Privacy policy

Thanks for visiting Rippleboard’s Privacy Policy. We’ve updated our Policy as of November 28, 2022. Here are some of the changes you’ll see:

  • We’ve updated the Policy to reflect changes in data privacy laws.
  • We’ve added additional detail about the categories of information you share with us, and the tools we offer to help you manage it.

Our core commitments regarding your privacy haven’t changed, including the commitment to never sell your data. As always, thanks for visiting Rippleboard, and please let us know if you have any questions or feedback.

Table of Contents

  • Changes to This Policy
  • Who We Are
  • How This Policy Applies
  • What We Collect and Receive
  • How We Use This Information
  • European Union Users
  • How This Information Is Shared
    • Information that’s shared publicly
    • Information that isn’t shared publicly
    • Information that’s shared with trusted third-party services
    • Information that’s shared to protect Rippleboard and comply with the law
    • Links to other websites and services
  • Retention
  • Data Transfers
  • Your Rights
  • Privacy Information for California Residents
  • Email and Mobile Notifications
  • Security
  • Data Protection Officer
  • Data Protection Authority
  • Children

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. If we do, we’ll let you know about any material changes, either by notifying you on the Site or by sending you an email. New versions of this Policy will never apply retroactively—we’ll tell you the exact date they go into effect. If you keep using Rippleboard.com after a change, that means you accept this Policy.

Who We Are

Rippleboard, which serves as a DBA of INEEDTHIS, LLC (including its and their parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, representatives, consultants, employees, officers, and directors—collectively, “Rippleboard,” “we,” or “us”), provides products related to stringed musical instruments, as well as services related to the payment for, pre-ordering of, and discussion of such products (our "Services"). Our main service is providing a platform for customers to order, or pre-order, products within the Rippleboard brand, as well as to provide a place for customers to review the Rippleboard products and discuss the successes or challenges related to their use. We are a LLC based in Sarasota, FL.

How This Policy Applies

This Policy describes the information we collect from you, how we use that information and our legal basis for doing so. It also covers whether and how that information may be shared and your rights and choices regarding the information you provide to us. If you see a capitalized word, it’s defined in this document. We use cookies and similar technologies, as described in our Cookie Policy. By using the Services offered by Rippleboard, you’re acknowledging you have agreed to our Terms of Use and that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and our Cookie Policy.

What We Collect and Receive

In order for you to create an account on Rippleboard.com and use our Services, we need to collect and process certain information. Depending on your use of the Services, that may include:

  • Information you provide by completing forms on Rippleboard — your name, email and postal addresses, telephone number, country of residence, login, and password details. We may ask for this information if you register as a user of the Services, subscribe to our newsletters, upload or submit content through Rippleboard, or if you contact us;
  • Details of any requests or transactions you make through the Services. Rippleboard partners with other companies (such as Stripe) for payment processing, and the payment information you submit is collected and used by them in accordance with their privacy policies (read Stripe's privacy policy). Rippleboard doesn’t store your payment information apart from the last four digits of your credit card or bank account (as applicable), expiration date, and country, which we require for tax, government regulatory, and security purposes;
  • Information about your activity on and interaction with Rippleboard.com, including use on a mobile device or tablet (such as your IP address, the type of device or browser you use, and your actions on the Site);
  • Information about the ways people visit and interact with our Site, in the form of traffic analytics. You can opt out of being included in Google Analytics. For more information about our use of data analytics to protect and improve our Services, see our Cookie Policy;
  • Information necessary for using Google Maps features and content; use of Google Maps features and content is subject to current versions of: (1) Google Maps/Google Earth Additional Terms of Service; and (2) Google Privacy Policy;
  • Communications you send to us (for example, when you ask for support, send us questions or comments, or report a problem);
  • Information that you submit on or to Rippleboard in the form of comments, contributions to discussions, or messages to other users; and
  • The email address associated with your Facebook account, if you choose to sign up using your Facebook credentials. Rippleboard will also request permission to access your name, profile picture, and friend list (these permissions are governed by Facebook’s privacy policies and can be managed through your Facebook privacy settings). We never post anything to your Facebook, Twitter, or other third-party accounts without your permission.

How We Use This Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • To keep your account secure and protect our Services (including to prevent fraud and abuse);
  • To enable us to provide you with our Services, and to improve and promote our products and Services;
  • To create and administer your account, contact you, and customize your experience on Rippleboard (for example, to show you products or promotions that we think may interest you based on your previous use); and
  • To track and analyze use of the Services so that we can improve how Rippleboard is performing and provide users with the best experience possible.

European Union Users

Data protection law in Europe requires a “lawful basis” for collecting and retaining personal information from citizens or residents of the European Economic Area. Our lawful bases include:

  • Performing the contract we have with you: In certain circumstances, we need your personal data to comply with our contractual obligation to deliver the Services.
  • Legal compliance: Sometimes the law says we need to collect and use your data. For example, tax laws require us to retain records of pre-orders and payments made through our Services.
  • Legitimate interests: This is a technical term in data protection law which essentially means we have a good and fair reason to use your data and we do so in ways which do not hurt your interests and rights. We sometimes require your data to pursue our legitimate interests in a way that might reasonably be expected as part of running our business and that does not materially impact your rights, freedom or interests.

    For example, we use identity, device, and location information to prevent fraud and abuse and to keep the Services secure. We may also send you promotional communications about our Services, subject to your right to control whether we do so.

    We analyze how users interact with our Site so we can understand better what elements of the design are working well and which are not working so well. This allows us to improve and develop the quality of the online experience we offer all our users.

How This Information Is Shared

Information that’s shared publicly
When you create an account, we create a basic profile page for you on rippleboard.com, containing your username, the date the account was created, and a list of items you have purchased. Your username appears with the comments you post and messages you send on rippleboard.com Other users will be able to see the following things:

  • The account username you select, and the date the account was created;
  • Any information you choose to add to your profile (like a picture, bio, or your location);
  • Comments you’ve posted on Rippleboard; and
  • If you have “Liked” a post or comment.

If you would like to have a public profile, but don’t want others to see your name or other information, you may choose an account image or name that is not identifiable (e.g., CelloLuvr88). You can modify or delete certain information associated with your account (such as your username, profile image, instrument played, biography and location) from your account settings, and you can change your privacy settings if you want to make your profile private or adjust the default settings.

Information that isn’t shared publicly
The following data will not be publicly displayed or revealed to other users:

  • Any payment information you provide;
  • Your password details;
  • Your IP address;
  • Your phone number;
  • Private profile information, in accordance with your preferences; and
  • Communications you send to us (for example, when you ask for support, send us questions or comments, or report a problem);

Information that’s shared with trusted third-party services
We may share your information with certain trusted third-party services to help us provide, improve, promote, or protect Rippleboard's Services (like when we partner with payment processors, or use services that help us manage our ads on other sites). When we share data with third-party services that support our delivery of the Rippleboard Services, we require that they use your information only for the purposes we’ve authorized, and that they protect your personal information at least to the same standards we do. We may also share information that’s aggregated and anonymized in a way that it doesn’t directly identify you.

Information that’s shared to protect Rippleboard and comply with the law
We do reserve the right to disclose personal information when we believe that doing so is reasonably necessary to comply with the law or law enforcement, to prevent fraud or abuse, or to protect Rippleboard’s legal rights, property, or the safety of Rippleboard, its employees, users, or others.

Links to other websites and services
Our Site may include links to other websites or services whose privacy practices may differ from Rippleboard’s. When you use a link to an external site or service, the privacy policy and data processing disclosures for that site or service governs.

Retention

We will retain your information as long as your account is active, as necessary to provide you with the Services or as otherwise set forth in this Policy. We will also retain and use this information as necessary for the purposes set out in this Policy and to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements and protect Rippleboard’s legal rights.

We also collect and maintain aggregated, anonymized or pseudonymized information which we may retain indefinitely to protect the safety and security of our Site, improve our Services or comply with legal obligations.

Data Transfers

Because Rippleboard is a US-based company, your information will be collected and processed in the United States. The United States has its own laws governing data protection and government access to information. The rules that protect your personal information under United States law may be different than in your home country. If you choose to use the Services, you need to agree to our Terms of Use, which set out the contract between Rippleboard and its users.

Your Rights

Users residing in certain countries, including those in the EU, are afforded certain rights regarding their personal information. Except where an exception or exemption applies, these rights include the ability to access, correct, and request deletion of your personal information. While these rights are not applicable globally, all Rippleboard users can manage their personal information, as further described below, in their account settings.

To modify or delete the personal information you’ve provided to us, please log in and update your profile. You may also delete your account from your account settings page. We may retain certain information as required by law or as necessary for our legitimate business purposes.

Privacy Information for California Residents

If you are a California resident, California law requires us to provide you with some additional information regarding how we collect, use, and share your “personal information” (all terms as defined in the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA")).

