1. Who We Are

The Cooling Company of SW FL (“we,” “us,” “our,” or “the Company”) is an HVAC service provider based in Sarasota, Florida. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring you have a positive experience on our website and when working with us.

We serve customers locally throughout Florida and respect your privacy in all our business dealings.

2. What Data We Collect

We collect only the information necessary to provide you with excellent service. Here’s what we may collect:

Information You Provide Directly

When you call us to request service or inquire about our offerings, you may share personal information such as:

• Your name
• Phone number
• Service address
• Description of your HVAC needs or concerns
• Payment information (collected securely during service transactions)

This information is collected during phone conversations with our team and may be stored in our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to manage your service requests and maintain service history.

Information Collected Automatically

Our website host, SiteGround, automatically collects standard server logs when you visit our website. This includes:

• Your Internet Protocol (IP) address
• Browser type and version
• Pages you visit on our website
• Date and time of your visit
• Referring website (if any)

These logs are collected for website security, performance monitoring, and technical administration purposes only.

Third-Party Reviews

Our website displays embedded Google Reviews. When you view these reviews, Google may process limited data as described in their privacy policy. We do not control this data collection.

3. How and Why We Use Your Data

We use the information you provide and automatically collected data for the following legitimate purposes:

• To respond to your service inquiries and schedule HVAC appointments
• To manage your customer account and service history in our CRM system
• To provide, maintain, and improve our website and services
• To ensure website security and prevent fraud or abuse
• To comply with legal obligations or resolve disputes
• To follow up after service completion (with your consent)

Legal Basis for Processing: We process your data based on:

• Performance of a Contract: When you request our services, we process your data to fulfill that agreement.
• Legitimate Interests: We may process your data to maintain website security, improve our services, and manage our business operations.
• Legal Obligation: We may process data when required by law or for dispute resolution.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses only strictly necessary cookies essential for basic website functionality and security. These may include:

• Server session cookies (to maintain your session during website browsing)
• Security cookies (to protect against fraud and unauthorized access)

We do not use:

• Analytics cookies (such as Google Analytics)
• Marketing or advertising cookies
• Tracking pixels or similar technologies for profiling

No consent is required for strictly necessary cookies, as they are essential to provide you with the website service.

5. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes. However, we may share your information with:

• SiteGround (Website Host): Processes server logs and hosts our website under their privacy commitments and Data Processing Agreement.
• CRM Provider (if applicable): We may store your service details in a CRM tool to manage appointments and service history. Any CRM provider is bound by data protection agreements to comply with GDPR standards.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose data when required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights.

All data processors we work with are contractually obligated to maintain the confidentiality and security of your data.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations:

• Service Data (names, addresses, phone numbers, service history): Retained for up to 3 years after your last service interaction, or as required by law for dispute resolution or warranty claims.
• Server Logs: Retained by SiteGround per their standard retention policy (typically 30–90 days).
• Payment Information: Processed securely and not stored by us longer than necessary for transaction completion and dispute resolution.

After the retention period, we securely delete or anonymize your data.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

If you are a resident of the European Union or another jurisdiction where GDPR applies, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Correction: You can request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Deletion: You can request that we delete your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to limit how we use your data under certain circumstances.
• Right to Object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
• Right to Data Portability: You can request your data in a portable, machine-readable format.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: If we rely on your consent to process data, you can withdraw it at any time (though this does not affect past processing).
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: You can file a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe we have violated your privacy rights.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 8 below. We will respond to your request within 30 days or as required by law.

8. International Data Transfers

Our business is based in Florida, USA. If you are located in the EU or EEA and provide personal data to us, your data may be transferred to the United States for processing. The United States has not received an adequacy decision under GDPR, but we ensure appropriate safeguards through standard contractual clauses and data processor agreements with our third-party providers (such as SiteGround).

9. Contact Us About Privacy

If you have questions about this privacy policy, wish to exercise your rights, or have privacy concerns, please contact us:

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. We will notify you of material changes by updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy and, if required, by email or prominent notice on our website. Your continued use of our website and services following changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.