Statement of Skutt’s Online Privacy Practices: Full Text
Skutt recognizes privacy and security as being concerns for most individuals accessing the Internet, including our customers. This statement describes how Skutt collects, uses and safeguards information you provide when using our web sites; in accordance with the relevant legislation for the countries in which such data is being processed. By using our web sites, you consent to the collection and use of your information by Skutt as set forth in the policy currently in effect. Any changes to this statement will be posted on our web sites, so please check back periodically to ensure you have the most current statement. This statement of privacy practices discloses the privacy policy for Skutt’s public web sites. It applies to web sites operated by or on behalf of Skutt, Inc. and its world-wide affiliated companies and subsidiaries. Please read this statement to understand the following:
What personal information is collected?
When a visitor places an order with us, Skutt may collect personal information about you, including name, title, company, address, email address, phone numbers and, in rare instances, other categories of personal information, such as drivers license numbers, social security numbers (or equivalent national identification numbers) and date of birth. In addition to ordering and registration, we may ask you for and collect personal information at other times, including when you enter a sweepstakes or contest; participate in a promotion or marketing campaign sponsored by Skutt or one of its business partners; when you want to find out about service offered in your area; when you complete surveys or other questionnaires; when you participate in a user forum or blog hosted by Skutt or one of its business partners; when you send an email to Skutt; when you express interest in employment with Skutt; or when you engage in other activities on the sites.In addition, our web server logs collect the domain names of visitors to our web sites. This information is aggregated to measure number of visits, average time spent on a Skutt web site, pages viewed and web site usage information. We use this information to measure the use of our sites and to improve the content of our sites. Aggregated information is not used in such a form that would enable direct connection of any personal information to our visitors.
Who is collecting the information?
When you are on a Skutt site and are asked for personal information, you are sharing that information with Skutt Ceramic Products, Inc. Additionally, Skutt may also contract with third party companies to perform services for Skutt on its web site that require these companies to collect personal information (e.g. hosting a web site sweepstakes, promotion or survey, or giveaways). In addition, Skutt’s web sites may allow third party vendors to provide products and services directly to Skutt consumers. Such relationships are designated with a “Provided By” or “Powered By” company legend or logo, or other similarly worded designation. If you desire to purchase a product or service from such third party, your personal information will be collected by the third-party company, and shared with Skutt. You may review the privacy practices of the third party either by clicking the link on the bottom of the page, or by clicking on the “Provided by Company” logo, which will take you to their web site. The Skutt web site may also contain various links to third-party web sites. These sites may provide additional information, goods, services and/or promotions. These sites are owned and operated independently of Skutt, and have their own separate privacy and data collection practices. Any information you provide to these web sites will be governed under the terms of their privacy policy, if any. Skutt has no responsibility or liability whatsoever for the independent actions or policies of these independent sites, and is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such sites.
What about Cookies?
When you enter our site, our server may attach a small text file to your hard drive — a cookie. Your unique cookie tells us that it is you whenever you re-enter our site, so we can recall where you have previously been on our site, and what, if anything, you have in your shopping cart. Cookies help us deliver a better web site experience to our users.We may also use cookies to measure traffic patterns, and which areas of the Skutt site you have visited, and your visiting patterns. This information collected by using a cookie is sometimes called “clickstream.” We use this information to understand how our users navigate our site, and to determine common traffic patterns, including what site the user came from. We use this information to make site navigation and product recommendations, and to help redesign our site in order to make your experience on our site more efficient and enjoyable. We may also use this information to better personalize the content, banner ads, and promotions that you and other users will see. This helps Skutt deliver you the content you want when you want it, in order for you to make better purchasing decisions. Skutt uses a third party to track user clickstreams.You have choices with respect to cookies. By modifying your Internet browser preferences, you have the ability to accept all cookies, to be notified when a cookie is set, or to reject all cookies. Please note that, if you choose to reject all cookies you will be unable to use those services or engage in activities that require the placement of cookies.
How is my personal information used?
Skutt’s primary goal in collecting personal information is to facilitate order processing and to enable us to contact you if a problem arises with your order. This information may also be used to provide you with a customized experience on our site, which includes interactive communications, and other services. The Skutt site may also contain optional surveys and questionnaires asking for information, as well as several opportunities for visitors to ask questions. We use the information you provide to help us design and build better products, to customize your browsing experience, and to provide advice and purchase recommendations. Taking part in any of these segments is always optional and voluntary. We also use the information we collect to help target valuable marketing and advertising offers. This kind of advertising may be done with banner ads as well as promotional emails sent by Skutt, or by third parties under contract with Skutt. Skutt may also match user information with third party data to help us better understand our customers. Skutt also conducts research on our users’ demographics, interests, and behavior based on the information provided to us when making a purchase, during a promotion, from surveys and from our server log files. We do this to better understand and serve our users. This research is compiled and analyzed on an aggregated basis so as to prevent identification of personal information relating to any one individual. Skutt may share this aggregated data with our business partners.
