Legal
Privacy Policy
Hometown Authority ("Hometown Authority," "we," "us," or "our") operates hometownauthority.com and related pages, checkout forms, and communications (together, the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. By using the Site or purchasing from us, you agree to this policy.
Who this covers. Our customers are orthodontic practices and the people who run them. This policy covers information collected from visitors and customers of the Site. It does not cover information a practice collects from its own patients or their families while using our materials — that information is collected and controlled by the practice under its own policies.
1. Information we collect
Information you give us
- Contact details — name, email address, phone number, practice name, and mailing or billing address when you request a resource, make a purchase, or contact us.
- Payment information — payments are processed by Stripe. We receive confirmation of payment, the last four digits of your card, and billing details; we do not store full card numbers.
- Communications — the contents of emails, text messages, form submissions, and survey responses you send us.
Information collected automatically
- Device and usage data — IP address, browser type, device type, pages viewed, time on page, referring URLs, and similar analytics data.
- Cookies and tracking technologies — we and our service providers use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to remember you, measure how the Site is used, and measure and improve our advertising. This includes the Meta (Facebook) Pixel and tracking provided by our customer-relationship platform.
2. How we use information
- To deliver the products and resources you purchase or request, and to provide customer support.
- To send you emails about your purchase, related products, educational content, and offers. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email.
- To send text messages if you have opted in (see Section 4).
- To process payments, prevent fraud, and keep records we are required to keep.
- To understand how the Site is used and to improve it.
- To measure the performance of our advertising and to show you relevant ads on other platforms (for example, Meta).
- To comply with law and enforce our Terms & Conditions.
3. How we share information
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only:
- With service providers who help us operate — including HighLevel / LeadConnector (customer-relationship management, email, and text messaging), Stripe (payments), Vercel (website hosting), Google (web fonts and analytics, where used), and Meta (advertising measurement). These providers may process your information only to perform services for us.
- For legal reasons — if required by law, subpoena, or legal process, or to protect our rights, property, or safety or those of others.
- In a business transfer — if Hometown Authority is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
4. Text messaging (SMS)
If you provide your mobile number and opt in, we may send you text messages about your purchase, onboarding, appointments, and related offers. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to any message to opt out, or HELP for help. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Your mobile information and SMS consent will not be shared with or sold to third parties for their own marketing purposes.
5. Cookies and your choices
You can control cookies through your browser settings, including deleting existing cookies and blocking new ones. Blocking cookies may affect how the Site works. To limit Meta's use of your information for advertising, adjust your ad preferences in your Facebook or Instagram account settings. We honor Global Privacy Control signals where required by law.
6. Data retention
We keep personal information for as long as needed to provide our products and services, satisfy legal and accounting obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Purchase records are retained as required by tax law. You may ask us to delete information we are not required to keep (see Section 8).
7. Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information, and we rely on established providers (Stripe, HighLevel, Vercel) for payment processing, data storage, and hosting. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Your rights and choices
- Email — unsubscribe from marketing email at any time using the link in any message. We may still send transactional emails about your purchases.
- Text messages — reply STOP at any time.
- Access, correction, deletion — you may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it, subject to legal exceptions. Email support@hometownauthority.com.
- California residents — you have the right to know what personal information we collect and how we use and share it, to request deletion, to correct inaccurate information, and not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We do not sell or "share" personal information as those terms are defined under California law, other than the advertising cookies described above, which you can limit as described in Section 5.
- EU / UK residents — where applicable, you have rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection, and the right to lodge a complaint with your supervisory authority. Our legal bases for processing are performance of a contract, our legitimate interests in operating and marketing our business, your consent where required, and compliance with legal obligations.
9. Children
The Site is intended for business use by adults and is not directed to anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.
10. Third-party links
The Site may link to third-party websites or services. Their privacy practices are their own; we encourage you to read their policies.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the updated version on this page with a new effective date. Continued use of the Site after changes means you accept the updated policy.
12. Contact us
Hometown Authority
St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
support@hometownauthority.com