Privacy Policy


Your privacy is very important to us. Punch Technologies, Inc. ("Punch Technologies", "we ," or "us") and our Web site at PunchAlert.com (the "Site"), as well as all related web sites, networks, applications, and other services provided by us and on which a link to this Privacy Policy (this "Policy") is displayed (collectively, together with the Site, our "Platform"). Accordingly, we have developed this Policy in order for you to understand how we collect, use, communicate and disclose and make use of personal information. The following items outline our privacy policy with more detail following:

  • Before or at the time of collecting personal information, we will identify the purposes for which information is being collected.
  • We will collect and use personal information solely with the objective of fulfilling those purposes specified by us and for other compatible purposes, unless we obtain the consent of the individual concerned or as required by law.
  • We will only retain personal information as long as necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.
  • We will collect personal information by lawful and fair means and, where appropriate, with the knowledge or consent of the individual concerned.
  • Personal data should be relevant to the purposes for which it is to be used, and, to the extent necessary for those purposes, should be accurate, complete, and up-to-date.
  • We will protect personal information by reasonable security safeguards against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.
  • We will make readily available to customers information about our policies and practices relating to the management of personal information.

This Policy describes the information that we gather from you ("you") on the Platform, how we use and disclose such information, and the steps we take to protect such information. By using the Platform, you consent to the privacy practices described in this Policy.

This Policy is incorporated into and is subject to the Punch Technologies Terms of Use. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Policy have the meaning given to them in the Punch Technologies Terms of Use.

The information we collect on the Platform:

Personal Data

When you use the Platform, you may provide and we may collect what is generally called personally identifiable information, or personal information, which is information that specifically identifies an individual. For the purposes of this Privacy Statement, we refer to such information as "Personal Information." Examples of Personal Information include name, email address, mailing address, mobile phone number, and credit card or other billing information. Personal Information also includes other information, such as date of birth, geographic area, or preferences, when any such information is linked to information that identifies a specific individual. You may provide us with Personal Information in various ways on the Platform. For example, you provide us with Personal Information when you register for an account, use the Platform, make a purchase on the Platform, or send us customer service-related requests. Personal Information will also include any information about other adults or children (for whom you must have appropriate legal responsibility or appropriate prior consent) that you enter into the Platform. Personal Information will also include any health-related information about yourself or others that you enter into or provide to the Platform. You are not required to provide any health-related information in order to use the Platform, but if you do, that Personal Information will be subject to this Privacy Policy.

Geo-location information

When you use the Platform, we collect geo-location information from your device to determine your physical location.

Cookies and Automatically Collected Information

When you use the Platform, we may send one or more cookies - small text files containing a string of alphanumeric characters - to your device. We may use both session cookies and persistent cookies. A session cookie disappears after you close your browser. A persistent cookie remains after you close your browser and may be used by your browser on subsequent visits to the Platform. Please review your web browser "Help" file to learn the proper way to modify your cookie settings. Please note that if you delete, or choose not to accept, cookies from the Platform, you may not be able to utilize the features of the Platform to their fullest potential.

We may also automatically record certain information from your device by using various types of technology. This automatically collected information may include your IP address or other device address or ID, web browser and/or device type, the web pages or sites that you visit just before or just after you use the Platform, the pages or other content you view or otherwise interact with on the Platform, and the dates and times that you visit, access, or use the Platform. We also may use these technologies to collect information regarding your interaction with email messages, such as whether you opened, clicked on, or forwarded a message. This information is gathered from all users, and may be connected with your Personal Information.

Third Party Beacons and Buttons

We may also implement third-party content or advertising on the Platform that may use clear gifs or other forms of web beacons, which allow the third-party content provider to read and write cookies to your browser in connection with your viewing of the third party content on the Platform. Additionally, we may implement third party buttons (Facebook Login) that may allow third parties to collect information about you through such third parties' browser cookies, even when you do not interact with the button. Information collected through beacons and buttons is collected directly by these third parties, and Punch Technologies does not participate in that data transmission. Information collected by a third party in this manner is subject to that third party's own data collection, use, and disclosure policies.

Other Sources

We may obtain information, including Personal Information, from third parties and sources other than the Platform, such as our partners. If we combine or associate information from other sources with Personal Information that we collect through the Platform, we will treat the combined information as Personal Information in accordance with this Policy.

