1. General.
Meguiar's, Inc. ("Meguiar's") respects the privacy of its users
whether they use the Meguiar's website located at the following URL www.meguiars.com
("Website") to: (a) use the interactive features that Meguiar's
may make available from time to time; or (b) simply view the Website. The following
Meguiar's privacy policy ("Privacy Policy") is designed to
inform you, as a user of the Website, about the types of information that Meguiar's
may gather about or collect from you in connection with your use of the Website.
It also is intended to explain the conditions under which Meguiar's uses and
discloses that information, and your rights in relation to that information.
Because of changes in technology and the growth and development of our business, Meguiar's may need to modify this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes to this Privacy Policy are discussed at the end of this document. Each time you use the Website, however, the current version of this Privacy Policy will apply. Accordingly, each time you use the Website you should check the date of this Privacy Policy (which appears at the end of this document) and review any changes since the last time you used the site.
2. Children
The Website is not intended for children under 13 years of age. Meguiar's does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
3. Gathering, Use and Disclosure of Non-Personally-Identifying Information
A. Users of the Website Generally"Non-Personally-Identifying Information" is information that, without the aid of additional information, cannot be directly associated with a specific person or entity.
(i) Web BrowsersLike most website operators, Meguiar's gathers from users of the Website Non-Personally-Identifying Information of the sort that Web browsers, depending on their settings, may make available. That information includes the user's Internet Protocol ("IP") address, operating system and browser type, and the locations of the Web pages the user views right before arriving at, while navigating and immediately after leaving the Website.
(ii) Use of Non-Personally-Identifying Information
Meguiar's analyzes Non-Personally-Identifying Information gathered from users
of the Website to help Meguiar's better understand how the Website is being
used. By identifying patterns and trends in usage, Meguiar's is able to better
design the Website to improve users' experiences, both in terms of content and
ease of use. From time to time, Meguiar's may also release the Non-Personally-Identifying
Information gathered from Website users in the aggregate, such as by publishing
a report on trends in the usage of the Website.
B. Web Cookies
A "Web Cookie" is a string of information that a website stores
on a user's computer, and that the user's browser provides to the website each
time the user submits a query to the site. Meguiar's uses Web Cookies to track
the pages that users visit during each Website session, both to help Meguiar's
improve users' experiences and to help Meguiar's understand how the Website
is being used.
As with other Non-Personally-Identifying Information gathered from users of
the Website, Meguiar's analyzes and discloses in aggregate form information
gathered using Web Cookies, so as to help Meguiar's, its partners and others
better understand how the Website is being used. Meguiar's does not attempt
to link information gathered using Web Cookies to Personally-Identifying Information.
MEGUIAR'S USERS WHO DO NOT WISH TO HAVE WEB COOKIES PLACED ON THEIR COMPUTERS
SHOULD SET THEIR BROWSERS TO REFUSE WEB COOKIES BEFORE ACCESSING THE WEBSITE,
WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT CERTAIN FEATURES OF THE WEBSITE MAY NOT FUNCTION
PROPERLY WITHOUT THE AID OF WEB COOKIES. WEBSITE USERS WHO REFUSE WEB COOKIES
ASSUME ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY RESULTING LOSS OF FUNCTIONALITY.
C. Web BeaconsA "Web Beacon" is an object that is embedded in a web page that is usually invisible to the user and allows website operators to check whether a user has viewed a particular web page. Meguiar's may use Web Beacons on the Website to count users who have visited particular pages and to deliver co-branded services. Web Beacons are not used to access users' Personally-Identifying Information; they are a technique Meguiar's may use to compile aggregated statistics about Website usage. Web Beacons collect only a limited set of information including a cookie number, time and date of a page view, and a description of the page on which the Web Beacon resides.
You may not decline Web Beacons, however, they can be rendered ineffective by declining all cookies or modifying your browser setting to notify you each time a cookie is tendered and permit you to accept or decline cookies on an individual basis. Third parties are not permitted to use Web Beacons on the Website.
4. Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personally-Identifying Information
A. Making Contributions to the WebsiteAs defined above, Personally-Identifying Information is information that can be directly associated with a specific person or entity. Meguiar's collects a range of Personally-Identifying Information from and about Website users. Much of the Personally-Identifying Information collected by Meguiar's about users is information provided by users themselves. Certain interactive features on the Website may require users to submit Personally-Identifying Information in order to use the feature. For example, when users submit a comment or question to the customer care center, they will submit their: first name, last name, organization name, address, city of residence, state of residence, zip code, email address, phone number and may submit additional Personally-Identifying-Information by means of an text box along with their submission.