Categories of personal information we collect
Throughout this Policy, we discuss in detail the specific pieces of personal information we collect from and about users. Under the CCPA, we are also required to provide you with the “categories” of personal information we collect. The categories, and some examples of what we may collect, are:

  • Identifiers and contact or registration information, e.g., your name, date of birth, email address, postal address, telephone number, country of residence, wireless device identifier, account username and password, and government-issued ID (US state-issued or the country-issued ID, passport number, etc.)
  • Demographic and statistical information, e.g., gender identity, race, ethnicity, marital status, education, professional or employment-related information, interests, lifestyle information, and hobbies
  • Commercial and financial information, e.g., business name; tax identification numbers; transaction history, expiration date, and last four digits of credit/debit card number; and transaction history, country of, and last four digits of bank account
  • User-generated content, e.g., photos, videos, audio, any information you submit in public forums or message boards, and feedback or testimonials you provide about our Services
  • Customer service information, e.g., questions and other messages you address to us directly through online forms, by email, over the phone, or by post; and summaries of your interactions with the Rippleboard Support Team
  • Device information and device identifiers, e.g., IP address; browser type and language; operating system; platform type; device type; software and hardware attributes; and unique device, advertising, and app identifiers
  • Connection and usage data, e.g., information about files you download, domain names, landing pages, browsing activity, content or ads viewed and clicked, dates and times of access, pages viewed, forms you complete or partially complete, search terms, uploads or downloads, whether you open an email and your interaction with email content, access times, error logs, and other similar information
  • Geolocation, e.g., city, state and ZIP code associated with your IP address or derived through Wi-Fi triangulation; and, with your permission in accordance with your mobile device settings, based on your mailing address
  • Other Information, e.g., any other information you choose to directly provide to us in connection with your use of the Services

How we use your personal information
We use and share the categories of personal information we collect about you consistent with the various business purposes we discuss throughout this Policy, as described in the “How We Use This Information” and “How We Share This Information” sections above.

Please note that the CCPA sets forth certain obligations for businesses that “sell” personal information to third parties. We do not engage in such activity and have not engaged in such activity in the past twelve months from the effective date of this Policy.

CCPA rights disclosureIf you are a California resident, the CCPA allows you or an authorized agent on your behalf to make certain requests about your personal information. Specifically, the CCPA allows you or your agent to request:

  • Information about the categories of personal information we collect or disclose about you; the categories of sources of such information; the business or commercial purpose for collecting your personal information; and the categories of third parties with whom we share/disclose personal information. Such information is also set forth in this Policy.
  • Provide access to and/or a copy of certain information we hold about you.
  • Delete certain information we have about you.
  • Provide you with information about the financial incentives that we offer to you, if any.

Please note that certain information may be exempt from such requests under California law. For example, we need certain information in order to provide the Services to you. We also will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before responding to a request. You are also permitted to designate an authorized agent to subject certain requests of your behalf. To verify that your agent has been authorized to make a request on your behalf, we may require them to provide us with a signed written authorization or a copy of a power of attorney.

Privacy laws prohibit you from being discriminated against (as provided for in applicable laws) for exercising your rights under those laws.

Leaving a message in this mailbox is one of several ways you can contact Rippleboard about any privacy-related concerns you have, or to exercise your rights under privacy laws that may apply to you. If you would like further information regarding your legal rights under privacy law or would like to exercise your rights with respect to personal data about you we may have, please contact us at support@rippleboard.com. If you have a Data Privacy concern, please leave a message related to the Privacy Rights you would like to exercise. Rippleboard values your support and privacy.

If you are looking to find support for technical or account issues please contact support@rippleboard.com. Please note that we cannot guarantee a response to any request that does not relate to privacy rights.

Email and Mobile Notifications

We want to communicate with you only if you want to hear from us. We try to keep emails to a minimum and give you the ability to opt out of any marketing communications we send.

We will send you emails relating to your transactions on Rippleboard. You may also elect to receive certain marketing email communications, in accordance with your preferences, and from which you may opt out at any time by adjusting your notification settings.

We’ll also send you service-related announcements when it’s necessary to do so.

Security

We take security seriously, and the security of your personal data is important to us. We follow industry-standard practices to protect the data we collect and maintain, including using Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt information as it travels over the internet. No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, so Rippleboard cannot guarantee its absolute security. Your account information is protected by a password, which you should choose carefully and keep secure. We encourage all users to enable two-factor authentication in account settings to further protect their account.

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance

Our site, products and services are all directed to people who are at least 16 years old or older. If this server is in the USA, and you are under the age of 16, per the requirements of COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act), do not use this site.

Updated: November 2022