Amalgamate Marketing’s
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy for Amalgamate Marketing
Last Updated: June 7, 2025
Welcome to Amalgamate Marketing (“we,” “us,” or “our”). We are a California-based business providing digital and print marketing, consulting, bookkeeping, web design, and business process automation services using various technologies. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about how we collect, use, and share your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains our practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information through our website, https://amalgamatemarketing.com (the “Website”), and related services.
This policy complies with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), and other applicable laws. By using our Website, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Website.
1. Who We Are
Our Website is operated by Amalgamate Marketing, a California-based marketing and consulting agency. Our Website address is https://amalgamatemarketing.com. For privacy-related inquiries, please contact us at:
- Email: hello@amalgamatemarketing.com
2. Information We Collect
We collect information that identifies, relates to, or could reasonably be linked to you (“Personal Information”). The types of information we collect depend on how you interact with our Website. Below are the categories of Personal Information we collect:
a. Information You Provide Directly
- Submission Forms: When you submit inquiries or requests through forms on our Website, we collect information such as your name, email address, phone number (if provided), and the content of your message.
- Payments: When you make payments through our Website using Stripe or QuickBooks, we collect payment-related information, such as your name, billing address, and payment details (e.g., credit card information). Stripe and Quickbooks processes payment data directly, and we do not store full payment card details.
- Comments: When you leave comments on our Website, we collect the data entered in the comments form (e.g., name, email address, and comment content), as well as your IP address and browser user agent string to help detect spam.
- Media Uploads: If you upload images or other media to the Website (e.g., through submission forms), we collect those files, including any embedded metadata (e.g., EXIF GPS location data).
b. Information Collected Automatically
- Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies to enhance your experience. For example:
- If you leave a comment, you may opt-in to cookies that save your name, email address, and website for convenience. These cookies last for one year, but may be deleted earlier than one year to maintain fast website speeds.
- We may set temporary cookies to determine if your browser accepts cookies. These cookies contain no Personal Information and are deleted when you close your browser.
- Usage Data: We collect information about your interactions with the Website, such as pages visited, time spent, and referral sources, using tools like Google Analytics.
- Device and Browser Information: We collect your IP address, browser type, operating system, and device type to optimize the Website and detect security issues.
c. Information from Third Parties
- Gravatar Service: If you leave a comment, we may send an anonymized string (hash) created from your email address to Gravatar to check if you use their service. If you do, your Gravatar profile picture may appear publicly with your comment. Gravatar’s privacy policy is available at https://automattic.com/privacy/.
- Third-Party Services: We use services like Google Analytics, Mailchimp, Stripe, Zapier, and Airtable, which may collect or process Personal Information on our behalf as described in Section 4.
d. Categories of Personal Information (CCPA/CPRA)
Under the CCPA/CPRA, we may collect the following categories of Personal Information:
- Identifiers (e.g., name, email address, IP address, billing address)
- Personal information categories listed in the California Customer Records statute (e.g., phone number, payment information)
- Commercial information (e.g., payment transaction details)
- Internet or network activity (e.g., browsing history, interactions with the Website)
- Geolocation data (e.g., approximate location from IP addresses or EXIF data in uploaded media)
- Inferences drawn from other Personal Information (e.g., preferences based on Website usage)
Note: We do not knowingly collect data from users under 16, and our Website is not intended for children.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your Personal Information for the following purposes:
- To process and respond to your inquiries, comments, or service requests submitted through forms.
- To process payments for our services via Stripe and/or QuickBooks.
- To personalize your experience (e.g., saving comment preferences via cookies).
- To send marketing communications (e.g., via Mailchimp) if you opt-in to receive them.
- To automate business processes for clients using automation software.
- To analyze Website usage and improve our services using Google Analytics.
- To detect and prevent spam, fraud, or security threats.
- To comply with legal obligations or enforce our terms.
