Privacy Policy
Effective Date: 03/11/2025
At Northeast Eyewear, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is handled in a safe and responsible manner. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you visit our website, make a purchase, or interact with our services. By using our website and services, you agree to the collection and use information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Please read these terms carefully before using our services.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect the following types of information:
- Personal Identification Information: When you visit our website, schedule an appointment, or make a purchase, we may collect your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, date of birth, and payment information.
- Payment Information: Payment information is processed securely via Fullsteam Payment.
- Health Information: We may collect health-related data, such as prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lenses, which is necessary to provide our services.
- Technical Information: We may collect information about your device and usage, including IP address, browser type, operating system, and browsing history on our website.
2. How We Use and Share Your Information
We use your personal information for the following purposes:
- Order Fulfillment: To process transactions, deliver products and services, and provide customer support.
- Prescription Verification: To verify your prescription information when ordering prescription eyewear and/or contact lenses.
- Communication: To communicate with you regarding appointments, products, services, promotions, and customer service inquiries via email, phone, and/or SMS messages.
- Improvement of Services: To improve our website and services by analyzing customer preferences.
- Third-Party Sources: We may share your data with trusted service providers who assist with IT services, billing, other medical professionals, or health systems with your consent.
- Legal Compliance: We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to a valid legal request, such as a subpoena or court order. We may share your data to protect our rights, property, and safety, and those of our customers.
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information, email, phone number, or SMS messages to third parties. However, we may share your information with trusted partners or service providers who assist us in operating our business, such as payment processors or fulfillment services. We require these third parties to protect your data in accordance with this privacy policy.
3. Your Data Protection Rights
You have the right to:
- Right to Access and Rectification: You have the right to access, correct, update, or delete data we hold about you.
- Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): You can request the deletion of personal information is subject to certain conditions (e.g., when data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected).
- Right to Object: You can object to the processing of your data for certain purposes, including direct You may opt out of promotional emails by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send or contacting us directly. You may opt out of SMS messages at any time by replying ‘STOP’ to any message we send. After you opt out of text messaging, you will receive one additional message confirming your request has been processed. Message and data rates may apply based on your mobile carrier’s terms of service.
- Right to Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on your consent to process personal data (e.g., for marketing), you may withdraw consent for the use of your health-related information at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided at the end of this policy.
4. Transparency and Consent
- We strive to be transparent in how we collect, use, and share your personal data.
- When required by law or for specific purposes (such as marketing or sharing data with third parties), we will ask for your explicit consent. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
- We will inform you about the specific purpose of data collection, the recipients of your data, and how long we will retain it.
5. Retention of Data
We may retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or as required by law. When your data is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it.
6. Data Security
We take the security of your personal information seriously. We use a variety of security measures, including encryption, secure servers, and access control policies, to protect your data. However, please note that no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Use Email and SMS Messages
- Information We Collect: We collect personal information from you to send you email notifications and text messages, including your name, phone number, and email address. We may also collect message interaction and consent data, including delivery status, response data, and method of opt-in. You provide your personal information to us when you contact us to make an appointment or if you are referred to our office, and our third-party service provider may collect message interaction data through their systems. Message and data rates may apply based on your mobile carrier’s terms of service.
- How We use your information: We use your information to send you healthcare-related text messages or email notifications, such as appointment reminders, response to patient inquiries, follow up messages, text-to-pay links, office closures, etc. Under HIPAA, we may further use your name and phone number (along with other Protected Health Information) as explained in our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.
- Data Sharing and Disclosure: We do not sell or share the personal data collected under this policy with third party affiliates for promotional or marketing purposes without your prior explicit consent. Your text messaging and email opt-in is not shared with third parties except as required by law or with our trusted service providers as needed to provide email notification and text messaging services.
- How We Collect Consent: Your consent for us to send you email notification and text messages applies only to communications from our medical office and service partners and does not extend to third party businesses. We collect your consent to receive email and text messages in three different ways: Verbal Opt-In, Web Opt-In, and Paper Opt-In.
- Verbal Opt-In: When you call our office to make an appointment, we may collect your consent verbally. If you say “no”, we will not enroll you to receive email and/or text messaging. An example of this statement is as follows: ‘Would you like to receive email or text message reminders? We can send you email notifications or automated text messages about your healthcare including appointment reminders, office changes, and office closures. You may opt-out at any time by replying ‘STOP’. Message and data rates may apply based on your mobile carrier’s service plan. You may unsubscribe from any email by selecting the unsubscribe link at any time.’
- Web Opt-In: You may opt-in via our website www.eyecarene.com by providing your personal information . You may click on the “contact us” section. In this section, you can fill out all the information requested including phone number and email address. You consent to being contacted by Northeast Eyewear through the communication methods provided. You agree to the following statement: ‘By checking this box, you agree to receive SMS messaging from Northeast Eyewear. Message frequency varies depending on the scenario. Message and data rates may apply based on your mobile carrier’s terms of service. No mobile information will be shared with third parties. Reply ‘HELP’ for customer service information. Reply ‘STOP’ to opt-out at any time. You may unsubscribe from any email by selecting the unsubscribe link at any time.’
- Paper Opt-In: In our patient paperwork, we may ask you to provide written consent to receive text messaging and email communications from us. An example of this statement is as follows: ‘By checking this box, you agree to receive email and/or SMS messaging from Northeast Eyewear. Message frequency varies depending on the scenario. Message and data rates may apply based on your mobile carrier’s terms of service. No mobile information will be shared with third parties. Reply ‘HELP’ for customer service information. Reply ‘STOP’ to opt-out at any time. You may unsubscribe from any email by selecting the unsubscribe link at any time.’
- Opt-Out Email: you may opt out of email notifications by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send or contacting us directly.
- Opt-Out SMS Messages: You may opt out of text messages at any time by replying “STOP” to any message we send. After you opt out of text messaging, you will receive one additional message confirming your request has been processed. Message and data rates may apply based on your mobile carrier’s terms of service.
- Security of Your Information: We take reasonable measures to protect the information you provide from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. However, no system is completely secure, and we do not guarantee the security of your data during transmission or storage.
Where we rely on your consent to process personal data (e.g., for marketing), you may withdraw consent for the use of your health-related information at any time.
8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience. Cookies are small files that store information on your device allowing us to remember your preferences and track your activity. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings and may choose to disable certain cookies. However, some parts of our website may not function properly if cookies are disabled.
9. Children’s Privacy
Our services are not intended for children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such information, we will take steps to remove that information from our records.
10. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page, and the “Effective Date” at the top of the page will be updated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to exercise your rights under data protection law, please contact us at:
Northeast Eyewear, LLC
5 Kennedy Drive
Putnam, CT 06260
860-928-5747