How we use the information we collect

We use information we collect on the Platform in a variety of ways in providing the Platform and operating our business, including the following:

  • We use the information that we collect on the Platform to operate, maintain, enhance and provide all features of the Platform, to provide services and information that you request, to respond to comments and questions and otherwise to provide support to users, and to process and deliver entries in connection with promotions that may be offered from time to time on the Platform. For example, we use information we collect to:
    • Allow you to communicate with Subscribers, Emergency Platform Providers, or Users via multiple communication means, including telephonically, via text/SMS/MMS, or via video.
    • Allow you to make information about you or your household searchable to participating Subscribers, Emergency Platform Providers, or Users for the purposes of emergency planning and/or response.
    • Allow Users to send emergency and general interest notifications ("Notification Platforms") to you via various communication methods (e.g., voice calls, text messaging, email, etc.).
    • Allow you to share your location and information with Subscribers, Emergency Platform Providers, or Users in accordance with any opt-in preference you set.
    • Allow you to send photo, text, and other messages to Subscribers, Users, and Emergency Platform Providers.
    • By registering with any of the Notification Platforms, you consent to be contacted through SMS, MMS, email, or voice call via an automated dialer using a pre-recorded message, by Punch Technologies or Users.
    • By creating an account, you consent to periodically receive text messages. The frequency of these messages will depend on how your use the Platform, and how frequently Subscribers, Emergency Platform Providers, or Users send messages through the Platform. Message and data rates may apply.
    • At any time, you may stop messages from being sent to your mobile phone by simply adjusting the settings on your Punch Technologies application or reply “STOP”. If you require software assistance, reply with “HELP”.
  • We use the information that we collect on the Platform to understand and analyze the usage trends and preferences of our users, to improve the Platform, and to develop new products, services, features, and functionality.
  • We may use your email address or other information we collect on the Platform (i) to contact you for administrative purposes such as customer service or (ii) to send communications, including updates on promotions and events, relating to products and services offered by us and by third parties we work with. Generally, you have the ability to opt-out of receiving certain promotional communications as described below under "Your Choices."
  • We may use cookies and automatically collected information we collect to: (i) personalize our Platform, such as remembering your information so that you will not have to re-enter it during your visit or the next time you visit the Platform; (ii) monitor aggregate site usage metrics such as total number of visitors and pages viewed.
  • You may at any time prohibit the Platform from collecting location information by turning this feature off on the mobile device, but the Platform may not be able to function normally. You expressly consent to our use of location-based services, and you expressly waive and release us from any and all liability, claims, causes of action or damages arising from your use of the Platform, or in any way relating to the use of the geo-location and other location-based services.

When we disclose information

We may disclose information to third parties if you consent to us doing so, as well as in the following circumstances:

  • Any information that you voluntarily choose to include in a publicly accessible area of the Platform, will be available to anyone who has access to that content, including other users.
  • We work with third party service providers to provide website, application development, hosting, maintenance, and other services for us. These third parties may have access to or process your information as part of providing those services for us. Generally, we limit the information provided to these service providers to that which is reasonably necessary for them to perform their functions, and we require them to agree to maintain the confidentiality of such information.
  • We may make certain information (including Personal Information) available to third parties for various purposes, including (i) compliance with various reporting obligations.
  • We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with state and federal laws, in response to a court order, judicial or other government subpoena or warrant, or to otherwise cooperate with law enforcement or other governmental agencies.
  • We also reserve the right to disclose your information that we believe, in good faith, is appropriate or necessary to (i) take precautions against liability, (ii) protect ourselves or others from fraudulent, abusive, or unlawful uses or activity, (iii) investigate and defend ourselves against any third-party claims or allegations, (iv) protect the security or integrity of the Platform and any facilities or equipment used to make the Platform available, or (v) protect our property or other legal rights (including, but not limited to, enforcement of our agreements), or the rights, property, or safety of others.
  • Information about our users, including Personal Information, may be disclosed and otherwise transferred to an acquirer, or successor or assignee as part of any merger, acquisition, debt financing, sale of assets, or similar transaction, as well as in the event of an insolvency, bankruptcy, or receivership in which information is transferred to one or more third parties as one of our business assets.

Your Choices

You may decline to share certain Personal Information with us, in which case we may not be able to provide to you some of the features and functionality of the Platform. You may update, correct, or delete your account information and preferences at any time by accessing your account preferences page on the Platform. If you wish to access or amend any other Personal Information we hold about you, you may contact us at support@punchalert.com. Please note that while any changes you make will be reflected in active user databases instantly or within a reasonable period of time, we may retain all information you submit for backups, archiving, prevention of fraud and abuse, analytics, satisfaction of legal obligations, or where we otherwise reasonably believe that we have a legitimate reason to do so.

