The Bright Sites, Inc. (“we” or “Bright Sites”) Privacy Policy informs you about how we handle your personal information. This Privacy Policy applies to all of the products, services and websites offered by Bright Sites, including but not limited to the website located at www.openvacationweeks.com (the “Website”). We reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy, or any other policy or practice, at any time. Your use, or continued use, of the Website will be conclusively deemed acceptance of this Privacy Policy and any changes or modifications to this Privacy Policy, respectively. Words and phrases used in this policy have the same meaning as in the Terms of Use – available at www.openvacationweeks.com/terms (the “Terms of Use”).
Personal information we collect
Information we collect from visitors
Visitors to our Website can access the Website's home page, and browse some areas of the site, without disclosing any personally identifiable information. We do track information provided to us by your browser, including the Website you came from (known as the referring URL), the type of browser you use, the time and date of access, and other information that does not personally identify you.
In addition, we gather information about you that is automatically collected by our Web server, such as your IP address and domain name. Bright Sites may use Web server and browser information to individually customize its offerings and presentations if you submit your personal information.
Information we collect when you register or sign-up for services.
At various times you may contribute your personal data to us. For example, in order to process a request or inquiry you may make concerning a property or transaction, we need to know all or some of the following: your full name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and, in the case of a member's (advertising) listing, a method of payment. You may also contribute personal data to us at other times, such as when registering on the Website.
When using our service, you may provide, and we may store, text, information, files, references, links, designs, comments, discussion, graphics, photos, works of art, multimedia works, video, music, sound and other content or information (collectively, “Content”).
Inquiries
Visitors to our Website users may send inquiries, including bids on properties, to property owners via clickable links on Website listings. If you choose to send an inquiry through these links, your personal information, including your e-mail address and any other information you supply, will be visible to the property owner in question so that they might reply directly to you. If you call the property owner, you may be asked to leave a return telephone number. Do not share information in the e-mail or phone call that you are not prepared to allow them to have, including, but not limited to, credit card and bank account information. These inquiries are both sent to the individual property owner you selected and retained by us. Except as set forth in this Privacy Policy, the resulting inquiry is available for review only by the member to whom they were initially addressed and to our customer service employees, who may be asked by members for their past inquiry information.
Other information
- We also collect information that you voluntarily provide to us through responses to surveys, search functions, questionnaires, feedback, and the like.
- We may also ask you to provide additional information such as your e-mail address if you want to obtain additional services or information or to resolve complaints or concerns.
Use of cookies and other tracking systems
Cookies, log files, and pixel-tags (Web beacons) are technologies used by the Website and Apps to identify a user as the user uses the Website or Apps. Your browser allows us to place some information (session based IDs and/or persistent cookies) on your computer's hard drive that identifies the computer you are using. We may use cookies to personalize our Websites and to track your usage across our Website.
Your Web browser can be set to allow you to control whether you will accept cookies, reject cookies, or to notify you each time a cookie is sent to you. If your browser is set to reject cookies, Websites that are cookie-enabled will not recognize you when you return to the Website, and some Website functionality may be lost. The Help section of your browser will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting cookies.
On occasion, we contract with third parties to place cookies on your computer's hard drive. These third parties have entered into an agreement with us that requires them to observe our Privacy Policy.
Although cookies do not normally contain personally identifiable information, if you have provided us information about you, we may associate your registration information with cookies or other tracking utilities our Website places on your computer's hard drive. Associating a cookie with your registration data allows us to offer increased personalization and functionality. Without cookies, this functionality would not be possible.
Some of our business partners may use cookies on our sites (for example, links to business partners). We do not want our business partners to use cookies to track our customers' activities once they leave our sites. However, we may not have total control over how our business partners may use cookies on our Websites. If you become aware that a Bright Sites business partner is placing an unwanted cookie on your hard drive, please contact our Privacy Officer to assist us in resolving the problem.
In addition, we may use other tracking systems like pixel-tags. Pixel tags, sometimes called Web beacons, are similar in function to a cookie. But because of their insignificant size, it is not visible; though, they are used to pass certain information to our servers to personalize our Websites and Apps and to track your usage across the Website. In addition, we may also use pixel tags in our HTML based e-mails.
How we use the information
Aggregate Data
We gather aggregate data about visitors to our Websites for product and service development and improvement activities. We also use it for market analysis. We may provide information from our Websites in aggregate form, with identifying information removed, to third parties. When aggregate information is provided, we pool it from many individual records and strip it of any data that could be used to identify an individual before it is used.
