©2016 Franchise Management Inc. All rights reserved.
This website is owned and operated by, or on behalf of, Franchise Management Inc. and its affiliates (“FMI”). We have developed this Privacy Policy (“Policy”) to let you know in general terms about FMI’s personal information management practices, including what personal information we collect, how it is used and to whom it might be disclosed. We may update the Policy from time to time, so please review it occasionally.
FMI recognizes its obligation to its customers, community and online visitors to adhere to the highest standards of decency, fairness and integrity in all its operations. Likewise, FMI is dedicated to the fundamentals of protecting privacy on the internet, especially for children. We support active self-regulation and adherence to recognized best practices where regulations do not exist and to compliance with personal information protection legislation where such legislation exists.
Information We Collect
1. Personal Information
Except where we expressly tell you otherwise, we don’t collect personally identifiable information from individuals unless they provide it to us with their consent, express or implied. Browsing our websites does not require that the visitor provide any personal information. However, in order to participate in some of the special programs and promotions that are offered by FMI from time to time, you may have to provide personal information. These special programs could include contests and other promotions. Whenever such a special program is offered, it will be apparent what information is being collected, how it will be used and to whom it might be disclosed. We will not collect any more personal information than is reasonably necessary for the special program.
We may be required or permitted under statute or regulation to collect, use or disclose personal information without your consent, for example to comply with a court order, to comply with local or federal regulations or a legally permitted inquiry by a government agency or to collect a debt owed to us.
2. Non-Personal Information: Cookies
FMI may use “cookie” technology to obtain non-personal information from its online visitors. Cookies are information files that your web browser places on your computer when you visit a website. Most browsers accept cookies automatically, but can be configured not to accept them or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. We do not extract personal information in this process nor do we provide this information to third parties. We also do not contact you. Cookies allow us to customize your user interface to speed up the navigation process and to make the site experience more efficient. From time to time, we may enter into arrangements with select third parties to utilize cookie technology, or to collect Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses, for targeted advertising purposes. If your browser is configured to reject cookies, you will not be able to use some of the features of the FMI websites.
Some types of cookies can be stored on your computer by your browser. When you log in, this type of cookie tells us whether you’ve visited us before or are a new visitor. We use the cookie to help us identify site features in which you have the greatest interest, so that we can provide more of what you may want.
For more information about cookie technology, and to learn how to opt-out of targeted advertising, visit: youronlinechoices.eu (Europe), Network Advertising Initiative at networkadvertising.org/choices, or the Digital Advertising Alliance at www.aboutads.info.
What We Do With the Information We Collect
If you provide us with personal information (i.e. in an e-mail sent to us or in connection with signing up for certain programs, contests, forums, promotions, etc.), we may use your personal information as follows:
- To provide the services you request – this may include responding to your inquiries, and administering contests and promotions you enter
- To respond to communications sent to FMI or posted on the website.
- To contact you from time to time, where you have specifically consented to follow-up contacts by FMI or its affiliates or to be put on our mailing list.
- For such other purposes which you may request or consent to from time to time.
- To maintain our business records, which includes legal, security, regulatory, audit, risk-management and quality assurance purposes.
- For such other uses authorized by law.
Whenever you provide personal information to us after we have advised why your personal information is being requested, how it is to be used and with whom it is to be disclosed, your consent to such collection, use and disclosure is implied by your voluntarily providing such personal information. From time to time we may ask you to be more explicit about your consent.
If you provide us with information about another person, you are responsible for obtaining that person’s consent to the collection, use and disclosure of that person’s personal information in accordance with this privacy policy and specifically for the purpose for which you have provided it to us. If you use a feature of a website that enables you to send information to another person via e-mail, that e-mail message will be considered to be sent by you (and not FMI) to that person. We will only use that other person’s personal information to manage the particular service, including detecting and addressing abuse.
Disclosure of Your Personal Information
Except as described in this section, we don’t share the information you give us with anyone outside of FMI and its affiliates. FMI may also share your personal information with its agents, consultants, data processors and other service providers if the personal information is necessary to allow these entities to further assist FMI for the purposes of administering our relationship. In such cases, your personal information will be used exclusively to provide specific services and will be kept confidential in accordance with this Policy.
