Privacy Policy

Guardian Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 13, 2023

Overview

This Privacy Policy describes how Guardian Small Business Consulting and Financial Services LLC (“Guardian,” “we,”) collects, uses, and shares information about you. This Privacy Policy applies to personal information we collect when you access or use our websites, mobile applications, telephone service or other platforms or properties (the “Properties”), use our products and services (individually and collectively with the Properties, the “Services”) or otherwise interact with us. This Privacy Policy also applies to personal information we collect from other sources, including Guardian’s parent company and direct and indirect subsidiaries (each, a “Porch Group Company”. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not continue using the Services.

By “personal information,” we mean information that uniquely identifies an individual, such as your name, email address, or government-issued identification number (such as your driver’s license number or social security number); your unique financial information, such as your credit card number; and information that we link to your unique identifier(s) or unique financial information. If information is de-linked or de-identified, we do not consider it to be personal information. For example, your postal address would not be personal information if it were included in a list of addresses without names or other unique identifiers. Business information (such as the name of a business or the business address or phone number) is not personal information.

References to Guardian (or “we”) also include companies providing services to Guardian, the Porch Group Companies, and our business partners, to the extent that such parties are collecting, using, or sharing personal information for or on behalf of Guardian. This Privacy Policy applies to information collected by those companies only when they provide it to Guardian.

We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make changes, we will notify you by posting the updated Privacy Policy on our website and updating the effective date at the top of this Privacy Policy. If we make material changes, we will provide you with additional notice (such as adding a statement to our website or sending you an email notification).

Information We Collect

Information You Give to Us

We collect information you provide directly to us. For example, we collect your name, email address and other information when you register for an account; make a purchase; request customer support, or otherwise upload, link or provide content that includes personal information; or subscribe to our promotional marketing programs.

Information We Collect Automatically

When you access or use the Services or when we send you emails, we and our advertisers may use tracking technologies to automatically collect information about you.  Please see our Cookie Policy to learn more about these technologies, how we use them, and how to manage or disable them. Automatically collected information may be associated with your unique browser, device identifier or Internet protocol (IP) address, but we do not consider it to be personal information unless it is linked to your unique identifier(s).  

Automatically collected information includes:

• Log Information. We log information such as IP address, access times, operating system, browser type and language, Internet service provider (ISP), and the web page you visited before navigating to our Services.
• Usage and Session Information. We collect usage information, such as how many visitors visit a specific page, how long they stay, which links they click on, and how, when and how often they order particular services, and session information, such as mouse actions, pages visited, screen actions and other interaction patterns.
• Device Information. We collect information about the computer or mobile device you use to access our Services, including the hardware model, operating system and version, unique device identifiers and mobile network information.
• Location Data. If you are using mobile Services, we may collect location data directly from your mobile device if your device allows us to do so. In addition, your IP address may provide an approximate geo-location.
• Transaction Information. When you purchase a service, we collect information about the transaction, such as the date and location of the purchase.
• When you receive emails from us, we collect information about whether and when you opened the email, whether you clicked on the images and links in the email, and whether your computer or mobile device is capable of receiving HTML-based email.

Information Collected from Calls

When you call us or when we call you, we may monitor and/or record those calls for quality assurance and customer satisfaction purposes. In those jurisdictions where consent is required for a party to record a telephone call, you consent to us recording such calls. We treat the records of these calls, when linked to your unique identifier(s), as personal information.

Information We Collect from Porch Group Companies and Third Parties

The Porch Group Companies provide Guardian with information they collect from their customers and business partners.  For example, if an inspector purchase software services from a different Porch Group Companies, that company may provide your information to Guardian to allow us to offer other business-related services to you.

We may also obtain information from other sources such as companies who partner with us to offer discounts, promotions or services to their customers or users.

Guardian also obtains personal information from third party data providers and public sources.  Guardian may match the personal information you provide directly to us (for example, your email address) with information obtained from other sources (such as your name, telephone number, and mailing address).

