Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy:

Houston Sommelier Association ("Houston Sommelier Association") operates houstonsomms.com and may operate other websites. It is Houston Sommelier's policy to respect your privacy regarding any information we may collect while operating our websites.

Website Visitors

Like most website operators, Houston Sommelier Association collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. Houston Sommelier's purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how Houston Sommelier's visitors use its website. From time to time, Houston Sommelier Association may release non-personally-identifying information in the aggregate, e.g., by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website.

Houston Sommelier Association also collects potentially personally-identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for logged in users and for users leaving comments on houstonsomms.com blogs/sites. Houston Sommelier Association only discloses logged in user and commenter IP addresses under the same circumstances that it uses and discloses personally-identifying information as described below, except that commenter IP addresses and email addresses are visible and disclosed to the administrators of the blog/site where the comment was left.

Gathering of Personally-Identifying Information

Certain visitors to Houston Sommelier's websites choose to interact with Houston Sommelier Association in ways that require Houston Sommelier Association to gather personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that Houston Sommelier Association gathers depends on the nature of the interaction. For example, we ask visitors who sign up at houstonsomms.com to provide a username and email address. Those who engage in transactions with Houston Sommelier Association are asked to provide additional information, including as necessary the personal and financial information required to process those transactions. In each case, Houston Sommelier Association collects such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the visitor's interaction with Houston Sommelier Association. Houston Sommelier Association does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain website-related activities.

Aggregated Statistics

Houston Sommelier Association may collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to its websites. Houston Sommelier Association may display this information publicly or provide it to others. However, Houston Sommelier Association does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below.

Protection of Certain Personally-Identifying Information

Houston Sommelier Association discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that (i) need to know that information in order to process it on Houston Sommelier's behalf or to provide services available at Houston Sommelier's websites, and (ii) that have agreed not to disclose it to others. Some of those employees, contractors and affiliated organizations may be located outside of your home country; by using Houston Sommelier's websites, you consent to the transfer of such information to them. Houston Sommelier Association will not rent or sell potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone. Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above, Houston Sommelier Association discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only in response to a subpoena, court order or other governmental request, or when Houston Sommelier Association believes in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the property or rights of Houston Sommelier Association, third parties or the public at large. If you are a registered user of an Houston Sommelier Association website and have supplied your email address, Houston Sommelier Association may occasionally send you an email to tell you about new features, solicit your feedback, or just keep you up to date with what's going on with Houston Sommelier Association and our products. If you send us a request (for example via email or via one of our feedback mechanisms), we reserve the right to publish it in order to help us clarify or respond to your request or to help us support other users. Houston Sommelier Association takes all measures reasonably necessary to protect against the unauthorized access, use, alteration or destruction of potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information.

Cookies

A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor's computer, and that the visitor's browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. Houston Sommelier Association uses cookies to help Houston Sommelier Association identify and track visitors, their usage of Houston Sommelier Association website, and their website access preferences. Houston Sommelier Association visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using Houston Sommelier's websites, with the drawback that certain features of Houston Sommelier's websites may not function properly without the aid of cookies.

Business Transfers

If Houston Sommelier Association, or substantially all of its assets, were acquired, or in the unlikely event that Houston Sommelier Association goes out of business or enters bankruptcy, user information would be one of the assets that is transferred or acquired by a third party. You acknowledge that such transfers may occur, and that any acquirer of Houston Sommelier Association may continue to use your personal information as set forth in this policy.

Ads

Ads appearing on any of our websites may be delivered to users by advertising partners, who may set cookies. These cookies allow the ad server to recognize your computer each time they send you an online advertisement to compile information about you or others who use your computer. This information allows ad networks to, among other things, deliver targeted advertisements that they believe will be of most interest to you. This Privacy Policy covers the use of cookies by Houston Sommelier Association and does not cover the use of cookies by any advertisers.

Privacy Policy Changes

Although most changes are likely to be minor, Houston Sommelier Association may change its Privacy Policy from time to time, and in Houston Sommelier's sole discretion. Houston Sommelier Association encourages visitors to frequently check this page for any changes to its Privacy Policy. If you have a houstonsomms.com account, you might also receive an alert informing you of these changes. Your continued use of this site after any change in this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such change.