1. Information We Collect
Personal Information
When you submit a lead form or contact us, we may collect the following personal information:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Zip code and state of residence
- Educational background and experience level
- Program preferences (format, certification type, budget)
Usage Data
We automatically collect certain information when you visit our website, including:
- IP address (anonymized for storage)
- Browser type and version (truncated to 500 characters)
- Pages visited and time spent on each page
- Referring website URL
- Device type and operating system
- Click events on affiliate links and school listings
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience and track affiliate referrals. This includes:
- Essential cookies — Required for site functionality and security
- Analytics cookies — Google Analytics to understand site usage patterns
- Affiliate cookies — Tracking cookies from our affiliate partners to attribute referrals
- Session cookies — To maintain your session while browsing
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- Program matching — Our matching algorithm uses your preferences to recommend relevant HVAC training programs based on certification fit, geographic proximity, budget, format preference, school quality, and experience alignment
- Lead fulfillment — Sharing your information with partner schools that match your preferences so they can contact you about their programs
- Affiliate tracking — Recording click events to properly attribute referrals to our affiliate partners
- Site improvement — Analyzing usage data to improve our content, matching algorithm, and user experience
- Communication — Responding to your inquiries and providing requested information
- Legal compliance — Meeting our legal obligations and enforcing our terms of service
3. Information Sharing
We share your information with the following categories of third parties:
- Partner schools — HVAC training schools and programs that match your preferences receive your lead information so they can contact you about enrollment opportunities
- Affiliate networks — We work with affiliate networks including CJ Affiliate, Impact, FlexOffers, QuinStreet, EduDynamic, and Amazon Associates. These networks may receive click and conversion data
- Analytics providers — Google Analytics receives anonymized usage data to help us understand how visitors use our site
- Service providers — Hosting, database, and infrastructure providers that help us operate the website
We do not sell your personal information to data brokers or unrelated third parties. Information is only shared with parties directly involved in connecting you with HVAC training programs or operating our website.
4. Data Security
We implement multiple security measures to protect your personal information:
- Rate limiting on all API endpoints to prevent abuse
- Origin validation and CORS protection
- Input sanitization for all user-submitted data
- Affiliate domain whitelisting to prevent open-redirect attacks
- HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
- Security headers including HSTS, X-Frame-Options, and Content-Type-Options
- IP address anonymization and User-Agent truncation before storage
While we take reasonable measures to protect your data, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
5. Your Rights
You have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access — You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Correction — You may request that we correct inaccurate information
- Deletion — You may request that we delete your personal information
- Opt-out — You may opt out of receiving communications from us or our partner schools
- Cookie control — You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@hvacschoolguide.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.
6. Children's Privacy
HVACSchoolGuide.com is not intended for children under the age of 13. 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 take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at privacy@hvacschoolguide.com.
7. California Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA.
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
9. Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us: