Privacy Policy

Introduction

IBC Santa Ana ("Company," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website (ibcsantaana.com), contact us, or use our services. Please read this policy carefully to understand our practices regarding your personal data.

By accessing our website or providing us with your personal information, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this policy, please do not access the website or provide us with your personal information.

Information We Collect

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us when you use our website, submit a contact or quote form, or communicate with us. The types of information we may collect include:

Personal Information

• First and last name
• Email address
• Company or organization name
• Job title or role
• City, state/province, and postal code
• Product interests and service requirements
• Messages, inquiries, and communications you send us

Automatically Collected Information

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Referring website URLs
• Pages visited on our website and time spent on each page
• Date and time of visits
• Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
• Screen resolution and language preferences

Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party sources such as analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics), advertising partners, and publicly available business directories. This information may be combined with other information we collect to improve our services and marketing efforts.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Business Operations

• Respond to your inquiries, quote requests, and communications
• Process orders, manage transactions, and fulfill deliveries
• Manage customer accounts and maintain business relationships
• Provide customer support and technical assistance
• Coordinate pickups, deliveries, and recycling services

Service Improvement

• Improve our website functionality, content, and user experience
• Analyze website traffic patterns and user behavior
• Develop new products, services, and features
• Conduct internal research and analysis

Communications

• Send relevant updates about products and services you have expressed interest in
• Provide product availability notifications
• Share industry news, guides, and educational content
• Send transactional communications (order confirmations, delivery updates)

Legal and Compliance

• Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
• Enforce our Terms of Service and other agreements
• Protect against fraud, unauthorized transactions, and other illegal activities
• Protect the rights, property, and safety of our business, employees, and customers

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Compliance)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds: (a) your consent, which you can withdraw at any time; (b) the necessity of processing to perform a contract with you or take steps at your request prior to entering a contract; (c) our legitimate business interests, such as improving our services and marketing relevant products; and (d) compliance with legal obligations to which we are subject.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, processing payments, delivering products, and conducting our business. These providers are contractually obligated to keep your information confidential and use it only for the purposes for which we share it.
• Delivery Partners: When arranging delivery or shipping, we share necessary delivery information (name, address, contact details) with our logistics and delivery partners.
• Analytics Providers: We use third-party analytics services (such as Google Analytics) that collect and analyze website usage data on our behalf. These services use cookies and similar technologies to help us understand how visitors use our website.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information when required by law, court order, or government regulation, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our security measures include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted through our website and contact forms
• Secure storage of personal data on protected servers
• Access controls limiting employee access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Regular security assessments and updates to our systems
• Employee training on data protection and privacy practices

However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You acknowledge and accept this inherent risk when providing personal information electronically.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable laws and regulations. Specific retention periods include:

• Customer account information: retained for the duration of the business relationship and up to 7 years after the last transaction for tax and legal purposes
• Quote and inquiry records: retained for up to 3 years
• Website analytics data: retained for up to 26 months
• Marketing communication preferences: retained until you opt out or request deletion

When personal information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with our data retention policies and applicable laws.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze website traffic, and understand how visitors interact with our site. Cookies are small text files placed on your device that help us provide a better user experience.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Required for basic website functionality such as page navigation and form submissions. These cookies cannot be disabled.
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website by collecting anonymous usage data. We use Google Analytics and similar tools for this purpose.
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences (such as language or region) to provide a more personalized experience.

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies. However, disabling cookies may affect some features and functionality of our website. For more information about managing cookies, consult your browser's help documentation.

Your Rights

Depending on your location and applicable laws, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Right of Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right of Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request that we limit how we use your personal information
• Right to Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to Object: Object to processing of your personal information for certain purposes
• Right to Opt Out: Opt out of marketing communications at any time
• Right to Non-Discrimination: Exercise your privacy rights without receiving discriminatory treatment

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@ibcsantaana.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days (or within the timeframe required by applicable law). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). These rights include:

• Right to Know: You may request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources from which the information was collected, the business purpose for collecting the information, and the categories of third parties with whom we share the information.
• Right to Delete: You may request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions (such as information needed to complete a transaction or comply with legal obligations).
• Right to Correct: You may request that we correct inaccurate personal information we maintain about you.
• Right to Opt Out of Sale/Sharing: We do not sell or share your personal information as defined by the CCPA/CPRA. Therefore, there is no need to opt out. If this practice changes, we will update this policy and provide an opt-out mechanism.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA/CPRA rights.

To submit a CCPA/CPRA request, email us at info@ibcsantaana.com with the subject line "California Privacy Rights Request." You may also designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. We will verify your identity (and the authority of any agent) before processing your request.

Notice of Financial Incentives: We do not offer any financial incentives or price differences related to the collection, retention, or sale of personal information.

Do Not Track Signals

Some web browsers transmit "Do Not Track" (DNT) signals. Our website does not currently respond to DNT signals, as there is no universally accepted standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. However, you can manage your privacy preferences through your browser settings and cookie controls as described above.

Children's Privacy

Our website and services are designed for business use and are not intended for children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at info@ibcsantaana.com and we will take steps to delete such information from our records.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, services, or resources that are not operated or controlled by IBC Santa Ana. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of any third-party websites or services.

International Data Transfers

Our website is hosted in the United States, and our business operations are conducted from Santa Ana, California. If you access our website from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country. By using our website or providing us with your information, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. For material changes that significantly affect how we handle your personal information, we will make reasonable efforts to provide notice (such as updating the "Last updated" date prominently or notifying registered customers via email).

Data Processing for Business Transactions

When you engage in a business transaction with IBC Santa Ana (such as purchasing products, requesting a quote, or scheduling a delivery), we process your personal information as necessary to fulfill the transaction. This includes using your contact information to communicate about order status, delivery scheduling, and payment processing. Transaction records, including invoices, delivery confirmations, and payment receipts, are retained for a minimum of 7 years as required by tax and accounting regulations.

For our IBC buy-back and recycling services, we may collect information about the tanks you are selling or recycling, including previous contents and condition assessments. This information is used solely for the purpose of evaluating and processing the transaction and is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes.

Automated Decision-Making

IBC Santa Ana does not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects or similarly significant effects on individuals. All quote pricing, product recommendations, and business decisions are made by our human team members based on your specific requirements and current market conditions.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact us: