PRIVACY POLICY

This Privacy Policy explains how Sterling Photo Booth collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards your personal information. By accessing our website or using our services, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our website or services.

Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information: We collect a variety of personal information when you engage with our website or services. This includes your full name, email address, phone number, billing and shipping addresses, event details (e.g., event type, date, time, and venue), and preferences related to the services you request. If you communicate with us by phone, email, or through web forms, we may retain a record of that communication for quality assurance and service improvement purposes.

1.2 Device and Technical Information: When you visit our website, we automatically collect technical data such as your IP address, operating system, browser type, device identifiers, geographic location (via IP), and referring website URLs. This information helps us optimize our website for performance, troubleshoot technical issues, and protect against fraudulent or malicious activity.

1.3 Transactional and Financial Data: During the checkout or booking process, we collect billing details including name, email, phone number, and partial payment card data (the last four digits only). Payment transactions are processed securely via third-party payment processors and are subject to their security and privacy practices. We do not store full credit card numbers or CVV codes.

1.4 Marketing and Communication Preferences: If you opt into newsletters, promotions, or text updates, we store your communication preferences, campaign engagement data (e.g., open rates, click-throughs), and responses to surveys or promotional offers.

1.5 User-Generated Content: When you participate in contests, post reviews, or engage with us via social media, we may collect the content you create including photos, testimonials, or event feedback. We may use this content for promotional purposes with your consent.

1.6 Sensitive Information: We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal information such as race, religion, health data, or biometric identifiers. If you voluntarily provide such information, you consent to our processing of it in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

How We Use Your Information

2.1 To Fulfill and Manage Services: We use your personal data to confirm bookings, prepare contracts, deliver services at your event, communicate with you about your order, process payments, and ensure the quality of the services provided.

2.2 To Personalize Your Experience: We may use the information you provide to personalize your experience by suggesting services, layouts, or packages based on your past interactions, preferences, or location.

2.3 To Improve Website Functionality and Security: Device and usage information helps us monitor traffic trends, diagnose server issues, and protect against spam, fraud, or abuse. We may also aggregate non-personal data to analyze visitor behavior and improve user experience.

2.4 For Internal Recordkeeping: Information is retained in our CRM and internal systems to ensure continuity in client service, assess satisfaction, resolve disputes, and comply with recordkeeping requirements.

2.5 For Legal and Regulatory Compliance: We may use or disclose your personal information as required to comply with local, state, federal, or international laws and regulations, respond to subpoenas or court orders, or defend against legal claims.

2.6 For Promotional and Marketing Purposes: If you provide consent, we use your information to send you special offers, announcements, event planning tips, or company news via email, SMS, or targeted digital advertising.

2.7 To Enforce Terms and Protect Rights: We may use personal data to investigate and prevent breaches of our Terms of Service or misuse of our services, and to assert our legal rights in the event of disputes or violations.

Consent

3.1 How Consent Is Obtained: Consent is collected through various touchpoints including form submissions, service bookings, account creation, newsletter opt-ins, and digital checkboxes during transactions. By submitting personal information through any of these methods, you grant Sterling Photo Booth the right to collect, store, and process your data in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

3.2 Express vs. Implied Consent: Express consent is required for marketing communications and is typically obtained through an opt-in checkbox or confirmation email. Implied consent may be inferred when you initiate contact, submit a request, or complete a transaction, in which case we use your data solely for the fulfillment of your request.

3.3 Recording of Consent: We maintain records of when and how your consent was obtained, including time stamps, methods, and the specific purpose of consent (e.g., service fulfillment vs. promotional communication).

3.4 Withdrawing Consent: You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time without penalty. You may unsubscribe from emails using the "unsubscribe" link included in all promotional emails. To stop receiving SMS messages, you may reply with "STOP." You may also contact us through our support form or email to request full withdrawal of consent and deletion of data.

3.5 Impact of Withdrawal: Withdrawing consent for marketing will not affect service-related communications. However, if you withdraw consent necessary for service delivery, it may affect our ability to fulfill your booking or support requests.

