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What is the difference between the BBBOnLine Privacy Seal and the BBBOnLine Reliability Seal? |
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BBBOnLine offers two website seal programs, the Privacy and Reliability Seal Programs. The Privacy Program specifically addresses a company's privacy practices and how a website uses personally identifiable information it collects from website visitors. The Reliability Program represents that the company is a member of their local BBB, that they have met truth in advertising and other high business practice standards and have been in business for at least one year, and are committed to dispute resolution.
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If I already have the Reliability Seal, why do I need a Privacy Seal? |
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Privacy is a major concern voiced by online consumers. Nearly ¾ of online were surveyed cite concern over their private information as their number one concern online (Greenfield Online, September 2001). The fear of how their information may be used is often cited as a reason for not doing business with a company online. By participating in the BBBOnLine Privacy Seal Program and posting the Privacy Seal on your website you're letting visitors know that you treat their personal information in a way that meets BBBOnLine standards. It'll set your site apart from other sites, and boost the trust & confidence of potential customers.
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If I already have a privacy policy on my Website, why do I need a privacy seal? |
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Merely posting a privacy policy on your site is not an indication that you are committed to protecting consumers' personal information. Many privacy policies in fact state quite the opposite. By posting the BBBOnLine privacy seal, you are going several steps further to providing assurance that you will keep your customers' information secure and you will give customers the opportunity to opt-in or opt-out, before you use their information for any purpose other than originally agreed to.
Many privacy policies contain technical and confusing language that make it difficult for consumers to fully understand what they are agreeing to - which is another reason consumers are looking for some easy way to readily identify businesses whom they can trust. The BBBOnLine Privacy Seal provides that assurance.
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Am I required by law or regulation to have a privacy policy on my website? |
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There is no law requiring any site to display a privacy policy. Consumers however are becoming increasingly sensitive to the issue of privacy and the possibility that their personal information will be (mis)used for other than the purpose it was originally gathered. They are also becoming increasingly knowledgeable that merely displaying a privacy policy is not necessarily a safeguard against their information being sold or used in unsolicited marketing efforts.
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Maybe I'll just wait until online privacy legislation is enacted. Why should my business spend any time or money being proactive on the online privacy issue if the law does not require it? |
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While there are many privacy bills before Congress, it is by no means clear when any legislation may be enacted, or to what degree that legislation will provide for legal protection of consumers. The greatest likelihood is that industry will be left to develop voluntary guidelines, rather than Congress imposing regulations. In any case, those businesses that make the effort to voluntarily safeguard consumer privacy, and who also go out of their way to post plain language privacy policies that are easily read and understood by consumers, will be those favored by the vast majority of online consumers.
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How is the BBBOnLine Privacy program different from other programs on the Internet, such as the TrustE seal? |
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BBBOnLine's privacy seal is backed by an organization that has been around for almost a century; the Better Business Bureau. That's pretty powerful in itself, especially when associated with the Internet, which has been around for less than a decade. BBBOnLine enjoys extremely high name recognition and trust as an extension of the BBB brand. As an organization renowned for its expertise and experience in conducting successful national self-regulation and dispute resolution, the BBB has the credentials that a relative newcomer such as TrustE lacks.
BBBOnLine's privacy seal has been classified by the media amongst others as the "gold standard" of privacy programs. While its standards are high, the qualification process and fees associated with acquiring the Privacy Seal are not. A sliding scale for small and medium business makes the seal affordable for all companies.
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My website is for informational purposes; it doesn't permit customers to purchase goods online. Why then do I need the BBBOnLine Privacy seal? |
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While consumers may not be able to purchase products from you online, they will certainly be motivated to do business with you knowing that any information you do collect from them will remain confidential. Think of the seal as an additional marketing tool, that provides new and potential customers an extra incentive to choose your company over another company that does not demonstrate its care and regard for consumer protection and privacy.
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I don't track or collect any personal information through my website. Why do I need the BBBOnLine Privacy seal? |
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Think of the Privacy seal as a highly effective marketing tool that lets you easily differentiate your business, on an issue that is upper-most in consumer minds. The fact that you don't collect or track customers' personal information is even further proof that you are 100% committed to maintaining the highest standards of consumer privacy.
