Privacy Policy

AUCTIONZIP PRIVACY POLICY

AuctionZip, LLC ("AuctionZip") is a Delaware Limited Liability Company based in Bedford, Pennsylvania.   AuctionZip provides database and software services to parties who participate in, or have an interest in the antiques, art, and traditional auction markets.

Our policies have been developed with the recognition that Internet technologies and underlying business models are rapidly evolving.   Accordingly, our policies are subject to change. Any such changes will be posted on this page. If the changes represent a material departure from our current practices with respect to the use of personal information, the changes will be posted on this page thirty days prior to taking effect, and registered users will be notified as appropriate.

As a condition of using AuctionZip.com, users must confirm their adult status.   In accordance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), AuctionZip.com does not collect or store any personal information, even in aggregate, about children under the age of 13.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully so that you understand our online privacy practices regarding:

1) INFORMATION WE COLLECT AND HOW WE COLLECT IT

The information we gather on our site falls into two categories: (1) tracking information collected as you navigate through our site, and (2) personal information you supply when you register or subscribe:

Tracking Information

Tracking information is collected and stored whenever a request is made for any page or image on our servers. This information can be analyzed and presented in the aggregate or organized by user sessions. We use it for analysis and reporting on site activity. For example, we may want to know how long the average user spends on our site, or which pages or features get the most attention.

Personally Identifiable Information

To use certain features on our site, we ask you to register and subscribe. When you register, we collect personally identifiable information about you such as your name, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone number, user name, password, and other information about your interest in our site and services. In addition, when you subscribe, we collect credit card details necessary for our billing process.

At present, personally identifiable information about users is collected only through site pages or forms submitted by users themselves. When personally identifiable information is collected, you will know because you will have to fill out one of these forms.

A Note on Cookies

A "cookie" is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a web server and is sometimes stored on your computer's hard drive, although not always. Our cookies contain unique numbers that allow our site to recognize your computer as you move about our site during a session or period of use. As an example benefit of cookies, you only need to sign-in once at the start of a session; after that, we recognize you as a subscriber. We do not use cookies to store any information beyond a session identifier.

The help function on most browsers contains information on how to set your browser to notify you before accepting cookies or to disable cookies entirely. However, if you don't accept cookies, you won't be able to use any feature that requires registration or subscription.

2) HOW YOUR INFORMATION WILL BE USED

AuctionZip uses personally identifiable information in a limited number of ways, in general falling into the following categories:

Usage Tracking for Business Development and Management

Our primary business is conducted entirely online.   As such, our success will depend on our ability to gauge popularity of one feature or product offering over another, or on our ability to understand how people use our products. Tracking and aggregating usage information will allow us to develop this understanding.

Our Communications Features

Our site offers registered users the ability to forward along objects of interest to others, and in some cases to communicate with an auction house concerning an object offered in an upcoming auction.   In order to facilitate this communication, a registered user's email of record must be accessed.

As a service to auction houses, we keep track of communications between registered users and auction houses. Not all auction houses permit direct communication with our users.   We may store destination emails sent by users to auction houses with questions or request for more information about an object.   If an auction house requests more information about a user, we may share that information if we determine that is in our interest to do so.   We may disable your capability to communicate with a specific auction house.   We may also revoke your auction house communication privileges at any time without notifying you if we determine that it is in our interest to do so.

Subscription Billing

We charge fees for using our subscription level services. At present, these are AuctionZip Basic, AuctionZip Premium, and AuctionZip Professional subscriptions. To enable the purchase of these products, AuctionZip collects and stores billing and credit card information. This information will be shared only with third parties who perform tasks required to complete the purchase transaction. Examples of such tasks include processing credit card payments for new subscriptions, subscription renewals and subscription upgrades. Please see Protection of Your Information for other relevant information.

Access Control

In order to access paid subscription products, you will be required to enter a user name and password through our secure sign-in on each visit. At that time, the current status of your subscription will be checked, and appropriate access given according to the information on file.