Please note that in the event that the third party to whom FMI discloses personal information about you is located in a foreign jurisdiction, local laws may otherwise allow your personal information to be accessed by third parties without your consent.
There may be features of a website, now or in the future, where visitors can comment publicly on materials made available by FMI or may upload content that will be visible by the general public. When this is the case, we will let you know that information will be publicly visible and doing so will be optional.
In the event that FMI proposes to enter into a business transaction (such as the sale of a division of FMI or one of its subsidiaries, a financing, securitization, sale of assets or the like), FMI may disclose personal information that is reasonably necessary for the evaluation of such a transaction. FMI would require that any recipient of such personal information be bound to keep it confidential and to only use it for the purposes of evaluating the transaction. If the transaction is not completed, the other party would be required to return or destroy it. If the transaction is completed, FMI would transfer the personal information that is reasonably necessary for the fulfillment of the transaction and would require that the recipient of such information only use the personal information for the purposes for which it was originally collected and in accordance with this policy.
FMI may disclose your personal information as reasonably necessary to carry out the purposes described in the section entitled “What We Do With the Information We Collect,” including meeting legal, regulatory, industry self-regulatory, insurance, audit and security requirements.
FMI operates internationally and personal information may be stored and processed by it or its service providers in multiple jurisdictions.
Personal Information of Minor Children
Important Note to Children
Before providing your name, address, e-mail address or any other personal information to anyone on the internet, be sure to ask your parents if it’s ok.
Important Note to Parents
FMI does not advertise to or knowingly collect personally identifiable information of children. Several portions of our websites are dedicated to brands that are of interest to or are appealing to children under the age of majority (but older than 14 years of age). In communicating with children over the age of 14, FMI is especially mindful of the need to protect their personal privacy.
We may permit children 14 years of age or older to communicate with us by e-mail, enter contests and register for promotions, newsletters and other similar activities. In doing so, your child will be asked to provide parental information confirming your consent for him/her to do so.
If the parent permits a child’s participation in a contest and the child wins, we contact the parent (not the child) for further personal information needed for any prize delivery.
Links
FMI websites may contain links to other websites. We try to only link to websites that share our high standards of decency, fairness and integrity. We try to make sure that these links are safe for everyone, but the privacy and data collection practices on any linked websites are entirely separate from FMI and are not covered by this Privacy Policy. Other websites, which may contain material not suitable for children, may also link to FMI websites without FMI’s knowledge or consent. FMI does not necessarily endorse any outside websites and FMI has no responsibility for the content, policies or actions of these websites.
Online Security
FMI has taken steps to make all information received from our online visitors and customers secure against unauthorized access and use. Personal information provided by visitors and customers is kept in FMI’s secure database. All information received from our customers is protected by our security measures, which are periodically reviewed. You should keep in mind, however, that no data transmission over the internet is 100 per cent secure and any information disclosed online can potentially be intercepted and used by parties other than the intended recipient.
Changes and Updates to the Privacy Policy
FMI website content and features may be updated, revised, modified and supplemented from time to time. FMI reserves the right to change information, features, products, policies, promotions, disclosures and disclaimers at any time. Changes to this Privacy Policy will be posted on our websites. Please check the policy periodically for changes. At the top of the policy, we indicate the date of an update to the Privacy Policy. The continued use of the FMI websites following the posting of changes to this Privacy Policy will mean you accept those changes.
Changes and Access to Personal Information
Individuals who provide information to FMI can correct, update and delete personal information from our database at any time by sending an e-mail to FMI by clicking on the hyperlink “Contact Us” located on each page of FMI websites. Your request will be routed to the appropriate person at FMI, who may contact you to answer your query or to seek further information about your request.
You can change your consent that has been previously given. We note, for your information, that changing your consent to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information may affect your ability to participate in certain activities offered by FMI or limit our ability to communicate with you.