Privacy Policy

StopWatt ("we," "our," or "us") operates the website stopwatts.com and related services (collectively, the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, make a purchase, or otherwise interact with us.

By accessing or using our Service, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with its terms, please do not access the Service.

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you interact with our Service, you may voluntarily provide us with:

• Contact Information: Full name, email address, phone number, and mailing address.
• Purchase Information: Billing address, shipping address, and payment details (payment card data is processed by our payment processor and is not stored on our servers).
• Account Information: Username, password, and account preferences if you create an account.
• Communications: Messages, inquiries, survey responses, and feedback you send us.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• Device Information: Device type, operating system and version, browser type and version, screen resolution, device identifiers, and mobile network information.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on each page, links clicked, referring URLs, exit pages, and navigation paths through our site.
• IP Address and Location: Your Internet Protocol (IP) address, which may be used to derive approximate geographic location (country, region, or city).
• Log Data: Server logs including access times, error logs, and other diagnostic information.
• Cookies and Tracking Data: Information collected through cookies, pixel tags, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies (see Section 4 for details).

1.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party sources, including:

• Advertising Platforms: Meta (Facebook), Google, and other advertising networks may share information about your interactions with our ads, including whether you clicked on an advertisement and actions taken after clicking.
• Analytics Providers: Aggregated and anonymized data about website traffic and user behavior.
• Payment Processors: Transaction confirmation data and fraud prevention signals.
• Data Enrichment Services: Publicly available information used to supplement records we already hold.

We use the information we collect for the following purposes, relying on the lawful bases indicated:

2.1 To Provide and Manage Our Services

• Process and fulfill your orders, including shipping and delivery.
• Manage your account and provide customer support.
• Send transactional communications such as order confirmations, shipping notifications, and receipts.
• Process returns, refunds, and warranty claims under our 60-day money-back guarantee.

2.2 To Improve Our Services

• Analyze usage patterns and website performance to improve functionality and user experience.
• Conduct research and analytics to understand customer needs and preferences.
• Test new features, products, and services.
• Debug and fix technical issues.

2.3 For Marketing and Advertising

• Send promotional emails, special offers, and newsletters (where you have consented or where we have a legitimate interest, with opt-out provided).
• Serve targeted advertisements on third-party platforms such as Facebook and Google based on your interests and browsing behavior.
• Create custom and lookalike audiences on advertising platforms to reach similar potential customers.
• Measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns.

2.4 For Legal and Safety Purposes

• Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, security breaches, and other harmful activities.
• Enforce our Terms of Service and other agreements.
• Protect the rights, property, and safety of StopWatt, our customers, and the public.

We may share your personal information with the following categories of third parties:

3.1 Service Providers

We engage trusted third-party companies to perform services on our behalf, including:

• Payment Processors: To securely process credit card and payment transactions.
• Shipping and Fulfillment Partners: To ship and deliver your orders.
• Email Service Providers: To send transactional and marketing emails.
• Customer Support Platforms: To manage customer inquiries and support tickets.
• Cloud Hosting and Infrastructure: To host our website and store data securely.
• Analytics Providers: To analyze website traffic and user behavior.

All service providers are contractually obligated to use your information only as directed by us and in accordance with this Privacy Policy, and to implement appropriate security measures.

3.2 Advertising Partners

We share certain information with advertising platforms — including Meta (Facebook), Google, TikTok, and other networks — for the purpose of delivering targeted advertisements and measuring advertising performance. This may include:

• Hashed email addresses and phone numbers for audience matching.
• Behavioral data collected via pixels and tracking technologies.
• Conversion events (e.g., purchases, page views, add-to-cart actions).

3.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.

3.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court order, subpoena, or government agency request). We may also disclose information when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

3.5 With Your Consent

We may share your information for other purposes with your explicit prior consent.

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect and use information about you and your interactions with our Service. This section explains what these technologies are and how we use them.

4.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by websites you visit. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, provide a better user experience, and supply information to the website owners. Cookies may be "session cookies" (deleted when you close your browser) or "persistent cookies" (remaining on your device for a set period or until deleted).

4.2 Types of Cookies We Use

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: Essential for the website to function. They include cookies that allow you to log in, add items to your cart, and complete purchases. These cannot be disabled without significantly affecting site functionality.
• Performance and Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our site by collecting information anonymously. We use these to measure and improve website performance.
• Functionality Cookies: Remember your preferences and personalize your experience, such as remembering your language preference or region.
• Targeting and Advertising Cookies: Track your browsing habits to enable us and our advertising partners to deliver relevant advertisements to you on our site and on other sites you visit. They also limit the number of times you see an advertisement and help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

4.3 Other Tracking Technologies

• Pixel Tags / Web Beacons: Small transparent images embedded in web pages and emails that allow us to track page views, email opens, and link clicks.
• JavaScript Tags: Code embedded in our pages that collects information about your browser and interactions with our site.
• Local Storage: Browser-based storage mechanisms similar to cookies used to store preferences and session data.
• Device Fingerprinting: Techniques that collect information about your device configuration to identify it across sessions.

