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HipGuide, LLC. ("HipGuide") is committed to bringing you a full service, interactive product. At the same time, we are committed to implementing measures designed to protect the privacy of those using our services. Please read the following policy to understand your interaction with HipGuide, HipGuide's Web site, and your registration for and use of any HipGuide services.
This policy may change from time to time so please check back periodically and review this page to ensure continuing familiarity with the most current version of our Privacy Policy. To contact HipGuide about privacy issues, to report a violation of our Privacy Policy, or to raise any other issue, please e-mail us at webmaster@hipguide.com.
This policy will let you know:
1. What information is collected from you
2. What are cookies and how does HipGuide use them
3. How does HipGuide use the information we collect
4. Updating, correcting, or deleting personally identifiable information
5. Protecting personal financial information
6. Security precautions to protect the loss, misuse, or alteration of your information
7. Children's privacy
8. What else you should know about privacy
What information is collected from you
The primary type of information HipGuide collects about users is:
(1) Non-personally identifiable information: This is information that is not linked to your name nor your personal identity. The purpose of collecting this information is so that we can create a better site for users of HipGuide. When visitors come to our Web site, we collect and aggregate information indicating; among other things, which pages were visited, the order in which they were visited, and which hyperlinks were "clicked." Collecting such information involves the logging of IP addresses and browser software used by each visitor to the HipGuide Web site.
The non-personally identifiable information we collect is used to help us to identify the most popular areas of our Web site and determine the effectiveness of our promotional activities. In addition, we may disclose some of this aggregated, non-personally identifiable information to our advertisers to inform them of the number of people who have seen and/or clicked through their advertisements. Please note that when we disclose this information, it is done solely in aggregated form- no individual profiles are created or shared.
A secondary type of information HipGuide collects about users is:
(2) Personally identifiable information: To take advantage of the services of HipGuide, certain areas of HipGuide may require registration‹for example, when booking a restaurant reservation, accessing a restaurant reservation you have booked through HipGuide, or purchasing an airline ticket- we need to ask you to provide us with personally identifiable information (including, for example, name and email address). This information is collected to allow you access to your individual records and to communicate to our partners any information needed to complete your creation of records. Because these pieces of information identify you as an individual visitor, they are considered personally identifiable. If you do not register, this information is not collected from you. However, if you do not register or you register inaccurate information, we cannot do our best to customise your experience. For example, you cannot use an airline ticket that is not in your proper name. Once you register you are no longer anonymous to HipGuide - you are given a HipGuide ID and are able to take full advantage of our many offerings.
HipGuide also occasionally asks users to complete surveys that we use for research purposes. If you report a problem with one of our sites or services, we may also need to collect personal information in order to contact you. If you contact HipGuide we may keep a record of that correspondence.
HIPGUIDE CANNOT AND DOES NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR, WARRANT OR REPRESENT THE SECURITY OR PRIVACY OF YOUR INFORMATION TRANSMITTED OVER THE INTERNET OR ELECTRONICALLY TO OTHER THIRD PARTIES INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION HIPGUIDE PARTNERS, ADVERTISERS, LINKED SITESAND RELATED COMPANIES. YOU MUST ALWAYS BE AWARE OF THE PRIVACY POLICY AT EACH SITE YOU VISIT AND FOR EACH COMPANY WITH WHOM YOU TRANSACT BUSINESS, IN NO CASE, OTHER THAN AS STATED SPECIFICALLY IN THIS POLICY, SHALL THE HIPGUIDE PRIVACY POLICY BE CONSIDERED THE PRIVACY POLICY FOR OTHER SITES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION SITES VISITED BY LINKING FROM AN ADERTISEMENT OR LINK ON HIPGUIDE'S WEB SITE. PLEASE REPORT ANY REPORTED, CONFIRMED OR SUSPECTED PROBLEMS, MISUSE OR ABUSE OF YOUR INFORMATION BY HIPGUIDE PARTNERS, ADVERTISERS OR LINKED SITES TO HIPGUIDE AT WEBMASTER@HIPGUIDE.COM, IN NO EVENT SHALL SUCH A REPORT CREATE ANY RIGHT, RESPONSIBILITY, WARRANTY NOR REPRESENTATION WITH RESPECT TO ACTIONS TAKEN BY OR ON BEHALF OF HIPGUIDE WITH RESPECT TO YOUR REPORT OR YOUR INFORMATION.