If you receive commercial email from us, you may unsubscribe at any time by following the instructions contained within the email. You may also opt-out from receiving commercial email from us, and any other promotional communications that we may send to you from time to time, by sending your request to us by email at privacy@punchalert.com or by writing to us at the address given at the end of this policy. We may allow you to view and modify settings relating to the nature and frequency of promotional communications that you receive from us in user account functionality on the Platform.

Please be aware that if you opt-out of receiving commercial email from us or otherwise modify the nature or frequency of promotional communications you receive from us, it may take up to ten business days for us to process your request, and you may receive promotional communications from us that you have opted-out from during that period. Additionally, even after you opt-out from receiving commercial messages from us, you will continue to receive administrative messages from us regarding the Platform.

Third-Party Platforms

The Platform may contain features or links to Web sites and services provided by third parties. Any information you provide on third-party sites or services is provided directly to the operators of such services and is subject to those operators' policies, if any, governing privacy and security, even if accessed through the Platform. We are not responsible for the content or privacy and security practices and policies of third-party sites or services to which links or access are provided through the Platform. We encourage you to learn about third parties' privacy and security policies before providing them with information.

Children's Privacy

Protecting the privacy of young children is especially important. Our Site is a general audience site not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under the age of 13 without obtaining parental consent. If you are under 13 years of age, then please do not use or access the Platform at any time or in any manner. If we learn that Personal Information has been collected on the Platform from persons under 13 years of age and without verifiable parental consent, then we will take the appropriate steps to delete this information. If you are a parent or guardian and discover that your child under 13 years of age has obtained an account on the Platform, then you may alert us at support@punchalert.com and request that we delete that child's Personal Information from our systems.

Privacy Settings

Although we may allow you to adjust your privacy settings to limit access to certain Personal Information, please be aware that no security measures are perfect or impenetrable. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures on the Platform. Additionally, we cannot control the actions of other users with whom you may choose to share your information. Further, even after information posted on the Platform is removed, caching and archiving services may have saved that information, and other users or third parties may have copied or stored the information available on the Platform. We cannot and do not guarantee that information you post on or transmit to the Platform will not be viewed by unauthorized persons.

Data Security

We use certain physical, managerial, and technical safeguards that are designed to improve the integrity and security of Personal Data that we collect and maintain. We cannot, however, ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us or store on the Platform, and you do so at your own risk. We also cannot guarantee that such information may not be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed by breach of any of our physical, technical, or managerial safeguards.

If we learn of a security systems breach, then we may attempt to notify you electronically so that you can take appropriate protective steps. We may post a notice through the Platform if a security breach occurs.

International Guests

The Platform is hosted in the United States and is intended for visitors located within the United States. If you choose to use the Platform from the European Union or other regions of the world with laws governing data collection and use that may differ from U.S. law, then please note that you are transferring your Personal Information outside of those regions to the United States for storage and processing. Also, we may transfer your data from the U.S. to other countries or regions in connection with storage and processing of data, fulfilling your requests, and operating the Platform. By providing any information, including Personal Information, on or to the Platform, you consent to such transfer, storage, and processing.

Changes and Updates to this Policy

Please revisit this page periodically to stay aware of any changes to this Policy, which we may update from time to time. If we modify this Policy, we will make it available through the Platform, and indicate the date of the latest revision. In the event that the modifications materially alter your rights or obligations hereunder, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you of the change. For example, we may send a message to your email address, if we have one on file, or generate a pop-up or similar notification when you access the Platform for the first time or such material changes are made. Your continued use of the Platform or the revised Policy has become effective indicates that you have read, understood and agreed to the current version of this Policy.

Your California Privacy Rights

Under California Civil Code Section 1798.83, California customers are entitled to request information relating to whether a business has disclosed Personal Information to any third parties for the third parties' direct marketing purposes. As explained elsewhere in this Privacy Policy, Punch Technologies will not sell or transfer your Personal Information with third party companies for their direct marketing purposes without your consent. California customers who wish to request further information about our compliance with this statute or who have questions more generally about our Privacy Policy and our privacy commitments to our customers and Site users should not hesitate to contact us at the address below.

Our Contact Information

Please contact us with any questions or comments about this Policy, your Personal Information, our use and disclosure practices, or your consent choices by email at support@punchalert.com.

Punch Technologies, Inc.
806 Tyvola Rd., Ste. 102
Charlotte, NC 28217