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your Personal Information as defined by the CCPA/CPRA. However, we may share your information with:
- Service Providers: We share Personal Information with third-party service providers to perform functions on our behalf, including:
- Google Analytics: To analyze Website usage and user behavior.
- Mailchimp: To manage email marketing campaigns (if you opt-in).
- Stripe/QuickBooks: To process payments securely.
- Third Parties for Task Completion: To perform services you hire us for (e.g., digital marketing or web design), we may share data with third parties (e.g., advertising platforms or printing services) as necessary to complete the task. We ensure these parties are bound by confidentiality agreements.
- Legal Authorities: We may disclose information if required by law, such as in response to a subpoena, or to protect our rights, safety, or property.
If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email to verify your identity.
5. How Long We Retain Your Data
- Comments: Comments and their metadata (e.g., IP address) are retained indefinitely to recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically.
- Submission Forms: Data from forms is retained as long as necessary to respond to your inquiry or provide services, unless you request deletion or we are required to retain it for legal purposes.
- Payment Data: Payment information processed through Stripe is retained only as long as necessary to complete the transaction and comply with financial regulations.
- Cookies: Cookie retention periods are outlined in Section 2.b (e.g., comment cookies last one year).
- Other Data: We retain Personal Information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy or as required by law (e.g., tax or accounting requirements).
6. Your Privacy Rights (California Residents)
Under the CCPA/CPRA, California residents have the following rights:
- Right to Know: You can request details about the Personal Information we collect, use, disclose, or share, including the categories of information, sources, and recipients.
- Right to Delete: You can request deletion of your Personal Information, subject to exceptions (e.g., data needed for legal compliance or to complete a transaction).
- Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do not sell Personal Information, so no opt-out is needed.
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights (e.g., by denying services or charging different prices).
- Right to Correct Inaccurate Data: You can request corrections to inaccurate Personal Information.
- Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: You can limit the use of sensitive data (e.g., precise geolocation) for certain purposes.
To exercise these rights, contact us at hello@amalgamatemarketing.com. We will verify your identity by matching your email address or other provided information. You may submit requests up to twice per year, and we will respond within 45 days, with a possible 45-day extension.
If you have left comments or submitted forms, you can request an exported file of your Personal Information or ask us to erase it. This does not include data we must keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes (e.g., payment records for tax purposes).
Authorized Agent: You may use an authorized agent to submit requests, provided the agent has written permission and we can verify your identity.
7. Your Other Choices
- Cookies: You can disable cookies in your browser, but this may affect Website functionality (e.g., comment form convenience).
- Marketing Emails: If you opt-in to marketing emails via Mailchimp, you can unsubscribe by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any email.
- Do Not Track: We do not respond to Do Not Track signals, as there is no industry standard.
8. Where Your Data Is Sent
Your data may be processed by servers in the United States, including by third-party service providers like Google Analytics, or Mailchimp. Since you do not target international users, we do not transfer data outside the U.S. for GDPR purposes. However, some providers may store data on secure servers outside California, with appropriate safeguards in place.
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service (e.g., Akismet), which may involve data transfer to servers in the U.S.
9. Security
We implement reasonable security measures to protect your Personal Information, such as SSL encryption, secure hosting, and agreements with service providers to protect data. Stripe uses industry-standard encryption for payment processing. However, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Children’s Privacy
Our Website is not intended for children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect data from users under 16. If we learn we have collected such data, we will delete it. Contact us at hello@amalgamatemarketing.com if you believe we have collected a child’s information.
11. Third-Party Links
Our Website may include links to third-party sites (e.g., social media platforms or client websites). We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their policies before providing information.
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of significant changes by posting a notice on our Website and updating the “Last Updated” date.
13. Contact Us
For questions or to exercise your privacy rights, contact us at:
- Email: hello@amalgamatemarketing.com
For CCPA/CPRA requests, we will respond within 45 days, with a possible 45-day extension.