Last Revised: June 20, 2024
At GroomingWhiz (“GroomingWhiz”, “our”, “us”, “we”), your privacy is of utmost importance to us. We have developed this privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) to clarify how we handle the information gathered and received from your utilization of our Services (as outlined in our Terms of Use or “TOU”) offered through the website, http://www.GroomingWhiz.com, and any other websites or applications we own, operate, or control (collectively referred to as “Website(s)”). This Privacy Policy is applicable solely to the Services, and we do not hold responsibility for the practices of individuals, companies, institutions, or websites that GroomingWhiz does not control, manage, or employ. Any capitalized terms not defined here have the meanings ascribed to them in the TOU.
We urge you to read this Privacy Policy and our TOU thoroughly, as they dictate your use of GroomingWhiz. If you disagree with this Privacy Policy, we kindly ask that you refrain from using our Services.
GroomingWhiz, Inc. is the entity controlling your data. For additional details, please refer to the “Contact Information” section below. Please be aware that if you gain access through Sponsored Services or our Employee and Enterprise Sponsored Access Services, the third-party sponsoring your participation in the Online Courses may supply us with information as per our agreement with them, and thus, the third-party sponsor may be the controller with respect to such data.
Essential Information Regarding Our Services
Please be aware that by submitting any information to us, you are acknowledging that we may gather, utilize, disclose, and retain such information in compliance with this Privacy Policy and our TOU, and as allowed or mandated by law. If you disagree with these terms, we kindly ask you not to provide us with any information. GroomingWhiz may provide social sharing features as part of its Services. These features, among others, allow you to make your career Profile (as detailed below in the Profiles and Career Services Section) public and share your details and information, including your Online Course progress, with others outside of the GroomingWhiz Website(s) (“Social Sharing”). By choosing to engage in any of our Social Sharing Services, you acknowledge that any information or materials you include in your Profile can be viewed by others accessing the Website(s), including potential or existing employers, as well as by others on relevant third-party websites. You also acknowledge that information you share through Social Services may remain accessible on third-party websites and/or to those with whom you have shared the information, even if you make your Profile private after having made it public and/or stop sharing your information. Please note that GroomingWhiz has no control over the access or use of information provided to third parties via Social Sharing outside its Website(s).
Information We Gather
Information You Provide to Us
We gather a variety of information that you directly provide to us. Generally, we collect information from you through:
Using any of our Services, including registering for a User Account through the Website(s)
Making a purchase from us, including registering and enrolling in any Online Course
Signing up for email updates
Uploading or posting to public forums included through the Services
Submitting requests or questions to us via forms or email
Requesting customer support and technical assistance The types of data we collect directly from you include:
Name, address, telephone number and email address
Log-in credentials, if you register a User Account with us
Information about purchases or other transactions with us, such as your shipping address. Please note, however, that we do not collect, store, or transmit financial account information. Instead, we use a third-party payment processor to process our payments
Information about your customer service and maintenance interactions with us
Demographic information, such as your gender, socio-economic status, and other personal information
Information you provide to us in connection with any application or admissions process, including, for example, educational and work experience, prerequisite knowledge, any pre-assessment you complete, your goals, and other information
Information you provide in connection with career services, for example, salary information, job placement information, career goals, work experience, and other information
User-generated content you upload or post to public forums through the Services. Information needed in order to comply with any procedures, laws, and regulations which apply to us where it is necessary for our legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of others
Information from third parties about you in connection with any referral programs we may offer
Any other information you choose to directly provide to us in connection with your use of the Services
Participation in Online Courses. If you desire to participate in an Online Course, you will be asked to provide us with certain information necessary to conduct such an Online Course. This information may include, among other things, your name and email address. GroomingWhiz, or its third-party service providers, may also collect certain information from you in conjunction with assignments, exams and other assessments related to the Online Course. For example, as part of a proctored exam for an Online Course or to process your credential of completion for a Nanodegree program, GroomingWhiz (or its third party service providers, such as NetVerify) may collect certain information from you in order to (a) verify or authenticate your identity or submissions made by you, such as a signature for a test or assignment log, a photograph or recording of you (e.g., using a webcam) or information included on a government issued or other photo identification card or document, or (b) monitor your performance during an exam to confirm that you are abiding by the applicable test rules or requirements (e.g., confirming that you are not using prohibited resources). GroomingWhiz may also collect information from you or about your performance or accomplishments related to the course, such as quiz/exam scores, grades, project evaluations, teacher evaluations and other evaluations of your performance or accomplishments.
Profiles and Career Services. You can choose to share additional information, such as your work experience, resume and transcript, your picture, and answers to questions about your experience, studies and work preferences, when you create a professional profile through the career services we offer through our Services. You can also share information by updating your Profile, uploading documents, or answering questions or surveys we email you or present to you through our Services. Collectively, the professional profile and the materials you provide through the career services are referred to as simply your “Profile.”
Please note, that by electing to make your Profile public, you acknowledge that:
Your Profile and all the included information, materials, documents and pictures will be shared with, and publicly viewed by, other third parties also accessing the career services portal and the Services (including without limitation, potential employers, recruiters, other students or persons, and us);
Employers and other third parties accessing the career services portal can contact you via your email address (or any other contact information you have provided in your Profile); and
You and we can share your Profile and all the included information, materials, documents and pictures with employers, recruiters or career related third parties.
Information We Collect Through Automated Means
Analytics Information
When you use our Services, we and our service providers (which are third party companies that work on our behalf) may use cookies, and similar technologies to track, collect and aggregate certain information including, among other things, which pages of our Website(s) were visited, the order in which they were visited, when they were visited, the URLs from which you linked to our Website(s), and which hyperlinks were “clicked.” Collecting such information may involve logging the IP address, operating system and browser software used by each user of the Website. Through such information, we may be able to determine from an IP address a user’s Internet Service Provider and the general geographic location (city/state) of his or her point of connectivity.
We also use or may use these technologies to help us determine and identify repeat visitors, the type of content and sites to which a user of our Website(s) links, the length of time each user spends at any particular area of our Website(s), and the specific functionalities that users choose to use.
We use third-party web analytics services (such as those of Google Analytics) on our Website(s) to collect and analyze usage information through cookies and similar tools; engage in auditing, research, or reporting; assist with fraud prevention; and provide certain features to you. We also provide a limited amount of your information (such as your email address and sign-up date) to Intercom, Inc. (“Intercom”) so that Intercom can analyze Website usage on our behalf, which allows us to improve our Services. We may also use third-party services, (including Intercom), as a medium for communications, either through email, or through messages within our Service(s). The use of these any such medium may be subject to the terms and conditions and privacy policy for those service providers and you should carefully review those terms and conditions. For example, Intercom’s services are governed by terms of use which can be found at http://docs.intercom.io/terms and privacy policy http://docs.intercom.io/privacy. If you would like to opt out of having this information collected by or submitted to Intercom or have questions about other third-party service provider’s collection of your information for this purpose, please contact us. For more information about our use of cookies and similar technologies, including how you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on to prevent Google from using your information for analytics, or otherwise control or disable cookies, please see our Cookies Policy.
Digital Marketing Practices
We may permit third-party entities, including but not limited to advertising firms (like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Quora, and Bing), to set cookies on our website. These cookies allow these companies to monitor your activity across different websites where they display advertisements and record your actions to present ads they deem relevant to your internet browsing habits. These cookies store information about the content you browse along with an identifier associated with your device or IP address.
These cookies also enable us and third parties to track if you’ve viewed an ad or a specific type of ad, and the duration since your last interaction with it. This data is utilized for frequency capping, customizing the ads you see, and gauging the effectiveness of ads. For further details about digital advertising and how you can manage or disable these cookies, kindly refer to our Cookies Policy.
Non-Compliance with Do Not Track Signals
At present, we do not respond to or take any action concerning web browser signals or other mechanisms that express a choice about the collection of personal information over time and across third-party websites or online services (for instance, web browser “do not track” signals).
Data Collection from Social Media and Other Content Platforms
If you log in or connect to a third-party network (like a social network), or log in to our Services via a social network site (like Facebook), you may permit us to access and store specific information from your social network profile. This may include your name, gender, profile picture, based on your settings on such services. If you prefer not to share this information, avoid using a social networking connection to access the Services. For information on how social networking sites manage your data, please refer to their privacy policies and terms of use, which may allow you to adjust your privacy settings.
