Privacy Policy

Introduction

Worthy Farewell ("we," "us," "our") operates worthyfarewell.com (the "Website"), which provides educational information, guides, and resources about death, funerals, cremation, grief, and related topics. We may also provide referrals to third-party service providers such as funeral homes, cremation services, grief counselors, and related professionals.

IMPORTANT: We are an informational and referral website. We do NOT provide funeral services, legal advice, financial advice, or mental health counseling directly. When you click our referral links and contact or engage with third-party providers, those companies will collect and process your personal information according to their own privacy policies.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information collected through our Website only. It does not cover information collected by third-party services you access through our links.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

We may collect information when you:

  • Subscribe to newsletters: Email address, name (optional), communication preferences
  • Submit comments or feedback: Name, email, content of your submission
  • Contact us: Name, email, message content, phone number (if provided)
  • Create an account (if applicable): Username, email, password, profile preferences
  • Participate in surveys: Any information you choose to provide
  • Download resources: Email address (if required for access)

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Website, we automatically collect:

  • Usage Data: Pages viewed, articles read, links clicked, search queries, time spent on pages, referring URLs, navigation patterns
  • Device Information: Browser type and version, operating system, device type (mobile/desktop/tablet), screen resolution, language settings
  • Location Information: General geographic location based on IP address (city/state/country level, not precise location)
  • IP Address: Your device's internet protocol address
  • Cookies and Similar Technologies: Information stored in cookies, local storage, and similar tracking technologies
  • Referral Source: How you found our Website (search engines, direct visit, other websites)

Affiliate and Referral Data

When you click on affiliate or referral links, we may collect:

  • Which links you clicked and when
  • Whether you contacted or engaged with the third-party service
  • Anonymous conversion data (we typically do NOT receive your personal information from third-party services)
  • Referral tracking codes and identifiers
  • General information about completed actions (e.g., form submission, phone call)

How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

  • Operate, maintain, and improve our Website
  • Provide, personalize, and enhance your experience
  • Send newsletters, updates, and educational content (with your consent)
  • Respond to your inquiries, questions, and requests for support
  • Analyze Website usage, user behavior, and content effectiveness
  • Track affiliate referrals and calculate commissions from third-party services
  • Understand which topics and resources are most helpful to visitors
  • Recommend relevant articles, guides, or services based on your interests
  • Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, or security issues
  • Comply with legal obligations and respond to legal requests
  • Conduct marketing and promotional activities (with appropriate consent)
  • Develop new content and features based on user needs

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

What We Use

We use the following types of cookies and similar technologies:

  • Essential Cookies: Required for Website functionality, navigation, and security
  • Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our Website, which content is most valuable, and how we can improve (e.g., Google Analytics)
  • Advertising/Affiliate Cookies: Track your interactions with referral links and advertisements to attribute conversions
  • Preference Cookies: Remember your settings, preferences, and choices
  • Functional Cookies: Enable enhanced functionality and personalization

Third-Party Tracking

Third parties may also set cookies and use tracking technologies when you visit our Website:

  • Affiliate Networks: Track referrals, conversions, and commission attribution
  • Analytics Providers: Google Analytics and similar services to measure Website performance
  • Advertising Networks: Display advertising platforms and retargeting services
  • Social Media Platforms: If we have social sharing buttons or embedded content
  • Content Delivery Networks: Services that help deliver Website content efficiently

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through:

  • Your browser settings (most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies)
  • Opt-out tools provided by advertising networks (e.g., NAI, DAA)
  • Privacy settings or cookie consent tools on our Website (if available)
  • Browser extensions or privacy tools that block tracking

Note: Disabling certain cookies may limit Website functionality, personalization, or your ability to access certain features.

How We Share Your Information

We do NOT sell your personal information for money. We may share information in the following circumstances:

Affiliate Partners and Service Referrals

  • When you click referral links, we share referral tracking codes with affiliate networks (typically not your personal information)
  • Some affiliate networks may receive anonymized or aggregated conversion data
  • Third-party services you contact collect their own information directly from you when you engage with them
  • We may receive confirmation that you contacted or engaged a service (for commission purposes), but typically not your full personal details

Service Providers

We share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Website:

  • Hosting Providers: Store and serve Website data and content
  • Email Services: Send newsletters and communications (e.g., Mailchimp, ConvertKit)
  • Analytics Providers: Help us understand Website usage (e.g., Google Analytics)
  • Affiliate Networks: Track and manage referral commissions
  • Payment Processors: Process payments if we charge fees for premium content or services
  • Content Delivery Networks: Improve Website speed and performance
  • Security Services: Protect against spam, fraud, and security threats

These service providers are contractually obligated to use your information only to provide services to us and must protect your information appropriately.

Legal Requirements and Protection

We may disclose information when required by law or when necessary to:

  • Comply with legal processes (subpoenas, court orders, warrants)
  • Respond to law enforcement or government requests
  • Protect our rights, property, safety, or the safety of others
  • Prevent, investigate, or address fraud, security issues, or technical problems
  • Enforce our Terms and Conditions or other agreements
  • Defend against legal claims or disputes

Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, reorganization, sale of assets, or similar business transaction, your information may be transferred to the acquiring or successor entity as part of that transaction. You will be notified of any such change via email or prominent notice on our Website.

Aggregated or Anonymized Information

We may share aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you. This may include statistics about Website usage, popular topics, or demographic trends.

With Your Consent

We may share information for other purposes with your explicit consent or at your direction.

Third-Party Services and Links

Our Responsibility

We provide links to third-party funeral homes, cremation services, grief counselors, legal services, and other websites. Once you leave our Website or click a referral link:

  • You are subject to the third party's privacy policy and terms of service
  • We have no control over how they collect, use, store, or share your information
  • We are not responsible for their data practices or security measures
  • We typically do not receive your personal information that you provide to third parties
  • Any information you provide to third parties is governed by their policies, not ours

What Third Parties May Collect

When you click our referral links and contact or engage with third-party services, they may collect:

  • Personal information (name, email, phone number, address)
  • Payment information (credit card details, billing address) if you purchase services
  • Information about your needs, preferences, or situation
  • Device and usage information from their own websites or services
  • Any other information required to provide their services

IMPORTANT: We strongly recommend reviewing the privacy policy of any third-party service before providing personal information, especially for sensitive matters related to death, funerals, or grief.

Affiliate Network Tracking

Affiliate networks and tracking services may:

  • Place cookies and tracking pixels on your device
  • Track your journey from our Website to third-party websites
  • Record conversions, contacts, and sign-ups for commission attribution
  • Share anonymized or aggregated data with us for reporting purposes
  • Use your information according to their own privacy policies

Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as:

  • Your account remains active (if applicable)
  • Necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes described in this policy
  • Required to comply with legal obligations (tax, accounting, legal requirements)
  • Needed for legitimate business purposes (analytics, improving services, dispute resolution)
  • Necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims

Specific retention periods:

  • Newsletter subscriptions: Until you unsubscribe
  • Website analytics: Typically 26 months (Google Analytics default) or as configured
  • Contact inquiries: Typically 2-3 years after resolution
  • Account information: Until account deletion plus any legally required retention period
  • Financial records: As required by law (typically 7 years)

After the retention period expires, we will delete, anonymize, or aggregate your information. You may request earlier deletion of your information (subject to legal retention requirements) by contacting us.

Your Privacy Rights

For All Users

Regardless of where you live, you have the following rights:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your information (subject to legal exceptions)
  • Opt-Out of Marketing: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time (link provided in every email)
  • Data Portability: Receive your information in a portable, machine-readable format (where technically feasible)
  • Object to Processing: Object to certain uses of your information
  • Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time

For U.S. Users

Depending on your state, you may have additional rights under state privacy laws, including:

  • California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) / California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA)
  • Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA)
  • Colorado Privacy Act (CPA)
  • Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA)
  • Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA)
  • Other state privacy laws that may be enacted

These state laws may provide rights to:

  • Know what personal information is collected, used, and disclosed
  • Opt out of "sales" or "sharing" of personal information (affiliate marketing may qualify as "sharing" under some state laws)
  • Opt out of targeted advertising
  • Limit use and disclosure of sensitive personal information
  • Correct inaccurate personal information
  • Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
  • Appeal denied privacy rights requests

For Canadian Users

Under Canadian privacy laws (PIPEDA and provincial legislation such as Quebec's Law 25), you have rights to:

  • Access your personal information and know how it's being used
  • Challenge the accuracy and completeness of your information
  • Withdraw consent for uses of your information (where we rely on consent)
  • Request deletion of your information (subject to legal obligations)
  • File complaints with federal or provincial privacy commissioners
  • Receive information about privacy breaches that may cause serious harm

For International Users

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions with comprehensive privacy laws, you may have additional rights under GDPR or similar regulations.

Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any privacy rights:

  • Contact us via our contact form
  • Include your name, email address, and specific request
  • Provide sufficient information to verify your identity
  • Specify which right(s) you wish to exercise

We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law (typically 30-45 days). We may request additional information to verify your identity before fulfilling your request.

You will not be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights. We will not deny services, charge different prices, or provide a different level of quality based solely on your exercise of privacy rights.

Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your information:

  • Encryption of data in transit using SSL/TLS (HTTPS)
  • Encryption of sensitive data at rest
  • Secure hosting with reputable providers
  • Access controls and authentication requirements for our systems
  • Regular security assessments and vulnerability testing
  • Employee and contractor training on data protection and security
  • Monitoring for suspicious activity and security incidents
  • Regular backups and disaster recovery procedures

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any passwords or account credentials.

If we become aware of a data breach that may affect your information, we will notify you as required by applicable law.

Children's Privacy

Our Website is not directed to individuals under 18 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from minors under 18 (or under 13 in the United States under COPPA).

While our content discusses topics that may be relevant to families including children (such as helping children understand death and grief), we do not target or market to minors, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information.

If we discover we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, we will delete it immediately. If you are a parent or guardian and believe we have collected information from your child, please contact us immediately.

International Data Transfers

Our Website is operated in the United States. If you access our Website from outside the United States:

  • Your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States
  • U.S. data protection laws may differ from those in your home country
  • By using our Website, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States
  • We take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate protections are in place for international transfers

If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, we rely on appropriate legal mechanisms for international data transfers, such as Standard Contractual Clauses or other approved transfer mechanisms.

California-Specific Disclosures

CCPA/CPRA Rights Summary

California residents have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act:

Right to Know: You can request details about the personal information we've collected, used, disclosed, or shared in the past 12 months, including:

  • Categories and specific pieces of personal information collected
  • Categories of sources from which information was collected
  • Business or commercial purposes for collection
  • Categories of third parties with whom we share information

Right to Delete: You can request deletion of personal information we've collected (subject to certain exceptions for legal, security, or operational requirements).

Right to Correct: You can request correction of inaccurate personal information.

Right to Opt-Out: You can opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. While we don't directly sell information for money, affiliate marketing activities may qualify as "sharing" for cross-context behavioral advertising under California law.

Right to Limit: You can limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information (we do not collect sensitive personal information as defined by California law).

Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

California residents can opt out of the "sharing" of personal information for targeted advertising:

  • Click the "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link on our Website (if available)
  • Contact us via our contact form with "Do Not Sell or Share" in the subject line
  • Enable the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal in your browser (we will honor GPC signals)

Categories of Information Collected (Past 12 Months)

We have collected the following categories of personal information:

  • Identifiers: Email address, IP address, device identifiers, online identifiers
  • Internet or Network Activity: Browsing history, search history, interactions with our Website, articles read, links clicked
  • Geolocation Data: General location derived from IP address (city/state level)
  • Inferences: Preferences, interests, and characteristics derived from your activity on our Website

We do NOT collect:

  • Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, or government-issued ID numbers
  • Financial account information or payment card information (unless you make a purchase, in which case it's processed by a payment processor)
  • Precise geolocation data
  • Racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, or union membership
  • Health information, genetic data, or biometric information
  • Sexual orientation or sex life information

Sources of Information

We collect information from:

  • Directly from you (when you provide it)
  • Automatically from your device and browser
  • From affiliate networks (conversion/referral data)
  • From analytics providers

Business Purposes for Collection

We collect and use personal information for:

  • Operating and improving our Website
  • Providing content and services
  • Communicating with you
  • Marketing and advertising (with consent)
  • Analytics and research
  • Security and fraud prevention
  • Legal compliance

Information Sharing

We share personal information with:

  • Service Providers: For business purposes (hosting, email, analytics)
  • Affiliate Networks: For referral tracking (may constitute "sharing" for targeted advertising under CCPA)
  • Advertising Partners: For targeted advertising (may constitute "sharing")

We do NOT "sell" personal information in the traditional sense (exchanging information for money).

Retention

We retain personal information as described in the "Data Retention" section above.

Authorized Agent

California residents may designate an authorized agent to submit requests on their behalf. The authorized agent must provide proof of authorization, and we may require you to verify your identity directly with us.

Canadian-Specific Information

PIPEDA Compliance

We comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and its principles:

  • Accountability: We are responsible for personal information under our control
  • Identifying Purposes: We identify purposes for collection before or at the time of collection
  • Consent: We obtain your knowledge and consent for collection, use, and disclosure
  • Limiting Collection: We collect only what is necessary for identified purposes
  • Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention: We use information only for stated purposes and retain only as long as necessary
  • Accuracy: We keep personal information accurate, complete, and up-to-date
  • Safeguards: We protect personal information with appropriate security measures
  • Openness: We make information about our policies and practices readily available
  • Individual Access: You can access and review your personal information
  • Challenging Compliance: You can challenge our compliance with these principles

Quebec Law 25

For Quebec residents, we comply with Quebec's Law 25 (Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector), which provides enhanced privacy protections including:

  • Transparent privacy practices and clear privacy policies
  • Privacy by design and default
  • Enhanced consent requirements
  • Mandatory privacy incident reporting
  • Data portability rights
  • Right to de-indexing in certain circumstances

Provincial Laws

Residents of British Columbia (PIPA), Alberta (PIPA), and other provinces with provincial privacy legislation have rights under those laws. Contact us to exercise your rights under applicable provincial legislation.

Filing Privacy Complaints

Canadian users can file privacy complaints with:

  • Federal: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada - www.priv.gc.ca
  • Quebec: Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec - www.cai.gouv.qc.ca
  • British Columbia: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner - www.oipc.bc.ca
  • Alberta: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner - www.oipc.ab.ca

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect:

  • Changes in our data practices or services
  • New legal or regulatory requirements
  • Service enhancements or new features
  • Feedback from users or regulators
  • Industry best practices

We will notify you of material changes by:

  • Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
  • Posting a prominent notice on our Website homepage
  • Sending email notification (if you have subscribed to our newsletter)
  • For significant changes, requesting your renewed consent where required by law

Your continued use of the Website after changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. If you do not agree to the changes, you should stop using the Website and contact us to request deletion of your information (subject to legal retention requirements).

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us via our contact form.

For privacy-specific inquiries, requests to exercise your rights, or complaints, please include "Privacy Request" or "Privacy Inquiry" in your subject line.

We will respond to your inquiry or request within the timeframe required by applicable law, typically within 30-45 days.