This privacy policy covers how, when and why we collect, use and share information about our users. Please read this policy carefully and review it often because it may change. This policy does not apply to our collection and use of data about companies and contacts contained in our database system.

Overview

Protecting the privacy and anonymity of our members is important to us. All members must select a unique screen name that is their public identity on the system. Members should be careful not to include personally identifiable information in their screen name.
Members must complete a registration process. We will collect personally identifiable information from our members during registration. We do not automatically included any registration information into our business contact database.
We collect, compile and may display historical, statistical and aggregate information about our members' use of our system by their screen name. We also use automatic means like cookies, clear gifs and log files to collect user information that may be tied to personally identifiable information.
We do not use or share personally identifiable information other than as described in this privacy statement. We will provide personally identifiable information to our agents and service providers so that we may provide our services. We may also disclose such information as required by law or to protect our interests or the rights of third parties.
Aggregate information that is gathered up across all member accounts is not shared together with personally identifiable information.
We communicate with our members by email. We do not give or sell email addresses to anyone for their marketing purposes.
Members have access to their information through the 'My Account' area of our system and may set or choose their sharing, use and communication preferences.
We secure information we collect using generally accepted industry standards.
This privacy statement may change at any time and changes take effect when posted unless otherwise indicated.
We will cooperate with legal inquiries and requests made by third parties to enforce laws or to protect their rights. Although members are anonymous while using our system, the improper or illegal use of our system can jeopardize that anonymity.

Notice about Children

Our system is directed to adult business people. Children under the age of 18 are not permitted to use our system. We do not knowingly collect information from or about children.

Screen Names

Maintaining the anonymity of our members is important to us. During registration, members must request a unique screen name that will be publicly attributed (tied) to their use of our system. Screen names are the key to keeping our members anonymous. We do not share screen names together with personally identifiable information.

Collection of Registration Information

All users of our system must complete a registration process. We will collect personally identifiable information during this process that includes name, email address and other personal contact information as indicated. Registration information is kept private and secure. We use this information to process registrations, maintain subscription accounts, contact our users and to provide our services. We do not share registration information together with personally identifiable information.

Adding Oneself to the Business Contact Database

Member registration information IS NOT automatically entered into our business contact database. Members can choose to enter their own business contact information by separately inputting that data after their account is activated. All members may also be included in the system if entered by another member. However, My Auction Planet WILL NOT systematically include registration information in the database unless directed by the registering member.

Optional Personal Profile

Members may choose to complete an optional personal profile. Completion of a personal profile is totally voluntary. We will use this information to customize and personalize the services we provide. We do not share personal profile information together with personally identifiable information.

Surveys or Contests

We may provide members the opportunity to participate in contests or surveys from time to time. Participation in contests or surveys is completely voluntary. If members choose to participate, we may request certain additional personally identifiable information. We will use this information to monitor system traffic, supplement, amend and personalize our system, direct advertisements, and communicate with participants. We will use email addresses to distribute and collect surveys, notify contest winners and award prizes. We do not share information members provide through a contest or survey together with personally identifiable information.

Collection of System Use Information

We use screen names to compile and process historical and statistical information about how and when our members use the system. Historical and statistical information includes information about selected actions that our members take while on the system. We will also aggregate (gather up across all member accounts) and store historical and statistical information.

System use information is collected, surveyed, evaluated and scored by the system to assess the quality of data. Member actions are effectively confirmed or challenged by the later actions of other members. We use this evaluation process to maintain our collaborative, self-correcting system and to promote the development of the most accurate, complete and up-to-date data possible. Members are objectively rated by the system based upon their actions.

Our system uses points as an incentive and a point balance will be maintained for each member based upon system use information. We may also use this information to add, adjust or discontinue certain services or functionality and to enforce our policies and procedures.

Compiled system use information, member ratings and point balances may be displayed online and shared along with screen names. We do not share such information together with personally identifiable information. System use information may be stored indefinitely, but may also be deleted at our discretion.

Collection of Information Automatically

We store information that we collect automatically through cookies, clear gifs and/or log files. We use this information to create a profile of our members' preferences. We tie personally identifiable information and system use information to member profiles in order to provide tailored promotions and marketing offers and to improve the content and functionality of the site. We do not share member profiles together with personally identifiable information.

Cookies

We use cookies on our system. A cookie is a small text file that is stored on a user's computer for record-keeping purposes. We link the information we store in cookies to personally identifiable information users submit while they are on the system.

We use both session ID cookies and/or persistent cookies. We use session cookies to make it easier for users to navigate our system. A session ID cookie expires when a user closes their browser. A persistent cookie remains on a user's hard drive for an extended period of time. Users can remove persistent cookies by following directions provided by their Internet browser. We use persistent cookies to store members' email addresses, so they do not have to enter it more than once. Persistent cookies also enable us to track and target the interests of our users to enhance the experience and functionality on our site.

If users reject cookies, they may still use our system, but their ability to use some areas of our site may be limited.

Clear Gifs

We use a software technology called clear gifs, that help us better manage content on our site by informing us what content is effective. Clear gifs are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies, and are used to track the online movements of web users. In contrast to cookies, which are stored on a user's computer hard drive, clear gifs are embedded invisibly on web pages. We tie the information gathered by clear gifs to personally identifiable information users submit while they are on the system.

