Privacy Policy

1. Overview

SandwichSystemGuide.org ("this website," "we," "our," or "us") is an independent informational website dedicated to educational content about sandwich delivery systems in the United States. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect from visitors to this website, how that information is used, and the choices you have regarding your information.

By accessing and using this website, you acknowledge that you have read and understand this Privacy Policy. This policy applies solely to information collected through this website and does not apply to information collected by any third-party websites, services, or applications that may be linked from our content.

This website does not offer, process, or facilitate any commercial transactions, food orders, delivery services, or payments of any kind. Accordingly, we do not collect payment card information, financial account details, or any transaction data.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Voluntarily

The only information we collect that is directly provided by you is submitted through the contact form on our Contact page. When you complete and submit this form, we collect your first name, last name, email address, the subject category you selected, and the content of your message. This information is collected solely for the purpose of responding to your inquiry. You are under no obligation to submit the contact form, and doing so is entirely voluntary.

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

Like most websites, this website may automatically collect certain technical information when you visit, including your Internet Protocol (IP) address (which may be used to determine your approximate geographic region at the country or city level), the type and version of web browser you are using, your operating system, the referring URL (the page from which you arrived at this website), the pages of this website you visit and the time spent on each page, and the date and time of your visit. This information is collected in aggregate and is used solely for the purpose of understanding how visitors use the website and improving its content and performance. It is not used to identify individual visitors.

2.3 Information We Do Not Collect

We do not collect payment card information, bank account details, or any financial information. We do not collect government identification numbers (such as Social Security numbers). We do not collect precise geolocation data. We do not collect biometric data. We do not create user accounts, and therefore do not collect login credentials. We do not collect information about minors under 13 years of age.

3. How We Use Information

Information collected through the contact form is used exclusively to respond to the inquiry you have submitted. We will send a reply to the email address you provided and, if the inquiry requires follow-up, may use that address for subsequent correspondence related to the original inquiry. We do not use contact form submissions for marketing, promotional outreach, or list-building purposes.

Automatically collected technical information is used in aggregate to analyze website traffic patterns, identify pages with high or low engagement, improve site navigation and content structure, diagnose and resolve technical errors, and understand the general geographic distribution of our audience. This analysis is conducted using aggregated, anonymized data and does not involve profiling of individual visitors.

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

This website may use cookies — small text files stored on your device by your browser — and similar tracking technologies for limited functional purposes. Functional cookies may be used to remember your preferences (such as whether you have previously dismissed a notification) and to maintain consistent site behavior across pages within a single browsing session. We do not use cookies for advertising, behavioral tracking, or cross-site user profiling.

If we use any third-party analytics service (such as Google Analytics) to collect aggregated traffic data, that service may set its own cookies subject to the third party's own privacy policy. In any such case, data is processed in an anonymized, aggregated format and is not linked to individual identifiable visitors. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some features of this website, but will not prevent you from accessing the educational content.

5. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, trade, or license your personal information to any third party for any purpose. We do not share contact form submissions with advertisers, marketers, data brokers, or any external commercial entity. Information you submit through the contact form is accessible only to the editorial team responsible for responding to it.

We may disclose information if required to do so by law, regulation, or valid legal process (such as a court order or subpoena), or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of this website, its users, or the public. In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all assets of this website, visitor information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the terms of this Privacy Policy continuing to apply.

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the information we collect from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include the use of HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and this website's servers, access controls limiting who within our team can access contact form submissions, and regular review of our data handling practices.

However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You submit information through this website at your own risk and are encouraged not to transmit sensitive personal information (beyond what is necessary for your inquiry) through any online contact form.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. These may include the right to access the personal information we hold about you, the right to request correction of inaccurate information, the right to request deletion of your personal information (subject to any legal obligations we may have to retain it), the right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, and the right to lodge a complaint with a relevant data protection supervisory authority.

Because this website collects only minimal personal information and does not process it for commercial purposes, the exercise of these rights in the context of this website is straightforward. If you wish to exercise any of these rights, or if you have questions about how your information is handled, please contact us using the information in Section 11 below.

If you are a resident of California, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information is collected and whether it is sold (it is not). California residents may exercise their rights by contacting us directly.

8. Children's Privacy

This website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has submitted personal information to us through the contact form, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete that information from our records. We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) as applicable to our operations.

9. External Links

This website may contain links to external websites operated by third parties for informational reference purposes — for example, links to official US government regulatory agencies such as the FDA or USDA. These external websites are governed by their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review. We have no control over the content or privacy practices of external websites and accept no responsibility for them. The inclusion of a link to an external website does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or approval of that website or its content.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, applicable law, or website functionality. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. Your continued use of this website after any changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of those changes.

11. Contact Regarding This Privacy Policy

If you have questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal information, please contact us through any of the following channels:

We will endeavor to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 10 business days. For complex requests involving data access or deletion, we may require verification of your identity before processing the request, and may take up to 30 days to respond in accordance with applicable law.