1. Welcome
Araujo Consulting, LLC and its affiliates (collectively, "our," "us," or "we") operate the Car Deal Guardian websites, provide negotiation services, and develop software. We refer to these as "site(s)," "service(s)," or "our sites and services." By using our sites and services, you expressly consent to our collection, use, disclosure, and retention of your personal information as described in this privacy policy. If you do not agree to this privacy policy, please do not use our sites or services.
2. Personal Information that You Provide to Us
Personal information is information that can be used to identify, locate, or contact an individual. Depending on the service, we may collect:
- Account Information: Name, address, email, telephone number, and birthday.
- Payment Information: Processed by our third-party payment processing service providers (e.g., Stripe) and generally includes billing addresses and encrypted payment details.
- Sensitive Information: Where required for a specific transaction (such as identity verification for financing), we may collect your Driver's License and/or Social Security Number.
- Vehicle Preferences: Information provided through intake forms, including vehicle make/model requests, trade-in details, questionnaires, and "Target Price" submissions.
- Transaction Information: Information about how you interact with our sites, dealers, and service providers.
3. Information Automatically Collected
We and our third-party service providers (such as Google Analytics) may collect technical information when you use our sites. This includes:
- Technical Data: IP address, browser type, domain name, and device identifiers (UDID).
- Usage Data: Time spent on pages, click-stream data, and preferred language.
- Geolocation: Your device's physical location (if enabled) to help connect you with dealerships in your area.
4. Our Bases for Processing Information
We process personal information based on the following legal grounds:
- Contractual Necessity: To perform the car negotiation services you have purchased.
- Legitimate Interests: To improve our services, maintain security, and conduct market research.
- Consent: Which you may revoke at any time by contacting us.
- Legal Obligation: To comply with laws, regulations, or court orders.
5. How We Use Personal Information
We use your information in the following ways:
- To carry out negotiations and fulfill your vehicle sourcing requests.
- To verify the information you provide in intake forms.
- To process payments, send invoices, and manage your account.
- To contact you via email, text, or phone regarding your "Unfair Advantage" search.
For Car Negotiation Clients: We will not share your mobile information with third parties for their independent marketing or promotional purposes. Information shared on your behalf is limited to transactional and customer service purposes with the partners (dealers/lenders) required to fulfill your specific request.
6. Sharing Personal Information
We may share your information with third parties in the following circumstances:
- Service Providers: Third parties who perform hosting, payment processing, analytics, and customer service on our behalf.
- Dealers & Lenders: When you request a quote or negotiation, we share your data with relevant automotive institutions to secure your deal. These parties may contact you regarding your specific request.
- Legal Requirements: To satisfy any applicable laws, respond to subpoenas, or protect the safety of our users or the public.
- Corporate Transactions: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets of Araujo Consulting, LLC.
7. Accessing and Updating Your Information
You may update your information or close your account by emailing hello@cardealguardian.com. We take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access. Please note that certain records will be retained for legal, payment, and accounting purposes.
8. Email and Text Communications
No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. Information sharing to subcontractors in support services, such as customer service, is permitted. All other use case categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.
By providing your phone number and submitting an inquiry or opt-in form on our site, you consent to receive SMS messages from Car Deal Guardian related to your vehicle search, service updates, and promotional offers. SMS consent is not a condition of any purchase. You may revoke consent at any time by texting STOP to our messaging number or emailing hello@cardealguardian.com.
9. Protecting Personal Information
We deploy a wide range of technical and administrative safeguards, including Transport Layer Security (TLS) and encryption, to protect your data. We do not store credit card information on our systems; all payment data is handled by secure, third-party processors. While we take every precaution, no system is 100% secure, and use of the Internet is at your own risk.
10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
This section applies solely to California residents.
- Right to Know: You may request disclosure of the specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you up to two times per year.
- Right to Delete: You may request that we delete personal information collected from you, subject to certain legal exceptions.
- Right to Opt-Out of Sale: Under the CCPA, sharing data for digital advertising can be defined as a "sale." You may opt-out by emailing hello@cardealguardian.com.
- Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.
11. Nevada Privacy Rights
Nevada residents may opt-out of the sale of their personal information by sending an email to hello@cardealguardian.com with "Nevada Privacy Right" in the subject line.
12. Children's Privacy
Our sites and services are intended for users 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If we learn we have collected such information, we will take steps to promptly delete it.
13. Contacting Us
If you have questions about this privacy policy, please contact us:
Email: hello@cardealguardian.com
Entity: Araujo Consulting, LLC
14. Changes to This Policy
We may revise this privacy policy from time to time. If practices change significantly, we will update the "Revised" date and provide notice on our sites.