REBS REALTOR® Badge

 

REALTOR® Badge Privacy Policy

Effective: June 8, 2010

Real Estate Business Services, Inc. ("REBS") has created this Privacy Policy to demonstrate our commitment to privacy and so that you, as a visitor to REALTOR® Badge website ("Web site"), will be aware of the uses made of information that may be generated as a result of you using our Web site. This policy applies only to the Web site, and separate rules and guidelines apply to the REALTOR® Badge products and services. See the appropriate end user license agreement for information relating to any specific product or service.

What information is generated when you visit the REALTOR® Badge Web site?

Depending on how you use our Web site, certain types of personal and non-personal information may be generated and collected. For example, you may give us your name or e-mail address when you complete a registration screen, respond to a questionnaire or submit an e-mail to us. Any personal information that you provide to us will be used by us primarily to fulfill the stated objective for which the information was requested or collected (e.g. if information is provided as a result of you e-mailing us, we will use the information provided, such as e-mail address, to respond to you). Other types of information that may be generated and collected when you use our Web site is information that we consider non-personal in nature. For example, we may collect the name of the domain from which you access the Internet (for example, aol.com, if you are connecting from an America Online account); the date and time you access our site or and the Internet address of the Web site from which you linked directly to our site. We use this information to measure the number of visitors to the different sections of our Web site and to help us make our Web site more useful to visitors.

Use of Cookies

What is a cookie? A cookie is a data file that is created and stored on your computer's hard drive when you visit a Web site. The typical purposes of a cookie is to make your use of the Web site easier and more convenient and to assist the Web site in tracking your use of the site. For example, a cookie may save the registration information, passwords, purchases or preferences that you create when using a Web site so you don't have to reenter this information. Cookies may also tell the Web site which areas of the site are popular and which aren't. Cookie technology is used by most major Web sites and is considered an industry standard for the Internet. Our Web site uses cookie technology to verify user information. (Please see the section titled 'Advertisements' for more information concerning advertisers.). Also, most Internet browsers are initially set to accept cookies. If you prefer, you may set your browser so that it refuses cookies or alerts you when cookies are being created on your hard drive. You should be aware though that by not accepting cookies, you may impair your ability to use certain shopping or password protected areas of web sites.

"Contact Us" Feature

Like most sites on the Internet, our Web site contains a feature that allows you to contact us with your comments or questions. Not surprisingly, we call this feature "Contact Us." To use this feature, there is an icon at the top of each page on our Web site which you can click onto. When you do click this icon, a screen will prompt you to provide us with certain information, such as your first and last name, e-mail address, phone and fax number and your address, including your city and state. The information collected through the "Contact Us" feature is used to investigate and respond to your inquiries. If you are a member, we may also use the information you provide to update our membership records.

REALTOR® Badge Product

The Web site is a site where you can purchase various real estate related products and services, mostly related to the REALTOR® Badge products and services ("Product"). In order to process and complete your orders for the Product, we may need to ask you for certain information, such as your name, company name, address, state and zip code. We also need to ask you for your credit card number and expiration date. The information collected through the Web site is used to process your order and may also be used to keep track of the amount and types of purchases being made through the Web site. We may also use your e-mail address or mailing address to send you information regarding updates to the products you purchased or new products which may be of interest to you. When you click on the Product icon, you may be taken to another Web site where you may purchase products, and if so, you agree to be taken to and bound by the terms of that website's privacy policy.

With respect to your credit card information, this information is sent encrypted to a secure server. The information is then used to complete your purchase order. Please see the section called "Security" for more information about the security of our Web site.

Links to Other Sites

In many areas of our Web site, we have included links to other Internet sites which we feel add to or improve the quality of our Web site. While we hope you find these links helpful, we cannot assume responsibility for the privacy practices or the content of any linked site. Therefore, we encourage you to investigate and determine the privacy policy and practices of any linked site prior to providing information to the linked site.

