Carfolks.com LLC Privacy Policy

Welcome to Carfolks.com LLC (the "Site").

We understand that privacy online is important to users of our Site, especially when conducting business. This statement governs our privacy policies with respect to those users of the Site ("Visitors") who visit without transacting business and Visitors who register to transact business on the Site and make use of the various services offered by Carfolks.com LLC (collectively, "Services") ("Authorized Customers").

Personally Identifiable Information

"Personally Identifiable Information" refers to any information that identifies or can be used to identify, contact, or locate the person to whom such information pertains, including, but not limited to, name, address, phone number, fax number, email address, financial profiles, social security number, and credit card information. Personally Identifiable Information does not include information that is collected anonymously (that is, without identification of the individual user) or demographic information not connected to an identified individual.

What Personally Identifiable Information is collected?

We may collect basic user profile information from our Visitors. Some of the information we may collect from our Authorized Customers includes: names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of Authorized Customers, vehicle related items such as year, make and model of the vehicle, and the vehicle identification number (VIN) for validation purposes.

What do we do with your information?

Our service provides consumers with reviews of auto sales and service professionals and their affiliated dealerships. To insure and validate this information we will from time to time integrate and pull data from various databases, both public and private. Participating auto retailers will also provide information to us to validate comments, feedback and other content from consumers on our site.

Information You Submit to Carfolks.com LLC

We may store the information you submit to or through the Site. We use the information to fulfill your requests, provide Site functionality, improve Site quality, personalize the user experience, display relevant advertising, provide customer support, message you, back up our systems, and comply with legal obligations. Among the information you submit to or through the Site, please note:

  1. Account Registration: You must provide a valid email address in order to sign up for an Account on the Site. In addition, you may provide us with your full name, and other information as required for your account type. When automotive professionals sign up for a Carfolks.com account they agree to allow Carfolks.com and/or our affiliates to send them emails related to the products and services utilized in the automotive retail and related processes. Note that you may be able to opt-out of email from third parties, you cannot opt out of receiving required administrative or legal notices. If you feel that an unauthorized account has been created depicting you or your likeness, you can request its removal by contacting us at privacy@carfolks.com.
  2. Public Content: Reviews, tips, photos, comments, likes, various posts, compliments, account profile (including your gender, first name and last initial, but excluding your other account registration information), and other content you post to the Site are meant for public consumption. We may display this content on the Site, and further distribute it to a wider audience through third party sites and services.
  3. Messaging: If you exchange messages with others through the Site, we may store these messages in order to deliver them and allow you to manage them. If you send information from the Site to your phone via SMS text message, we may log your phone number, phone carrier, and the date and time that the message was processed. Carriers may charge recipients for texts that they receive.

How does the Site use Personally Identifiable Information?

We use Personally Identifiable Information to customize the Site, to make appropriate service offerings, and to fulfill buying and selling requests on the Site. We may email Visitors and Authorized Customers about research or purchase and selling opportunities on the Site or information related to the subject matter of the Site. We may also use Personally Identifiable Information to contact Visitors and Authorized Customers in response to specific inquiries, or to provide requested information.

How does Carfolks protect your personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.

What choices are available to Visitors regarding collection, use and distribution of the information?

Visitors and Authorized Customers may opt out of receiving unsolicited information from or being contacted by us and/or our vendors and affiliated agencies by responding to emails as instructed, or by contacting us at privacy@carfolks.com.

Are Cookies Used on the Site?

Cookies are used for a variety of reasons. We use Cookies to obtain information about the preferences of our Visitors and the services they select. We also use Cookies for security purposes to protect our Authorized Customers. For example, if an Authorized Customer is logged on and the site is unused for more than 10 minutes, we will automatically log the Authorized Customer off. We collect this information in a couple of different ways:

  • Cookies: We may use cookies, web beacons, local shared objects (sometimes called "flash cookies"), and similar technology in connection with your use of the Site ("Cookies"). Cookies are small data files that may have unique identifiers, and reside, among other places, on your computer or mobile device, in emails we send to you, and on our web pages. Cookies may transmit information about you and your use of the Site, such as your browser type, search preferences, data relating to advertisements that have been displayed to you or that you have clicked on, and the date and time of your use. You can disable some (but not all) Cookies in your device or browser settings, but doing so may affect your ability to use the Site.

How does Carfolks.com LLC use login information?

Carfolks.com LLC uses login information, including, but not limited to, IP addresses, ISPs, and browser types, to analyze trends, administer the Site, and gather broad demographic information.

What partners or service providers have access to Personally Identifiable Information from Visitors and/or Authorized Customers on the Site?

Information we obtain from participating auto dealers is not shared with any outside third parties for advertising purposes and remains the property of those participating dealers. While we can't limit all sharing of information, Carfolks.com LLC adheres to applicable Federal laws and gives you the right to limit information within those guidelines. We will disclose Personally Identifiable Information in order to comply with a court order or subpoena or a request from a law enforcement agency to release information. We will also disclose Personally Identifiable Information when reasonably necessary to protect the safety of our Visitors and Authorized Customers.

Third Parties

Carfolks does not rent, share, sell or trade personally identifiable information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes. That said, please note the following:

  • Advertising and Third Party Cookies: We allow third parties who provide services relating to advertising to use Cookies, as defined above, in connection with your use of the Site. As a result, they may collect and store the same type of information and use it for the same type of purposes as described for Carfolks above, and they may be able to associate the information they collect with other information they have about you from other sources. We do not necessarily have access to or control over the Cookies they use. Nevertheless, you may be able to opt-out of some of their practices by visiting the following links: Network Advertising Initiative, Omniture, Aperture, and PrivacyChoice. Please note that opting out does not prevent you from receiving advertisements.
  • Aggregate Information: We may share user information in the aggregate with third parties, such as advertisers and content distributors. For example, we may disclose the number of users that have been exposed to, or clicked on, advertisements.
  • Investigations: We may investigate and disclose information from or about you if we have a good faith belief that such investigation or disclosure is (a) reasonably necessary to comply with legal process and law enforcement instructions and orders, such as a search warrant, subpoena, statute, judicial proceeding, or other legal process served on us; (b) helpful to prevent, investigate, or identify possible wrongdoing in connection with the Site; or (c) protect our rights, reputation, property, or that of our users affiliates, or the public.
  • Links: The Site may contain links to unaffiliated third party websites. Except as set forth herein, we do not share your personal information with them, and are not responsible for their privacy practices. We suggest you read the privacy policies on all such third party websites.

How does the Site keep Personally Identifiable Information secure?

To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the appropriate use of information, we have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to protect the information we collect online. While we take commercially reasonable measures to maintain a secure site, electronic communications and databases are subject to errors, tampering and break-ins, and we cannot guarantee or warrant that such events will not take place and we will not be liable to Visitors or Authorized Customers for any such occurrences.

How can visitors correct any inaccuracies in Personally Identifiable Information?

Visitors and Authorized Customers may contact us to update Personally Identifiable Information about them or to correct any inaccuracies by emailing us at privacy@carfolks.com.

What happens if the Privacy Policy changes?

We will let our Visitors and Authorized Customers know about changes to our privacy policy by posting such changes on the Site. However, if we are changing our privacy policy in a manner that might cause disclosure of Personally Identifiable Information that a Visitor or Authorized Customer has previously requested not be disclosed, we will contact such Visitor or Authorized Customer to allow such Visitor or Authorized Customer to prevent such disclosure.


Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this policy. You may contact us using our online form or write to us at Carfolks | 1662 Saint Charles Avenue | Lakewood, OH 44107