Privacy Policy

Who we are

Worldview Industries LLC operates opencarguide.com and is responsible for the personal information described here. Contact: contact@opencarguide.com (subject 'Privacy request').

What we collect

We do not require an account and we do not ask for personal information to use this site. We collect three kinds of data: pseudonymous usage measurement through analytics, short-lived server logs, and whatever you choose to send us by email. We keep emails only as long as we need them to respond and to keep a record of the corrections and privacy requests we've handled.

Our web server keeps standard access logs (IP address, date and time, the page path requested without query strings, the referring page without its query string, and browser type) for up to 30 days to keep the site secure and working, then deletes them.

VINs and tool searches

When you use a tool, your browser sends your query, such as a VIN or a year, make and model, directly to NHTSA's public databases (vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov and api.nhtsa.gov). NHTSA's privacy policy applies to those requests.

We don't store the VINs or results. With JavaScript on, our tools and search keep VINs out of the page address, and our analytics receive page paths only. Our access logs never record query strings or full referring addresses, so even a search sent without JavaScript isn't logged with its terms. Rare server error entries can include the full address; they're deleted on the same schedule.

The VIN decoder can remember your last five VINs in your own browser (local storage) so you can re-run them; they never leave your device, and you can clear them with the 'Clear' link.

Google Analytics 4

This site uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4), a service provided by Google LLC, to understand how many people visit, which pages they read, and where they arrive from. GA4 collects information such as your approximate location, device and browser type, referring site, and the pages you view.

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand which pages and tools are used. GA4 doesn't log or store IP addresses. We have turned off Google signals and ads personalization and turned off optional data-sharing settings. Google Analytics keeps event-level and user-level data for 14 months; aggregated, non-identifying reports are kept longer.

We don't send VINs or tool inputs to analytics. For searches that aren't a VIN or a vehicle, we send the search words (with anything that looks like a VIN removed) so we can see what people look for.

Google explains how it uses this data at https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

Cookies and consent

Cookies are small files placed in your browser. We and our partners use them for analytics measurement, for affiliate attribution, and in future for advertising.

Visitors we identify as being in the EEA, the UK or Switzerland (we infer this from your device's time-zone setting) are asked for consent before Google Analytics loads; until you accept, nothing is sent to Google Analytics. Elsewhere, analytics runs by default.

You can change your choice at any time with the 'Cookie settings' link in the footer; we store your choice in your browser. If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we don't load Google Analytics at all.

Our site doesn't respond to browser 'Do Not Track' signals, because there's no common standard for them; we do honor Global Privacy Control as described above. Affiliate partners, and in future advertisers, may collect information about your activity over time and across websites; we'll name them here.

We don't use a third-party consent platform today; if we add advertising, we'll use one that meets Google's requirements and update this policy first.

Affiliate cookies

When you click an affiliate or referral link, the partner may set cookies to credit the referral. Their privacy policies apply. See our affiliate disclosure for the commercial side of this.

Advertising

We don't show ads today. If we add an advertising partner, we'll name it here and update this policy before ads appear, including how personalized and non-personalized ads work, the partner's own privacy and cookie disclosures, and how to opt out. We'll ask for consent where the law requires.

Third-party services

Running this site involves a small number of third parties: our hosting provider (Amazon Web Services, in the United States), Google Analytics, NHTSA's public APIs (which your browser contacts directly when you use a tool), and Google Workspace, which hosts our email (contact@opencarguide.com). We don't use a content delivery network, and our fonts are served from our own server, not from Google Fonts.

Legal bases and transfers

Where the GDPR or UK GDPR applies, we rely on your consent for analytics (you can withdraw it at any time with 'Cookie settings'), and on our legitimate interests in running a secure, working site (server logs) and in answering your emails. We're based in the United States, and our hosting, email and analytics providers may process data in the United States; Google participates in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

Your choices and rights

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, and you can opt out of Google Analytics using Google's browser add-on.

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete or receive a copy of your personal information, and to object to or restrict how we use it (for example under the GDPR, the UK GDPR, and California and other US state privacy laws).

To make a request, email contact@opencarguide.com with the subject 'Privacy request'. We may ask for information to confirm the request is yours, and we'll respond within the time the law requires (generally one month under the GDPR and 45 days under California law). Most of what we hold is pseudonymous analytics data and short-lived server logs, and we'll tell you what we find.

We don't sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. If you're in the EEA or UK, you can also complain to your data protection authority.

Children

This site is not directed to children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their information.

Changes to this policy

We'll post changes here with a new 'Last updated' date.

Contact

Privacy questions and data requests go to contact@opencarguide.com.