Privacy Policy - Southern Built Auto Works

Southern Built Auto Works

Effective Date: June 26, 2025

What Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways when you interact with our website, contact forms, or communications programs:

Information You Provide Directly

Name, email address, phone number, and vehicle information submitted through our contact or service request forms
Comments or messages submitted through the website
Mobile phone number and opt-in consent when you sign up for SMS communications
Payment information processed through our secure payment systems (we do not store full card numbers)

Information Collected Automatically

IP address and browser user agent string (collected when you visit the site or leave a comment, used for spam detection)
Pages visited, time spent on pages, referring URLs, and general browsing behavior collected via cookies and analytics tools
Device type, operating system, and browser version
Approximate geographic location derived from IP address

Information from Third Parties

Profile images from Gravatar if you use a Gravatar-associated email address when leaving a comment
Data from embedded third-party content (videos, maps, social media widgets) when you interact with it

How We Use Your Data

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Service Delivery

To schedule, confirm, and manage vehicle service appointments
To provide estimates, status updates, invoices, and service records
To respond to inquiries submitted through our contact form or by phone

Communications

To send transactional SMS messages related to your active service (appointment reminders, vehicle-ready alerts, estimate approvals)
To send promotional SMS messages to customers who have opted in (service specials, seasonal offers, shop news)
To send email communications when applicable and consented to

Website Improvement & Analytics

To understand how visitors use our website and identify areas for improvement
To monitor website performance, uptime, and security
To detect and prevent spam, fraud, and unauthorized access

Legal and Compliance

To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and carrier requirements (including A2P 10DLC SMS rules)
To maintain records of opt-in consent for SMS communications as required by CTIA guidelines
To respond to legal requests, enforce our Terms of Service, or protect our rights

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your browser when you visit a website. They allow the website to recognize your device and remember certain information about your visit. We also use similar tracking technologies such as web beacons and pixel tags.

Cookies We Use

Comment Cookies: If you leave a comment on our site you may opt in to saving your name, email address, and website in cookies for your convenience. These cookies last for one year.

Session Cookies: When you visit our login page, a temporary session cookie is set to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

Authentication Cookies: When you log in, cookies are set to save your login state and display preferences. Login cookies last two days; screen option cookies last one year. Selecting “Remember Me” extends login persistence to two weeks. These cookies are removed when you log out.

Editorial Cookies: If you publish or edit an article, a cookie containing the post ID is stored for one day. It contains no personal data.

Analytics Cookies: We may use first- or third-party analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) that set cookies to help us understand traffic patterns, popular pages, and visitor behavior. These cookies collect data in aggregate and anonymized form.

Third-Party Cookies

Articles and pages on this site may include embedded content from third-party services such as YouTube, Google Maps, or social media platforms. These third parties may set their own cookies when you interact with their embedded content. Their cookie practices are governed by their own privacy policies, not ours.

Managing Cookies

You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse all cookies, accept only certain cookies, or delete existing cookies. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of our website.

Data Security

How We Protect Your Information

Southern Built Auto Works takes the security of your personal information seriously. We implement a combination of technical, administrative, and physical safeguards designed to protect your data from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction, including:

SSL/TLS encryption on all pages where personal data is submitted or transmitted
Access controls limiting who within our organization can access personal data
Secure, reputable third-party platforms for payment processing, SMS delivery, and form submissions
Regular software and plugin updates to address known security vulnerabilities
Spam and intrusion detection systems to protect our website and forms

Payment Security

We do not store full credit or debit card numbers on our servers. All payment transactions are processed through PCI-DSS compliant third-party payment processors. You should review the privacy and security policies of any payment processor used at the time of your transaction.

SMS Data Security

Phone numbers collected through our SMS opt-in program are stored securely and accessed only by authorized personnel and our SMS platform provider. Opt-in records including timestamps and source URLs are retained for a minimum of four (4) years in compliance with carrier and CTIA requirements.

Data Breach Response

In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify affected individuals in accordance with applicable law, including any state breach notification requirements. Notification will be provided via email or through a prominent notice on our website, depending on the nature of the breach.

Limitations

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security. You provide personal information at your own risk, and we encourage you to take steps to protect yourself online, such as using a strong, unique password and keeping your devices secure.

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Media

If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Embedded Content from Other Websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your data only in the following limited circumstances:

With our SMS platform provider, solely for the purpose of delivering text messages on our behalf
With analytics providers to help us understand website usage (data shared in aggregate or anonymized form where possible)
With payment processors to complete transactions you initiate
If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email
If required by law, court order, or governmental authority

No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. SMS opt-in data and consent records are never sold or transferred to third parties.

How Long We Retain Your Data

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely so we can recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users that register on our website (if any), we store the personal information provided in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

SMS opt-in consent records, including the source URL, timestamp, and consent language, are retained for a minimum of four (4) years in compliance with CTIA and carrier guidelines.

SMS and Text Message Communications

Overview

Southern Built Auto Works operates an SMS messaging program to communicate with customers who have opted in to receive text messages. This section describes how we collect, use, and protect your phone number and related information in connection with our SMS program, and outlines your rights under applicable regulations including the TCPA, CAN-SPAM Act, and A2P 10DLC standards enforced by major U.S. carriers.

How to Opt In

You may opt in to receive SMS messages from Southern Built Auto Works by submitting your mobile phone number through our contact form at: https://southernbuiltautoworks.com/contact-us/

By providing your mobile phone number and checking the consent checkbox on that form, you expressly consent to receive text messages from Southern Built Auto Works at the number provided. Consent is not a condition of purchase or the receipt of any services.

Types of Messages

Transactional SMS — appointment confirmations, vehicle status updates, estimate approvals, payment receipts, and responses to inquiries.

Promotional SMS — seasonal promotions, service specials, discounts, new service announcements, and shop news.

Message Frequency & Rates

Message frequency varies based on service activity and promotion schedule. Message and data rates may apply per your carrier plan. Southern Built Auto Works does not charge separately for SMS messages.

How to Opt Out

Reply STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, or QUIT to any message to opt out at any time. Reply HELP for assistance. You will receive one final confirmation message upon opting out and no further messages will be sent unless you re-enroll.

A2P 10DLC Compliance

Our SMS program is registered under the A2P 10DLC framework with the Campaign Registry (TCR). We maintain explicit consent records, include our business name in every message, honor opt-out requests promptly, and do not share opted-in phone numbers with third parties for marketing. Full compliance commitments are detailed in our Terms of Service.

SMS Data We Collect

Your mobile phone number
Date, time, and source URL of your opt-in
Consent language presented at the time of opt-in
Message delivery status and response data
Opt-out date and method, if applicable

No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All other categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

What Rights You Have Over Your Data

If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Regarding SMS data, you have the right to opt out at any time by replying STOP, request a copy of your consent record, or request deletion of your phone number from our SMS records subject to legal retention obligations.

Where Your Data Is Sent

Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service. SMS messages are transmitted through registered A2P 10DLC carriers. Analytics data may be processed by third-party analytics services operating on our behalf.