Privacy Policy

Call The Local ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website CallTheLocal.com (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit the Site, submit a form, or interact with our directory or content.

Call The Local is a publication of Vyze Media.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

When you submit a form on our Site (such as a quote request), we may collect:

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• ZIP code
• Details about your project (such as service needed, timeline, or project description)

When you claim or manage a business listing, we may collect business name and contact details, professional license information, and account credentials.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Site, we may automatically collect:

• IP address (hashed after 30 days for privacy)
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URL
• Date and time of visit

Analytics: We use Plausible Analytics, a privacy-focused analytics service that does not use cookies and does not collect personally identifiable information. Plausible collects aggregate, anonymized data only. Learn more at plausible.io.

Information We Do NOT Collect

• We do not use third-party tracking cookies or advertising pixels.
• We do not collect data from children under 13 (see Section 11).
• We do not collect financial information such as credit card numbers. All payment processing is handled by Stripe, Inc. and subject to Stripe's Privacy Policy.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Lead generation: To connect you with participating home service businesses in your area who may assist with your project.
• Directory services: To operate and improve our contractor directory.
• Communications: To respond to your inquiries, provide requested information, and send transactional notifications (such as form confirmations).
• Site improvement: To analyze usage patterns (in aggregate) and improve Site performance and content.
• Compliance: To comply with legal obligations, enforce our Terms of Service, and protect our rights.

We do NOT use your information for targeted advertising, behavioral profiling across third-party websites, or sale to data brokers.

3. How We Share Your Information

With Matched Service Providers (With Your Consent)

When you submit a lead form and provide your express written consent, we share your contact information and project details with up to four (4) participating home service businesses specified in the consent language on the form you submitted. These businesses may contact you by phone, email, or text message regarding your project.

You control this. We only share your information when you affirmatively check the consent box on our form. You may revoke consent at any time (see Section 7).

With Service Providers

We share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, including:

• Hosting and infrastructure: Vercel, Railway (database hosting)
• Analytics: Plausible Analytics (anonymized, aggregate data only)
• Email: Resend or Postmark (transactional emails only)
• Security: Cloudflare (DDoS protection, CDN)
• Payments: Stripe (for featured listing transactions only)

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the services they provide to us.

As Required by Law

We may disclose your information when required to do so by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

Business Transfers

If Vyze Media is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will provide notice before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

4. Data Retention

After the applicable retention period, personal information is either deleted or irreversibly anonymized.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption at rest: Lead personal information is encrypted using AES-256-GCM before storage in our database.
• Encryption in transit: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using TLS 1.3.
• Access controls: Personal information is accessible only to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis, with all access logged.
• Infrastructure security: DDoS protection, Web Application Firewall, rate limiting on all forms and APIs.

No method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

6. Your Privacy Rights

For California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

• Right to Know: You may request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, the purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we share your information.
• Right to Delete: You may request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Correct: You may request that we correct inaccurate personal information we maintain about you.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: You may direct us not to sell or share your personal information using the "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link in our footer, or by contacting us.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights.

How to exercise your rights: Email privacy@callthelocal.com. We will verify your identity and respond within 45 days.

For Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Utah, Texas, Oregon, and Montana Residents

Under applicable state privacy laws, you have the right to access, correct, delete, and obtain a portable copy of your data, and to opt out of the sale of personal data, targeted advertising, and profiling. Contact us at privacy@callthelocal.com to exercise these rights. You may appeal a denied request by contacting us directly.

For All Users

Regardless of your state of residence, you may:

• Opt out of lead sharing at any time by contacting privacy@callthelocal.com
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Unsubscribe from any transactional emails using the unsubscribe link included in each email

7. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

We recognize that sharing your contact information with matched contractors through our lead generation forms may constitute a "sale" or "sharing" of personal information under certain state privacy laws.

To opt out: Click the "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link in the footer of any page, or email privacy@callthelocal.com with the subject line "Do Not Sell."

When you opt out, we will not share any future form submissions with third-party service providers. Previously shared information cannot be recalled from contractors who already received it, but we will notify them of your opt-out request. You may still use the Site and access all content.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use the following strictly necessary and functional cookies:

• Session cookie (Strictly Necessary) — Maintains your session and CSRF protection. Expires when browser closes.
• Consent preference (Strictly Necessary) — Remembers your cookie consent choice. Duration: 12 months.
• Search preferences (Functional, opt-in) — Saves directory search filters and recently viewed listings. Duration: 30 days.

We do NOT use advertising or tracking cookies, Facebook Pixel, Google Analytics tracking cookies, or any cross-site tracking.

We use Plausible Analytics, which operates without cookies. Plausible does not track individual users, does not collect personal information, and is compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and PECR without requiring cookie consent. All analytics data is aggregated and anonymized.

9. AI-Generated Content

Some articles and news content on this Site are created with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools. AI-generated content is labeled on applicable pages and may be reviewed in our publication workflow for clarity, disclosures, and formatting. Readers should verify important details with primary sources and the businesses they contact. AI tools used in content creation do not have access to user personal data.

10. Third-Party Links

The Site may contain links to third-party websites, including contractor websites listed in our directory and source articles. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.

11. Children's Privacy

The Site is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal information through our Site, please contact us at privacy@callthelocal.com and we will delete it.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, for material changes, post a notice on the Site homepage for 30 days. Your continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have a complaint about our data practices, contact us:

Call The Local
Operated by Vyze Media
Email: privacy@callthelocal.com

For privacy-specific requests, please email privacy@callthelocal.com with the subject line describing your request (e.g., "Data Deletion Request," "Access Request," "Do Not Sell"). We aim to respond to all privacy requests within 45 days.