Operations
We use personal information to (a) verify that only authorized users are accessing the respective services; (b) operate, support, maintain and deliver our Website and services; (c) manage your account; (d) process payments; (e) contact you; and (f) to communicate helpful tips and advice during your use of our service.
We may also personalize our Website or services based on your interests. For example, you may see different articles in different places on our Website based on information you have shared with us, or information we have gained by reviewing your previous visits, or information we may have gained from your interactions with a third party that shares information with us.
Third parties
In addition to aggregate information (discussed previously), we may share some kinds of personal information with third parties as described below.
- Property owners: When you submit an inquiry and/or a bid to a property owner, we may share with such property owner bids made on other properties using the same username. We will only share the name and description of the property you bid on, the dates the property was requested for and the bid price. No other personal information or personally identifiable information will be shared.
- Companies and people who work for us: We contract with other companies and individuals to help us provide services. For example, we may host some of our Websites or services on another company's computers, hire technical consultants to maintain our software, or work with companies to remove repetitive information from customer lists, analyze data, provide marketing assistance, and provide customer service. In addition, we may validate your identity and other information against available databases. In order to perform their jobs, these other companies may have limited access to some of the personal information we maintain about our users. Other companies may collect information on our behalf through their sites. This occasionally incorporates the use of frames on the site that will not show the URL you are visiting in the browser address window. We require that such companies not use your information for any purpose other than fulfilling their responsibilities to us. We also require that such companies keep your personal information confidential and to comply with applicable laws. Bright Sites cannot, however, guarantee that any third party will maintain the privacy of your information.
- Promotional and informational offers: Sometimes we send offers to selected groups of customers. To accomplish this we may use third parties working on behalf of Bright Sites. We provide a variety of mechanisms for you to tell us you do not want to receive such promotional - informational offers. For example, we may provide an opt-in box for customers to receive information that is sent by a third-party fulfillment house, and we make clear that, by opting in, you are submitting your data to a third-party. You can elect not to receive promotional or informational material from us by following the instructions to opt-out as mentioned or included in each of our programs we send to you.
- Business transfers: If we transfer a business unit (such as a subsidiary) or an asset (such as a Website) to another company, we will require it to honor the terms of this Privacy Policy.
- Legal requirements: We may be obligated to cooperate with various law enforcement inquiries. Bright Sites reserves the right to share or transfer your information to comply with a legal requirement, disclose any activities or information about you to law enforcement or other government officials as we, in our sole discretion, determine necessary or appropriate, in connection with an investigation of fraud, for the administration of justice, intellectual property infringements, or other activity that is illegal or may expose us or you to legal liability. We may release information if, in our judgment the release may be necessary to prevent the death or serious injury of an individual.
Protection of information
Our commitment to security
We have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and help prevent unauthorized access, maintain data security, and correctly use the information we collect online.
General policies
We have implemented technology and security policies, rules, and other measures to protect the personal data that we have under our control from unauthorized access, improper use, alteration, unlawful or accidental destruction, and accidental loss. We also protect your information by requiring that all our employees and others who have access to or are associated with the processing of your data respect your confidentiality.
Bright Sites uses security methods to determine the identity of each registered user, so that appropriate rights and restrictions can be enforced for that user. Reliable verification of user identity is called authentication. Bright Sites uses both passwords and usernames to authenticate users. Users are responsible for maintaining their own passwords.
Your privacy choices
Opt-out
In the registration form you complete when registering for our services, you may have an opportunity to elect to receive recurring informational/promotional e-mail from us. Our email correspondence will include instructions on how to update certain personal information and how to unsubscribe from our emails. Please follow the instructions in the emails to opt-out of an email. We will unsubscribe you from that newsletter or other programs within ten business days.
You can always contact us in order to change your preferences with respect to marketing contacts by logging into your account to update your information.
Updating your personal information and contacting Bright Sites
You control your account and who has access to it. You can review and update your account information. You can modify, add, or delete certain personal information, such as your mailing address and email, by accessing your account through the Website. If you close your account, Bright Sites will no longer provide access to your personal information, except as required by applicable laws, rules or regulations.
Requesting a Summary of Information
At any time, you may contact us via e-mail to request a summary of any personal information retained by us about you. In the event we receive such a request, we may you to go through a process to confirm or verify your identity.
Bright Sites, Inc. Privacy Policy updated June 8, 2010.
If you have any questions about out privacy policy, you can contact our privacy officer at:
contact@BrightSites.com ; or
Bright Sites, Inc
500 Riggsbee Farm Dr.
Cary, NC 27519