Aggregate and Anonymized Information

We may also aggregate (group) or de-link/de-identify (anonymize) information. Aggregated, anonymized data is not personal information subject to this Privacy Policy, and we may use it to analyze usage of the Services or for any other purpose. We may also share aggregated and/or anonymized information with Porch Group Companies and our and their business partners. For example, based on the information we have obtained from and about individuals, we may compile a list of addresses that we believe are associated with an individual moving to a new address and provide that list (without any unique identifiers for the individuals) to our business partners.

Categories of Personal Information Collected

In the last 12 months, Guardian has collected the following categories of personal information from the categories of sources described above. We consider this information to be personal information to the extent that it is information that uniquely identifies you, is unique financial information, or is linked to your unique identifier(s), or if it is defined as personal information by applicable state law.

Sensitive Personal Information. We do not use or disclose sensitive personal information.

How We Use the Information We Collect

In general, we use the information we collect to operate our business, including:

• To provide, maintain, improve and personalize the Services and the services of other Porch Group Companies.
• To process transactions, to provide and improve customer service, to communicate with you about your account, changes in our policies or other service matters, and to otherwise manage our customer relationships.
• To market products and services from Guardian, the Porch Group Companies, and our and their business partners, to optimize marketing campaigns, and to analyze their effectiveness, distribution and reach.
• To develop new products and services (including improving algorithms).
• To administer contests, promotions or sweepstakes.
• To detect, investigate and address technical issues, security incidents, fraudulent transactions, abuse, violations of our agreements and policies, and illegal activities.
• To comply with our legal obligations and legal process.
• To create aggregated or de-identified data sets.
• To carry out certain short-term activities and other reasonable internal purposes related to the Services, the products or services you purchase through us or your ongoing relationship with us.
• To perform other business purposes described at the time the information is collected or as otherwise set forth in applicable data privacy laws.

Guardian will not collect additional categories of personal information or use the personal information we collect for materially different, unrelated, or incompatible purposes without providing you notice.

How We Share Information

Except as described in this Privacy Policy, we do not sell or rent your personal to any third party. If we share your personal information, we do so only as follows:

Porch Group Companies

We share information with Porch Group Companies for marketing purposes, to allow them to improve their products and services (such as confirming or supplementing information they have about a person or to classify a person as a mover), in connection with the data, technical, legal, accounting, and other services shared between the Porch Group Companies, and for other internal business purposes. The Porch Group Companies will be bound by the terms of this Privacy Policy with respect to personal information received from Guardian and will use that personal information only as described in this Privacy Policy.

Companies Providing Services to Guardian

We share information with third-party vendors, consultants, and other service providers that are providing business services to Guardian. For instance, we may share information about you with a third-party service provider that hosts the Properties, provides call center or other customer service, creates reports or other products ordered by users, sends out emails, serves ads to you on the Properties or on a third-party platform, or monitors or analyzes Services data. Such companies will have access to personal information only as necessary to carry out their work and are prohibited from using it for any other purpose.

User-Directed Disclosures

We share your personal information when you direct us to do something that requires its disclosure or when you otherwise provide your consent. For example, if you elect to offer certain payment options to your customer, we may share personal information with the title company to facilitate that payment.

Partners  

We share your personal information in connection with Services offered to you in conjunction with our partners or in connection with partner programs or promotions. If you request, access or use our Services through our partners (which could be a Porch Group Company or a third party) or if you request, access or use their services through our Properties, both Guardian and the partner may receive your personal information. For example, if you sign up with Guardian, request services from Guardian or consent to receive communications from Guardian through a partner-promoted or co-branded website or within a partner’s store, Guardian and that partner may share your personal information with each other. We may also disclose your personal information to partners if you participate in their promotion offered through us or you purchase or request information about a partner’s products or services from us. For example, if we offer a discount on a partner product or service through a marketing email or a website link, we may disclose to the partner personal information about our users who contact us or visit the partner’s website or their users who visit our website.