Communications with Our Customers and Customer Support

From time to time, it may be necessary to notify subscribers of impending subscription expirations, account or credit card issues, transactions completed, and in the case of registered users terms agreement or policy changes. While such communication will typically be conducted through email, as appropriate, mail or phone may also be used.

While we do not presently, in the future we may use the information you provide to send you e-mail and mail only for products offered by AuctionZip or its affiliates, or to determine your interest in programs or services that we believe may be of interest to you. These materials will be offered on an opt-in basis only.

Compliance with Legal Process

We may disclose personal information if we are required to do so by law, or in good faith believe that such action is necessary to: 1) comply with the law or with legal process;   2) protect and defend our rights and property; 3) protect against misuse or unauthorized use of AuctionZip.com data; or 4) protect the personal safety or property of our users or the public (among other things, this means that if you provide false information or attempt to pose as someone else, information about you may be disclosed as part of any investigation into your actions).

Sharing Your Personally Identifiable Information

In some instances, we use third party companies to help us provide our products and services to you, like a shipping company that delivers a package or an e-mail delivery service that sends out our e-mails or e-newsletters. In those instances we need to share your information with them. We require that those companies use the information only to deliver our product or service.

AuctionZip will share some or all of your personal information with another business entity should we plan to merge with or be acquired by that business entity.   In the event that such a combination occurs, we will require that the new combined entity follow this privacy policy with respect to your personal information.   If your personal information will be used contrary to this policy, you will receive prior notice in as provided in Section 2 above.

If it is clear from the information that you provide us that you are a member of the antiques, art, auction or related trades we may, in our sole discretion list you in directories, or other areas of our site, and may use the name of your firm and your relationship to us in marketing or advertising on our site, or in our promotional materials, paid advertising, or other media in order to promote our services. We will not display the content of your email submissions about our services as testimonials for promotional purposes without your express permission.

3) HOW YOU CAN CORRECT INFORMATION

Except for tracking and aggregated information, or as outlined in the section 5) below on Security and Protection of Your Information, all your information is available to you for review and update through your AuctionZip Home and AuctionZip User Home page.

4) OUR E-MAIL POLICIES

Account and Services Related E-mail

We will send you e-mails relating to your account. These include order confirmations, renewal/expiration notices, and credit card problem notifications.  

If you send auction houses emails with a question, or requesting more information about an object, the auction house may respond by email at your registered email address.   Similarly, if you send emails to others to forward objects on AuctionZip, the recipients of those emails may respond by email to your registered email address.  

If we offer, and you have registered for upcoming auction alerts or online discussions, you may receive emails specific to your participation online.

Email Newsletters

We may offer e-mail newsletters.   If you do not wish to receive newsletters, you can follow the 'unsubscribe' instructions located near the bottom of each newsletter.

Promotional E-mails

We may e-mail you messages that we think may be of interest to you about other products and services. You can choose not to receive additional future messages by following the 'unsubscribe' instructions located near the bottom of each e-mail."

5) SECURITY AND PROTECTION OF YOUR INFORMATION

We take very seriously our commitment to protect your personal information. To this end, we maintain a secure process to collect, transmit and store your personally identifiable information including credit card details.

Subscribers can review or change their registration, or subscription information at any time through the AuctionZip Home or AuctionZip User Home page with the exception of card number and card verification number which cannot be viewed or changed by any means.

We urge you to keep your password in a safe place and not to divulge it to anyone. Also remember to sign off your account and close your browser window when you have finished your visit. This ensures that others cannot access your account, especially if you are sharing a computer with someone else or using a computer in a public place.

As a dynamic and growing Site, AuctionZip may contain links to other sites that are not under our control.   Those Web sites have their own policies regarding privacy.   For your own protection, you should review their policies upon visiting these other sites to make sure they meet your expectations of privacy.

6) HOW TO CONTACT US

If you feel that we have not followed our privacy policy, or if you have any questions or concerns about the AuctionZip Privacy Policy or its implementation, please contact us by email at: feedback@AuctionZip.com, or by mail at:

AuctionZip, LLC

113 West Pitt St, Suite C

Bedford, PA 15522



This policy document was last revised 12/03/2010.