With whom does Skutt share my personal information?
Except as outlined in this policy or on our web sites, Skutt does not provide your personal information to third parties without your consent. Please note that, in special cases, we may need to share information without acquiring consent, such as when we believe in good faith that the law requires it, or to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be violating our sites’ Terms of Use or may be violating Skutt’s or other’s rights or causing injury to or interference with Skutt’s or other’s property. Skutt may share your personal information with third-party business partners so that they may provide services to Skutt that are consistent with the terms of this Privacy Policy, and this web site (e.g. database management, sending targeted emails, software sales, and conducting sweepstakes and other promotions on behalf of Skutt). Skutt takes great pride in utilizing only reputable business partners. Skutt may also, on occasion, provide personal information to third-party businesses as part of a specific product, service, or promotion. Skutt shares web site usage information about visitors to our web sites, who have received a targeted promotional campaign, with reputable third-party advertising companies for the purpose of targeting future campaigns and upgrading visitor information used in reporting statistics. For this purpose, we and our third-party advertising companies note some of the pages you visit on our web sites through the use of pixel tags (also called clear gifs). The information collected by our third-party advertising companies through the use of these pixel tags is not personally identifiable.
What choices do I have regarding collection, use and distribution of my personal information?
Skutt or its business partners may, from time to time, send you email or direct mail regarding our products and services. If you do not want to receive such information, simply tell us when you give us your personal information, or follow the directions contained on the mailing to remove your name from our mailing list(s). On certain types of Skutt promotions, we will ask for your email address in order to contact you in the event you have won a prize. When you participate in these types of promotions, you may receive promotion-related email. Occasionally these promotion-related email messages may include targeted advertisements. If you do not wish to receive such advertisements, you can choose not to participate in such promotions or contests. Please note that by refusing to provide personal information or by denying or withdrawing consent to use personal information for purposes identified, you may be unable to participate in certain programs or activities sponsored by Skutt. You also have the right to access (review, correct, amend or delete) your personal information by contacting Skutt. Individuals are responsible for providing Skutt with accurate and complete personal information, and for contacting Skutt if correction of such information is required. Please note that, where permitted, we may charge a nominal fee for fulfilling access requests and that we reserve the right to disallow unreasonable requests for access. If you have established a “user profile” on a Skutt web site, you may change the information you provided by visiting that portion of the web site and resubmitting your information. Please direct any questions concerning Skutt’s privacy practices to [email protected]. Requests to unsubscribe from (“opt-out” of) communications from Skutt may also be sent to [email protected]. Inquiries or requests may be mailed to:
Skutt Ceramic Products Inc.
6441 S.E. Johnson Creek Blvd.
Portland, OR 97206
USA
What about information security?
When you place an order or provide personal information, we employ certain technical and organization security measures, such as encryption where appropriate. Encryption scrambles the information in your purchase, including your credit card number, so this information can only be viewed by Skutt. Skutt currently uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology, where appropriate, for Internet-based transactions. However, no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we have taken appropriate steps to protect your personal information, Skutt cannot ensure or otherwise warrant the security of any information you provide to us or from our Web site, and therefore you use our site at your own risk. As a global company Skutt has international sites and users all over the world. The personal information you provide may be transmitted, used, stored and otherwise processed outside of the country where you submitted that information, including jurisdictions that may not have data privacy laws that provide equivalent protection to such laws in your home country. Whenever Skutt handles personal information, regardless of where this occurs, we take appropriate steps to ensure that your information is treated securely and in accordance with the relevant Terms of Use, this Privacy Statement and all applicable laws and regulations.
What about my child’s privacy?
Web sites operated by or on behalf of Skutt, Inc. and its world-wide affiliated companies and subsidiaries are intended for use by persons age 13 and over. Skutt does not seek to collect information about children under the age of 13. No information should be submitted to or posted on Skutt’s web sites by users under 13 years of age. If a child under the age of 13 submits personal information to Skutt’s web sites, we delete the information as soon as we discover it was provided by a child under 13 years of age and do not use it for any purpose. Skutt encourages parents to take an active role in their children’s use of the Internet, and to inform them of the potential dangers of providing information about themselves over the Internet..