B. Notices of Violations of Website Terms of Service and Other Communications Directed to Meguiar'sBy submitting an email or otherwise submitting a communication (including communications about content stored on or transmitted through the Website) to Meguiar's, you consent to have such communication forwarded to the person or entity who stored or transmitted the content addressed by your communication, in order to facilitate a prompt resolution. Upon written request Meguiar's will edit out your name and contact information.
C. MarketingIf users opt-in to receive Meguiar's marketing materials, Meguiar's will email users about products and services that Meguiar's believes may be of interest to them. If users opt-in to receive third parties' marketing materials, Meguiar's also will provide users' email information to third parties, so that those third parties may directly contact users about additional products and services. If a user wishes to opt-out of receiving emails from Meguiar's or having their email information provided to third parties at any time after registration, they may do so by sending Meguiar's an email at cc_contact@meguiars.com. Even after opting-out, a user may continue to receive marketing emails from third parties to whom Meguiar's already has provided the user's email information. Users will be responsible for directly contacting such third parties to request cessation of further marketing emails.
D. CommentsIf you submit a comment to the customer care center describing a positive experience with Meguiar's or Meguiar's products, Meguiar's may publish all or part of your submission along with the first initial of your first name, first initial of your last name, city of residence and state of residence on the Website.
E. Other DisclosuresAs described in the previous sections titled "Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personally-Identifying Information," users may, at their option, disclose their own Personally-Identifying Information by any means they choose, including without limitation through using Meguiar's RX Plus Interactive Experience, submitting a comment or question to the customer care center, locating a dealer or car club or registering a car club. Meguiar's will also disclose Personally-Identifying Information in the following circumstances:
(i) To Operate the WebsiteMeguiar's will disclose Personally-Identifying Information to those Meguiar's employees, contractors, affiliates, vendors and suppliers who process Personally-Identifying Information on Meguiar's behalf or participate with Meguiar's in the provision or operation of the Website.
(ii) By Law, to Protect Rights and to Comply with Meguiar's PoliciesMeguiar's discloses Personally-Identifying Information: (1) when required to do so by law, or in response to a subpoena or court order; (2) when Meguiar's believes in its sole discretion that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect against fraud, to protect the property or rights of Meguiar's, other users, third parties or the public at large; (3) when Meguiar's believes that you have abused the service by using it to attack other systems or to gain unauthorized access to any other system, to engage in spamming or otherwise to violate applicable laws; and (4) to comply with Meguiar's policies.
(iii) Business Transfers; BankruptcyMeguiar's reserves the right to transfer all Personally-Identifying Information in its possession to a successor organization in the event of a merger, acquisition, or bankruptcy or other sale of all or a portion of Meguiar's assets. Other than to the extent ordered by a bankruptcy or other court, the use and disclosure of all transferred Personally-Identifying Information will be subject to this Privacy Policy, or to a new privacy policy if you are given notice of that new privacy policy and you affirmatively opt-in to accept it. Personally-Identifying Information submitted or collected after a transfer, however, may be subject to a new privacy policy adopted by the successor organization.
F. Security
Meguiar's takes reasonable precautions to protect the security of our users' information. Meguiar's has physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to help safeguard, prevent unauthorized access, maintain data security, and correctly use your information. However, neither people nor security systems are foolproof, including encryption systems. Therefore, while we use reasonable efforts to protect your PI, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
G. Surveys
From time to time, Meguiar's may also ask Website users to participate in surveys designed to help Meguiar's improve the Website. Meguiar's may disclose any Personally-Identifying Information provided to Meguiar's in connection with any survey to third parties.
5. Collection and Use of Information by Third Parties Not Covered By This
Agreement
Third parties are under no obligation to comply with this Privacy Policy with
respect to Personally-Identifying Information that users provide directly to
those third parties or that those third parties collect for themselves. Meguiar's
does not control the third-party websites accessible through the Website. Thus,
this Privacy Policy does not apply to information provided to or gathered by
the third parties that operate them. Before visiting a third party, whether
by means of a link on the Website or otherwise, and before providing any Personally-Identifying
Information to any third party, users should inform themselves of the privacy
policies and practices (if any) of the third party responsible for that website,
and should take those steps necessary to, in those users' discretion, protect
their privacy.
6. Privacy Policy Changes
Meguiar's may, in its sole discretion, change this Privacy Policy from time
to time. Meguiar's will alert all users with whom it maintains email information
of such modifications by means of an email to their most recently provided email
address. It is therefore important that you regularly review this Agreement
and keep your contact information current to ensure you are informed of any
changes. Any and all changes to Meguiar's Privacy Policy will also be reflected
on this page. Unless Meguiar's obtains your express consent, any revised Privacy
Policy will apply only to information collected after such time as the revised
Privacy Policy takes effect, and not to information collected under any earlier
Privacy Policies. Meguiar's encourages visitors to frequently check this page
for any changes to its Privacy Policy.
This policy is effective as of and was last updated on November 24, 2008.