We use clear gifs in our HTML-based emails to let us know which emails have been opened by recipients. This allows us to gauge the effectiveness of certain communications and the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns.

Log Files

We gather certain information automatically and store it in log files. This information includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, operating system, date/time stamp, and clickstream data.

We use this information, which does not identify individual users, to analyze trends, to administer the site, to track users' movements around the site and to gather demographic information about our user base as a whole. We link this automatically-collected data to personally identifiable information.

Sharing Aggregate Information

We aggregate (gather up data across all user accounts) demographic, statistical, historical and other similar information about our users and members and their use of our system. Aggregate information is not shared together with personally identifiable information.

Sharing Personally Identifiable Information

We do not share personally identifiable information about our members except as follows:

Agents
We use an outside companies to process payments. This processing company does not retain, share, store or use member payment information for any other purposes.

Service Providers

We use third parties service providers for network, security, email and hosting services for our system. We may use third party service providers to conduct surveys or contests. We will only provide member information that is necessary for third parties to provide their respective services to us. These third parties are prohibited from using personally identifiable information for any other purposes.

Legal Disclaimer

Even though members are anonymous while using our system, the improper or illegal use of our system may jeopardize that anonymity. We reserve the right to disclose personally identifiable information about our members, as required by law and when we believe that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or interests, the rights or interests of others and/or to comply with a judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process.

Communicating with our Members

We will typically communicate with our members using their registered email address. We do not share or sell email addresses to anyone for their marketing purposes. If we cannot reach our members by email, we may use other contact information such as their address or telephone number. We will communicate with members in accordance with their preferences and in response to inquiries, to provide requested services and to manage their accounts.

Service-related Announcements and Notifications

We will send members mandatory service-related announcements and notifications by email when necessary. Members cannot opt-out of these communications, which are not promotional in nature. If members do not wish to receive them, they have the option of canceling their account. We may broadcast important messages to all users or send individual messages to specific members.

Newsletters

Members may choose to receive our voluntary email newsletters and may subscribe and unsubscribe at any time.

Other Communications

We may send information to members by email about our services, including special alerts, offers, awards, surveys, contests, promotions and updates. Members will be given the option not to receive these types of communications.

Access to Information

Members may access and change their registration information using the 'My Account' area provided by the system. Members may change their password, screen name, email address, other contact information, payment information, optional personal profile, and their sharing, use and communication preferences. Members may access other information collected and processed about them by using standard system functionality. To access any other member related information, if any, members may email us at staff@myauctionplanet.com.

Choosing Preferences (Opt-in/Opt-out)

Members may opt-in or opt-out of having their personally identifiable information shared or used for certain purposes. Whenever the possibility exists that information collected about our members could be shared or used for certain purposes, members will be given the choice of whether or not to participate. We will provide the opportunity for members to make that choice when we ask for or share the information with third parties.

Members may also change sharing, use and communication preferences at any time using the 'My Account' area provided by the system. Recipients of our newsletter and other promotional communications from us may also opt-out of receiving that information by following the instructions included in any such communication.

Information Security
Generally accepted standards

We follow generally accepted industry standards to protect all information collected by us. We use procedural and technical safeguards to protect information against loss, theft and unauthorized access or disclosure during transmission and once we receive it. Perfect security does not exist on the Internet and no method of transmission or electronic storage is completely secure. While we work hard to use commercially acceptable means to protect the information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Passwords

During registration, members must select a password. Passwords are used to secure member information and the integrity of the system. We only store a one-way encryption of member passwords which means passwords cannot be unencrypted by us. Our login page provides a way for members to obtain access to the system in case they lose or forget their password.

General Information

Business Transitions
In the event we go through a business transition, such as a merger, acquisition by another company, or a sale of all or a portion of its assets, member information will likely be among the assets transferred to a third party. The third party would then have the right to continue using such information as set forth in this policy. Members will be notified via email and prominent notice on our site for 30 days of any such change in ownership or control of member information.

Links to Other Sites

Our system contains links to other sites that are not owned or controlled by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those other sites. This privacy statement applies only to information collected by us through our system. You should keep aware of when you leave our site and read the privacy statements of each and every other web site that collects your personally identifiable information.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to change this privacy statement at any time, so please review it frequently. We will post changes to this statement, our homepage, and other places that we deem appropriate so our members are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it. Changes shall automatically be effective when posted unless otherwise indicated. If we make material changes to this policy, we may notify members by email or by other prominent means online.

Legal Requests

We will cooperate with law enforcement inquiries. In response to a verified request by law enforcement or other government officials relating to a criminal investigation or alleged illegal activity, we may disclose member information, including personally identifiable information, without a subpoena.

Except as otherwise described herein, we will not disclose member information, including personally identifiable information, without a subpoena, court order or substantially similar legal process or procedure, except when we believe in good faith that the disclosure of such information is necessary to report suspected illegal or improper activity, protect our rights or interests, protect our members' rights or interests, protect the rights or interests of third parties, or enforce our policies and procedures.