Information We Collect
When you visit Scan Tool Reviews, we may collect certain information about you automatically. This includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages you visit on our site, and the time and date of your visit. This data is collected passively through standard web server logs and analytics tools.
If you voluntarily contact us through a contact form or by email, we may also collect your name and email address so we can respond to your inquiry. We do not require you to create an account or provide personal information simply to read our reviews and articles about OBD2 scanners and car diagnostic tools.
We collect only the minimum information necessary to run this website and improve your experience. We do not sell or rent your personal information to any third party under any circumstances.
How We Use Your Information
We use the automatically collected data to understand how visitors interact with Scan Tool Reviews. This helps us figure out which OBD2 scanner reviews are most useful, how people navigate the site, and where we can make improvements to content and structure.
If you contacted us directly, we use your name and email solely to respond to your message. We will not add you to any mailing list or use your contact details for marketing purposes without your explicit consent.
We may use aggregated, anonymized data for internal reporting and content planning. This type of data cannot be used to identify you personally and is only used to help us write better reviews and guides for our readers.
Cookies and Tracking
Scan Tool Reviews uses cookies, which are small text files placed on your device when you visit our site. Some cookies are essential for the site to function correctly, while others help us understand traffic patterns and improve the user experience.
We use Google Analytics to track visitor behavior in aggregate. Google Analytics places its own cookies on your device to collect data such as session duration, pages visited, and general geographic location. This data is anonymized and used only to help us understand our audience better. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on available at tools.google.com.
We may also use cookies placed by advertising partners and affiliate networks, including Amazon. These cookies help us track referrals and earn commissions when readers click our links and make purchases. You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings, though disabling certain cookies may affect how parts of the site function.
Third-Party Services
Our site integrates with several third-party services to deliver content and analyze traffic. These include Google Analytics for visitor statistics and Amazon for affiliate linking. Each of these third parties operates under its own privacy policy and data practices, which we encourage you to review independently.
We may embed content or links from other platforms such as YouTube for product demonstration videos. When you interact with embedded content, the platform that hosts that content may collect data about you according to their own policies.
We do not control the data practices of third-party services and are not responsible for how they collect, use, or store your information. We choose our third-party partners carefully and only work with services that maintain reasonable privacy standards.
Amazon Associates Disclosure
Scan Tool Reviews is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. When you click on a product link on our site and make a purchase on Amazon, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Amazon places tracking cookies on your device when you click our affiliate links. These cookies allow Amazon to attribute any resulting purchases to our site for commission purposes. Amazon collects and processes your data according to its own privacy policy, which you can find at amazon.com. We recommend reviewing that policy to understand how Amazon handles your information.
Our participation in the Amazon Associates Program does not influence our editorial opinions. We only recommend OBD2 tools and car diagnostic products that we genuinely believe provide value to our readers.
Data Retention
We retain server log data, which may include IP addresses and browser information, for a limited period typically not exceeding 12 months, after which it is deleted or anonymized. This data is used only for security and diagnostic purposes.
If you have contacted us by email or through a contact form, we may retain your message and contact details for as long as is reasonably necessary to respond to your inquiry and for a reasonable period afterward in case of follow-up questions.
Analytics data collected through Google Analytics is retained according to the retention settings we have configured in our account, generally set to 14 months. You can request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us directly.
Your Rights
If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation, commonly known as GDPR. These rights include the right to access the personal data we hold about you, the right to correct inaccurate data, the right to request deletion of your data, the right to restrict or object to processing, and the right to data portability. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in the Contact Us section below.
If you are a resident of California, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, known as CCPA. These rights include the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, the right to request deletion of your personal information, and the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information. We do not sell your personal information. To exercise your rights under CCPA, please contact us directly.
We will respond to any privacy-related requests within 30 days. In some cases we may need to verify your identity before processing a request. There is no charge for making a reasonable request.
Children’s Privacy
Scan Tool Reviews is intended for a general adult audience interested in automotive diagnostics, OBD2 scanners, and car maintenance tools. Our site is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect any personal information from children.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us immediately. We will take prompt steps to delete that information from our records.
If you are under 13 years of age, please do not submit any personal information to this site, including through contact forms or email.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or how Scan Tool Reviews handles your personal data, you are welcome to reach out to us. We are committed to addressing privacy concerns promptly and transparently.
You can contact us by email at the address listed on our Contact page. Please include Privacy Request in the subject line so we can route your message to the appropriate person and respond as quickly as possible.
This Privacy Policy was last updated in 2024 and may be revised from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of Scan Tool Reviews after any changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms.