Referral Schemes
We may provide certain Users the chance to refer (Referrers) their friends (“Referees”) to the Site via a third-party referral scheme where both Referrers and Referees may earn credits or other rewards through such referrals. In case we offer such schemes, the Referrers may disclose information about the Referees, including email addresses to share the referral offer. We may also disclose the Referrer’s email and name to the Referee and provide the Referrer with a confirmation of the Referee’s acceptance of the referral, which may include the Referee’s email in relation to offering any such referral scheme.
How We Use The Information We Collect
We use your information for various purposes depending on the types of information we have collected from and about you and the specific services you use, in order to:
Send you information in connection with the Services
Respond to your communications and requests
Manage and process Online Courses, including but not limited to tracking attendance, progress and completion; administering exams, projects, and other assessments; verifying a User’s identity as part of a proctored exam or exit interview for an Online Course; and monitoring performance during an exam to confirm that you are abiding by the applicable testing rules or requirements
Provide Services to you, such as services that you request in conjunction with the Online Courses
Contact you by email, postal mail, or phone (including via SMS messages) regarding GroomingWhiz and third-party products, services, surveys, research studies, promotions, special events and other subjects that we think may be of interest to you
Customize the content we provide through the Services
Help us better understand your interests and needs, and improve the Services
Engage in analysis, research, and reports regarding use of the Services
Secure the Services
Comply with any procedures, laws, and regulations which apply to us where it is necessary for our legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of others
Establish, exercise, or defend our legal rights where it is necessary for our legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of others
Combined Information. For the purposes discussed in this Privacy Policy, we may combine the information that we collect through the Services with information that we receive from other sources, both online and offline, and use such combined information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Aggregate/Anonymous Data We may aggregate and/or anonymize any information collected through the Website so that such information can no longer be linked to you or your device (“Aggregate/Anonymous Information”). We may use Aggregate/Anonymous Information for any purpose, including without limitation for research and marketing purposes, statistical analyses of Website(s) usage, and may also share such data with any third parties, including advertisers, promotional partners, and sponsors.
How We Share and Disclose Your Information
GroomingWhiz will share your information in the following ways:
Service Providers. We provide access to or share your information with operations and maintenance contractors and other third parties who perform services on our behalf. They have access to perform these services but are prohibited from using your information for other purposes. They provide a variety of services to us, including billing, sales, marketing, test proctoring, product content and features, advertising, analytics, research, customer service, data storage, security, fraud prevention, payment processing, and legal services.
Employers. We may share the information that we collect from you when you participate in an Online Course if the course is sponsored or paid for by your employer. For example, we may share with your employer pre-assessment results, the Online Courses you are interested in, your progress in the course, including project status, time spent actively involved in or with an Online Course or interacting with your Mentor, and/or evaluations and performance assessments. If you make your Profile public on the Website, and your employer has access to the Website, then your employer will have the ability to view your Profile information and materials. This information may be shared at any time during the course or afterwards.
Educational Institutions and Scholarship Partners. If you are taking a course sponsored or associated with a particular Educational Partner (e.g., such as a university or scholarship/sponsored partner), we may share information about you and your performance with the university or scholarship partner, including to report on your progress in the course. Information shared with our Educational Partners will be subject to the privacy policies and procedures of such partners.
Business Partners. With your consent, GroomingWhiz may share information that can be used to directly connect you with third party business partners, such as companies that may be offering products or services or other opportunities that may be of interest to you.
Protection of GroomingWhiz and Others. By using the Website, you acknowledge and agree that we may access, retain and disclose the information we collect and maintain about you if required to do so by law or in a good faith belief that such access, retention or disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (a) comply with legal process (e.g. a subpoena or court order) or law; (b) enforce our Terms of Use, this Privacy Policy, or other contracts with you, including investigation of potential violations thereof; (c) respond to claims that any content violates the rights of third parties; (d) respond to your requests for customer service; and/or (e) protect the rights, property or personal safety of GroomingWhiz, its agents and affiliates, its users and/or the public. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection, compliance with applicable law, and spam/malware prevention, and similar purposes.