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I have never had a privacy policy for goods/services marketed off-line through my bricks-and-mortar business. Why do I need one online? |
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The customers who do business with you in the real world have the chance to develop a relationship with you, to speak to you and in most instances, to meet face to face. They understand that over time you know things about them that are related to their personal preferences, shopping habits, where they live, etc. They are, to a greater extent, open to receiving unsolicited, but personalized offers, that you may send out to them. They are on the whole less welcoming of other targeted offers that come from companies they have never done business with. Transfer that relationship to the Internet and sensitivity to the issue of privacy is much higher. On the Internet the ability to synthesize and share vast amounts of personal consumer information appears infinite and frightening, and so consumers are looking for some assurance that they are dealing with a reputable company that not only has a privacy policy, but one that is backed by a trusted organization like the BBB.
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I've had a website for months/years and not one customer has ever asked me what our company's privacy policy is. Why then do I need the BBBOnLine Privacy Seal? |
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You may never have been asked about your company's privacy policy, but do you know how many new or potential customers you may have lost because they couldn't easily find or understand your privacy policy, or worse still, that you didn't have one? Many online transactions are never completed because consumers reach a certain point during the buying process where they become alarmed at some of the information being requested, and choose to cancel the transaction rather then risk their personal information. With a BBBOnLine Privacy Seal, your customers would have the immediate assurance they need to begin and complete the transaction.
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I don't ask anything of my customers when they decide to purchase a product through my website. What's meant by personally identifiable information? |
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Personally identifiable information is information such as age, address, email, product purchase history, etc., that when associated with an individual can be used to identify him or her. BBBOnLine Privacy Seal holders commit to disclosing how they use personally identifiable information, and to provide choice over certain uses of data, such as direct marketing and new data uses.
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Isn't e-commerce pretty much stagnant these days? If there aren't that many people shopping online, why invest money and time in qualifying for a BBBOnLine Privacy Seal? |
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While it's true that the current economy and failure of a number of Internet companies has dampened some of the initial enthusiasm for ecommerce in general and for shopping online by consumers, there are still many millions of people, both in the US and increasingly internationally, who are looking to make purchases on the Web. Efficiency is still cited as the number one reason people like to shop online, and privacy and security issues are still cited as the top reasons why more people do not buy online or complete transactions they start. Once sites start asking for personally identifiable information, many people are put -off because they don't know what will be done with their information and fear that it may infringe on their privacy. Qualifying for and displaying the Privacy Seal is a relatively small but sound investment.
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Do you have a model privacy policy I could post on my site? If so, isn't that sufficient, without my having to qualify for a seal? |
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You can find a model privacy policy on the BBBOnLine site -(www.bbbonline.org/privacy/sample_privacy.asp) that will provide you with guidelines for a comprehensive privacy policy. However the policy without the proper commitment to implement it and live up to it, is ultimately worth very little. For example, one of the requirements to earn the Privacy Seal from BBBOnLine is that every business appoint a person who is responsible for overseeing the company's privacy policy and adherence to its standards. This is the type of commitment that makes the seal so valuable to business and why consumers are more and more relying on seals and marks for assurance in doing business online.
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If I'm a BBBOnLine Privacy Seal holder, can my business collect ANY information from customers? |
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Yes, you can collect the information necessary for you to conduct your business. The important point when it comes to privacy is disclosing what you then do with that information and whom you choose to share it with. Requesting a customer's name and address, or when they are planning on completing some form of renovation or what their favorite car color is for example, okay, provided the customer is told and understands why you are collecting this information and how you will use it. If you are a seal holder, you're also agreeing not to sell or share that information in any ways other than detailed in your privacy policy.
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What will having the privacy seal do for my business? |
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By providing highly visible assurance to consumers that a reputable body such as the BBB recognizes you, you instantly gain credibility and the trust and confidence of consumers. This could make the difference between them doing business with you, or choosing to purchase from some other company. As a Privacy Seal holder you are also listed on the BBBOnLine searchable database - a widely used consumer service offered by BBBOnLine.