Disclosure of Your Information

4.1 Mandatory Disclosure by Law: We may disclose your personal information to comply with legal requirements including subpoenas, court orders, lawful government requests, or to respond to legal processes. We may also disclose information to protect our legal rights, prevent fraud, enforce our Terms of Service, or ensure the safety of users and the general public.

4.2 Business Transfers and Corporate Restructuring: Your personal information may be transferred as a business asset in the event of a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, or other reorganization. If such a transfer occurs, your data will remain subject to this Privacy Policy until you are notified of any changes.

4.3 Emergency Situations: In the event of an emergency that threatens the safety or security of individuals, we reserve the right to share relevant information with emergency responders or law enforcement.

4.4 Aggregated and Anonymized Data: We may share aggregated or de-identified data (which cannot be used to identify you personally) with partners, affiliates, or analytics providers for research, reporting, or improvement of our services.

4.5 Disclosure to Authorized Parties: We may disclose personal information to legal counsel, auditors, or consultants bound by confidentiality obligations to support business operations or dispute resolution.

Third-Party Services

5.1 Use of Third-Party Providers: We engage third-party service providers to support various aspects of our business operations, including payment processing, customer relationship management (CRM), marketing, email and SMS communications, cloud storage, analytics, and IT security. These providers only receive access to personal information as necessary to perform their contracted functions.

5.2 Third-Party Data Handling Policies: Each third-party provider maintains its own privacy practices. We carefully vet all partners and require them to adhere to privacy and data security obligations consistent with this Privacy Policy. However, we encourage users to review the privacy policies of these third-party services to understand how their personal data may be handled by them.

5.3 International Data Transfers: Some of our third-party vendors may process or store data in jurisdictions other than your own. As a result, your information may become subject to the laws of those foreign jurisdictions. For example, if you are located in the European Union and your data is processed in the United States, it may be subject to lawful access requests under U.S. law.

5.4 Third-Party Integrations and Redirects: Our website may include links, plug-ins, or integrations (e.g., YouTube videos, embedded calendars, payment processors) that redirect you to third-party platforms. Once you leave our site or interact with external tools, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites and services.

5.5 Responsibility Limitation: While we strive to work with trusted third parties, we are not responsible for the misuse of your personal data by those providers. If you believe a third-party provider has mishandled your data, please notify us so we can assist in the resolution.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

6.1 Cookies Defined: Cookies are small data files placed on your device when you visit our website. They allow us to recognize repeat visitors, store preferences, and optimize functionality. Cookies may be set by Sterling Photo Booth (first-party cookies) or by third-party providers (third-party cookies).

6.2 Types of Cookies We Use:

Essential Cookies: Required for website functionality, such as navigation and secure login.

Performance Cookies: Used to analyze how visitors use our website and improve performance.

Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences, such as language settings.

Advertising Cookies: Track user behavior to deliver relevant advertisements on third-party platforms (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook Pixel).

6.3 Web Beacons and Tracking Pixels: We may use clear GIFs or tracking pixels in email campaigns and on our website to measure campaign effectiveness and user behavior.

6.4 Cookie Management: You may choose to disable cookies in your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect site functionality. Most modern browsers also offer options to clear cookies and manage cookie preferences per website.

6.5 Do Not Track (DNT) Signals: Our site does not currently respond to DNT signals. However, you can use browser extensions or privacy tools to block tracking scripts as desired.

6.6 Analytics Tools: We use services such as Google Analytics to understand user behavior and improve our offerings. These tools collect anonymized usage data. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Data Security

7.1 Security Measures Implemented: Sterling Photo Booth takes the security of your data seriously. We employ a range of industry-standard measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include:

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption on all data transmissions

Firewalls and intrusion detection systems

Encrypted storage of personal information where applicable

Strong password protocols and restricted user access

7.2 Payment Security: Payment transactions are processed using PCI-DSS compliant third-party providers. We do not store full credit card numbers or security codes on our servers. All sensitive payment information is encrypted and tokenized by the payment processor.

7.3 Staff Access and Training: Access to personal information is limited to employees and contractors on a need-to-know basis. All staff are trained on data protection policies and must adhere to strict confidentiality agreements.

7.4 Breach Notification Protocol: In the event of a data breach affecting personal information, we will promptly notify affected users as required by applicable laws. We will also take all reasonable steps to contain and investigate the breach and mitigate its impact.

7.5 User Responsibilities: Users are responsible for maintaining the security of their own devices and accounts. Sterling Photo Booth is not responsible for any unauthorized access due to compromised passwords or unsecured devices.

Data Retention

8.1 Retention Periods: We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the delivery of services, compliance with legal and accounting obligations, dispute resolution, and enforcement of agreements.

8.2 Record Categories and Timelines:

Booking and transaction records: retained for up to 7 years for legal and tax compliance

Marketing consent and communications: retained for 3 years after the last interaction unless opted out

General inquiries and customer support records: retained for 1–3 years depending on the nature of the interaction

8.3 Data Minimization: We regularly review the data we hold and anonymize or securely delete information that is no longer required for business or legal purposes.

8.4 User-Initiated Deletion: You may request the deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us. Upon verification of your identity, we will remove your data from our active systems, unless we are legally required to retain it.

8.5 Backup Data: Deleted data may remain in encrypted backups for a limited period of time but will not be used or restored unless required for disaster recovery or legal compliance.

Your Rights

9.1 Access to Your Information: You may request to view the personal information we have on file about you. We will provide this information upon a reasonable request and verification of identity.

9.2 Corrections: If you believe that any information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you may contact us to request corrections. We will update the information as appropriate.

9.3 Opt-Out of Marketing: You can opt out of promotional emails or SMS at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our messages or replying "STOP" to SMS messages. This will not affect service-related communications.

9.4 Data Deletion: You may request the removal of your personal data from our systems. We will comply with such requests unless we are legally required to retain certain records for business, legal, or compliance purposes.

9.5 How to Submit a Request: To make a request regarding your data, please contact us through our website or email us at support@sterlingphotobooth.com. We reserve the right to verify your identity before processing your request.

Children's Privacy

10.1 General Policy: Sterling Photo Booth does not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 13. Our services are intended for use by individuals who are at least the age of majority in their respective jurisdictions.

10.2 Parental Consent Requirement: If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected information from a child without verified parental consent, we will delete such information from our records promptly. Parents or guardians who believe their child may have submitted personal data to us should contact us immediately.

10.3 Minor Participation in Events: While minors may be photographed as guests at events, any photos captured involving children are stored and shared in accordance with the event host’s instructions. Parents or guardians may request deletion of such images if they are shared publicly by Sterling Photo Booth.

10.4 Educational or Youth Organization Bookings: When working with schools or youth groups, we require the contracting adult or organization to confirm that appropriate consent has been obtained from parents or guardians for minors appearing in photographs.

10.5 Platform Restrictions: Our website and marketing tools are not directed to or intended for children under 13, and we take proactive steps to block and filter access to age-inappropriate marketing tools and channels.

Policy Updates

11.1 Right to Amend: Sterling Photo Booth reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in legal requirements, our data practices, or service offerings. We encourage users to review this page regularly to stay informed about how we protect your information.

11.2 Material Changes: In the event of significant changes to how we collect or use your personal information, we will provide prominent notice on our website or contact users directly when appropriate. Material changes may include adjustments to your rights, our data-sharing practices, or the purpose for which your data is processed.

11.3 Effective Date and Version Control: Each update to this Privacy Policy will include a "Last Updated" date at the top of the document. Continued use of our website or services following changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms.

11.4 Archiving Previous Versions: Prior versions of our Privacy Policy may be made available upon request for transparency and legal reference.

Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to exercise your rights or report a concern, please contact our Privacy Compliance Officer:

Privacy Compliance Officer
Sterling Photo Booth
Email: support@sterlingphotobooth.com
Website: www.sterlingphotobooth.com/contact