The RattleCat Privacy Policy

This privacy policy has been compiled to better serve those who are concerned with how their 'Personally Identifiable Information' (PII) is being used online. PII, as described in US privacy law and information security, is information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context. Please read our privacy policy carefully to get a clear understanding of how "Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" may collect, use, protect or otherwise handle your Personally Identifiable Information in accordance with our website.

What personal information do we collect from the people that visit our website?

When subscribing to "The RattleCat Newsletter" on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your name, email address, mailing address, or other personal information to help you have a great experience on our Website, Digital Community Bulletin Board, or in receiving our printed publication "The RattleCat".


Programmatic Advertising

Some advertising third parties may request data collection as a part of their advertising agreement. For information on how this data is collected including how to opt out of data collection, please send an email to info [at] therattlecat (dot) com.


When does The RattleCat collect your information?

"Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" collects information from you when you subscribe to a newsletter, fill out a form, or enter any information on therattlecat.com Website or Services.


How does The RattleCat use your information?

"Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" may use the information collected from you when you register, subscribe, make a purchase, signup for our newsletter, respond to a survey or marketing communication, surf the website, or use certain other site features or tools in the following ways:

• To personalize your experience and to allow "Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" to deliver the type of content and product offerings in which you are most interested.

• To send periodic emails or newsletter subscriptions, or updates regarding your subscription and or other products and services that "Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" may provide.


Does The RattleCat use cookies?

Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the site's or service provider's systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information. therattlecat.com Website and Services may use cookies to:

• To help remember and process items in your shopping cart, or locally store your login and subscription preferences.

• To help therattlecat.com Webite and Services understand your preferences based on previous or current site activity, which enables "Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" to provide you with improved services and a better user experience.

• To help compile aggregate data about website traffic and user interaction so that "Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" can offer better experiences and tools in the future. "Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" may also use trusted third-party services to track this information on our behalf.

You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies. You do this through your browser settings. Since each browser is a little different, look at your browser's Help Menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies.

If you choose to turn cookies off, some of the features on our website that make your experience more efficient may not function properly.


Third Party Disclosure

"Hometown Connection, LLC" and/or "The RattleCat" will not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to any outside parties your PII (Personally Identifiable Information) unless we provide you as a user with advance notice. This does not include website hosting partners, or other third parties who assist us in the operation of our website, conduct our business, provide advertising services, or serve our users in any way, so long as those parties agree to keep your PPI confidential. therattlecat.com Website and Services may, occassionally, release information when its release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect the rights of "Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat", it's employees, or others' rights, property or safety.

• "Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" may, occassionally, provide non-personally identifiable visitor information to other third parties for the purpose of marketing, advertising, or other uses.


Third Party Links

"Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat", along with third-party vendors such as Google, will use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookies) and third-party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookies) or other third-party identifies together to compile data regarding user interactions with ad impressions and other ad service functions as they relate to therattlecat.com Website.


Google

Google's advertising requirements can be summed up by Google's Advertising Principles. They are put in place to provide a positive experience for users. Google Ad Policies

Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on therattlecat.com Website. Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to our users based on previous visits to therattlecat.com Website and other sites on the Internet. Users may opt-out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google Ad and Content Network Privacy Policy.


Opting Out

You, as a user, can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using the Google Ad Settings page. Alternatively, you can opt-out by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out page or by using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser add-on.


The RattleCat honors Do Not Track signals

"Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" honors Do Not Track signals and Do Not Track, plant cookies, or use advertising when a Do Not Track (DNT) browser mechanism is in place.


"Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" does allow third-party behavioral tracking.

COPPA (Children Online Privacy Protection Act

When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under the age of 13 years old, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, United States' consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule, which spells out which operators of websites and online services must do to protect children's privacy and safety online.

While "Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" may post content of interest to young children, it is with the assumption that all science experiments and other Science At School and Home Projects are undertaken with the supervision of an adult.

"Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" does not specifically market to children under the age of 13 years old nor promote the collection of PPI from children under the age of 13 years old.


Fair Information Practices

The Fair Information Practices Principles form the backbone of privacy law in the United States and the concepts they include have played a significant role in the development of data protection laws around the globe. Understanding the Fair Information Practice Principles and how they should be implemented is critical to comply with the various privacy laws that protect PPI.


In order to be in-line with Fair Information Practices "Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" will take the following responsive actions, should a data breach occur:

We will notify you via email within seven (7) business days.

"Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" also agrees to the Individual Redress Principle which requires that individuals have the right to legally pursue enforceable rights against data collectors and processors who fail to adhere to the law. This principle requires not only that individuals have enforceable rights against data users, but also that individuals have recourse to courts or government agencies to investigae and/or prosecute non-compliance by data processors.


CAN SPAM Act

The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have emails stopped from being sent to them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.


"Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" collects your email address in order to:

• Update you on the status of your subscription, send special notices, or other communications that we deem necessary in the daily operations of "The RattleCat."

• Market to "Hometown Connection, LLC" and/or "The RattleCat" mailing list or continue to send emails to customers and/or clients after the original transaction has occurred and approval has been given.


To be in accordance with CANSPAM, "Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat" agrees to the following:

• Not use false or misleading subjects or email addresses.

• To identify the message as an advertisement in some reasonable way.

• To include identifiable information in all of our communications with you as a customer.

• To monitor third-party email marketing services for compliance, if one is used.

• To honor opt-out/unsubscribe requests quickly

• To allow users to unsubscribe by using a link at the bottom of each email which will promptly remove you from ALL coorespondence.


If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails from "Hometown Connection, LLC" and "The RattleCat", you can email us at The RattleCat.

Should you have any questions regarding this privacy policy, you may contact us by sending an email to The RattleCat.
Updated, December 18, 2021