What are cookies and how does HipGuide use them
Cookies allow HipGuide to serve you better and more efficiently, and to personalise your experience with HipGuide. A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a web server and stored on your computer's hard drive. Nevertheless, you should be able to control how and whether cookies will be accepted by your Web browser. For more information on how to do so, please refer to the documentation accompanying your browser.
Generally, we use cookies to:
(1) Remind us of who you are and to access your account information (stored on our computers) in order to deliver to you a better and more personalised service. For example, we can remind you that you have already signed up for an email list, RSVP'd for a party or voted in a poll.
(2) Estimate our audience cgi-bin. Each browser accessing HipGuide is given a unique cookie which is then used to determine the extent of repeat usage, usage by a registered user versus by an unregistered user, and to help target advertisements based on user interests and behaviour.
(3) Measure certain traffic patterns and visiting patterns in the aggregate. We use this research to understand how our users' habits are similar or different from one another so that we can make each new experience on HipGuide a better one. We may use this information to better personalise the content, banners, and promotions that you and other users will see on our sites.
Cookies are only read by the server that placed them, and are unable to execute any code or virus.
Please note that some of HipGuide's third party advertisers and advertising agencies may place cookies on your computer's hard drive, in order to provide you with banner and other types of advertising that may be of interest to you while you use HipGuide. HipGuide cannot and does not assume any responsibility for the actions or information collection practices of such third party advertisers or advertising agencies.
How does HipGuide use the information we collect
(1) Non-personally identifiable information: HipGuide's primary goal in collecting information is to provide you, the user, with a higher quality, more useful, more customised experience. This includes personalisation services, interactive communications, and many other types of services, which are completely free to you. By knowing a little about you, HipGuide is able to deliver more relevant content and advertisements, and hence better service, to you. We do so by performing statistical analyses of the collective characteristics and behaviour of our members and visitors, and by measuring demographics and interests regarding specific areas of HipGuide. We also provide high-level aggregated, statistical information based on this data (for example, 20% of our users are in New York) in order to describe our services to advertisers, affiliates, current and potential business partners, and other third parties, and for other lawful purposes. In this process, the advertiser never has access to individual account information.
HipGuide contains links to other Internet Web sites and other wireless content providers, including co-branded or other affiliated sites and companies which may or may not be owned or operated by HipGuide. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, we are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Web sites and other wireless content providers, including such sites' and companies' use of any information (such as IP number or browser type) collected when visitors to HipGuide click through links to those sites or companies. We cannot and do not assume any responsibility for any actions or omissions of third parties, including the manner in which they use information received either from HipGuide or independently. Even though such information might not identify you personally, we strongly encourage you to become familiar with the privacy practices of those sites.
(2) Personally identifiable information: This Privacy Policy itself serves as notice that personally identifiable information will be collected during the registration process. While using and viewing HipGuide content on the HipGuide Web site does not require registration, it is unfortunately not possible to "opt out" of the registration process if you wish to use personalised HipGuide services or log-in to HipGuide through distribution partners which may require registration; there is simply no other way for us to create records for you as an individual and/or comply with our partner requirements. Some HipGuide offerings and promotions are in conjunction with partners and/or co-sponsors. HipGuide reserves the right to release any personally identifiable registration information regarding you to third parties (such as HipGuide business partners) who provide transactions, goods or services to you through a HipGuide offering that you have chosen to use. HipGuide will only release the information required by the third party in conjunction with the transactions, goods or services. Data may also be used to "pre-populate" forms in transactions involving both HipGuide and our partners or co-sponsors. It is possible that those third parties may send you promotional information. If you wish to discontinue receiving promotional information from such third parties, please contact those third parties directly. Please note that although we encourage our partners to use information responsibly, and HipGuide only works with partners that we feel are responsible, discreet and cautious; since we cannot track nor govern third parties' operations, therefore we are not responsible for the actions of such third parties.
If you ever receive an email from HipGuide and wish to be removed, drop us a line at webmaster@hipguide.com. Occasionally, even if you "opt out" of receiving advertisement or solicitation emails, we may have to contact you directly, via the email address we have collected from you, during your registration process. For example, regarding records you have created or actions during your visit to HipGuide. This contact will be limited only to "as needed" situations.
