements more effectively. If you forget your password for any registered area of the Sites, we may have an automated password recovery system, which can be accessed by clicking on the “Forgot Password?” link on the sign-in page.
- Consumers: Unless you specify that you would prefer not to hear from us, we may use the email address and other information (including Personal Information) you provide at the time of registration to contact you for promotional or other purposes. You may have promotional email communications terminated at any time by opting out through your member profile on the applicable Site, or by clicking on any “unsubscribe” link contained in a promotional email. Please be aware that opting out on one of our Sites, does not opt you out from any of our other Sites unless that option is specifically provided.
The following paragraph applies only to Professionals; others may not infer any commitments or assurances from such following paragraph.
- Professionals: This paragraph applies only to Professionals, but does not apply to a Professional to the extent modified in a separate written agreement signed by an authorized officer of Always Believe, which agreements may be entered into by Always Believe in its sole discretion and without notice to others. We may offer a newsletter, electronic flyer or similar material to keep Professionals abreast of the products and services on the Sites or other professional products and services. Information such as a Professional’s license number or personal financial information will not be shared with third parties except to complete a transaction or as outlined in this Privacy Policy. Additionally, information provided by Professionals for the purposes of offering the Professional’s products and services to others via one or more of the Sites will be shared with others, including consumers accessing or using one or more of the Sites. To the extent such information is necessary to offer such products and services it typically will be posted on the applicable Site(s). This may include, without limitation, the Professional’s full name, email address, license number, state of license, address, phone number, graphic images and any other data intended to help consumers identify or contact the Professional or related to the Professional’s products or services.
Special Messaging Consent.
By submitting a request or inquiry about (or a request or inquiry for information about), or a request or authorization to be contacted about real estate and related products, services, offerings, procedures, details or matters you are providing to Always Believe’s associated advertisers, lead customers (e.g., lead or referral service customers), subscribers and Professionals (each, a “Provider”), and to Always Believe, your consent to be contacted for marketing, informational and related purposes in connection with such request, authorization or inquiry by one or more Providers and by Always Believe by telephone device (including, but not limited to, being contacted on a recorded line and potentially by use of automated dialing systems and artificial or prerecorded voice messaging), email, mail or otherwise, based on the phone number, email address and/or other data you have provided.
This consent applies even if your phone number, email address or other data is on a corporate, federal, State, local or other do-not-contact type of list or directory (such as the U.S. National Do Not Call Registry). You are not required to consent to receiving autodialer calls, or to otherwise provide this consent, as a condition of purchasing any products or services from Providers or Always Believe. You agree that your submitted request, authorization or inquiry (as described above) acts as your electronic signature for this consent. You acknowledge that for text, SMS, calls and other electronic messages that message and data rates (for example, from your network provider) may apply.
When sharing Personal Information in accordance with this Privacy Policy, we may also share your computer’s IP address, identification number or location.
You (whether you are a consumer, a Professional, a Provider or otherwise) consent to Always Believe (including any designee of Always Believe) contacting you in any manner consistent with information (including Personal Information) you have provided or we otherwise have pertaining to you or consistent with other instructions, requests, inquiries or consents that have been given by you or on your behalf (whether by way of this Privacy Policy or otherwise). If for a particular contact we determine we need consent from you we currently do not have (or are not sure we have), Always Believe (including any designee of Always Believe) may contact you by any available communication means to seek such consent.
Always Believe is not restricted as to information, including Personal Information, except as described in this Privacy Policy.
Non-personal Information
Automatically Gathered Information: Information that is automatically, electronically or otherwise gathered, including through the use of cookies and other technology, may be shared among the Sites. It may also be shared with other third parties, including listing providers, advertisers, service providers and others, so that we may better understand how the Sites are used, to enhance the overall experience on the Sites and otherwise in connection with our operation of the Sites and conducting related business. But when so shared with third parties, any Personal Information will be included for such purpose(s) only if first put in aggregated, de-identified or other protected form (see “Information Collected” above) or the third party will be contractually or otherwise restricted as to the use of such Personal Information (for example, restricted to use only in connection with the purpose for which it was shared by Always Believe).
Children’s Privacy: Our Sites are general audience Web sites and media. If you are under the age of 18 you should not register or provide information on our Sites. We do not collect Personal Information from any person we actually know is a child under the age of 18. If you have knowledge that a child under the age of 18 has submitted Personal Information to us, please email Privacy@TourOpenHousesUSA.com.
Always Believe is not restricted as to non-Personal Information, except as described in this Privacy Policy.
Access and Changing Personal Information?