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You talk about ethical treatment of customers' personal data - what does that mean? |
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Here's some sample wording from a plain language privacy policy that very clearly demonstrates what constitutes ethical treatment - "We will not sell or rent any identifiable information about you to any third party. Any personal information received is secured and will not be used without your consent. We will not acquire any additional personal information about you without your knowledge. We do reserve the right to summarize supplied information about our buyers and use this aggregate information."
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If I already belong to the BBB, does that mean I automatically get the privacy seal if I apply? |
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Since you're already a member of the BBB, you clearly understand how the organization operates and the benefits of belonging to such a respected organization. That's one of the reasons we do not automatically grant the Privacy Seal, even to BBB members. We are very careful to guard its value and maintain our reputation on behalf of all our members. The program features requirements that relate specifically to privacy (in addition to general good business practices). All companies that qualify for the Privacy Seal must meet these requirements.
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How long/involved/detailed is the application process? |
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Before applying for the BBBOnLine Privacy Seal your company should have adopted and posted an online privacy policy. Then you must complete a business application and the Privacy Profile. Once these documents are submitted, BBBOnLine will review them and your website to ensure compliance with program requirements.
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How much does the BBBOnLine Privacy seal cost? |
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All applicants pay an annual evaluation fee that ranges from $200.00 to $7,000.00 depending on total company annual sales. For additional fee information please visit www.bbbonline.org/privacy/price.asp.
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What happens if my website fails a compliance review? |
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BBBOnLine's aim is to help as many businesses as possible qualify to carry the seal. If your company initially fails to meet the standards laid down, we will do all that we can to let you know what you need to do to reach the necessary levels of compliance. Once you've made these changes, BBBOnLine will award the seal. If a company chooses not to make these changes then it would not be able to participate in the program.
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Can I apply if my website has not yet been launched? |
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Many companies apply for the seal in hopes of launching their website with the seal in place. This is possible as long as BBBOnLine has access to your pre-launched website for our review, and as long as the website is nearly complete when we are ready to review it.
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Can I post more than one privacy statement on my Website? |
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You may have more than one privacy statement on your website; however, if you apply for the privacy seal, you will need to make it absolutely clear to consumers visiting your site when they are under one policy or another. Or in other words, which policy applies to which part of the site and which activities.
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How does BBBOnLine Privacy handle consumer complaints? |
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All BBBOnLine Privacy Program participants are required to work with the program's dispute resolution process The Privacy Program will only accept complaints regarding the misuse of personally identifiable information by a website operator and only if the website has a stated privacy policy. All other complaints are handle by the Better Business Bureau system. For more information about the Privacy Program dispute resolution process visit www.bbbonline.org/privacy/dr.asp. For all other complaints visit www.bbbonline.org/consumer/complaint.asp.
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What does the BBBOnLine Kid's Privacy seal represent? |
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It means that a website meets all the requirements of the BBBOnLine Privacy program and complies with extensive additional requirements that address the special privacy concerns that arise when children go online, including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act requirements that any website collecting information from children under the age of 13 must comply with. For more information on the Kid's Privacy Seal please visit www.bbbonline.com/privacy/kid.asp.
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How is BBBOnLine Kid's Privacy Seal different from the standard BBBOnLine Privacy Seal? |
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The privacy program has extra requirements designed to specifically protect children that must be met by applicants collecting personal information from children under the age of 13 as outlined in the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. The BBBOnLine Kid's Privacy seal indicates that a website meets the standard program requirements in addition to the Kid's requirements.
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Can I use the privacy seal in my offline marketing efforts? |
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No you may not. The BBBOnLine Privacy Seal is for online use only. However, you may state you are a BBBOnLine Privacy Seal participant in your marketing efforts.
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How will people looking for a reputable business through BBB know that I have the privacy seal - without having to visit my site first? |
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As a Privacy Seal holder you are listed on the BBBOnLine searchable database - a widely used consumer service offered by BBBOnLine.
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Who do I contact about becoming a member of the BBBOnLine Privacy Program? |
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You may apply directly online at www.bbbonline.org/privacy/apply.asp or contact Jessica Felix-Romero.
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