Legal
Privacy Policy
How we handle your information. Short version: we collect what we need to serve you, we don't sell it, and we're transparent about what third-party platforms collect independently.
Our collection
What we collect directly
This is information that flows through our systems -- our checkout, our email tools, our course platform. We control it and are responsible for it.
Account information
Name, email address, and billing details you provide when you purchase a product or create an account with us.
Purchase history
What you bought, when, and the payment method used. Processed through our checkout platform. We never store full card numbers.
Communications
Support tickets, emails, consultation notes, and any messages exchanged during a service engagement.
Data boundaries
What we see vs. what the platform sees
Your directory and our services rely on third-party platforms and software. Each collects its own data under its own privacy policy. Here's where the line is.
We control this
Our data
Information that flows through DirectoryToolkit's own systems.
- Your name, email, and billing info from our checkout
- Course enrollment and progress data
- Support conversations and project files
- Email subscription preferences
- Analytics on our marketing pages
- What you type into search and AI assistants on our sites
Third-party data
Information collected by third-party platforms, software, and services used in your business. We may not have access to all of it.
- Visitor traffic and behavior on your directory
- Member accounts and listing submissions
- Payment processing through the platform
- Server logs, IP addresses, and session data
- Cookies set by third-party software
Two policies
The platform has its own privacy policy
Data collected by third-party platforms and software is governed by each provider's own privacy policy, not ours. For questions about that data, contact the relevant provider directly.
Usage
How we use your data
We use what we collect for the reasons you'd expect. No surprises.
Service delivery
To deliver our services, courses, products, and support.
Communication
Transactional emails (receipts, access details), product updates, and marketing emails you can opt out of anytime.
Improvement
Aggregate, anonymized usage data helps us improve our products and understand what our customers need.
Full policy
Complete privacy policy
The detailed version for the record.
1. Who we are
- DirectoryToolkit is a brand of Michigan Business Solutions LLC, 4370 Chicago Dr. SW #522, Grandville, MI 49418. We are the controller of the personal data described in this policy.
- DirectoryToolkit provides customization services, training, software, and support for directory website owners.
- This policy covers the personal data we collect and decide how to use. It does not cover data that platforms you choose to run your own business on collect for themselves (see section 3).
- Privacy contact: privacy@directorytoolkit.com.
2. Information we collect
- Account data. Name, email address, and billing information provided during checkout or account creation.
- Purchase data. Products purchased, payment dates, subscription status, and transaction records. Payment processing is handled by third-party processors -- we never store full credit card numbers.
- Course data. Enrollment records, lesson progress, completion status, and workbook submissions within our course platform.
- Support data. Messages, files, and notes exchanged during support tickets, consulting sessions, or service engagements.
- Marketing data. Email open/click activity, subscription preferences, and opt-in/opt-out records.
- Analytics. Page views and basic visitor analytics on our own marketing and sales pages. Collected via standard analytics tools.
- Site and membership usage. We may collect information about how you use our website and membership areas, including pages viewed, searches performed, and interactions with our AI-powered search and support features. We may use this information to provide and improve our services, content, and member experience.
- Search and assistant data. The questions and search terms you type into search, AI search, or chat assistants on our sites, and the answers you receive. If you are logged in, these can be linked to your account. We can read this input and may review it to answer you and to improve the answers. Please do not enter sensitive information such as passwords or payment details.
3. Third-party-collected data
- Third-party platforms, software, and services used in connection with our products -- including directory software, payment processors, email services, analytics tools, and any integrations -- independently collect data including visitor analytics, account information, transaction records, server logs, and cookies.
- We do not control and may not have access to all data these third-party services process on your behalf.
- Each third-party provider's data collection is governed by its own privacy policy. For questions about that data, contact the relevant provider directly.
4. How we use your data
- Service delivery. To fulfill purchases, deliver courses, perform builds, and provide support.
- Communication. To send transactional emails (receipts, access credentials, order updates) and, with your consent, marketing emails about products and services.
- Product improvement. To analyze aggregate, anonymized usage patterns and improve our offerings.
