Gold Stars HQ Legal
Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy ("Policy") describes how Gold Stars HQ LLC ("Gold Stars HQ," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and otherwise processes personal information when you visit HeyImShawn.com, contact us, request services, or work with us on design, development, deployment, hosting, consulting, or related project work (collectively, the "Services").
We are committed to protecting your privacy. By accessing or using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Policy. If you do not agree with this Policy, please do not use the Services. Your continued use after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.
This Policy applies in addition to, and is incorporated by reference into, our Terms of Service.
2. Scope
This Policy applies to HeyImShawn.com, Gold Stars HQ communications, project inquiries, proposals, client onboarding, service delivery, support, and related business operations. It applies only to pages, forms, communications, or service workflows that expressly link to or reference this Policy.
If a client deliverable, third-party platform, or separate service has its own privacy notice, that notice controls for that specific context.
3. Information We Collect
3.1 Information You Provide to Us
We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:
- Submit a contact form, project inquiry, support request, or consultation request.
- Create an account, sign in, or manage account credentials.
- Subscribe to newsletters, updates, product announcements, or marketing communications.
- Make a purchase or transaction through our Services.
- Submit comments, reviews, ratings, files, project materials, or other user-generated content.
- Communicate with us through email, chat, phone, forms, support channels, or other tools.
- Participate in surveys, promotions, waitlists, beta programs, or product testing.
This information may include your name, email address, company, phone number, project details, account details, billing details, files, attachments, technical requirements, business context, and any other information you choose to provide.
3.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you use the Services, we and our service providers may automatically collect:
- Device and connection data, including IP address, device type, operating system, browser type and version, screen resolution, language preference, and approximate location derived from IP.
- Usage data, including pages or screens viewed, time spent, click paths, referring URL, exit pages, search terms, feature interactions, and date/time stamps.
- Performance and diagnostic data, including crash reports, error logs, server logs, uptime signals, and technical events used to maintain and improve the Services.
- Cookies and similar technologies, described in Section 5.
3.3 Information From Third Parties
We may receive information about you from:
- Identity providers, such as Google, Microsoft, or Apple, when you sign in using single sign-on.
- Analytics, advertising, attribution, security, hosting, and infrastructure partners.
- Payment processors that confirm transactions on our behalf.
- Business partners, integrators, clients, contractors, affiliates, or service providers.
- Publicly available sources, such as business websites or professional profiles you have made public.
3.4 Sensitive Information
We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal information, such as government identifiers, health data, biometric data, or precise geolocation data, unless you voluntarily provide it in the context of a Service that requires it. Where required by applicable law, we will obtain consent before processing sensitive personal information.
4. How We Use Information
We use the personal information we collect to:
- Provide and operate the Services, including responding to inquiries, processing transactions, operating product features, and delivering support.
- Maintain and improve the Services, including diagnosing issues, monitoring performance, preventing abuse, and developing new features.
- Communicate with you, including service notices, security alerts, policy updates, support responses, and marketing communications where permitted.
- Personalize your experience, including remembering preferences, theme settings, account details, saved content, and relevant recommendations.
- Protect rights and safety, including detecting, investigating, and preventing fraud, security incidents, abuse, and violations of our Terms.
- Comply with legal obligations, respond to lawful requests, enforce agreements, and protect legal rights.
- Aggregate and anonymize information to produce de-identified statistics and insights about how the Services are used.
We do not sell your personal information, nor do we use it for purposes incompatible with the purposes described in this Policy without your consent.
7. Third-Party Links & Content
Our Services may contain links to, or embedded content from, third-party websites, services, or applications that are not owned or controlled by Gold Stars HQ. We do not endorse and are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, products, or services of those third parties. This Policy does not apply to third-party properties.
Some embedded content, such as videos, maps, payment widgets, calendars, forms, or social media widgets, may collect information about your interaction with that content even if you do not click it. To learn more, consult the privacy policy of the relevant provider.
8. Affiliate Disclosures
Certain Services may include affiliate links, sponsored placements, paid partnerships, or other commercial relationships. When you click a qualifying affiliate link and complete a purchase or other action with the linked third party, Gold Stars HQ may receive a commission, referral fee, or other compensation at no additional cost to you.
We disclose material connections as required by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Affiliate relationships do not override our editorial judgment or product recommendations.
The third-party merchant determines what information is collected when you purchase through an affiliate link, and that purchase is governed by the merchant's own terms and privacy policy.
9. Children's Privacy
Our Services are not directed to children under the age of 13, or 16 in jurisdictions where that higher age applies. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to delete the information from our records.
10. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, including providing the Services, complying with legal obligations, resolving disputes, and enforcing agreements. Retention periods depend on the nature of the information and the context in which it was collected.
- Inquiry and contact records are retained for our business follow-up window and then archived or deleted on a rolling basis.
- Account information is retained for the life of the account plus a reasonable period after closure for backups, audit, and legal compliance.
- Transaction and billing records are retained as required by applicable tax, accounting, and consumer-protection laws.
- Server logs are retained for a short period sufficient for security and diagnostic purposes.
When we no longer need personal information, we will securely delete or anonymize it.
11. Data Security
We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These may include encrypted transport, access controls, secure development practices, credential protections, provider security controls, and periodic review of systems.
No method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping account credentials confidential.
12. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access personal information we hold about you.
- Correct information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Request deletion of personal information, subject to applicable exceptions.
- Receive personal information in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
- Restrict or object to certain processing activities.
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
- Opt out of marketing communications.
- Exercise privacy rights without unlawful discrimination.
12.1 California (CCPA / CPRA)
California residents have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, including the right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold; the right to delete personal information; the right to correct inaccurate personal information; the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information; and the right to limit the use of sensitive personal information. We do not sell personal information.
12.2 EU / UK (GDPR)
If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation and equivalent UK and Swiss laws, including the rights listed above and the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. The legal bases on which we rely include performance of a contract, legitimate interests, consent, and compliance with legal obligations.
12.3 Other U.S. State Privacy Laws
Residents of U.S. states with comprehensive privacy laws, including Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Montana, and others as enacted, may have similar rights.
12.4 How to Exercise Your Rights
Submit requests to privacy@heyimshawn.com. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the time required by applicable law, generally 30 to 45 days. You may use an authorized agent if permitted by law; we may require written authorization and verification.
13. International Data Transfers
Gold Stars HQ is based in the United States. If you access the Services from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. Data-protection laws in those countries may differ from those in your jurisdiction. Where required by law, we implement appropriate safeguards for such transfers.
14. Do Not Track
Some browsers transmit a "Do Not Track" signal. There is no consistent industry standard for how to respond to these signals, and we do not currently change our practices in response to them. Where required by law, such as recognized opt-out signals in California, we honor applicable privacy preference signals.
15. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other reasons. When we make material changes, we will update the Last updated date and, where appropriate, notify you through the Services or by email. Your continued use of the Services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.
16. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Policy or our privacy practices, contact us at:
- Privacy: privacy@heyimshawn.com
- General: hello@heyimshawn.com
- Mailing region: Texas, United States
This Policy is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. If you have specific questions about how the law applies to your situation, please consult a qualified attorney.