Privacy Policy

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Request an estimate or quote
• Schedule service or repairs
• Contact us by phone, email, text, or in person
• Make a payment
• Fill out forms on our website
• Sign up for promotional communications
• Participate in our equipment buy-back program
• Provide feedback or reviews

This information may include:

• Personal identification information: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address, billing address, service address
• Equipment information: Make, model, serial number, year, condition, service history, repair details, photographs of equipment
• Financial information: Credit card numbers, billing information, payment history, invoice records
• Service history: Records of past services, repairs, estimates, warranties, and communications
• Communication records: Emails, text messages, phone call records, voicemails, and notes from conversations
• Preferences: Service preferences, communication preferences, equipment storage instructions

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information about your device and usage, including:

• Device information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers
• Usage data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, referring website
• Location data: General geographic location based on IP address
• Cookies and tracking technologies: See Section 3 below

1.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from:

• Payment processors: Transaction details and payment verification
• Credit reporting agencies: For commercial credit applications (with your consent)
• Parts suppliers: When coordinating warranty claims or parts orders
• Marketing partners: If you interact with our advertisements
• Public sources: Business information, property records (for service address verification)

1.4 Information from Facility Surveillance

We may use video surveillance and security cameras at our facility for safety and security purposes. Recorded footage may capture images of customers, visitors, and equipment during drop-off, pickup, or visits to our location.

2.1 Primary Business Purposes

We use your information to:

• Process service requests: Schedule repairs, provide estimates, perform diagnostics
• Communicate with you: Send service updates, completion notifications, appointment reminders
• Process payments: Handle billing, invoicing, payment processing, and collections
• Maintain records: Keep service history, warranty information, and financial records
• Fulfill legal obligations: Comply with tax laws, recordkeeping requirements, and legal processes
• Protect our business: Enforce our Terms of Service, detect fraud, protect against liability

2.2 Secondary Business Purposes

We may also use your information to:

• Improve our services: Analyze service trends, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency
• Marketing and promotions: Send service reminders, seasonal promotions, and business updates (you may opt out)
• Website improvement: Enhance user experience, fix technical issues, analyze website traffic
• Customer support: Respond to inquiries, resolve disputes, provide technical assistance
• Equipment tracking: Monitor equipment location and status during repair and storage
• Quality assurance: Train staff, review service quality, document procedures

2.3 Photography and Marketing Use

We may photograph equipment in our facility for:

• Documentation purposes: Record equipment condition before and after service
• Training purposes: Educate staff on repair techniques and procedures
• Marketing purposes: Use on our website, social media, promotional materials, and gallery

If you do not consent to your equipment being photographed for marketing purposes, please notify us in writing at [email protected]. Documentation photos for service records may still be taken regardless of marketing consent.

3.1 What Are Cookies

Cookies are small data files placed on your device when you visit a website. We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and collect usage information.

3.2 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential cookies: Required for website functionality (e.g., remembering items in your cart)
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Preference cookies: Remember your settings and preferences
• Marketing cookies: Track your activity for advertising purposes

3.3 Managing Cookies

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through settings. However, disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of our website. You can also opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

4.1 Service Providers

We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business, including:

• Payment processors: To process credit card and electronic payments
• Accounting firms: For bookkeeping and financial management
• Email service providers: To send service notifications and promotional emails
• Website hosting providers: To maintain our website and online presence
• Cloud storage providers: To securely store business records
• Marketing platforms: To manage customer communications and advertising

These service providers are contractually obligated to maintain the confidentiality of your information and may only use it to perform services on our behalf.

4.2 Business Transfers

If Hudson Valley Small Engine Works is involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or other business transaction, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. You will be notified of any such change and your options regarding your information.

4.3 Legal Compliance and Protection

We may disclose your information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with legal obligations: Respond to subpoenas, court orders, or legal processes
• Enforce our rights: Enforce our Terms of Service, service agreements, or collection efforts
• Protect safety: Prevent harm to individuals or property, detect fraud, or address security issues
• Investigate violations: Investigate potential breaches of our policies or illegal activity
• Comply with government requests: Respond to lawful requests from public authorities

4.4 With Your Consent

We may share your information with third parties when you have given us explicit consent to do so, such as sharing your equipment details with a manufacturer for a warranty claim.