- We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.
5. Legal basis for processing
- If you are in the European Economic Area, the UK or Switzerland, we rely on these legal bases:
- To perform a contract with you. Processing your order, delivering courses and services, and providing support.
- To meet a legal obligation. Keeping invoices and tax records, and calculating and reporting sales tax and VAT.
- Legitimate interests. Keeping our services secure, preventing fraud, and improving our products using aggregate data, and answering and improving responses to what you type into search or AI assistants. We weigh these against your rights, and you can object (see Your rights).
- Consent. Marketing emails where consent is required. You can withdraw consent at any time using the unsubscribe link.
6. Third-party services
- We use third-party services for checkout and payment processing, tax calculation and invoicing, email delivery, course hosting, analytics, AI search and chat assistants, and customer support.
- When you use AI search or a chat assistant on our sites, your question is sent to the AI service that generates the answer, which processes it on our behalf to produce that answer.
- Each third-party service processes data under its own privacy policy and terms.
- When we choose a service provider to process your data for us (for example checkout, tax calculation and invoicing, or email delivery), we share only what that service needs and use providers that commit to protecting it.
- Platforms and software you choose to run your own directory or business on are separate. Those providers handle their data under their own policies, and we are not responsible for how they do so.
7. International transfers
- We are based in the United States, and so are several of the service providers we use. If you are in the EEA, the UK or Switzerland, your data may be transferred to the United States.
- Our checkout and course platform and our payment processor are certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and its UK and Swiss extensions, which the European Commission recognizes as providing adequate protection. Our tax calculation and invoicing provider is based in the EU.
- Where a provider is not certified, the transfer is covered by the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses in that provider's data processing terms.
8. Cookies
- Our marketing and sales pages may use cookies for analytics, session management, and preference storage.
- Cookies set by third-party platforms and software are governed by each provider's own cookie policy, not ours.
- You can control cookie behavior through your browser settings.
9. Data retention
- We retain account and purchase data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services.
- Course enrollment data is retained for the duration of your access period plus a reasonable archive window.
- Support communications are retained for reference and quality purposes.
- Search and assistant input is kept only as long as we need it to answer you and improve our answers. You can ask us to delete it at any time.
- You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Your Rights below).
10. Your rights
- You can request access to, correction of, or deletion of the personal data we hold about you.
- If you are in the EEA, the UK or Switzerland, you can also ask us to restrict processing, object to processing based on legitimate interests, or send you your data in a portable format.
- You can opt out of marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us.
- We can only act on data we control. For data held by platforms you use for your own business, contact those providers directly.
- To make a request, contact us at privacy@directorytoolkit.com. We will respond within 30 days.
- If you are in the EEA, the UK or Switzerland, you also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.
11. Marketing communications
- We send marketing emails only with your consent or based on an existing business relationship.
- Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link. Opt-out is immediate.
- Transactional emails (receipts, access details, service updates) continue regardless of marketing preferences -- these are not optional.
12. Children
- Our services are not directed at individuals under 13 years of age.
- We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn we have, we will delete it promptly.
13. Changes
- We may update this policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted at this URL with a revised date.
- For material changes, we will make reasonable efforts to notify active customers via email.
Questions
Common questions
No. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. We use it to deliver the services you paid for and to communicate with you about our products.
Your directory runs on third-party platforms and software. Visitor data, member accounts, listing submissions, and payment processing are handled by those providers under their own privacy policies. We don't control or always have access to that data.
Click the unsubscribe link in any marketing email. It's immediate. You'll still receive transactional emails like receipts and access details -- those aren't optional because they're part of delivering what you bought.
Yes. Contact us and we'll delete the personal data we hold about you within 30 days. Note: we can only delete data in our systems. For data held by third-party platforms, payment processors, or other software providers, you'll need to contact those providers directly.
Our marketing pages use standard analytics cookies. Cookies on other platforms and software are set by those providers, not by us. You can control cookies through your browser settings.
Contact
Privacy questions?
If you have questions about how we handle your data, want to make a data request, or need clarification on anything in this policy, reach out.
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