Privacy & Cookie Policy

Last Updated: November 19, 2025

This document explains how SellCarAdvisor.com (“We”) handles your information, combining both our Privacy Policy and our Cookie Policy. By using our Service, you agree to these practices.

1. Information We Collect

Data Collected

  • When You Request Vehicle Offers (Quote Data):
    • Contact: Name, email, phone, location (city/zip)
    • Vehicle: Year, make, model, VIN, mileage, condition, photos
  • When You Opt-in for Email Updates (Marketing):
    • Email address (collected during quote request or via a dedicated sign-up form)
  • When You Submit Stories (User Generated Content):
    • Written stories about your car selling experience
    • Photos related to your sale
    • Email address (for reward delivery)
  • Automatic Collection (Usage and Analytics):
    • Usage Data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, time on site
    • Cookies: See Section 5 (Cookie Policy) for details
    • Analytics: Microsoft Clarity, Google Analytics, and Bing Analytics collect session recordings, heatmaps, and usage patterns

2. How We Use Your Information

Quote Requests

When you submit your vehicle information, we immediately transmit it to our network of car buying partners via secure API (typically 3-10 partners).

  • What This Means:
    • Information is sent in real-time to partners.
    • We cannot retrieve, modify, or delete it after transmission.
    • Partners contact you directly with offers.
    • Once transmitted, partners control your data under their own privacy policies.
  • Partner Types: Licensed car dealerships, online car buying services, vehicle buying platforms, and automotive marketplaces.
  • Third-Party Partner Privacy: We encourage you to review their policies (e.g., Peddle, Wheelzy, Carvana, CarBrain, CashForCars). Contact the partner directly for questions about their data handling.

Other Uses

  • Email Communications (Marketing): Your email is used to send car selling advice, promotional offers, and news/updates, based on your affirmative consent (opt-in).
  • Story Submissions: Content may be published on our website and social media, used in marketing materials, or edited for clarity. Email addresses are used only to send rewards.
  • Analytics and Website Improvement: We use third-party analytics to understand visitor behavior, improve usability, and optimize the user experience.
  • Affiliate Tracking: We track actions on partner websites to earn commissions that maintain our free service.
  • Legal Compliance: We may disclose information when required by law or to protect our rights.

3. Data Storage and Security

Data Storage

  • Quote Requests: Your quote information is transmitted directly to our partners. Technical logs associated with the request are retained for up to 90 days to identify and fix technical errors, after which they are deleted. We may also store anonymized data, such as vehicle details and offer amounts, for analytics and service improvement purposes.
  • Email Addresses (Marketing): Stored until you withdraw consent by unsubscribing.
  • Story Submissions: Stored until the submission campaign is terminated.
  • Analytics Data: Retained for up to 2 years, subject to the retention policies of third-party providers.

Data Security and Children

  • Data Security: We use commercially reasonable security for the data we store. However, no electronic transmission is 100% secure.
  • Children: Our Service is not for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect children’s information.

4. Your Choices and Rights

Your Choices (Opt-Outs)

  • Opt Out of Partner Communications: You must contact the partners directly to opt out (e.g., reply STOP to texts, request Do Not Call list placement).
  • Opt Out of Marketing Emails: Use the clear unsubscribe link at the bottom of every commercial email we send.
  • Cookies: Control via browser settings. See Section 5 for details.
  • Do Not Submit: To avoid sharing information with partners, do not submit quote request forms.
  • Story Removal: Contact us to remove published stories from our website.

US Resident Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

Under state laws (CA, VA, CO, CT, UT, etc.), you may have the Right to Know, Delete, Correct, and Opt-Out of the “sale” or “sharing” of your personal information.

  • Important Limitation: We cannot retrieve or delete quote request data from our partners’ systems once it has been transmitted to them. To manage data held by partners, you must contact them directly.
  • Exercising Your Rights: Email us and include your Name, the email/phone you used, a description of your request, and any necessary identity verification.

“Do Not Sell My Personal Information”

To opt out of the potential “sale” or “sharing” of information (which includes transmitting quote data to partners and affiliate tracking):

  • Do not submit quote request forms.
  • Disable non-essential cookies (see Section 5).
  • Email us with the subject “Do Not Sell My Data”.
  • We recognize the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal as a valid opt-out request.

Third-Party Services

Our website links to third-party sites we don’t control (including car buying partners). Review their privacy policies before providing any information to them.

5. Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by websites you visit. They help websites remember your preferences and understand how you use the site.

Cookies We Use

  • Essential Cookies (Required): Necessary for basic function (e.g., page navigation). Cannot be disabled.
  • Functionality Cookies: Remember preferences (e.g., language) for a personalized experience.
  • Analytics Cookies: Collect usage data to improve usability. This includes Microsoft Clarity, Google Analytics, and Bing Analytics.
  • Affiliate Tracking Cookies: Track visits to partner sites to earn commissions. Do not collect direct identifiers.

How to Manage Cookies

  • Browser Settings: You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge links provided in original policy). Note: Disabling cookies may affect website functionality.
  • Opt Out of Microsoft Clarity: Enable “Do Not Track” in your browser, clear cookies, or visit https://clarity.microsoft.com/.
  • Do Not Track: Our website responds to Do Not Track browser signals by limiting analytics cookies.

Third-Party Cookies

Review the privacy policies of third parties whose cookies may be placed on your device:

  • Microsoft Clarity / Bing: https://privacy.microsoft.com/privacystatement
  • Google Analytics: https://policies.google.com/privacy

6. Updates

We may update this Privacy and Cookie Policy periodically. Changes will be posted with a new “Last Updated” date.

7. Contact

If you have any questions about these Policies, you can visit our contact us page.

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