Privacy policy

PRIVACY NOTICE

Effective Date: October 11, 2025

SNOWOOW ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website snowoow.com (the "Site"), where we sell automotive air filters, oil filters, and related filter products. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our Site, make a purchase, or interact with our services. By using the Site, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

This Privacy Policy complies with applicable U.S. federal and state laws, including the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines on privacy and data security, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), and other relevant regulations. If you reside in California or another state with comprehensive privacy laws (e.g., Colorado, Virginia), additional rights and disclosures apply as outlined below.

If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not use the Site.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information to provide, improve, and secure our services, process orders, and communicate with you. We collect the following categories of personal information:

Personal Information You Provide Directly

  • Identifiers and Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, billing and shipping address.
  • Commercial Information: Purchase history, products viewed or purchased (e.g., specific automotive filter models), payment details (e.g., credit card number, expiration date, CVV – processed securely via third-party gateways).
  • Professional or Employment-Related Information: If applicable, company name or business details for wholesale inquiries.

Information Collected Automatically

  • Internet or Network Activity: IP address, browser type, device information (e.g., operating system, unique device identifiers), pages visited, time and date of visits, referral sources.
  • Geolocation Data: Approximate location based on IP address (not precise GPS data unless provided via mobile app features, which we do not currently offer).
  • Usage Data: Cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to analyze site performance and user behavior.

Information from Third Parties

  • We may receive information from payment processors (e.g., Stripe or PayPal), shipping carriers (e.g., UPS), or marketing partners (e.g., Google Analytics) to fulfill orders or improve services.

We do not collect sensitive personal information (e.g., social security numbers, health data, or biometric information) unless it is incidentally provided during a transaction and is necessary for fraud prevention. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. If we learn we have collected such information, we will delete it promptly in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

  • Fulfill Orders and Provide Services: Process purchases, ship products, handle returns, and provide customer support for automotive filters.
  • Improve and Personalize: Analyze site usage to enhance user experience, recommend products (e.g., compatible filters for specific vehicles), and troubleshoot issues.
  • Marketing and Communications: Send promotional emails about new filter products, discounts, or updates (with opt-out options). We may use aggregated data for market research.
  • Security and Fraud Prevention: Detect and prevent fraudulent transactions or unauthorized access.
  • Legal Compliance: Respond to legal requests, enforce our terms, or protect rights.

Under CCPA/CPRA, these uses align with business purposes such as completing transactions, providing requested goods, ensuring security, and internal operations.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information as defined under CCPA/CPRA (i.e., we do not exchange it for monetary or other valuable consideration). However, we may share information in the following limited circumstances:

  • Service Providers: With trusted third parties who perform services on our behalf, such as:
    • Payment processors (e.g., Stripe) for transaction handling.
    • Shipping providers (e.g., UPS, FedEx) for delivery.
    • Email service providers (e.g., Mailchimp) for communications.
    • Analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) for site optimization. These providers are contractually obligated to use your information only for the specified purpose and protect it securely.
  • Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction.
  • Legal Requirements: To comply with laws, respond to subpoenas, court orders, or government requests; protect against fraud; or enforce our rights.
  • With Your Consent: For any other purpose disclosed at the time of collection or with your explicit permission.

Categories of third parties: Service providers (as listed), affiliates (none currently), and legal authorities (as required).

We may share de-identified or aggregated data (e.g., general trends in filter purchases) publicly or with partners, but this does not identify individuals.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience:

  • Essential Cookies: Necessary for site functionality (e.g., maintaining your shopping cart).
  • Analytics Cookies: To understand how users interact with the Site (e.g., via Google Analytics).
  • Marketing Cookies: For targeted ads on third-party sites (e.g., via Google Ads).

You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may limit site features. For more details, see our Cookie Policy (forthcoming or integrated here).

5. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information, including encryption for payment data, secure servers, and access controls. However, no online transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach, we will notify affected users and authorities as required by law (e.g., under CCPA's private right of action for breaches).

6. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have additional rights. To exercise these, contact us at privacy@snowoow.com or via the methods below. We will respond within 45 days (extendable to 90 days if needed) and verify your identity.

General Rights (All Users)

  • Access and Update: Request a copy of your information or correct inaccuracies.
  • Opt-Out of Marketing: Unsubscribe from emails via the link in any message.

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA Rights)

If you are a California resident and meet CCPA thresholds, you have the following rights regarding personal information collected in the past 12 months:

  • Right to Know: Request categories/specific pieces of information collected, sources, purposes, and third parties shared with.
  • Right to Delete: Request deletion of your information (subject to exceptions, e.g., transaction fulfillment).
  • Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate information.
  • Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: We do not sell or share your information for cross-context behavioral advertising, but if we did, you could opt out via a "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link. We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals.
  • Right to Limit Sensitive Information Use: Limit use of sensitive data to necessary purposes (e.g., order processing).
  • Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights (e.g., no denial of services or price increases).

Submit requests via privacy@snowoow.com, our toll-free number (1-800-SNOWOOW), or our online form at snowoow.com/privacy-request. You may authorize an agent and appeal decisions. For more, see our California Privacy Rights section.

Other State Residents

Residents of Colorado, Virginia, Connecticut, Utah, or other states with privacy laws may have similar rights (e.g., opt-out of targeted advertising, data portability). Contact us for details.

7. Retention of Information

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described (e.g., 7 years for transaction records per IRS requirements) or as required by law. After that, we securely delete or anonymize it.

8. International Users

Our Site is hosted in the United States and intended for U.S. users. If you access from outside the U.S., your information may be transferred to and processed in the U.S., where privacy laws may differ. By using the Site, you consent to this transfer.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy periodically. Changes will be posted here with the updated effective date. Significant changes will be notified via email or Site notice. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

10. Contact Us

For questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy, contact:

Email: support@snowoow.shop

For CCPA requests, use the methods in Section 6.

Disclaimer: This Privacy Policy is for informational purposes and is not legal advice. We recommend consulting a qualified attorney to ensure compliance with all applicable laws specific to your business.