We reserve the right to disclose information contained within our access logs concerning any visitor or member when it is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against such visitor or member as we reasonably feel is necessary to protect our systems or business. Specifically, but without limitation, we reserve the right to disclose such when a visitor or member is in violation of our Terms of Service or other published guidelines, partakes (or is reasonably suspected of partaking) in any illegal activity, or may be causing injury to or interference with (either intentionally or unintentionally) HipGuide's rights or property, other HipGuide users, or anyone else that could be harmed by such activities, even without a subpoena, warrant, or other court order, and to disclose such information in response to court and governmental orders, civil subpoenas, discovery requests, and as otherwise required by law. We cooperate with law enforcement agencies in identifying those who may be using our servers or services for illegal activities and may disclose or access account information when we believe in good faith that the law requires it. We also reserve the right to report any suspected illegal activity to law enforcement for investigation or prosecution, or to suspend or terminate your membership in connection with any suspected illegal activity.
If and when HipGuide sponsors promotions or sweepstakes, or third parties sponsor promotions or sweepstakes in conjunction with HipGuide, either HipGuide or the third party will post relevant privacy information in the official rules and/or registration area for the promotion or sweepstakes. That privacy information, to the extent it conflicts with this Privacy Policy, will govern that particular promotion or sweepstakes. If there is no additional posted policy, this Privacy Policy will then govern.
Updating, correcting, or deleting personally identifiable information
If you would like to have your personally identifiable information removed from HipGuide's database, please contact us at webmaster@hipguide.com , and we will use reasonable efforts to comply with your request. Corrections such as name or address changes can be made by sending an email to webmaster@hipguide.com. There will be residual information that will remain within HipGuide's databases, access logs, and other records, which may or may not contain such personally identifiable information. The residual information will not be used for commercial purposes; however HipGuide reserves the right, from time to time, to re-contact former customers or users of HipGuide.
Protecting personal financial information
Please note that HipGuide currently does not store any personal financial information of any users. There are several places on HipGuide where, through our partnerships, you can transmit credit card information in order to complete a reservation, purchase transaction or for verification purposes. Any time we ask for a credit card number, please note that this information is not stored within HipGuide. We do not keep records of your information nor do we request it from our partners. Please review our partners' Privacy Policies for their policies towards credit card transmission, storage and encryption.
Security precautions to protect the loss, misuse, or alteration of your information
As a global company HipGuide has users all over the world. When you give HipGuide personal information, that information may be sent electronically to servers outside of the country where you originally entered the information, such as to the United States or other countries. In addition, that information may be used, stored and processed outside of the country where you entered that information. Whenever HipGuide handles personal information as described above, regardless of where this occurs, HipGuide takes steps to ensure that your information is treated securely and in accordance with the relevant Terms of Service and this Privacy Policy. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet or any wireless network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, HipGuide cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us or from our online products or services, and you do so at your own risk. Once we receive your transmission, we make our best effort to ensure its security on our systems.
We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children (defined herein as minors younger than eighteen years of age). While we do not think HipGuide will generally interest children, there is intentionally no mature content on the HipGuide Web site or in HipGuide's services. Before registering for any portion of HipGuide, we ask that children have their parents read our Privacy Policy and obtain parental consent. Before and during the registration process, we ask that children have a parent or guardian establish an account. This is to ensure that the parent or guardian consents to the collection and use of personally identifying information from that child. If a parent wishes to request deletion of their child's account, that parent can send an email to webmaster@hipguide.com. All HipGuide account holders, including parents and children, are subject to this Privacy Policy.
What else you should know about privacy
HipGuide does not control the acts of its members or visitors. All members and visitors should be aware that, when they disclose personally identifiable information in a bulletin board, chat room, guestbook, or other forum or public area which may be available through HipGuide, the information may be collected and used by others for the purposes of distributing unsolicited communications to you or to others HipGuide. While we cannot be responsible or held accountable for the actions of members and visitors, we do seek to create a safe environment for our users and, in the event that you encounter any HipGuide user who is improperly collecting or using information about you or other users, please contact us at webmaster@hipguide.com.
Ultimately, you are solely responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your passwords and/or any account information. Please be careful and responsible whenever you're online.
Additional Information
If you have a question that was not addressed in this privacy policy you may contact us at webmaster@hipguide.com or at the following:
HipGuide, LLC
157 East 85th Street
Suite 3B
New York, New York 10028
