Privacy Policy

Franchise Alternatives reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time and you are advised to review this page regularly for any changes. This Privacy Policy was last updated on October 25, 2007.

General Philosophy

Franchise Alternatives is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. This Privacy Policy identifies the ways we ensure that your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information are protected within our business, whether provided at our offices, paper based collections, electronic communications over the Internet or on the telephone. It also outlines what personal information Franchise Alternatives may collect and how we use or restrict the use of your personal information. The objectives of our Policy are to inform you of our commitments and actions for the protection of personal information and the rules we use to govern when we collect, hold, use or disclose personal information and data.

The privacy of our clients, our employees and visitors to our web sites is of prime importance to us. We are committed, no matter what the circumstances, to protect your privacy and our integrity. Our Policy is designed to meet or exceed the requirements of United States Privacy law. We are committed to a constant self-evaluation of our practices and procedures and responding to our clients' and our employees' needs.

Protection of employee information within the company is also of prime importance. By protecting employee data, a company can increase employee respect and loyalty. Increased morale and corporate confidence that employees feel are the direct results of solid and fair policies and procedures.

Our organization's Policy has been developed as a cooperative effort of several departments and of several areas of responsibility. These include information technology and computer security, communications and legal services.

An Organization's Responsibilities

An organization is responsible for the protection of personal information, the fair handling of it at all times within the organization and in dealings with third parties. These responsibilities are outlined in principles that an organization must follow including accountability, identification of purpose, obtaining consent, limits to collection, use disclosure and retention as well as accuracy, safeguards, openness, access and recourse.

It is imperative that a proper Privacy Policy, in conjunction with the right controls, procedures and training to support the policy, be established, maintained and communicated. It will be these activities that will protect the organization's reputation, encourage employee morale and support and foster client relations.

Privacy Principles

Privacy legislation is in place to assure individuals that their personal information is safeguarded by private sector companies with whom they conduct business. All organizations must comply with those principles that specify limits and constraints for businesses and the rights of individuals. These principles involve the collection, consent, use, distribution, safeguards to protect, transmittal and complaint procedures of personal information.

Accountability: be responsible for the information which is collected

Identify the Purpose: identify reasons before or at collection

Obtain Consent: before or at collection and if the use changes

Limit Collection: to only what is needed to conduct business or the specific activity

Limit Use, Disclosure, and Retention: control access, consider third parties and outline limits for retention time

Be Accurate: minimize the risk of inaccuracies

Safeguard Appropriately: protect from loss, theft and misuse

Be Open: inform people of your policies and procedures

Grant Access: respond to requests within limited and stated time frames

Provide Recourse: provide a complaint procedure and process

Our Use

Franchise Alternatives asks for your name, e-mail and other personal information when you contact us or when you bring forth a complaint about services we have provided. The identification information is used to collect data about your preferences and for us to communicate with you as well as to correct service issues.

The information also enables our organization to customize programs as well as services to better meet your preferences and to offer you services appropriately. We may tailor our offers to you based on information you provide when you purchase services from us. We may also use information available from external sources including demographic and census data.

We may also consider utilizing on-line surveys to better understand the needs and profiles of clients of Franchise Alternatives. Survey information is used for internal management uses only. Your participation in surveys is optional. You will never be asked to respond to any survey in order to visit our web site or to take advantage of any of its features. This survey information will provide aggregate statistics about our clients and will not include any information or private details that identify you.

At this point in time, we will store data concerning your preferences and behaviors for an indefinite time period. If at any time you wish to withdraw from any programs, contact your local representative and request that your personal information be rendered inactive.

Within Franchise Alternatives

Franchise Alternatives strictly controls access to your personal information to employees who need this information to serve you or to those employees who analyze our performance to measure and improve our client service to you. Franchise Alternatives issues directives to its employees to inform, train and educate them in the matters included in this Policy as well as the privacy obligations/responsibilities they have to adhere to within this Policy.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

Franchise Alternatives reserves the right to change the Policy at any time. All changes will be posted on a timely basis on the web site entitled franchisealternatives.net to inform you, our client, of the changes that might occur to our present Policy and procedures. However, regardless of changes or updates to our Privacy Policy, we will continue to adhere to applicable legislation and will never use the information you submit under our current Policy in a new way without providing you an opportunity to give us your consent.