4.5 Aggregate and De-identified Information

We may share aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you, such as industry statistics or service trends.

5.1 How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Typical retention periods:

• Service records: 7 years (for warranty, tax, and legal purposes)
• Financial records: 7 years (for tax and accounting compliance)
• Communication records: 3-7 years (for dispute resolution and customer service)
• Marketing lists: Until you unsubscribe or request removal
• Surveillance footage: 30-90 days (unless needed for investigation or legal purposes)

5.2 Deletion Requests

You may request deletion of your personal information (see Section 7), but we may retain certain records as required by law or for legitimate business purposes, such as:

• Completing active service requests
• Resolving disputes or enforcing agreements
• Complying with legal, tax, or regulatory requirements
• Maintaining financial and business records

6.1 Security Measures

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction, including:

• Secure servers and encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS)
• Access controls limiting employee access to personal information
• Regular security assessments and software updates
• Physical security measures at our facility
• Secure disposal of records containing personal information

6.2 Limitations and Disclaimers

IMPORTANT: While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

We are not liable for:

• Unauthorized access due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control
• Security breaches resulting from third-party service provider failures
• Loss or theft of devices containing your information
• Interception of communications during transmission
• Your own security practices (e.g., sharing passwords, using unsecured networks)

You are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of any account credentials
• Using secure Internet connections when transmitting sensitive information
• Notifying us immediately of any suspected security breach

By using our services, you acknowledge and accept these security limitations and agree that our liability for any data security incident is subject to the limitations outlined in our Terms of Service.

7.1 General Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to Access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you, including details about how we use and share it.
• Right to Correction: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to Deletion: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., legal retention requirements, active service obligations).
• Right to Opt-Out: You may opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time.
• Right to Data Portability: You may request a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used format.

7.2 California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to Know: Request disclosure of categories and specific pieces of personal information collected, sources of information, purposes of collection, and categories of third parties with whom we share information.
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information (subject to exceptions).
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do not sell personal information, so this right does not apply.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.

To exercise your California privacy rights, contact us at [email protected] with "California Privacy Request" in the subject line.

We will verify your identity before processing requests and respond within 45 days (with possible 45-day extension if needed).

7.3 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any privacy rights, contact us at:

Email: [email protected]

Please include:

• Your name and contact information
• Specific information you're requesting (e.g., access, correction, deletion)
• Description of your relationship with our business
• Sufficient detail for us to verify your identity

We will respond to your request within 30 days (or as required by applicable law).

7.4 Opt-Out of Marketing Communications

To stop receiving promotional emails or texts:

• Click the "unsubscribe" link in any promotional email
• Reply "STOP" to any promotional text message
• Contact us at [email protected]
• Call us at 914 413 1932

Note: Even if you opt out of marketing communications, we will still send you transactional messages related to your service requests, appointments, invoices, and account status.

We are not responsible for:

• Privacy practices of third-party websites or services
• Content or accuracy of third-party sites
• Actions taken by third parties with your information

In the event of a data breach that compromises your personal information, we will:

• Investigate the breach and assess the risk to affected individuals
• Notify affected customers as required by applicable law
• Take steps to mitigate harm and prevent future breaches
• Cooperate with law enforcement and regulatory authorities

Notice of Changes:

• We will post updated Privacy Policies on this page with a new "Last Updated" date
• Material changes may be communicated via email or prominent website notice
• Your continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance

This Privacy Policy is designed to comply with applicable privacy laws, including:

• New York State privacy laws
• Federal privacy regulations
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for California residents
• Other applicable consumer protection laws

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, HUDSON VALLEY SMALL ENGINE WORKS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES ARISING FROM:

• Unauthorized access to or disclosure of your personal information
• Loss, corruption, or theft of data
• Security breaches or cyberattacks
• Third-party data practices
• Your disclosure of information to unauthorized parties
• Technical failures or system errors

By using our services, visiting our website, or providing us with your personal information, you consent to:

• The collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy
• The use of cookies and tracking technologies on our website
• The transfer and storage of your information in the United States
• Our Terms of Service and other policies referenced herein