Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

At Houston Generator Company (“we”, “us”, or “our”), accessible via houstongeneratorcompany.com, we are committed to safeguarding the personal information of our website visitors, customers, and partners. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal data, and how we ensure compliance with applicable privacy laws including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). We believe that privacy is a fundamental right, and we are dedicated to handling your personal data with care, transparency, and accountability.

2. Scope of this Policy and Data Controller

This Privacy Policy applies to houstongeneratorcompany.com and any online services, interactions, and communications provided through this domain. Houston Generator Company is the data controller responsible for the collection and use of your personal data as described in this Policy. As a data controller, we determine the purposes and methods of processing your personal information in accordance with applicable laws.

3. Categories of Data We Process

We collect and process the following categories of personal data when you use houstongeneratorcompany.com:

a) Usage Data
Includes information about your interactions with houstongeneratorcompany.com, such as IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referral sources, pages visited, time and date of visits, and session playback data.

b) Account Data
Consists of information you provide when creating an account or submitting forms on our site, such as your name, email address, phone number, billing and shipping addresses.

c) Profile Data
Encompasses your preferences, product interests, order history, behavior on our website, and feedback or survey responses.

d) Communication Data
Includes any correspondence with us, such as emails, inquiries submitted through contact forms, and records of customer service interactions.

e) Technical Data
Captures information about the devices and technology you use to access our site, including device identifiers, network information, browser settings, language preferences, and screen resolution.

f) Transaction Data
Pertains to payment details (encrypted financial data), purchase history, delivery addresses, and invoice or receipt information.

g) Preference Data
Reflects your marketing preferences, communication consents, opt-in or opt-out status, and choices about how we contact you.

4. Legal Bases for Processing

We process your personal data under several lawful bases, including:

– Consent: Where you have given your explicit permission for us to use your data (e.g., subscribing to newsletters or accepting cookies).
– Contractual Necessity: When processing is necessary to fulfill our contract with you (e.g., delivering orders or managing your account).
– Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests and does not override your rights (e.g., fraud prevention, improving website performance).
– Legal Obligation: Where we are legally required to collect or disclose certain data (e.g., tax or regulatory requirements).

5. Your Rights

Consistent with applicable laws, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

– Right of Access: Obtain a copy of the data we hold about you.
– Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
– Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): Ask us to delete your data when it is no longer necessary or lawfully required.
– Right to Restrict Processing: Limit our use of your data under specific circumstances.
– Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, commonly used format and transmit it to another controller.
– Right to Object: Object to our processing of your data where we rely on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
– Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

To exercise any of the above rights, contact us at [email protected].

6. Security Measures

We implement robust administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. These include:

– Data encryption (SSL/TLS protocols)
– Role-based access control
– Secure backups and disaster recovery procedures
– Ongoing staff training and awareness
– Monitoring and audit logging of system activity

While we strive to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet is entirely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. International Transfers

Your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your country of residence, including jurisdictions that may not offer the same level of data protection. Where such transfers are required, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:

– Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
– Adequacy decisions for countries recognized by the European Commission
– Additional contractual, technical, and organizational measures to ensure compliance

8. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to comply with legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, or reporting requirements.

The following general retention periods apply:

– Usage Data: Up to 2 years for analytical benchmarking
– Account Data: For as long as the account is active and up to 7 years thereafter (in line with financial recordkeeping obligations)
– Profile and Preference Data: Up to 3 years of inactivity
– Communication Data: Up to 5 years unless extended for legal reasons
– Technical Data: Up to 12 months
– Transaction Data: Up to 7 years following transaction
– Marketing Consents: Unless withdrawn, retained as long as marketing communications are applicable or until 3 years of inactivity

9. Cookie Policy

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your website experience. These include:

– Essential Cookies: Required for the functioning of houstongeneratorcompany.com (e.g., login sessions, cart functionality).
– Functional Cookies: Improve performance and personal customization (e.g., language settings).
– Analytics Cookies: Collect aggregated data to understand user interaction (e.g., Google Analytics).
– Performance Cookies: Help improve page speed, uptime monitoring, and infrastructure operations.

10. Cookie Management and Legal Compliance

Under the GDPR and CCPA, you have the right to:

– Be informed about the use and purpose of cookies
– Consent or decline non-essential cookies
– Withdraw cookie consent at any time

Upon visiting houstongeneratorcompany.com, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner. You can manage your cookie preferences through this banner or your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may impact website functionality.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect or process personal information from children under 13 years of age. If you believe that a child under 13 has provided us with personal data without consent, please contact us immediately at [email protected] so that we can take appropriate steps to delete such data.

12. Policy Updates

We may revise this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or services. We encourage users to periodically review this document. Where material changes are made, we will notify you through appropriate channels (e.g., website pop-ups or email communication where applicable).

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, please contact:

Houston Generator Company
Email: [email protected]

We are committed to full compliance with applicable privacy regulations and to supporting your data rights. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any privacy-related concerns or inquiries.