Privacy Policy for FirstBy Retail LLC

Effective Date: October 9, 2024
Last Updated: October 9, 2024

1. Introduction

FirstBy Retail LLC (“FirstBy,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates firstby.com (the “Site”), an e-commerce and classified ads marketplace platform. Your privacy is important to us, and we are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, share, and safeguard your information when you interact with our services, which include our website, mobile application, and related online services (collectively, the “Services”).

By accessing or using our Services, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms, please discontinue the use of the Services. We may modify this policy from time to time, so we encourage you to review it periodically.

2. Information We Collect

We collect various types of information from users to provide, improve, and personalize our Services. Below are the details of the categories of data we collect:

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

When you interact with FirstBy, you may provide us with certain personal information that includes but is not limited to:

  • Contact Information: This includes your name, email address, phone number, gender, and mailing address. These details are collected during registration and when you update your account.
  • Account Information: Information related to your username, password, and security questions/answers. We store this securely to ensure your account is protected.
  • Transactional Data: This includes information about the transactions you perform on FirstBy, such as the goods or services you buy or sell, payment method, and billing and shipping information. We rely on third-party payment processors like Stripe and PayPal to manage and process your payment details, and these entities may collect additional personal information.

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

In addition to the data you provide directly, we collect information automatically as you interact with our Services. This includes:

  • Device Information: Details such as the type of device you use to access the Services, your IP address, browser type, operating system, and unique device identifiers.
  • Usage Data: We collect data about your interactions with the Site, including the pages you visit, links clicked, search terms, time spent on the site, and the products or services you view or purchase. This data helps us improve and personalize your experience.
  • Location Data: With your permission, we may collect precise geolocation information from your device to offer location-based services and enhance your browsing experience. You can choose to disable this feature through your device settings.
  • Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to collect information about your online behavior. These technologies help us analyze site traffic, remember your preferences, and tailor content. For example, Google Analytics is used to gather insights into how users interact with FirstBy, allowing us to continuously improve our platform.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to provide, maintain, and improve our Services. Here’s a more detailed look at how your data is utilized:

3.1 Providing and Managing the Service

  • Account Creation and Authentication: We use your personal information to create and manage your account on FirstBy, authenticate your identity, and provide access to the Services.
  • Transaction Fulfillment: Your transactional data allows us to process and complete your orders, including the delivery of goods and services. We use third-party service providers, such as Stripe and PayPal, to process payments securely.

3.2 Improving and Customizing the Service

  • Personalization: The data we collect allows us to personalize the products and services presented to you based on your interests, past purchases, and interactions with the platform. We may use your browsing and transaction history to recommend items you might be interested in.
  • Optimization and Analytics: We analyze your usage patterns through tools like Google Analytics to understand how users engage with the platform. This analysis helps us identify trends, optimize the user interface, and introduce new features or services.

3.3 Communication

  • Transactional Communications: We use your contact information to send you transactional emails, such as order confirmations, shipping notifications, account updates, and changes to our policies or terms.
  • Promotional Communications: With your consent, we may send marketing emails or messages about promotions, offers, and new product launches. You can opt out of promotional emails at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions included in the communication.

3.4 Ensuring Security and Preventing Fraud

  • Security Measures: We use SSL encryption, secure servers, and advanced security plugins to protect your personal information from unauthorized access. This includes protection against DDoS and XSS attacks.
  • Fraud Prevention: We may use your data to detect and prevent fraudulent activities or abuse on our platform. For instance, we might monitor transactions to identify suspicious patterns or flag accounts for review.

3.5 Legal Compliance and Enforcement

  • Compliance with Legal Obligations: We may use your information to comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal processes. This could involve providing information to regulatory bodies or law enforcement agencies when required.
  • Enforcement of Terms: We may use your personal information to enforce our terms of service, resolve disputes, and prevent violations of our policies or agreements.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. However, we may share your data under certain circumstances to provide and improve our Services. Here’s how your information might be shared:

4.1 Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party providers to help us operate and maintain FirstBy. These providers have limited access to your personal information and only use it for the purposes of providing services on our behalf, such as:

  • Payment Processing: We share transaction details with payment processors like Stripe and PayPal to facilitate payments.
  • Data Storage and Hosting: We store and deliver data via Amazon S3 and CloudFront, which ensures secure and real-time access to your information.
  • Analytics Providers: We share data with Google Analytics to track and analyze user behavior on our platform. These analytics help us improve our services and marketing efforts.

4.2 Legal and Compliance Reasons

We may disclose your personal information if required by law, such as in response to a subpoena, court order, or government request. We will also share data to:

  • Protect the rights, property, or safety of FirstBy, its users, or the public.
  • Prevent illegal activities, potential threats, or violations of our terms.

4.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our business, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you of such transfers and ensure that your data remains protected during these transitions.

5. Data Security

We prioritize the security of your data. Here’s how we protect it:

  • SSL Encryption: All personal and payment data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using industry-standard Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, ensuring that sensitive information is protected during transmission.
  • Security Plugins and Monitoring: We use advanced security plugins to monitor, detect, and block potential threats, such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) and Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. Our system is continuously updated with the latest security patches and protocols.
  • Access Controls: Only authorized personnel have access to your personal information. We use role-based access controls and ensure that employees handling your data follow strict confidentiality agreements.

Despite our efforts, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, regulatory, or business requirements.

  • Inactive Accounts: If your account is inactive for 10 years, we will securely delete your personal information from our systems, unless retention is required by law. You may also request account deletion at any time by contacting support@firstby.com.
  • Request for Deletion: If you request account deletion or data removal, we will honor your request and delete your personal information, unless we are required to retain certain data for legal or security reasons.

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have certain rights regarding your personal data, depending on your jurisdiction. These rights include:

  • Access and Correction: You can request access to the personal information we hold about you and request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Deletion: You can request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions for legal or business purposes.
  • Withdrawal of Consent: If you previously consented to data collection, you may withdraw that consent at any time. However, please note that declining consent to certain data processing may limit your access to certain features of the Services.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support@firstby.com. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience, personalize content, and analyze site traffic.

  • Types of Cookies:
    • Session Cookies: These cookies are temporary and expire when you close your browser.
    • Persistent Cookies: These remain on your device until you delete them or they expire automatically after a set period.
  • How We Use Cookies:
    We use cookies to remember your preferences, enhance your experience, and provide personalized recommendations. Cookies also help us understand how users engage with our site, allowing us to optimize performance and improve services.
  • Managing Cookies:
    You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. However, please note that disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of the Services.

9. Data Transfers and Storage

Your personal information is stored and processed on secure servers provided by Amazon S3 and CloudFront, which are located in the United States. By using FirstBy, you consent to the transfer of your data to the United States, regardless of your country of origin. We ensure that all data transfers comply with applicable privacy regulations and use industry-standard safeguards to protect your information.

10. Children’s Privacy

FirstBy is not intended for individuals under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete the information as quickly as possible. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us at legal@firstby.com.

11. International Users

While FirstBy operates globally, this Privacy Policy applies specifically to users within the United States for the .com website. We comply with international data protection laws, including the GDPR for European users, to the extent applicable. Please be aware that your information may be processed outside your jurisdiction, and we take necessary steps to ensure that international data transfers comply with applicable legal requirements.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, or legal requirements. When we make material changes to the policy, we will notify you by email or by prominently posting a notice on our Site. Please review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your personal information.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to your privacy or this Privacy Policy, you can reach us through the following channels: