1. Introduction
VetMyFranchise ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at vetmyfranchise.com and use our franchise analysis services.
By using our website, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.
2. Information We Collect
Information You Provide
- Account information: Email address and password when you create an account
- Report purchase information: Name, email, available capital, location, professional background, and primary concerns when ordering a report
- Lead inquiry information: Name, email, phone number, capital, location, and message when requesting franchise information. This data may be shared with the relevant franchisor
- Payment information: Payment details processed securely through Stripe. We do not store your credit card number, CVV, or full card details on our servers
Information Collected Automatically
- Analytics data: If you consent to analytics cookies, we collect usage data (pages visited, time on site) via Google Analytics
- Device information: Browser type, operating system, and screen resolution
- IP address: Used for security purposes and general geographic analytics
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Process your purchases and deliver personalized franchise analysis reports
- Manage your account and provide access to purchased reports
- Forward lead inquiries to relevant franchisors (with your explicit consent)
- Send transactional emails (purchase confirmations, report delivery, account notifications)
- Improve our website, reports, and services
- Detect and prevent fraud or unauthorized access
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.
4. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services that may process your information:
- Stripe: Payment processing. Stripe collects and processes your payment information under their own Privacy Policy. Stripe is PCI DSS Level 1 certified
- Google Analytics: Website usage analytics, loaded only after you consent via our cookie banner. See Google's Privacy Policy
- Resend: Transactional email delivery for order confirmations, report delivery, and account notifications
- Anthropic (Claude AI): AI-powered analysis of franchise disclosure documents to generate reports. Only franchise business data (not your personal information) is sent to the AI for analysis
Each third-party service operates under its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review their policies.
5. Cookies & Analytics
When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie consent banner. You can choose to accept or decline analytics cookies.
- Essential storage: We use browser session storage to maintain your authentication state (via a secure token). This is necessary for the website to function
- Analytics cookies: Google Analytics cookies are loaded only if you click "Accept" on our cookie consent banner. These help us understand how visitors use our site. You can change your preference at any time by clearing your browser's local storage
We do not use advertising, retargeting, or tracking cookies.
6. Data Sharing
Your personal data may be shared in the following circumstances:
- Franchise lead inquiries: When you submit a lead inquiry form, your name, email, phone, and message may be shared with the relevant franchisor. This is clearly disclosed on the form and requires your consent
- Service providers: With our third-party service providers (listed above) as necessary to operate our services
- Legal requirements: If required by law, regulation, or legal process
7. Data Retention
We retain your account information and purchase history for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you access to your purchased reports. Lead inquiry data is retained for up to 12 months unless deleted sooner. If you request account deletion, we will remove your personal information and anonymize order records within 30 days, except where we are required to retain data for legal or compliance purposes.
8. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information:
- All data is transmitted over HTTPS encryption
- Passwords are hashed using bcrypt before storage
- Authentication uses secure JWT tokens stored in session storage
- Payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe (PCI DSS Level 1 certified)
- Database access is restricted to our application servers
However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
9. Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you — use the "Export My Data" button in your account settings
- Correct inaccurate personal information — contact us at the email below
- Delete your account and personal information — use the "Delete My Account" button in your account settings or contact us
- Export your data in a portable format (JSON) — available in your account settings
- Withdraw consent for analytics cookies at any time by clearing your browser's local storage or declining cookies on your next visit
To exercise any of these rights, you can use the self-service options in your account or contact us at the email address below. We will respond to data requests within 30 days.
10. Children's Privacy
Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us and we will promptly remove it.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal data, or wish to exercise your data rights, contact us at:
support@vetmyfranchise.com