What information do we collect and how do we use it?

When you order, we need to know your name, email address, mailing address, credit card number, and credit card expiration date. This allows us to process and fulfill your order and to notify you of your order status.

When you sign up for services like Newsletters or download certain software or plug-ins made available by us through our site, we need only an email address -- which we use to send the information you requested.

When you submit a customer review, we also ask for your email address but we do not require it, and you can choose not to have your email address displayed with your review.

When you enter a contest or other promotional feature, we may ask for your name, address, and email address so we can administer the contest and notify winners. thimble-world.com may also host promotions and sweepstakes that may be sponsored and administered by outside parties. When you are entered in any sweepstakes or contest simply by making a purchase from us, only your order number is given to the entity administering the sweepstakes or contest.

When the winning entries are chosen, only the names and addresses of the winners are shared with the entity administering the sweepstakes or contest, so that they can notify the winners.
When you enter a sweepstakes or contest through an email entry, your email entry is sent to the supplier house that we use to help gather entries for our sweepstakes and contests. When the winners have been selected, the winners' email addresses may be shared with the entity administering the sweepstakes, so that they can be notified that they have won. When you enter a sweepstakes or contest through a mail-in entry, the information you provide on your entry is sent directly to the entity administering the sweepstakes or contest. Unless we explicitly notify you in the terms of the sweepstakes or contest, no other information is shared by thimble-world.com with third parties in connection with any sweepstakes or contest.

To the extent that any privacy information relating to a sweepstakes or contest conflicts with the information provided here, the specific privacy information regarding the sweepstakes or contest will be clearly stated in an area that will be accessible to potential entrants and will govern that particular sweepstakes or contest.

We may personalize your shopping experience by using your purchases and site behavior to shape our recommendations about the thimbles and other accessories that might be of interest to you. We also monitor customer traffic patterns and site usage to help us develop the design and layout of the site.
We may also use the information we collect to occasionally notify you about important functionality changes to the web site, new thimble-world.com services, and special offers we think you'll find valuable.

How does thimble-world.com protect customer information?

thimble-world.com uses the latest encryption technology to keep your personal information safe. All your ordering information -- including your name, address, and credit card number -- is encrypted using a secure server for maximum security.

Your credit card and billing information cannot be read as it travels to our ordering system. To ensure that your information is even more secure, once we receive your credit card information, we store it on a server that isn't accessible from the Internet. We're so certain that our online order systems are secure that we back it up with a guarantee. In the unlikely event that you are subject to fraudulent charges, remember to first notify your credit card provider in accordance with its reporting rules and procedures.

If, for whatever reason, you are held responsible for any fraudulent charges made on our site, thimble-world.com will cover the entire liability for you, up to $50, as long as the unauthorized use of your credit card resulted through no fault of your own from purchases made from thimble-world.com while using our secure server.

Credit card transactions are handled by a third-party financial institution, which receives the credit card number and other personal identifying information only to verify the credit card numbers and process transactions. If you feel more comfortable doing so, you are welcome to call in your credit card information and complete your purchase by phone. (For details, see the Payment Options section of our Help Desk.)

Will thimble-world.com disclose the information it collects to outside parties?

From time to time, thimble-world.com shares customer information -- never credit card information -- with trustworthy third parties. You can tell us not to share this information at any time by clicking here. Also, thimble-world.com may provide aggregate statistics about our customers, sales, traffic patterns, and related site information to reputable third-party vendors, but these statistics will include no personally identifying information. thimble-world.com may release account information when we believe, in good faith, that such release is reasonably necessary to (i) comply with law, (ii) enforce or apply the terms of any of our user agreements, or (iii) protect the rights, property, or safety of thimble-world.com, our users, or others.

This privacy policy was last modified on Jun 23, 2003.