Privacy Policy
Last Updated: January 4, 2026 | Reviewed Annually
California Residents: You have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA).
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information1. Introduction
Welcome to Secret Book Price ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our textbook price comparison service.
2. Scope and Applicable Laws
This Privacy Policy applies to all users of Secret Book Price, regardless of location. We comply with:
- California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA) - For California residents
- Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) - For Virginia residents
- Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) - For Colorado residents
- Other US State Privacy Laws - As applicable
If you are located in the European Union, please note that our service is primarily intended for US users. EU users should be aware that data may be processed in the United States.
3. Information We Collect
In the preceding 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information:
| Category | Examples | Source | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | Email address, device tokens, session IDs | You provide / Automatic | Account management, authentication |
| Commercial Information | ISBN lookups, scan history | Your use of service | Provide price comparison service |
| Internet Activity | Pages visited, features used, browser type, IP address | Automatic collection | Analytics, security, service improvement |
| Geolocation | Approximate location (from IP address) | Automatic collection | Fraud prevention, compliance |
3.1 Information You Provide
- Email Address: When you create an account or sign up for our service
- ISBN Data: Book ISBNs you scan or enter for price comparison
- Survey Responses: If you complete our Gold tier qualification survey
3.2 Automatically Collected Information
- Anonymous Session ID: A temporary identifier for your browsing session
- Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, and scan counts
- Device Information: Browser type, operating system, and device type
- IP Address: For security and fraud prevention
4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to operate our service and analyze usage. Here's what we use:
| Cookie Type | Purpose | Duration | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | Authentication, session management, security (cannot be disabled) | Session - 30 days | Secret Book Price |
| Functional | Remember preferences, scan history, tier status | Up to 1 year | Secret Book Price |
| Analytics | Understand usage patterns, improve service | Up to 2 years | Vercel Analytics |
4.1 Managing Cookies
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may prevent the service from functioning properly.
4.2 Global Privacy Control (GPC)
We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals sent by your browser. When we detect a GPC signal, we treat it as an opt-out request for the sale or sharing of your personal information. No additional action is required on your part.
5. How We Use Your Information
We use the collected information to:
- Provide and maintain our price comparison service
- Process your textbook price lookups
- Manage your account and user tier status
- Send you service-related communications
- Analyze usage patterns to improve our service
- Prevent fraud and ensure security
- Comply with legal obligations
6. Information Sharing and Third-Party Services
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with the following categories of service providers:
| Service Provider | Purpose | Data Shared | Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neon | Database hosting (PostgreSQL) | Account data, scan history | neon.tech/privacy |
| Upstash | Redis caching | Session data, cached prices | upstash.com/trust/privacy |
| Vercel | Hosting, analytics | Usage analytics, logs | vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy |
| Textbook Vendors | Price quotes | ISBN only (no personal data) | Varies by vendor |
We may also share information when required by law, subpoena, or court order.
7. Data Retention
We retain your data for the following periods:
- Anonymous Session Data: 30 days from last activity
- Account Information: Until account deletion, plus 30 days for backup retention
- Scan History: 90 days for registered users
- Price Cache: Up to 24 hours
- Analytics Data: Up to 2 years in aggregated form
8. Your Privacy Rights
8.1 Rights for All Users
- Access: Request a copy of your personal data
- Correction: Correct inaccurate data
- Deletion: Request deletion of your data
- Portability: Export your data in a portable format
8.2 Additional Rights for California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)
- Right to Know: What personal information we collect, use, and share
- Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information
- Right to Opt-Out: Opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights
- Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Information: We do not collect sensitive personal information
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
We do not sell your personal information. We also do not "share" your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as defined by the CCPA. Our analytics are used only for our own service improvement and are not shared with third parties for advertising purposes.
If you wish to opt-out of any future sharing or to verify your opt-out status, you can:
- Enable Global Privacy Control (GPC) in your browser
- Email us at privacy@secretbookprice.com
8.3 How to Exercise Your Rights
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at:
- Email: privacy@secretbookprice.com
Response Time: We will respond to verifiable requests within 45 days. If we need more time (up to 90 days total), we will notify you.
9. Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures including:
- HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
- Secure password hashing
- Rate limiting to prevent abuse
- Regular security audits
- Access controls and authentication
10. Children's Privacy
Our service is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.
11. Changes to This Policy
We review this Privacy Policy annually and update it when our practices change. For material changes, we will notify you by:
- Posting a notice on our website
- Sending an email to registered users (for significant changes)
- Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
12. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights:
- Privacy Inquiries: privacy@secretbookprice.com
- General Support: support@secretbookprice.com