To view, edit or delete the Personal Information that you submitted on the Sites during registration or during the purchase of a product or service, or that you otherwise submitted as described above:
Consumers: Follow the instructions found in the “My Profile” or “Edit Your Profile” area of the Site(s) where you registered or submitted Personal Information. If you would like us to no longer use or share with our affiliates, partners or other service providers, Personal Information we may gather from you to market information to you, please send a request to Privacy@TourOpenHousesUSA.com.
The following paragraph applies only to Professionals; others may not infer any commitments or assurances from such following paragraph.
Professionals: Professionals may edit Personal Information the Professional has submitted by returning to the area of the Site where the Professional registered and modifying the information there, or by contacting our Customer Care Center at CustomerCare@TourOpenHousesUSA.com.
By contacting Customer Care to make such changes, Professionals expressly authorize Customer Care to access Personal Information and any associated data or accounts for the purposes of completing the Professional’s requested edits, modifications and/or deletions. This paragraph applies only to Professionals, but does not apply to a Professional to the extent modified in a separate written agreement signed by an authorized officer of Always Believe, which agreements may be entered into by Always Believe in its sole discretion and without notice to others. Any change you request regarding Personal Information may adversely affect or otherwise change the availability, deliverability or quality for you of information, features, products or services in which you are interested or your experience on or relating to the Sites.
Personal Information Protection
We need to describe how the PI is protected.
Your efforts are vital to safeguarding the integrity of your own and others’ privacy. Please use common sense whenever you disclose Personal Information over the Internet. We also encourage you to let us know immediately if you suspect that Personal Information you share with us is being used in any way contrary to this Privacy Policy. Unfortunately, since no data transmission over the Internet nor any storage of information on servers or other media can be guaranteed or made to be 100% secure; and while we strive to protect Personal Information, as outlined in this Privacy Policy, we cannot promise, guarantee or warrant the complete security of information. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact us via email at Privacy@TourOpenHousesUSA.com.
Outside Links Are Not Covered by this Privacy Policy
Be aware that our Sites may link to other Web sites and media that may collect Personal Information and have their own privacy policies.
This Privacy Policy applies only to our Sites, and we are not responsible for the privacy practices, nor the content, associated with any linked Web sites. You should refer to the privacy policies and statements of other Web sites or contact the respective Webmasters of those Web sites to obtain information regarding their information collection, security, use and disclosure policies.
Online Behavioral Advertising (OBA) – Information
“Online Behavioral Advertising” (“OBA”) is the collection of data online from a particular computer or device regarding Web viewing behaviors over time and across non-affiliate Web sites (meaning, Web sites other than this Site or other of the Sites) and for the purpose of using such data to predict user preferences or interests to deliver advertising to that computer or device based on the preferences or interests inferred from such Web viewing behaviors. Sometimes ads might appear on the Sites that are delivered to you based on OBA methods. If such ads are displayed to you, the purpose typically is to deliver ads to you that are expected to be of greater relevance to you (because they tend to relate to topics of interest to you as indicated by such collected data), and thus more helpful to you while potentially being more effective for advertisers as well. Such ad-delivery and data-collection normally is performed by third parties not affiliated with us. However, if you prefer not to receive ads delivered to you on this Site based on OBA, then you can click “Opt Out”. With respect to the Sites, we endeavor to comply with OBA-related guidelines known as the Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising as published in July, 2009, by a consortium of leading advertising associations including the Council of Better Business Bureaus and others (including the AAAA, ANA, DMA and IAB). Note that when we refer here to “you” or “your” in connection with OBA, this often times means a computer, IP address, or other device that presumably you use, or is associated with you, in connection with use of the World Wide Web.
Certain things that are not included as OBA (some of which have been addressed elsewhere in this Privacy Policy) are: collection on one or more of the Sites of viewing behavior on such Site(s) solely for use on or in connection with one or more of the Sites (including the delivery of ads on the Sites); the logging or reporting of ad performance or other ad metrics such as page views or the number and type of advertisements delivered (such reporting may include, for example, reporting by us to one of our service providers or customers, or vice versa); the activity itself of causing ads or advertising-related services to be delivered (apart from whether OBA is involved); and Contextual Advertising. By “Contextual Advertising,” we mean the delivery of advertisements based on (i) the content of one or more of a Site’s Web pages, (ii) a search query on one of the Sites or (iii) a user’s behavior on one or more of the Sites during the same online session during which the ad is delivered.
Contacting Us
If you have concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices in general, contact us at Privacy@TourOpenHousesUSA.com