Companies with Whom You Have an Existing Relationship

If you are already a customer of or otherwise have a direct relationship with a business partner of Guardian or a Porch Group Company (an “Existing Relationship Company”), we may disclose information about you to that Existing Relationship Company. If you are a match to a customer on the Existing Relationship Company customer list, we may provide the Existing Relationship Customer with information such as the groups or segments you belong to (such as mover or homeowner) and demographic information about you and your home (such as estimated household income and square footage), so that the Existing Relationship Company can provide you with more relevant advertising, products and services. We will not give the Existing Relationship Company your contact information, your unique personal identifiers, or your unique financial information unless for another purpose permitted in this Privacy Policy. However, the Existing Relationship Company may already have some or all of that information (because of your existing relationship with them) and they will be able to link you with the other information about you that we provide to them.

Contests and Sweepstakes

When you sign up for and participate in a contest or sweepstakes, we may publicly disclose the name, city and state of winners.

Compliance with Laws and Policies; Protection of Rights

We may disclose your personal information if we believe disclosure is necessary to comply with any applicable law, regulation, or legal process, to cooperate with government or law enforcement, or to avoid legal liability; to resolve complaints or disputes; to investigate and resolve technical issues, security incidents, fraud, abuse, and illegal activities; if we believe your actions are inconsistent with the spirit or language of our user agreements or policies; or to protect the rights, reputation, safety and property of Guardian or others.

Strategic Transactions

We may disclose personal information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business or in a bankruptcy, liquidation, dissolution or similar transaction. In the event that we or all of our assets are acquired in such a transaction, our collected information would be one of the transferred assets.

Professional Information

We do not consider business information to be personal information. Accordingly, we may share your business names, owner/proprietor names, business contact information and other information with third parties for any purpose.

Categories of Personal Information Disclosed

In the last 12 months, Guardian has disclosed the following categories of personal information for a business purpose to the following categories of third parties:

Security

We take reasonable measures, including administrative, technical, and physical safeguards, to restrict access to your personal information and help protect it from loss, theft, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. For example, when you enter a credit card number on the Properties, we encrypt that information in transit over the Internet and when stored.  However, no such measure is 100% secure.

Third-Party Websites or Services

The Guardian website may contain links to other third-party websites and services, either directly or through advertisements on Guardian’s website.  Guardian is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of websites operated by third parties, including our advertising partners and networks.  We encourage you to review the privacy policies of third-party websites and services before providing any information to them.

Managing Your Personal Information

Account Information

You may access, update and correct your online account information at any time by logging into your online account and updating your preferences. If you wish to delete your online account, please email us at [email protected]. Please note that, even if your account is deleted, information that you chose to provide in a public area of the Services (such as reviews and projects) will remain visible to the public and may remain in the accounts of or be otherwise retained by other third parties with whom such information has been shared, and we may retain your information as required by law or for legitimate business purposes. We may also retain cached or archived copies of your information.

You may also request to access information or to update or correct inaccurate information by emailing us at [email protected] or writing us at 411 1st Avenue South, Ste. 501, Seattle, WA 98104.

Cookies

Most web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you can usually choose to set your browser to remove or reject browser cookies. Please note that if you choose to remove or reject cookies, this could affect the availability and functionality of the Services.

To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics when using our web-based services, visit https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Promotional Communications

Receiving promotional calls, text (SMS) messages, emails and direct mail from Guardian is completely voluntary, and you may opt out at any time. To opt out of promotional communications from Guardian, you can contact Guardian customer service at (888) 848-6825 or email [email protected]. You can also opt out of receiving promotional emails by clicking the unsubscribe link in the email, and you can opt out of promotional text (SMS) messages by texting STOP. You may receive a final email or text message confirming your opt-out. Message and data rates may apply. Please allow up to 10 business days to process any opt-out request.

Please note that even if you opt out, we may still send you non-promotional communications, such as emails about site outages, your online account or service requests that you have submitted.

Communications By Third Parties

To opt out from receiving promotional communications from a Porch Group Company or other third party, or to make requests regarding your personal information or other information held by them, you should contact them directly.

Children and Our Services

Our Services are not directed to children, and you may not use our Services if you are under the age of 16. If we learn that we have collected personal information of a child under 16, we will make commercially reasonable efforts to delete such information from our files.

State-Specific Rights

Your California Resident Privacy Rights

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, (the “CCPA”), California residents have certain rights regarding their personal information, including:

• The right to know the categories of personal information we’ve collected about them and the categories of sources from which we got the information (see Information We Collect);
• The right to know the business purposes for which we’ve shared their personal information (see How We Use Information We Collect);
• The right to know the categories of third parties with whom we’ve shared their personal information (see How We Share Information We Collect);
• The right to access the specific pieces of their personal information we’ve collected and to request that we delete personal information, subject to certain exceptions (see below);
• The right to opt out of the sale of their personal information (see below);
• The right to not be discriminated against for exercising their CCPA privacy rights;
• The right to correct inaccurate personal information;
• As of January 1, 2023, the right to opt-out of sharing your personal information with third parties for the purposes of targeted behavioral advertising; and
• As of January 1, 2023, the right to request correction of inaccurate personal information and to request to limit disclosure or use of your sensitive personal information. Please note, however, that any right to request correction is limited by the legal rights of Guardian and its users relating to content on the Properties, including without limitation legally protected rights related to freedom of speech.

For purposes of these rights, “sold” and “business purpose” have the meanings given in the CCPA. For example, if you submit an opt-out request, you will not be opted out from transactions that the CCPA does not deem to be sales. In addition, please note that the CCPA does not require us to delete personal information that we need to maintain for certain purposes.

To exercise the access and deletion rights described above, you may submit a verifiable consumer request to us by either:

• Calling us toll free at 1-800-608-7363; or
• Visiting our webpage at com/about/privacy/datarequest

To opt out of the sale of your personal information or the sharing your personal information with third parties for the purposes of targeted behavioral advertising click the following link: Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information.

Only you, or someone that you authorize to act on your behalf, may make a verifiable consumer request related to your personal information. We will work to respond to your request within 15 business days (for opt-out requests) or 45 calendar days (for deletion and access requests) of receipt. We will not charge you a fee for making a request unless your request is excessive, repetitive, or manifestly unfounded. If we determine that your request warrants a fee, we will notify you and explain our decision before completing your request.

Your Nevada Resident Privacy Rights

If you are a resident of Nevada, you have the right to opt out of the sale of certain kinds of personal information (such as name, physical address, email address, telephone number and other personal  information collected through a website) to purchasers that will then license or sell the covered information to additional persons. You can exercise this right by emailing us at [email protected] with the subject line “Nevada Do Not Sell Request.” Nevada law specifies various transactions that are excluded from the definition of “sale”; if you exercise this opt-out right, you will not be opted out from transactions that the law does not deem to be sales.

Your Virginia Resident Privacy Rights (Effective January 1, 2023)

Under Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act, effective as of January 1, 2023, Virginia residents have certain rights regarding their personal information, including:

• The right to access the specific pieces of their personal information we’ve collected (see Information We Collect) and to request that we delete personal information, subject to certain exceptions (see below);
• The right to opt out of the sale of their personal information (see below);
• The right to opt-out of targeted advertising (see below); and
• The right to request correction of inaccurate personal information and to request to limit disclosure or use of your sensitive personal information. Please note, however, that any right to request correction is limited by the legal rights of Guardian and its users relating to content on the Properties, including without limitation legally protected rights related to freedom of speech.

For purposes of these rights, “sold” and “business purpose” have the meanings given in the VCDPA. For example, if you submit an opt-out request, you will not be opted out from transactions that the VCDPA does not deem to be sales. In addition, please note that the VCDPA does not require us to delete personal information that we need to maintain for certain purposes.

To exercise the access and deletion rights described above, you may submit a verifiable consumer request to us by either:

• Calling us toll free at 800-608-7363; or
• Visiting our webpage at com/about/privacy/datarequest

To opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information, click the following link: Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information.

Your Colorado Resident Privacy Rights (Effective July 1, 2023)

Under Colorado’s Consumer Privacy Act, effective as of July 1, 2023, Colorado residents have certain rights regarding their personal information, including:

• The right to access the specific pieces of their personal information we’ve collected (see Information We Collect) and to request that we delete personal information, subject to certain exceptions (see below);
• The right to opt out of the sale of their personal information (see below);
• The right to opt-out of targeted advertising (see below); and
• The right to request correction of inaccurate personal information and to request to limit disclosure or use of your sensitive personal information. Please note, however, that any right to request correction is limited by the legal rights of Guardian and its users relating to content on the Properties, including without limitation legally protected rights related to freedom of speech.

