FCH Privacy Policy

FastenersClearingHouse.com (The FCH Sourcing Network) recognizes that many visitors and users of our Web Site are concerned about the information they provide to us, and how we treat that information. This Privacy Statement has been developed to address those concerns. We may update this Privacy Statement from time to time, so you should revisit it occasionally.

As provided in the Terms of Agreement, your use of this Web Site indicates that you have read and accept our privacy practices, as outlined in this Privacy Policy. If you have questions or concerns regarding this statement, you should contact us by e-mail at support-fch@FastenersClearingHouse.com

1. WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?
If you are searching our online inventory anonymously, we don't collect any information about you. If you are accessing our Web Site by logging in as a member, you are required to provide certain personally identifiable information at various times and places, including but not limited to the initial registration. The questions are intended to facilitate the selling of fastener inventory by providing the minimum amount of contact information to those wishing to purchase your inventory, to maintain secure credentials for you to login to your secure part of the inventory database, and to allow us to bill you for your membership, as set forth in the Member's Agreement.

2. OTHER INFORMATION WE COLLECT
  1. Log Data:
    When you visit this Web Site, our web server and other SEO analytics servers may automatically collect anonymous information that describes how our visitors use and navigate our Web Site, which can include the number and frequency of visitors to each web page, the length of their stays and like information, as well as the anonymous information automatically sent to us by your web browser, such as browser type, referrer data that identifies the web page visited prior and subsequent to visiting this Web Site, and IP addresses. We also may determine what technology is available through your browser in order to serve you the most appropriate version of a web page.

  2. IP Addresses:
    An IP address is a number that is assigned to your computer when you use the Internet. When visitors request pages from this Web Site, our servers log the visitor's IP address. We may collect IP addresses for a variety of internal purposes, such as system administration and to audit the number of visits to different pages on this Web Site.

  3. Cookies:
    A cookie is a piece of data stored on the user's computer tied to information about the user. We may use cookies for a number of purposes, such as tracking usage patterns on the Web Site, matching the most relevant Web content to your particular needs, or tracking how long you have been logged in to the FCH server as a Distributor. We will not use cookies to retrieve information from your computer that was not originally sent by us to you in a cookie (such as the information sent by our server as you log in as a Distributor). You can, of course, disable cookies on your computer by indicating this in the preferences or options menus in your browser. However, if you disable cookies you will not be able to log in as a Distributor, and it is possible that other parts of this Web Site will not operate correctly. You should consult with your browser's provider/manufacturer if you have any questions regarding disabling cookies.
    if you want to learn more about cookies, see FastenersClearingHouse.com Cookie Information.

3. HOW WE USE AND DISCLOSE THE INFORMATION WE COLLECT
  1. First, we will never share your personally identifiable information in ways unrelated to those described below without providing you with an opportunity to opt out of such use or otherwise prohibit such unrelated uses.

  2. We use the personally identifiable information you provide to ascertain whether you are an appropriate user of this Web Site, to contact you regarding goods and services, and for other purposes disclosed at the time of collection.

  3. We use cookies for two purposes:
    • To hold your FCH system-generated Membership ID and User ID, so we can help you login easier.
      There is no personally identifiable information stored in this encrypted cookie.
    • To keep track of occasional user surveys so we can hide the questionnaire panel if you have already answered it.

  4. We may share non-identifying aggregate information with third parties. However, we will not share your personally identifiable information with outside parties unless you specifically agree to a governing set of rules that allow such disclosure or otherwise give us permission to do so.

  5. We may employ other companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf. Our employees, agents and contractors who have access to personally identifiable information are required to protect the information in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Policy.

  6. We may provide access to your personally identifiable information when legally required to do so, to cooperate with police investigations or other legal proceedings, to protect against misuse or unauthorized use of the Web Site, to limit our legal liability and protect our rights or to protect the rights, property or safety of visitors of this Web Site or the public. In those instances, the information is provided only for that purpose.

  7. In the event FCH goes through a business transition, such as a merger, being acquired by another company, or selling a portion of its assets, users' personal information will, in most instances, be part of the assets transferred.


4. THIRD PARTY CONTENT
When you are on the Web Site, it is possible that certain content may be created or hosted by a third party. Such third parties may drop cookies and/or use Web beacons, which may be used to identify some of your preferences or to recognize you if you have previously been to their web site or otherwise had contact with them. We do not control the use of such technology by third parties, the information they collect, or how they use such information. Such third parties' use of cookies is subject to their own privacy policies, which may differ from this one. We do not disclose your personally identifiable information to third parties serving content on this Web Site in connection with the serving of such content. Such third parties do not have access to our cookies.

5. DATA SECURITY
We take physical, electronic and managerial steps to maintain the security and accuracy of personally identifiable information we collect, including limiting the number of people who have physical access to our database servers, as well as electronic security systems and password protections that guard against unauthorized access. However, we make no representation, warranty or guarantee that such information will remain secure and accurate at all times. In addition, although we use 256 bit SSL keys for data transmission encryption, no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Accordingly, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk.

6. CONSENT TO TRANSFER
This Web Site is operated in the United States. If you are located outside of the United States, please be aware that any information you provide to us will be transferred to the United States. By using this Web Site, participating in any of our products or services and/or providing us with your information, you consent to this transfer. (FCH and its operators LOVE America!)

7. LINKS
This Web Site may contain links to other sites. Please be aware that FCH is not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every Web Site that collects personally identifiable information. This Privacy Statement applies solely to information collected by this Web Site.

Date of Last Modification: March 1st, 2019