Contact Us

Franchise Alternatives wants to assure you that we are dedicated to protecting your privacy. We also understand that you may have questions and concerns about our organization's Privacy Policies and procedures or changes to our Policy. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions, please contact us at [email protected]. For further details about our web site applications, for access to your account and updating your information, you may contact us at the same address. You may also contact us requesting updates to possible Head Office paper-based files.

Our Complaint Process

Franchise Alternatives is committed to ensuring the effective implementation of all of our Privacy Policies and Procedures. Nevertheless, in the event that a dispute, complaint or a problem may arise concerning our privacy policies and practices, a definite procedure for complaint resolution has been established. It is the intent of our organization's complaint policy and processes to provide all clients with a "voice" in such potential adverse matters. The company is committed to resolving issues conflicts promptly, justly, objectively and confidentially.

A written outline of the issue should be forwarded directly to Franchise Alternatives who in turn will investigate, examine and evaluate all of the facts. On the information gathered and other related details, a formal written decision will be completed and will be forwarded to the client within 30 days. During the investigation of the conflict, it may be necessary for further private information to be shared with Franchise Alternatives or other appropriate parties either internal or external to the organization. In all cases, Franchise Alternatives will be responsible for the protection of all the information. Individuals may also contact the office of the Privacy Commissioner of the federal government if they are dissatisfied with the implementation of the policy by our organization.

Web Site

Franchise Alternatives collects personal information about you (information that could be used to identify you) when you voluntarily provide it. For example, you are asked to provide your first and last name, and e-mail address when you contact us. If you e-mail us, we collect your e-mail address.

Franchise Alternatives uses your personal information to operate the site, to deliver and improve the products and services and if you ask us, to send you information about products, services or promotions that may be of interest to you. Franchise Alternatives gives you the opportunity to "opt-in" to receiving such information when you register for any of our services. Franchise Alternatives may also use your personal information to create aggregate information that does not allow you to be personally identified or contacted. Rather than showing individual activity, aggregate information shows user behavior as a whole. For example, Franchise Alternatives might compile personal information in order to calculate the number of users living in certain geographic areas. Aggregate information is used in order to market and promote the site.

Franchise Alternatives may collect information about you and your use of the site through the use of "cookies". Cookies are small data files that are sent to your browser and stored on your computer's hard-drive when you visit certain web sites, thereby "tracking" use of the site. Some browsers can be set to reject all cookies; if you choose to modify your browser in this manner, some pages of the site may not function properly. Franchise Alternatives uses the information generated through the use of cookies to estimate the number of people that are using the site and to track the pages of the site that are being visited. This information tells us about user interests and behaviors which can, in turn, be used to provide you with information about products, services or promotions that may be of interest to you.

Franchise Alternatives will not, without your permission, disclose your personal information. However we reserve the right to disclose information to our affiliates, related companies, and third party service providers for purposes related to providing you with information about products, services or promotions that may be of interest to you.

Linked Sites

You should be aware that operators of linked web sites and advertisers on the site might also collect your personal information (including information generated through the use of cookies) when you link to their web sites or select their advertisements. Franchise Alternatives is not responsible for how such third parties collect, use or disclose your personal information, therefore you should check their privacy policies before providing them with any of your personal information.

When We Disclose Information

Franchise Alternatives reserves the right to release personal information to cooperate with local, state or federal agencies to identify those individuals who use or misuse this site or our services for fraudulent or other illegal activities. We will also release information if the rights or property of Franchise Alternatives, its affiliates, related companies, franchisees, third party service providers, the users of the site or the general public are in jeopardy. We will cooperate with government and other agencies in any legal investigation whether information is provided online.

How We Protect Your Privacy Online

Recognizing that your privacy is important to you, Franchise Alternatives employs technical security measures to protect your personal information. However, no transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Consequently, Franchise Alternatives, its affiliates, related companies, franchisees, third party service providers and their respective officers, directors, employees and agents do not represent, warrant or guarantee that personal information will be protected against misuse, loss or alterations and do not accept any liability for personal information submitted to them, nor for your or third parties' use or misuse of personal information.

Privacy and Children

Franchise Alternatives web sites are neither developed nor created to be targeted to children (defined as those under 18) as an audience. As an organization, we do not collect information about the age of our web users. If, inadvertently, personal information is collected from a child, we will endeavor to take all necessary actions to delete the data from our records.