Privacy Policy

The short version

• Avahere lists local businesses in Nassau County, NY using business directory data. Unclaimed pages show only basic business details.
• We keep owner and officer contact details private. We use them to confirm who owns a business and to invite businesses to claim their page. We don't show them and we don't sell them.
• When you send a job request, your details go only to the businesses that receive it. Your phone number goes only to businesses you allow to call or text you.
• We don't sell personal information. We don't use third-party advertising or tracking cookies.
• You can claim, correct or remove a listing, and you can stop messages from us at any time.

Who we are

This policy explains what information Avahere ("Avahere", "we", "us") collects, where it comes from, how we use and share it, and the choices you have. It applies to avahere.com and to our related sites, including business.avahere.com and support.avahere.com (together, the "Service").

Information about businesses in our directory

What we hold

• Business details: name, category or industry code, street address, town, ZIP code, main business phone, website, and whether a location appears to be commercial or residential.
• Owner and officer details: names and job titles of people connected to a business and, for some businesses, a direct phone number or email address.
• Business size details, such as an estimated employee range or sales band. We use these internally and never show them publicly.

Where it comes from

• Business directory data compiled from public sources, such as business registrations and filings, published business listings and business websites, including data we obtain from business data providers.
• Business owners, when they claim and edit their page.
• The public, when someone reports a correction, a closed business or a duplicate.

What we show publicly

For a business that hasn't been claimed, we show only its name, category, town and website, plus its street address and main phone only when the location appears to be a commercial, non-residential one. For home-based businesses we hide the address and show "Serves {town} and nearby" instead.

We never publicly show, for an unclaimed business: owners' or officers' names, direct or personal phone numbers, email addresses, revenue or sales, or employee counts. After a business is claimed, the owner decides what appears on its page. Revenue and employee counts are never shown.

How we use private business contact details

• To confirm claims. When someone claims a page, we may send a one-time code to a phone number or email address on file. We show it only partly, like (516) •••-••42.
• To invite the business to claim its page, by email, mail or a phone call from a person, as described in How Avahere contacts businesses.
• To keep the directory accurate and to honor do-not-contact requests.

Your choices as a business

• Claim your page to edit it and decide what's shown.
• Ask for a correction without claiming.
• Ask us to remove the listing. Once removed, the page stays down when we refresh our data.
• Stop messages from us.

Information from business owners

When you create a business account or claim a page we collect:

• Account details: your name, email address, phone number and password. We store passwords only in hashed form.
• Page content you add: descriptions, services and prices, photos, hours, service area, license and insurance details, and anything else you publish.
• Verification records: the method used, the masked phone number or email, the time and the result. We don't keep the one-time codes themselves.
• Message preferences and consents, including the wording you agreed to and when, if you opt in to text messages.
• Your activity: leads, quotes, messages, review replies and settings.

Information from customers

• Job requests: the category, your town or ZIP code, your answers, description, photos and timing, your name, email and phone number, and how you'd like businesses to contact you.
• Messages you exchange with businesses through Avahere.
• Reviews: your rating and review are public with your first name and last initial, like "Maria G.". Your email stays private.
• Contact and removal forms: your name, email, optional phone number and what you tell us.

Information collected automatically

• First-party analytics. When you browse the Service we record the pages you view (with private links, such as your request page link, removed), the domain of the site that sent you, your device type (mobile, tablet or desktop) and clicks on buttons such as Call, Website or Directions. We use this to understand which pages help people and to show businesses how their page is doing, in aggregate.
• Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control. If your browser sends either signal, our page-view and click tracker sends nothing.
• Server and security logs, such as IP address, browser type and time of request, used to keep the Service secure and to stop spam. In our forms we store a one-way fingerprint of your IP address, not the address itself.

Cookies

We use only first-party cookies. We don't use advertising cookies or third-party trackers.

• ava_sid: a random analytics session ID (up to 1 year).
• ava_biz: keeps business owners signed in (30 days).
• ava_bsel: remembers which business you're managing (1 year).
• ava_admin: keeps Avahere staff signed in (7 days).

How we use information

• To run the directory and marketplace, and to route job requests to the businesses you choose.
• To send messages you ask for or expect, such as sign-in and verification codes, lead alerts, replies and request updates.
• To confirm business owners and protect pages from being taken over.
• To invite businesses to claim their free page.
• To moderate reviews and prevent spam, fraud and abuse.
• To improve the Service using aggregate analytics.
• To comply with the law and enforce our Terms of Service.

How we share information

• With businesses you contact. Your job request goes to the businesses that receive it, as described above.
• With the public. Business page content and published reviews are public.
• With service providers who help us run the Service, such as our hosting provider, Twilio (phone verification codes and text messages) and SendGrid (email delivery). They may use the information only to provide their services to us.
• For legal reasons, when we believe the law requires it, or to protect the rights, property or safety of our users, the public or Avahere.
• In a business transfer, such as a merger or acquisition, subject to this policy.

We don't sell personal information, and we don't share it for targeted advertising.

Messages and how to opt out

• Texts. We send marketing texts only to people who have agreed to receive them. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to any text to stop, or HELP for help.
• Email. Every marketing email has an unsubscribe link.
• Calls. Tell the person who calls you and we'll add your number to our do-not-call list.
• Online. Use our opt-out page for any phone number or email address.

We check our do-not-contact list before every message we send. We process opt-outs right away, and always within 10 business days. Opting out of marketing doesn't stop messages you ask for, such as a sign-in code, and it doesn't remove a business listing.

Your choices and rights

You can ask to see, correct or delete personal information we hold about you by writing to [email protected] or using our contact form. We may need to confirm your identity first. We'll reply within 45 days.

Some records we keep even after a deletion request, where the law requires it or to honor your choices. For example, we keep a one-way fingerprint of opted-out phone numbers and emails so we never contact them again.

How long we keep information

• Directory listings: while the business appears in our directory. For removed listings we keep a minimal record so the page doesn't come back when we refresh our data.
• Accounts: while the account is open, then for a limited time afterwards to resolve disputes and meet legal duties.
• Job requests and messages: as long as needed to provide the Service, resolve disputes and meet legal requirements. Then we delete or de-identify them.
• Records of messages we send, consents and opt-outs: at least five years, as the law expects for marketing messages.

Security

We protect information with encryption in transit (HTTPS), hashed passwords and session tokens, and access limits for our staff. Private business contact details are available only to authorized Avahere staff. No system is perfectly secure, so please use a strong, unique password.

Children

The Service is for adults. You must be 18 or older to send a job request, leave a review or claim a business. We don't knowingly collect information from children under 13.

Where we operate

Avahere operates in the United States, and our servers are in the United States.

Changes to this policy

We'll update this page when our practices change and update the date at the top. If a change is significant, we'll give notice on the Service or by email before it takes effect.

Contact us

Questions about privacy? Email [email protected] or use our contact form.