The
Underwater Source PRIVACY STATEMENT Last Updated: Sept
1, 2004
The
Underwater Source LLC (collectively referred to in this Privacy Statement as
"we" or "UWSource") recognize the importance of protecting the privacy of all
information provided by users of our web sites, subscribers to our service,
recipients of our e-mail newsletters and all of our customers. We created this
policy with a fundamental respect for our users' right to privacy and to guide
our relationships with our users. This privacy statement discloses the privacy
practices for all products and services owned by The Underwater Source. A
current list of our services can be found at http://www.theunderwatersource.com/
INFORMATION COLLECTION
AND USE
The Underwater Source collects information from our website users, subscribers
and customers. In this section of our privacy policy, we will describe the
type of information we collect and how we use it to provide better services to
our customers.
Registration and
Ordering
When signing up for certain selected services (such as listing in our
database), users must first register on our website. During registration,
users are required to give their contact information (such as name, e-mail
address, mailing address and phone number). We also may collect demographic
information (such as job title and purchasing responsibilities, company
information and professional certification). For internal purposes, we use
this information to communicate with users and provide requested services,
and, for our website visitors, to provide a more personalized experience on
our sites. We use aggregate demographic information about our audience to
improve our service, for marketing purposes and/or industry reporting
purposes.
For our services that
require payment (such as subscriptions and classified ads), we also collect
credit card information (such as account name, number and expiration date),
which is used for billing purposes only, and is not otherwise shared.
E-mail Newsletters
We use registration information to send e-mail newsletters to our subscribers.
Recipients of our newsletters can unsubscribe using the instructions listed at
the end of the e-mail newsletter.
Surveys and Contests
From time to time we may invite users to provide information via surveys or
contests. Participation in these surveys or contests is completely voluntary
and the user therefore has a choice whether to disclose requested contact
information (such as name and mailing address) and demographic information
(such as zip code or job title). In addition to other uses set forth in this
policy, contact information collected in connection with surveys and contests
is used to notify the winners and award prizes, to monitor or improve the use
and satisfaction of the site, and may be shared with sponsors of such surveys
or contests.
Interactive
Features
At some of our sites, we offer interactive and community features such as
discussion boards, webcasts and user profiles. Note that all personal
information sent or posted via such features becomes public information for
which we are not responsible
Tell-A-Friend
If users elect to use our referral service for informing a friend about our
sites and services, we may ask them for the friend's name, job title and
e-mail address. The Underwater Source will store and use this information to
send the friend an invitation. This information may also be used to provide
information about our company and related products and services. The friend
may contact us as specified in the tell-a-friend message to request that no
further communications be sent.
Communications with Us
We have features where users can submit information to us. Letters to the
editor and similar submissions may be made public. Requests for service,
support or information may be forwarded as needed to best respond to a
specific request. We may retain e-mails and other information sent to us for
our internal administrative purposes, and to help us to serve customers
better.
Communications from
Us: Service Updates, Special Offers
In order to best serve our customers, we may send updates that contain
important information about our sites and services. For example, we send new
members a welcoming message, and verify password and username for our
password-protected sites. We may also communicate with a user to provide
requested services and for account-related issues via e-mail, phone or regular
mail.