Newsletter Service

We may offer as a service to our customers a "Newsletter Service." Through this service, our members can send a customized electronic newsletter to clients and customers, which includes pertinent real estate related information as well as a photo of the member and his or her business contact information. To provide this service, we may retain various third party vendors to provide the content and technical support. To sign up for the Customer Newsletter Service, we may ask you to provide certain information, such as your name, phone number, business postal and e-mail addresses and your web site address (if you have one). In addition, you can submit the names and e-mail address of your clients and customers which you want to be subscribers of the service. Under no circumstances will the information provided you when signing up for the Newsletter Service, including the names and e-mail address of clients and customers, be used for any purpose other than to perform the Newsletter Service.

Surveys

We may from time to time create and use surveys on our Web site. Most surveys are simple "click box' surveys where you click a box on the screen to indicate your response. However, we may from time to time ask you for your name, e-mail address or demographic information. If a survey does ask you this information, we will use the information to complete the survey, compile statistics and update member records.

Contests

We may from time to time run contests on our Web site. If our contests require you to provide personal or demographic information, we will use this information primarily to complete the contest and update member records.

Advertisements

Like many other sites on the Internet, we sell advertising space on our Web site to other companies. The advertising space we sell is usually in the form of an electronic "advertisement banner." An advertisement banner is essentially a graphic link to the actual Internet site of the advertiser. While we hope you find our advertiser's products helpful, we cannot assume any responsibility for the privacy practices of our advertisers. Therefore, like any other Internet site you may visit, we encourage you to become knowledgeable of the privacy policies and practices of our advertisers prior to providing information on their sites.

Public Chat Rooms or Forums

From time to time a discussion forum, bulletin board, blog, chat area, news group, community, or other feature designed so that Users may upload data and images or communicate with others ("Forum") may be made available to Users on this Site. REBS, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to review, control or edit any text, data, images, files, or other materials that may be uploaded, posted or submitted in any Forum ("Submissions") as well as the right to refuse to post any such Submission. All Submissions are subject to the Terms of Use. Please remember that any information you disclose on these types of features will be accessible to the public and you should exercise caution prior to disclosing any personal information on these features.

Required by Law

We may disclose information provided by you if we are legally required to do so, such as by court order or subpoena.

Security

We have adopted what we consider to be reasonable security measures to protect against the loss, theft, misuse and alteration of information collected through our Web site. However, if you are concerned about the security of the Internet or our Web site, we suggest that you not provide this information.

Other Products and Services

Although we generally collect and use information to fulfill the stated objective for which the information was requested or collected, we may also provide the information to our subsidiaries so that they may send you information regarding other products or services that may be valuable or interesting to you.

Children's Guidelines

Our Web site does not currently attempt to collect or solicit information from persons who are under the age of eighteen. However, given the anonymous nature of the Internet, it is possible that someone under the age of eighteen may access our Web site and provide us with personal information. If this situation occurs and it is brought to our attention, we will not use the information in any way without prior parental consent and we will take all reasonable steps to prevent it from occurring again.

Choice/Opt-Out

Our Web site provides you the opportunity to opt-out of receiving communications from us. Also, if you are a member of C.A.R., you can choose to opt out of having your name included in the REALTOR® Directory. To exercise your opt-out privilege, please feel free to e-mail us at [email protected] or write us at 525 South Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020, Attn: REBS REALTOR® Badge Coordinator. Please be advised that if you are a member and choose to opt-out of receiving communications from the Web site, this may affect your ability to receive other e-mail communications that are sent to customers of the Product.

Corrections/Updates

If you are a member and there is information about you on our Web site which needs to be corrected or updated, please feel free to e-mail us at [email protected] or write us at 525 South Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020, Attn: REBS REALTOR® Badge Coordinator. However, in order for the correction or update to be permanent, you will need to contact your local association and make sure that the correction or update is made in their records as well.

Contacting our Web site

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of our Web site, or your dealings with our Web site, please feel free to e-mail us at [email protected] or write us at 525 South Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020, Attn: REBS REALTOR® Badge Coordinator.

Changes to Privacy Policy Statement

With the ever-changing environment of the Internet and to maintain our ability to improve the quality and safety of our Web site, we reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time. In the event we make any material changes to our Privacy Policy, we will notify you by updating the Policy's Effective Date and indicating the previous effective date. As you use our Web site, we encourage you to periodically check back with this Privacy Policy for changes that we may make. Your continued use of our Web site will constitute your agreement to any changes we make and if you do not agree with a change, please refrain from using our Web site. Thank you!