Profiles and Career Services. If you make your Profile public, your information will be publicly accessible and further share with our network of hiring partners, including, without limitation, performance in online courses, demographic information (such gender), details of your Profile and other information related to your work experience and goals.
Related Entities and Affiliates. We may share information with our affiliated companies that are under the common ownership or control of GroomingWhiz, Inc.
Business Transfers. As we continue to develop our business, we may buy, merge, or partner with other companies. In such transactions, (including in contemplation of such transactions) user information may be among the transferred assets. If a portion or all of GroomingWhiz’s assets are sold or transferred to a third-party, customer information (including your email address) would likely be one of the transferred business assets. If such transfer is subject to additional mandatory restrictions under applicable laws, GroomingWhiz will comply with such restrictions.
Aggregate/Anonymous Information. From time to time, GroomingWhiz may share Aggregate/Anonymous Information about use of the Services, such as, but not limited to, publishing a report on usage trends or survey results, as well graduation rates, careers studies and success rates, and other demographic information provided to us by our Students. The sharing of such data is unrestricted.
Data Subject Rights and Your Choices
You may have certain rights with respect to your information as further described in this section.
Your Legal Rights
If you would like further information in relation to your legal rights under applicable law or would like to exercise any of them, please contact us using the information in the “GroomingWhiz Contact Information” section below at any time. Your local laws, such as in the European Union, may permit you to request that we:
provide access to and/or a copy of certain information we hold about you
prevent the processing of your information for direct-marketing purposes (including any direct marketing processing based on profiling)
update information which is out of date or incorrect
delete certain information which we are holding about you
restrict the way that we process and disclose certain of your information
transfer your information to a third-party provider of services
revoke your consent for the processing of your information
We will consider all requests and provide our response within the time period stated by applicable law. Please note, however, that certain information may be exempt from such requests in some circumstances, which may include if we need to keep processing your information for our legitimate interests or to comply with a legal obligation.
To the extent that you make such a request, we require certain information to help verify your request and prevent fraudulent information and removal requests. Specifically, we ask that you provide the following pieces of information:
Username and email address associated with your GroomingWhiz User Account;
Online Courses currently or previously enrolled in;
Approximate date of User Account registration;
Information you want to view and/or request removed;
Country of residence; and
A statement under penalty of perjury that all information in your request is truthful and that this is your User Account or that you have the authorization to make the request on behalf of the owner of the User Account.
Depending on the circumstances and the information you request, we may require additional methods of verification in our discretion.
Communications & Notification Preferences and Opting Out
We provide our Users with the opportunity to update their information or to opt out of having their contact information used for purposes not directly related to payment or servicing of your account.
If you are a Student and wish to opt out of any of the communications offered by GroomingWhiz, you may do so at any time. Log into your account, select the Settings page, and navigate to ‘Notification Preferences.’ From there, you can manage GroomingWhiz communication subscriptions, including text message study reminders, mentor communications, Career Services support (if applicable), community notifications, and marketing and promotional communications by selecting or de-selecting any of the methods from which you wish to opt out or opt in. If you are not a Student, or wish to opt out through alternative means, you may opt out as follows:
Contact us by email at [email protected]
Contact us via postal mail to GroomingWhiz, 2440 El Camino Real, Floor 6, Mountain View, CA 94040; Attn: GroomingWhiz Support
Please identify the communication methods (e.g., phone, email, or SMS text message) by which you desire to stop receiving messages.
You may unsubscribe from our commercial or marketing email communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions located at the bottom of such emails. If you have opted in to receive marketing text message communications from GroomingWhiz, you can opt out of those messages by following the instructions in those messages or by contacting us at the information provided above.
Please note that, regardless of your request, we may still use and share certain information as permitted by this Privacy Policy or as required by applicable law. For example, you may not opt out of certain operational emails, such as those reflecting our relationship or transactions with you.
Retention of Your Information
We keep your information for no longer than necessary for the purposes for which it is processed. The length of time for which we retain information depends on the purposes for which we collected and use it and/or as required to comply with applicable laws.
