Welcome to Helpiing, an online knowledge and connection sharing service made available in both online and mobile forms and sponsored by Addvanz, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “App”). This Privacy Policy relates to information collected by the Helpiing Help Engine. (“Helpiing” "we" “us” or “our”) through your use of any Helpiing applications, online services, and Helpiing websites, and any client software associated with either of the foregoing (collectively such services, applications, websites and software may be referred to as the “Service”), and is a part of and is governed by the Helpiing Terms of Service Agreement.
The Privacy Policy includes the following:
THIS IS A SUMMARY ONLY. The Privacy Policy that follows constitutes the actual legal terms of our relationship.
You should carefully read the following Privacy Policy. By using the Service, you are signifying your acceptance of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, you are not permitted to use the Service.
As used in this Privacy Policy, the terms “using” and “processing” information include using cookies on a computer, subjecting the information to statistical or other analysis and using or handling information in any way, including, but not limited to collecting, storing, evaluating, modifying, deleting, using, combining, disclosing and transferring information within our organization or among our affiliates within the United States or internationally.
This Privacy Policy serves to notify you of the following:
Depending on your use of the Service, we may collect two types of information: personally identifiable information and non-personally identifiable information.
Personally identifiable information is information that identifies you or can be used to identify or contact you. Such information may include your name, location by zip code, email address, telephone number, and credit card information (although we do not store credit card data).
The personal information you provide to us may reveal or allow others to identify aspects of your life that are not expressly stated on your profile (for example, your picture or your name may reveal your gender). By providing personal information to us when you create or update your account and profile, you are expressly and voluntarily accepting our Terms of Service and freely accepting and agreeing to our processing of your personal information in ways set out by this Privacy Policy. Supplying to us any information deemed “sensitive” by applicable law is entirely voluntary on your part. You have the right to withdraw or modify your consent to Helpiing’s collection and processing of the information you provide at any time, in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy and the Terms of Service, by changing your account settings or your profile, or by closing your account.
Non-personally identifiable information is information that any single item of which, by itself, cannot be used to identify or contact you, such as demographic information (like age, profession, educational background, interests, affiliations, gender, current location, zip code, birth date, or year of birth), IP addresses, browser types, domain names, and other statistical data involving the use of the Service. Certain non-personally identifiable information may be considered a part of your personally identifiable information if it were combined with other identifiers (for example, combining your zip code with your street address) in a way that enables you to be identified. But the same pieces of information are considered non-personally identifiable information when they are taken alone or combined only with other non-personally identifiable information (for example, your viewing preferences).
We will collect personally identifiable information from you only if you voluntarily submit the information to us. We may also receive personally identifiable information about you from third parties providing credit and debit card authorization and fraud screening services as part of your use of the Service.
You will be required to become a registered user in order to use the Service. To establish an account, you will be required to provide us with information (including personally identifiable information and non-personally identifiable information) such as your full name, email address, geographical location, telephone number (optional), user name and a password. In addition, we may obtain your personally identifiable information from you if you identify yourself to us by sending us an email with questions or comments. Also, we will will access to any personally identifiable information that you choose to share through the Service (such as descriptions of your skills and interests) as well as other information (such as things you want and how you can help people). You understand that, by creating an account, Helpiing and other registered App users will be able to identify you by your Helpiing profile, and you allow us to use this information in accordance with the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are able to verify an email address for Helpiing to use to communicate with you about the Service (updates of activity on your account like new messages) by transferring a verified email address from third party email verification providers like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google. All other information will be provided to the Service by you, with your knowledge and consent.
We may collect non-personally identifiable information passively using “cookies” and “action tags.”
“Cookies” are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile device in order to identify your Web browser and the activities of your computer on the Service and other websites. Cookies are used to personalize your experience on the Service (such as dynamically generating content on webpages specifically designed for you), to assist you in using the Service (such as saving time by not having to reenter your name each time you use the Service), and to allow us to statistically monitor how you are using the Service to help us improve our offerings. We also may use cookies to target certain messages to your browser which may be of interest to you or to determine the popularity of certain content.
You do not have to accept cookies to use the Service. Although most browsers are initially set to accept cookies, you may reset your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie or to reject cookies generally. Most browsers offer instructions on how to do so in the "Help" section of the toolbar. However, if you reject cookies, certain features or resources of the Service may not work properly and you may experience some loss of convenience.
"Action tags," also known as web beacons or gif tags, are a web technology used to help track website usage information, such as how many times a specific page has been viewed. Action tags are invisible to you, and any portion of the Service, including advertisements, or email sent on our behalf, may contain action tags.
By using cookies and action tags together, we are able to gain valuable information to improve the Service and measure the effectiveness of our messaging to users of the Service. We do not track your browsing behavior on third party websites.
Finally, you should be aware that third parties may use their own cookies or action tags when you link to their websites or services on or from the Service. This Privacy Policy does not govern the use by such third-party websites or services or providers of third-party advertising.
We also collect non-personally identifiable information through our Internet log files, which record data such as user IP addresses, browser types, domain names, and other anonymous statistical data involving the use of the Service. This information may be used to analyze trends, to administer the Service, to monitor the use of the Service, and to gather general demographic information. We may link this information to personally identifiable information for these and other purposes such as personalizing your experience on the Service and evaluating the Service in general.
We are committed to protecting the privacy of children. The Service is not designed for or directed to children under the age of 13. We do not collect personally identifiable information from any person we actually know is under the age of 13. Indeed, as currently operated the Service does not collect information from or allow participation by persons under the age of 18.
In general, we use the information collected for the following purposes: (i) to provide the Service to you, which includes creating an account and profile, making your profile available to registered App users, allowing registered App users to communicate with you, enabling you to connect with registered App users, enabling you to join groups, searching registered App users profiles, communicating requests (such as your objectives or needs) with registered App users, allowing other registered App users to search your profile, and to communicate with you for the purpose of facilitating the Service (such as alerting you when registered App users offer to help with your requests); (ii) to manage the Services; (iii) to track usage and improve the Services; (iv) to help us understand who uses the Service; (v) for internal operations such as operating and improving the Service; and (vi) to contact you for customer service purposes. Helpiing does not use the information it collects to sell advertising.
When you communicate with other registered App users, we will disclose your name and in the message. You may voluntarily add content to the message, which will be disclosed to the recipient of the message. When you communicate with other registered App users by offering help with a request, we will notify the respective registered App user and disclose to that user your full Helpiing profile in his/her “Wants” section of his/her account, including your full name, and any other information you voluntarily provide on your profile.
We will use your information to send you a welcoming email to confirm your user name and password. If you “opt-in,” we and third parties may send you electronic newsletters, contact you about the Service, products, services, information and news that may be of interest to you, and provide you with targeted feedback. If you no longer desire to receive these communications, we will provide you with the option to change your preferences. In addition, if you identify yourself to us by sending us an email with questions or comments, we may use your information (including personally identifiable information) to respond to your questions or comments, and we may file your questions or comments for future reference. We may also use the information collected to send you important service announcements and updates regarding the Service. You will not be able to unsubscribe from these service announcements and updates as they contain important information relevant to your use of the Service.
We may also use the information gathered to perform statistical analysis of user behavior or to evaluate and improve the Service. We may link some of this information to personally identifiable information for internal purposes or to improve your experience with the Service.
Registered App users are able to: (i) search other registered App users; (ii) view registered App users’ profiles (which include the registered App user’s name, picture, location, skills, interests, and other information in their profile); (iii) communicate directly with other registered App users; (iv) post requests (such as objectives or needs) and view other registered App users’ requests; and/or (v) offer to provide assistance to other registered App users’ requests. You are able to control what other registered App users are able to search, view, or how they communicate with you in your account settings.
Except as set forth in this Privacy Policy or as specifically authorized by you, we will not disclose any information we gather from you through the Service.
We may disclose your information (including personally identifiable information) if we believe in good faith that we are required to do so in order to comply with an applicable statute, regulation, rule or law, a subpoena, a search warrant, a court or regulatory order, or other valid legal process. We may disclose personally identifiable information in special circumstances when we have reason to believe that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be violating the Terms of Service, to detect fraud, for assistance with delinquent accounts, or to protect the safety and/or security of our users, the Service or the general public.
We may provide to third parties non-personally identifiable information, including where such information is combined with similar information of other users of the Service. For example, we might inform third parties regarding the number of unique users who use the Service, the demographic breakdown of our users of the Service, or the products and/or services purchased using the Service and the vendors of such products and services. We may also provide to third parties personally identifiable information. For example, we might share our users’ responses to questionnaires and e-mail addresses with third parties in order for third parties to contact users about products and services that may be of interest. The third parties to which we may provide personally identifiable and non-personally identifiable information may include merchants, affiliates and other actual or potential commercial partners, sponsors, licensees, researchers and other similar parties.
We may employ independent contractors, vendors and suppliers (collectively, "Outside Contractors") to provide specific services and products related to the Service, such as hosting and maintaining the Service, providing credit card processing and fraud screening, and developing applications for the Service. In the course of providing products or services to us, these Outside Contractors may sometimes have limited access to information collected on the Service, including your personally identifiable information. We require that these contractors (1) protect the privacy of your personally identifiable information consistent with this Privacy Policy, and (2) not use or disclose your personally identifiable information for any purpose other than providing us with the products or services for which we contracted.
We reserve the right to transfer information to a third party in the event of a sale, merger or other transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of Helpiing, or that portion of Helpiing to which the Service relates, or in the event that we discontinue our business or file a petition or have filed against us a petition in bankruptcy, reorganization or similar proceeding, provided that the third party agrees to adhere to the terms of this Privacy Policy.
We may disclose information (including personally identifiable information) about you to our Corporate Affiliates. For purposes of this Privacy Policy, "Corporate Affiliate" means any person or entity which directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by or is under common control with Helpiing, whether by ownership or otherwise. Any information relating to you that we provide to our Corporate Affiliates will be treated by those Corporate Affiliates in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy.
