Last updated April 26, 2011
Doctors of Weight Loss, LLC (referred to herein as “we,” “our,” or “DWL”), created this Privacy Policy to inform our website users (including individual and business users of the features and functionality made available on our websites, event registrants/participants, newsletter/information recipients, promotion participants, online community participants, those who purchase or inquire about our or third party products and services, and others (collectively referred to as “customers”) about our practices regarding collection, use and disclosure of personally identifiable information (“personal data”) that we collect from them.
While DWL websites or other materials may include links or references to non-DWL websites, materials, or entities, this Privacy Policy does not apply to those non-DWL sites, materials, or entities unless otherwise indicated.
Your Consent
You should read this entire Privacy Policy before submitting information to DWL or using any DWL website. Whenever you submit information via a DWL website site or otherwise to DWL, whether online or offline, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of that information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
COPPA Requirements
DWL complies with the requirements of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the FTC’s Rule interpreting COPPA (16 CFR § 512). Our websites are not directed to children and we do not knowingly collect any personally identifiable information from children under 13 years of age through our sites. We recommend that minors 13 years of age or older ask their parents for permission before sending any information about themselves to anyone over the Internet.
Information Collection and Use
DWL may collect personal data from customers both online and offline. In many cases, such information will be collected directly from you, such as through a transaction or inquiry, or your submission of a form, registration, or communication to us. Information may also be gathered from third-party sources (including without limitation, opt-in lists, publicly available data, consumer reporting agencies, other companies, and referrals) and through your activities and interactions with us. We may combine data collected from these disparate sources unless we tell you otherwise.
DWL collects personal data about its customers in a number of ways. In this section, we describe what types of personal data we collect, the ways we collect it, and how we use it. While we have tried to be complete, this list is not necessarily exhaustive, given that these activities can vary from time to time.
The types of personal data typically collected by DWL may include the following, depending on your activities:
• Contact information, including name, title, street address (home, work), postal code, country, telephone numbers (home, work, cell, etc.), email address (home, work), company name, and other similar information.
• Personal/demographic information, including birthdate/age/age group, gender, birth date, level of education and the like.
• User content, including information provided when you use one of our online communities, forums or other online means of communications, and all other user submissions and content you provide.
As you use DWL websites, some information can be “passively” collected using various technologies, such as cookies, web beacons, and navigational data collection (clickstream, log files, server logs). Your Internet browser automatically transmits some of this information, such as the URL of the website you just visited and the Internet Protocol (IP) address and browser version currently being used by your computer. Such technologies help us to keep track of your interactions with our websites and provide you with a more customized experience.
As is the case with many websites, DWL websites may use cookies and other automated information collection means. Cookies are information about you from the website that is stored on your browser or hard drive. Cookies save you time because you do not need to manually re-enter the information stored on your hard drive. Cookies also help us upgrade the website by showing when and how users use the site. You can set your browser to notify you when a cookie is sent or refuse cookies altogether, but certain features of DWL websites might not work without cookies.
DWL websites may also use IP addresses for the same purposes identified above, as well as to analyze trends, administer the site, track users’ movements, gather broad demographic information for aggregate use and to confirm that a particular individual affirmed his/her consent to specific legal terms (e.g. our end user license
agreement).
We may use web beacons (also known as Internet tags or clear GIFs) on our websites to access and set cookies and otherwise help us to better understand how users are moving through our websites. Information provided by the web beacon includes the computer’s IP address, the type of browser being used, and the time that the web beacon was viewed. We may also use web beacons in emails and newsletters so that we know when such communications have been opened and to otherwise help us tailor our communications to individual users.
Finally, we also monitor the performance of our services and our sites in order to manage, maintain, and improve our services and sites. We (or our third party providers) may use tools to help prevent and block “spam” communications, viruses, spyware, and other harmful or unwanted communications and programs on our websites. These tools may automatically scan any content you upload through the websites (or using functionality available via the websites) in order to help us protect you and the websites against these harmful or unwanted communications and programs. However, these tools do not collect or disclose personal data.
DWL may use personal data about customers for a wide range of purposes. We may use it to respond to your requests (including requests for newsletter subscriptions, materials, and so on); to provide materials you have requested; to allow you to post information and other content online (including in response to other postings); to improve our services, and websites; to follow up with you after you have communicated with us or submitted information to us; to send promotional communications or offers (unless you have requested that we not send such communications); for marketing and research purposes; for internal and/or external training, quality assurance, and other purposes; to allow you to contact another person; for legal and contractual reasons; to address your interests and concerns; and as otherwise specified in this Privacy Policy and/or at the point of personal data collection.
We may disclose personal data you provide to our affiliates and partners and to consultants, service providers, and contractors that we use to support our business and operations. In some cases, we work with other companies who help to gather information from you or help us to communicate with you.
We may also disclose personal data to third parties (including without limitation, governmental agencies) if required to do so by law, regulation, or court order; to respond to governmental and/or law enforcement requests; to identify, contact, or bring legal action against someone who may be causing injury to or interfering with our (or others’) rights or property; to support any claim, defense, or declaration in a case or before any jurisdictional and/or administrative authority, arbitration, or mediation panel; or in connection with disciplinary actions/investigations. Likewise, we may disclose personal data to third parties in connection with the sale, assignment, or other transfer of DWL, its business or the site to which such data applies.
The recipients of customers’ personal data, and more generally these disclosures, may be located in the United States or other jurisdictions that might not provide a level of protection equivalent to the laws in your jurisdiction. By submitting personal data to DWL, you consent to the transfer of such personal data outside your jurisdiction.
Security
DWL takes appropriate steps to protect personal data from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction, whether in transmission or storage. Please keep in mind, however, that there is no such thing as perfect security, and no Internet transmission is ever completely secure or error-free. You hereby acknowledge that DWL is not responsible for any intercepted information send via the Internet, and you hereby release us from any and all claims arising out of or related to the use of intercepted information in any unauthorized manner. Moreover, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any user name and password you use.
It’s Your Choice: Contact Preferences
We want to keep in touch with you in ways that you find to be beneficial. By submitting personal contact information, you are agreeing that we may communicate with you via email, telephone, direct mail, and/or other means of communication. If you don’t want us to use your contact information for promotional purposes (such as to tell you about other products and services that might be of interest, or to offer coupons/discounts), please let us know your preference later by contacting us as specified in the “Contact Us” section below, or by following the instructions in various communications that we may send you.
Access
To keep personal data provided by you accurate, current, and complete, please contact us as specified in the “Contact Us” section. We can then take appropriate steps to update or correct such information in our possession, or to delete your information from our contact list.
Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns related to this Privacy Policy or DWL’s information practices, would like to update or correct information you have provided, or opt in or out of future communications, please contact us at support@doctorsofweightloss.com.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
If this Privacy Policy changes, the revised policy will include a new effective date and will be posted on this page. Be sure to check the Privacy Policy whenever you submit personal data. The effective date of this Privacy Policy is the date first set forth above.