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METAL SUPPLIERS ONLINE PRIVACY POLICY
The Metal Suppliers Online Privacy Policy sets forth the policy of Metal Suppliers Online, LLC ("MSO") with respect to the privacy of the persons (the "Users") who use the web site at metalsuppliersonline.com (this "Site"). Because MSO gathers certain types of information about the Users of this Site, we believe you should fully understand the terms and conditions surrounding the use of the information we collect. This Privacy Policy discloses what information we gather, how we use it, what steps we take to maintain security and confidentiality, and how to correct or change erroneous or outdated information. Please review this Privacy Policy to understand how the information you provide MSO will be treated.
1. Information we compile.
In general, we gather information about all users collectively, such as what areas users visit most frequently and what services users access the most. This information, which is automatically retrieved, lets MSO analyze site traffic and service offerings as well as and manage its relationships with Users of this Site.
Registration to use metalsuppliersonline.com is mandatory. When registering with us, we will request various levels of information, including your name, e-mail address and other business information. This information enables us to ascertain the appropriate level of access to site (Viewer, Buyer, Supplier or all) for each user. This information also better enables us to provide you with content relevant to your interests and provides us with aggregate demographic data that MSO uses to improve the service offered to Users. Users may change their registration information by going to the ‘Profile’ section of the site (click the icon resembling a human head) and editing the information directly.
In addition to registration, MSO may, from time to time, request personal information, such as when we solicit feedback from Users with respect to the use of parts of all of the Site and our services.
2. What does MSO do with the information it collects?
The personal information you supplied to MSO to register for the non-commercial, or "Viewer" access of the Site will not be disclosed outside of MSO, except when we have your permission, when you voluntarily post information for other parties to view, or under special circumstances, such as when we believe in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to (i) comply with legal process, (ii) enforce the Terms and Conditions of Use, (iii) respond to claims that any content on metalsuppliersonline.com violates the rights of third parties, or (iv) protect the rights, property or personal safety of MSO, its users or the public.
The information, both personal and other supplied by commercial users of the Site may be shared with a counter-party that is involved with a specific product inquiry, quote, negotiation or transaction in order to facilitate the commercial activity between those parties. In an instance where more than one Supplier is involved in an inquiry by a Buyer, no personal, Supplier contact or other identifying Supplier information is ever disclosed to other Suppliers involved in the process of negotiating with the Buyer. Only information regarding unit cost, total cost, shipping location and shipping terms is available for review for that specific RFQ by other Suppliers.
Suppliers who are not a direct party to a particular product inquiry, quote, negotiation or transaction are capable of viewing, on a delayed basis the Buyer product search activity but they cannot access any of the information pertaining to a specific or negotiation or transaction. The buyer organization and product search activity is made available on a delayed basis to suppliers so that the suppliers can improve their sales and service efforts to better serve the metal buying community. Suppliers are only capable of seeing this information on a delayed basis and only as it pertains to the actual products they manufacture or distribute.
Certain other non-personal information of visitors is also recorded by the standard operation of MSO’s Internet servers. This information is primarily used to provide visitors to Metalsuppliersonline.com with an enhanced online experience. Information tracked includes, but is not limited to, the type of browser being used by the visitor, the type of operating system, and the domain name of the visitor’s Internet service provider. MSO may disclose aggregated user statistics in order to describe the service to prospective partners, advertisers, and other third parties, and for other lawful purposes. Aggregated data does not include personal information such as an individual's name, phone number, or email address.
MSO may use customer contact information from the registration form to send the User information about our company. Users may opt-out of receiving future mailings; see the choice/opt-out section below. MSO may use personal information to determine the demographics of our Users and to distribute statistics and general marketplace information about MSO. These demographics will always represent aggregate information and will never identify a specific user.
Also, please be aware that advertisers or Web sites that are linked to Metalsuppliersonline.com may collect personally identifiable information about you. This Privacy Policy does not cover the information practices of those Web sites linked to Metalsuppliersonline.com.
MSO contains links to other sites. MSO is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Web sites. MSO makes or has future plans to make chat rooms, forums, message boards, and/or news groups available on the Site. Please remember that any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes public information and you should exercise caution when deciding to disclose your personal information.
3. Cookies
There are two types of cookies. The first type is a per session cookie. The second type of cookie is a small data file that some Web sites write to your hard drive when you visit them. A cookie file can contain information such as a user ID that a Web site uses to track the pages you've visited. But the only personal information a cookie can contain is information you supply yourself. A cookie can't read data off your hard disk or read cookie files created by other sites. MSO requires per session cookies to augment the functionality of the Site and if enabled MSO will use other cookies to track user traffic patterns when you register as a MSO member, and when you click an ad. Some browsers (Netscape) do not distinguish between the two types of cookies and as a result those browser must be enabled to accept both types of cookies to access the Site. Browsers that do distinguish between the two types of cookies can disable cookies that write to your hard drive and they will be able to access the Site so long as per session cookies are enabled.
Registration: When you register, MSO uses a cookie to store a unique user ID. MSO uses this ID to identify you in our database and to track the pages you visit on our site.
4. User Options -- Opt-In/Opt Out
If for any reason MSO does decide to collect and use personally identifiable information for any purpose not listed above, MSO will inform users about its use of personally identifiable information. Reasons for collecting personal information could include billing, provision of customer service, network management, customer surveys, subscriptions, provision of offers of related services and other exchanges of information at its Website.
As mentioned above, MSO may use customer contact information from the registration form to send the user information about our company. MSO communications will solicit Opt-in/Opt-out responses for future communications.
5. Security
The integrity and the security of information pertaining to our Users is extremely important to MSO. We use our best efforts to use this information only to further the commercial objectives of the Users for which this Site was designed. All of your personal information is stored on our servers at a location designed specifically to ensure that no unauthorized individuals have access to the server or its data. Through the natural course of commercial activity facilitated by this Site industry professionals will access information that is covered by this Privacy Policy and may have retained a copy of your postings in their own files or databases. We are not responsible for the retention, use, or privacy of information in these instances.
6. MSO Privacy Policy Changes
If we decide to change our Privacy Policy for MSO, we will post those changes here so that you will always know what information we gather, how we might use that information and whether we will disclose it to anyone. By using the metalsuppliersonline.com services, you signify your assent to the metalsuppliersonline.com Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use our site or the services. Your continued use of metalsuppliersonline.com or the services following the posting of changes to these terms will mean you accept those changes.
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