Third Party Links and Features
The Services contain links to third-party websites such as social media sites, and also contain third-party integrations (such as the Facebook “like” button, Slack/Github integration, or YouTube) and functionalities. If you choose to use these sites or features, you may disclose your information not just to those third-parties, but also to their users and the public more generally depending on how their services function. GroomingWhiz is not responsible for the content or practices of those websites or services. The collection, use, and disclosure of your information will be subject to the privacy policies of the third-party websites or services, and not this Privacy Policy. We urge you to read the privacy and security policies of these third-parties.
In the provision of the Services, GroomingWhiz utilizes YouTube API services. Such API service is maintained and operated by YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Avenue, San Bruno, CA 94066, United States, with YouTube, LLC being a subsidiary of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States. As a condition of accessing GroomingWhiz Services on YouTube, you warrant and represent that you have read and fully agree to the YouTube Terms of Service and the Google Privacy Policy as updated and amended from time to time.
If applicable, you may make a complaint to the data protection supervisory authority in the country where you are based. Alternatively, you may seek a remedy through local courts if you believe your rights have been breached.
How We Protect Your Information
We consider the confidentiality and security of your information to be of the utmost importance. GroomingWhiz takes a variety of technical, administrative, and physical measures to protect your information from disclosure to or access by third parties. Please note that we do not guarantee the security of information, as no method of internet transmission or storage is completely secure. Also note that we may retain and store your information in our databases and systems even after your GroomingWhiz account is deactivated as long as we have a legitimate purpose to do so and in accordance with applicable law.
Protection of Minors’ Privacy
GroomingWhiz is designed for general users and not intended for children under the age of 13. If we discover that we have unintentionally gathered “personal information” (as defined by the United States Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) from children under the age of 13 without valid parental consent, we will take reasonable measures to erase it as promptly as possible. We also adhere to other age restrictions and requirements as per relevant local laws.
Privacy for Users Outside the United States
GroomingWhiz stores data about our website visitors and users on servers located in the United States. By utilizing our services, you agree to the storage of your information within the United States. If you are accessing the services from outside the United States and the European Union, be aware that the information you provide will be transferred to and stored on servers in the United States or other countries. The data protection and other laws of the United States and/or other countries may not be as comprehensive as those in your country. By providing your data and/or using our services, you consent to the transfer, storage, and processing of your information in and to the United States.
As mentioned above, GroomingWhiz may also outsource the processing of your data to, or share your data with, service providers and others in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States, in compliance with applicable law. These third parties may be involved in, among other things, providing services to you, processing transactions, and/or offering support services. By sharing your information with us, you consent to any such transfer, storage, or use.
If we share any information about you with any non-European Union entities, we will implement suitable measures to ensure such companies safeguard your information adequately in line with this Privacy Policy. These measures include signing Standard Contractual Clauses in accordance with European Union and other data protection laws to regulate the transfers of such data. For more information about these transfer mechanisms, please reach out to us as detailed in the “GroomingWhiz Contact Information” section below.
Information for California Residents
In addition to the information detailed in this privacy policy, California law provides for specific rights for California residents. California residents may request access to Personal Information, request a copy of their Personal Information, or request that their Personal Information be deleted. You may make these requests through your account by navigating to your Settings or by submitting a request to [email protected]. Consistent with California law and to provide for the security of Personal Information, GroomingWhiz will verify requests from California residents, as well as requests received from authorized agents acting on behalf of California residents.
Changes To Our Privacy Policy
Please note that we review our privacy practices from time to time, and that these practices are subject to change. Any change, update, or modification will be effective immediately upon posting on our Website(s). You can know if the Privacy Policy has changed since the last time you reviewed it by checking the “Effective Date” included at the beginning of the document. If we make a material change to the Policy, you will be provided with appropriate notice in accordance with legal requirements. By continuing to use the Services, you are confirming that you have read and understood the latest version of this Privacy Policy. Be sure to return to this page periodically to ensure familiarity with the most current version of this Privacy Policy.
GroomingWhiz Contact Information
If you have any questions, comments or complaints about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:
Email: [email protected]