By its very nature, our Service provides you with access to other websites and services. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of any websites or services other than the Service. We encourage you to read the privacy policies or statements of each and every such website and service. This Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected through the Service.
We want your information (including personally identifiable information) to remain secure. We strive to provide transmission of your information from your computer or mobile device to our servers through techniques that are consistent with industry standards and to employ administrative, physical, and electronic measures designed to protect your information from unauthorized access.
Notwithstanding the above, you should be aware that there is always some risk involved in transmitting information over the Internet. There is also some risk that others could find a way to thwart our security systems. As a result, while we strive to protect your information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security or privacy of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk.
Our Security Measures. We take reasonable precautions to protect the security of our users' information. We have 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. In addition, people can commit intentional crimes, make mistakes or fail to follow policies. Therefore, while we use reasonable efforts to protect your PII, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. If applicable law imposes any non-disclaimable duty to protect your PII, you agree that intentional misconduct will be the standards used to measure our compliance with that duty.
Personally-identifiable information collected on the Service may be transferred from time to time to third parties located throughout the world, and the Service may be viewed and hosted anywhere in the world, including countries that may not have laws of general applicability regulating the use and transfer of such data. By using the Service and submitting such information on it, you voluntarily consent to the trans-border transfer and hosting of such information. If you are a user accessing the Service from a jurisdiction with laws or regulations governing personal data collection, use, and disclosure that differ from those of the United States, please be advised that all aspects of the Service are governed by the internal laws of the United States and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA, regardless of your location.
Except as otherwise described in this Privacy Policy, we will only use personally identifiable information for the purposes described above or as otherwise disclosed at the time we request such information from you. You must "opt-in" and give us permission to use your personally identifiable information for any other purpose. You may also change your preferences, such as how registered members are able to communicate with you, and "opt-out" of receiving certain marketing communications by updating your preferences in the Edit Profile or Account Settings feature of the Service, following the directions provided in association with the communication, or by contacting privacy@helpiing.com.
The term “Do Not Track” refers to a HTTP header offered by certain web browsers to request that websites refrain from tracking the user. We take no action in response to Do Not Track requests.
You have the right to request the restriction of certain uses and disclosures of personally identifiable information as follows. You can contact us in order to (1) update or correct your personally identifiable information, (2) change your preferences with respect to communications and other information you receive from us or from other registered App users, (3) change your preferences with respect to the information registered App users can view or information that registered App users can search; (4) delete the personally identifiable information maintained about you on our systems (subject to the following paragraph), or (5) cancel your membership in a group or membership to Helpiing by accessing Edit Profile and Account Settings or contacting privacy@helpiing.com. Such updates, corrections, changes and deletions will have no effect on other information that we maintain, or information that we have provided to third-parties in accordance with this Privacy Policy prior to such update, correction, change or deletion. To protect your privacy and security, we may take reasonable steps (such as requesting a unique password) to verify your identity before granting you profile access or making corrections. You are responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your unique password and account information at all times.
You should be aware that it is not technologically possible to remove each and every record of the information you have provided to us from our system. The need to back up our systems to protect information from inadvertent loss means that a copy of your personally identifiable information may exist in a non-erasable form that will be difficult or impossible for us to locate. We promise that promptly after receiving your request, all personally identifiable information stored in databases we actively use and other readily searchable media will be updated, corrected, changed or deleted, as appropriate, as soon as and to the extent reasonably practicable.
We reserve the right, in our discretion, to change, modify and delete provisions of our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service at any time. If we do so, we will post the changes on this page or email you a notice, in each case indicating the effective date. Your continued use of the Service after such notice constitutes your acceptance of the modified Terms of Service or Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to abide by these or any such future Terms of Service, you are not permitted to use or access the Service.
If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy Policy or feel that we are not abiding by the terms of this Privacy Policy, please contact our Privacy Agent in any of the following ways:
By email:
If you believe we have used or disclosed your personally identifiable information in violation of this Privacy Policy, you may contact our Privacy Agent as described above. If you feel that your complaint has not been satisfactorily addressed, you may contact the Helpiing Legal Department at privacy@helpiing.com. If after 30 days you still believe your complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved, then, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Terms of Service, you may require that the matter be settled by binding arbitration by giving written notice of arbitration to Helpiing at the address above. Arbitration will take place in Boston, Massachusetts, USA (or other location agreed to by Helpiing), under the applicable rules and auspices of the American Arbitration Association. The parties will share the costs of the arbitration, though each will bear its own costs. The arbitrator will have no authority to award punitive damages. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you will be entitled to obtain injunctive or provisional relief to compel arbitration, enforce an arbitration award, and prevent disclosure of your personally identifiable information. In addition the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of the United States has jurisdiction to hear any claims against Helpiing regarding possible unfair or deceptive trade practices and violations of laws or regulations governing privacy.
BY USING THE SERVICE, YOU SIGNIFY YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY, YOU SHOULD NOT USE THE SERVICE.