Privacy Policy
Last updated on Oct 12, 2023
We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. Should any changes occur, we'll update this Policy on our website and amend the "Last updated" date accordingly.
We avoid collecting Personally Identifying Information (PII) whenever possible. We do not make money by selling your data. We may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase one of our recommendations as a reward for driving the sale.
As of October 12, 2023, we have introduced the concept of user accounts on Vetted. These accounts help us enhance user experience. If you choose to create an account, you can do so using Google or Apple authentication services. Our focus remains on anonymized aggregate data.
These are the kinds of questions we want to answer with the data that we collect:
- What product categories are popular?
- How well does our service works within those categories?
- When we recommend a product, did the user actually purchase it?
- What features of Vetted do people find valuable?
- What features of Vetted do people find less valuable?
- What data do people use to inform themselves about purchasing decisions?
- How many people are using Vetted?
Not a single one of those questions require us to know what any individual user is up to. We look at 100% anonymized aggregate data to help people choose what to buy, by looking at what features are being used, and what people find useful.
We only collect data when you're on one of our supported retail or shopping websites or are using our mobile apps.
With regards to our Chrome and other Browser extensions, please note that although the Chrome and Safari Web Stores require us to ask for permission to "read and change site data on all the websites you visit," this is NOT what we're actually doing. The only time we collect any data at all is in the aforementioned scenario. We do not touch your e-mails, or any other browsing data in any way.
We welcome the Chrome team to change the way permissions work so we can easily request a more limited set of data.
1. Anonymized search queries on e-commerce sites
We look at this data in aggregate to determine what products and product categories are popular in order to understand where to focus our efforts on. In particular, we try to identify deficiencies in our product and category coverage. For example, when you search for something on Amazon, this is the only data that we see:
{ 'query': 'earphones', 'site': 'amazon' }
2. Anonymized product pages on e-commerce sites
Like above, we look at this data to determine what products are popular. For example, if you browse to a product's page on Amazon, and the product exists in our database, we receive the following data:
{ 'sku': 'B0000ABCDE', 'store': 'amazon' }
3. Anonymized purchase information
If you purchase one of our recommendations (thank you - we hope you'll enjoy your purchase!), this is the only data that we see:
{ 'sku': 'B0000ABCDE', 'store': 'amazon', 'purchased': 'yes' }
4. HTTP Server Logs
Like most websites, our web servers log information about requests and responses. This includes the IP Address and User-Agent associated with the request. As a general rule, when we examine logs, we do not pay attention to either the IP address or the User-Agent. However, we may occasionally look at similar requests when debugging. We make no attempt to tie those requests to any specific user.
5. Analytics
We currently use event analytics via Google Analytics, and Amplitude. We currently use it for generic user-flow analysis, and nothing at the individual/per-user level.
6. User Account Information
If you opt to create an account on Vetted, you can sign in using Google or Apple authentication services. We do not store your Google or Apple credentials, nor do we have access to any other information from these platforms except the basic profile information needed to establish your Vetted account.
7. How We Collect, Secure, and Use Your Information
Upon accessing our services, our systems may automatically log specific data from your device. This could be your IP address, device model, unique identifiers associated with your device, the browser you're using, and a generalized geographic location (such as the city or country you're in).
Additionally, we may track your device's interactions with our site, such as the pages you visit and the hyperlinks you engage with. This data collection serves to deepen our understanding of our user base, their origins, and their content preferences. It primarily aids in analytics and facilitates the enhancement of service quality and contextual relevance. Should you opt to establish an account on our platform, we may require certain personal details from you, such as your name, email address, and password. This information is crucial for granting you secure access to your account and offering customer support services.
We make it a point not to intentionally gather any sensitive data from you, including but not limited to, your racial or ethnic background, political views, religious beliefs, or health status.
We employ reasonable safeguards to secure the personal data we obtain from you. Your information is securely housed on cloud infrastructure providers. Nevertheless, it's important to acknowledge that no security system is infallible, and as such, we cannot offer an absolute guarantee of your personal information's safety.
You can choose to provide us with your e-mail address in order to receive deal notifications to categories you're interested in. If you do, your e-mail is managed by a third party (MailChimp). Doing so will not associate your e-mail address with the Vetted extension or website usage. You can unsubscribe at any time, and if you are not subscribed to any categories, your e-mail address will be deleted from our records.
Our aim to minimize data collection extends to our messaging features.
We use third-party services, Google and Apple, for user authentication. We expect these services to adhere to their respective privacy policies and terms of service, including data protection and security protocols. As these are third-party services, their data collection and storage practices are not under our control. Users are advised to review Google and Apple’s privacy policies for more details.
If you wish to have your account or any associated data deleted, you can do so by sending us an email.
Here are the steps to follow:
- Email Subject: Write "Account Deletion Request."
- Email Content: Include the email address and name associated with your Vetted account.
- Data Deletion Choices: Specify whether you want us to delete only your personalization data or all data associated with your account.
Send this email to [email protected].
Upon receiving your email, we will confirm your identity and then proceed with the deletion process. Please note that once your data is deleted, it cannot be recovered.
Data Retention After Deletion: Unless required for legal purposes, your data will be irreversibly deleted within 30 days of confirming your deletion request.