For purposes of these rights, “sold” and “business purpose” have the meanings given in the CPA. For example, if you submit an opt-out request, you will not be opted out from transactions that the CPA does not deem to be sales. In addition, please note that the CPA does not require us to delete personal information that we need to maintain for certain purposes.

To exercise the access and deletion rights described above, you may submit a verifiable consumer request to us by either:

• Calling us toll free at 800-608-7363; or
• Visiting our webpage at com/about/privacy/datarequest

To opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information, click the following link: Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information.

Your Connecticut Resident Privacy Rights (Effective July 1, 2023)

Under Colorado’s Data Privacy Act, effective as of July 1, 2023, Connecticut residents have certain rights regarding their personal information, including:

• The right to access the specific pieces of their personal information we’ve collected (see Information We Collect) and to request that we delete personal information, subject to certain exceptions (see below);
• The right to opt out of the sale of their personal information (see below);
• The right to opt-out of targeted advertising (see below); and
• The right to request correction of inaccurate personal information and to request to limit disclosure or use of your sensitive personal information. Please note, however, that any right to request correction is limited by the legal rights of Guardian and its users relating to content on the Properties, including without limitation legally protected rights related to freedom of speech.

For purposes of these rights, “sold” and “business purpose” have the meanings given in the CDPA. For example, if you submit an opt-out request, you will not be opted out from transactions that the CDPA does not deem to be sales. In addition, please note that the CDPA does not require us to delete personal information that we need to maintain for certain purposes.

Your Utah Resident Privacy Rights (Effective December 31, 2023)

Under Utah’s Consumer Privacy Act, effective as of December 31, 2023, Utah residents have certain rights regarding their personal information, including:

• The right to access the specific pieces of their personal information we’ve collected (see Information We Collect) and to request that we delete personal information, subject to certain exceptions (see below);
• The right to opt out of the sale of their personal information (see below); and
• The right to opt-out of targeted advertising (see below).

For purposes of these rights, “sold” and “business purpose” have the meanings given in the UCPA. For example, if you submit an opt-out request, you will not be opted out from transactions that the UCPA does not deem to be sales. In addition, please note that the UCPA does not require us to delete personal information that we need to maintain for certain purposes.

To exercise the access and deletion rights described above, you may submit a verifiable consumer request to us by either:

• Calling us toll free at 800-608-7363; or
• Visiting our webpage at com/about/privacy/datarequest

To opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information, click the following link: Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information.

Only you, or someone that you authorize to act on your behalf, may make a verifiable consumer request related to your personal information. We will work to respond to your request within 15 business days (for opt-out requests) or 30 calendar days (for deletion and access requests) of receipt. We will not charge you a fee for making a request unless your request is excessive, repetitive, or manifestly unfounded. If we determine that your request warrants a fee, we will notify you and explain our decision before completing your request.

Retention

Guardian retains personal information as long as it is needed for business or legal purposes. We retain transactional information for at least seven years to ensure we can perform legitimate business functions, such as accounting for tax obligations. We also retain your information as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes and enforce our terms and policies.

Governing Law; Visitors Residing Outside the United States 

Guardian’s website and services are hosted and performed in the United States. This Privacy Policy is subject the laws of the United States of America and the State of Washington, without regard to conflict of law principles. If you reside outside of the United States, you are responsible for complying with local laws in connection with your use of the Services, and you consent to the collection, transfer, storage, and use of your personal information in the United States in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

The laws governing processing of personal information vary depending on the jurisdiction in which you reside. To the extent the laws of your jurisdiction are more restrictive than the terms of this Privacy Policy, it is Guardian’s policy to follow the requirements of those laws to the extent those laws are applicable to Guardian’s activities or your personal information.

Additional Information or Assistance

Please address comments or questions to [email protected] or write to us at the address below.

Guardian Inspection Payments

Attn: Privacy Policy

411 1^st Ave S. Ste. 501

Seattle, WA 98104