4.4 Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies in several ways:

• Browser Settings: Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies through their settings menus. Instructions vary by browser — refer to your browser's help documentation.
• Opt-Out Tools: You can opt out of interest-based advertising by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance at optout.aboutads.info, the Network Advertising Initiative at optout.networkadvertising.org, or for EU users, the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance at youronlinechoices.eu.
• Google Analytics Opt-Out: You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting data about your visits by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website and your ability to use certain features.

We use various third-party services that may collect information about you. These services have their own privacy policies governing their data practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of all third-party services we use.

5.1 Meta (Facebook) Pixel

We use the Meta Pixel (formerly Facebook Pixel), an analytics tool provided by Meta Platforms, Inc. The Meta Pixel allows us to measure the effectiveness of our Facebook advertising by understanding the actions people take on our website. The pixel may collect your IP address, browser information, and information about your actions on our website (such as page views, add-to-cart events, and purchases). This data is sent to Meta and governed by Meta's Data Policy. To opt out of Facebook's interest-based advertising, visit your Facebook Ad Preferences.

5.2 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. Google Analytics uses cookies to help us analyze how users use our site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, compile reports on website activity, and provide other services related to website activity and internet usage. Google's privacy policy is available at policies.google.com/privacy.

5.3 Google Ads

We use Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) to advertise our products across the web. Google Ads uses cookies to track conversions and serve relevant ads. The data collected includes information about your interactions with our website after clicking a Google ad. Google's advertising data practices are governed by Google's Privacy Policy and advertising policies.

5.4 Payment Processors

We use third-party payment processors to handle payment transactions. When you make a purchase, your payment information is transmitted directly to our payment processor using industry-standard encryption. We do not store full credit card numbers on our servers. Our payment processors are PCI-DSS compliant and maintain appropriate security measures.

5.5 Email Marketing Services

We use third-party email marketing platforms to send promotional and transactional emails. These platforms may use tracking technologies to determine whether emails are opened and whether links are clicked. You can opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email.

5.6 Customer Support Tools

We may use third-party customer support platforms, live chat tools, or helpdesk software to manage customer communications. Information shared during support interactions may be stored and processed by these third-party providers.

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Retention Periods by Data Type

• Account Information: Retained for the duration of your account and for a period of up to 3 years following account closure, to comply with legal obligations and resolve disputes.
• Purchase and Transaction Records: Retained for a minimum of 7 years to comply with tax, accounting, and legal requirements.
• Customer Communications: Retained for up to 3 years from the date of the last interaction.
• Marketing Data: Retained until you withdraw consent or opt out, plus a reasonable additional period for legal compliance purposes.
• Analytics and Usage Data: Retained in aggregated or anonymized form indefinitely; identifiable data retained for up to 26 months.
• Cookie and Tracking Data: Retained in accordance with the individual cookie lifespans set by each cookie type and third-party provider.

When your information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it. If deletion is not immediately possible (for example, because your data is stored in backup archives), we will securely isolate it from further processing until deletion is possible.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission.
• Encrypted storage for sensitive data at rest.
• Access controls limiting employee access to personal data on a need-to-know basis.
• Regular security assessments and vulnerability testing.
• Employee training on data protection and security practices.

Despite these measures, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. We are committed to honoring these rights.

7.1 Rights Under GDPR (EEA, UK, and Switzerland Residents)

If you are located in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable local laws:

• Right of Access: You have the right to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you and information about how we process it.
• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to Be Forgotten"): You have the right to request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances (e.g., where the data is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected, or where you withdraw consent).
• Right to Restriction of Processing: You have the right to request that we limit the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit that data to another controller.
• Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes or where processing is based on legitimate interests.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your country if you believe our processing of your personal data violates applicable law.

7.2 Rights Under CCPA/CPRA (California Residents)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) provide you with the following rights:

• Right to Know: You have the right to request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, our business or commercial purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
• Right to Delete: You have the right to request deletion of personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Correct: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: You have the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not sell your personal information for monetary consideration. However, sharing data with advertising partners may constitute "sharing" under the CPRA. You may opt out by contacting us or using available opt-out mechanisms.
• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: You have the right to limit our use and disclosure of sensitive personal information to purposes reasonably necessary for the provision of our services.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA/CPRA rights.

7.3 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of the rights described above, please contact us using the details in Section 10. We will respond to verifiable requests within 30 days (or within the timeframe required by applicable law). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request. There is no fee for making a request, though we may charge a reasonable fee or decline requests that are manifestly unfounded or excessive.

Our Service is not directed to, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from, children under the age of 13 (or under the age of 16 for residents of the European Economic Area or other jurisdictions where a higher age threshold applies).

If you are a parent or guardian and you believe that your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us immediately at [email protected]. We will take prompt steps to investigate and, if confirmed, delete such information from our systems.

We do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of minors under 16 years of age for advertising purposes.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Effective Date" at the top of this Privacy Policy.
• Post the updated Privacy Policy on this page.
• Where required by applicable law or where changes are material, notify you by email or by placing a prominent notice on our website prior to the change becoming effective.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. Your continued use of the Service after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

If you disagree with any changes to this Privacy Policy, you should stop using our Service and, if applicable, close your account and request deletion of your data.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are committed to resolving any privacy-related concerns promptly and transparently.

For EU/EEA residents who feel their concerns have not been adequately addressed, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection supervisory authority. A list of supervisory authorities is available at edpb.europa.eu.