Privacy Policy
Last updated: [CHECK: launch date]
This page explains what information Vali Architects collects when you use valiarchitects.com and our SketchUp extensions, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and what you can ask us to do with it.
Who we are: Vali Architects, a sole proprietorship in Hawaii, USA.
Contact: chuck@valiarchitects.com. We usually reply within 1–2 business days.
What we collect, and why
Your account
When you register, you give us:
- your name;
- a username;
- your email address;
- a password.
Your password: we store it only as a one-way hash, so nobody (including us) can read it.
Why: to give you an account you can log in to with your username or email, to send you a password reset link when you ask for one, and to put your username on your extension licenses.
Moved from our old website: if you had an account there, your account, order history and licenses were moved to this website. Your old password works once and is then replaced by a new hash.
Orders and payments
When you buy something, we keep:
- the order: what you bought, prices, the date, and its status;
- a customer record: your name and email.
Payment: you pay through PayPal or Stripe. You enter your card or PayPal details on their pages, never on ours, so we never see or store your card number.
What we keep from them: they tell us whether the payment went through. We keep their reference numbers and the confirmation they send us, which can include the name, email address and country they have for you.
Why: to deliver your licenses, show you your orders, handle renewals and questions, and keep business records.
Licenses and downloads
Your licenses: each one has a serial number, a start date and an expiry date. They're linked to your account and the order they came from.
Your installer: when you download an extension, we build an installer just for you. It contains your licenses' details:
- your user number and username;
- your serial numbers and license dates;
- a check value made from your email address.
This lets the extension check your license, so please don't share your installer file.
Download records: we record each download: your account, the file, the order, your IP address and the time. When participants in a class download an installer through their instructor's account (see DEMO licenses below), those downloads are recorded the same way: the instructor's account, the file, the participant's IP address and the time.
Why: to give you your files, and to look into problems or misuse.
License checks by the extensions
Our extensions check your license over the internet with our license server (the "geometry site") each time you use them.
What the license server keeps:
- for each license (other than DEMO licenses): your user number and serial number, the network (MAC) address of the computer it is activated on, the IP addresses it was last used from, and the times of the last uses;
- a usage log of each use: user number, serial number, MAC address, IP address, time, how long the request took, and the result of the check.
DEMO licenses: a DEMO license is issued to an instructor's account for a class or seminar. Participants download the installer from the instructor's account and use it during the DEMO period. When a DEMO license is used, the license server records only the participant's IP address, which DEMO license was used, and the time. It records nothing else about individual participants.
Why: to make sure a license is used on one computer at a time and hasn't expired, to help you when something doesn't work, and to spot misuse.
Reactivate: when you move a license to another computer with Reactivate (on your licenses page), we record the previous MAC address and the time.
Security records
- Failed logins: when a login fails, or is refused after too many tries, we record the time, the IP address, and which account it was for, if the login matched one. If it matched none, we record only that the account was unknown. We never record what was typed as the login or the password.
- Error logs: our server's error logs may include technical details of a request, such as the page visited and, rarely, an account number.
Why: to protect accounts from password guessing, and to find and fix errors.
Cookies
We use only the cookies the website needs to work:
- a session cookie, which keeps you logged in and remembers your cart while you browse. It expires after 2 hours without activity.
- a security token cookie, which protects forms against forged requests.
- a "remember me" cookie, only if you tick "Remember me" when logging in. It keeps you logged in on that browser for up to about 400 days, or until you log out.
No tracking: we don't use analytics, advertising or tracking cookies, and we don't show ads.
Videos: some tutorial pages show videos from YouTube (in its privacy-enhanced mode) or Vimeo. When you play one, YouTube or Vimeo may set their own cookies under their own privacy policies.
Emails we send
Our website sends two kinds of email: a password reset link, when you ask for one, and renewal reminders before a license expires.
- Renewal reminders: usually 30 and 7 days before a license's expiration date. They list the extension, the start of the serial and the date, with a link to renew or an invitation to reply. Your licenses never renew automatically.
- Unsubscribing: every reminder has an unsubscribe link (no login needed), and you can turn reminders on or off under Settings → Profile.
- Receipts: PayPal or Stripe email you a receipt for each payment.
- No newsletters: we don't send newsletters or marketing emails. We may email you ourselves about your order, your licenses or a question you sent us.
Who we share information with
We don't sell or rent your information, and we don't share it for advertising. It is shared only with:
- PayPal and Stripe, to take payments. They handle your payment details under their own privacy policies.
- Our hosting provider in the United States, whose servers store the website and the license server.
- YouTube and Vimeo, only if you play a tutorial video, as described above.
- Authorities, if the law requires it.
Who can see it: within Vali Architects, only authorized members of Vali Architects.
Where your information is kept
On servers in the United States, with our hosting provider. If you live elsewhere, your information is transferred to and kept in the United States.
How long we keep it
| Information | How long |
|---|---|
| Account | Until you delete it |
| Orders, payment confirmations and licenses | For our business records, also after you delete your account (see below) |
| Download records | 2 years |
| License server usage logs, and Reactivate records | 6 months |
| License server records of each license (MAC address, last IP addresses and uses) | While the license exists |
| Records of renewal reminders sent | While the license exists |
| Failed login records | 30 days |
| Error logs | 14 days |
| Emails with us | As long as needed to help you |
Deleting your account
You can delete your account yourself under Settings → Profile ("Delete account"). This removes your login, name, username and email from your account. You can no longer log in or download your files.
What we keep: we keep your orders and licenses for our business records. The name and email on your orders stay with those order records. The license server keeps your licenses' records until they are removed. If you'd like us to remove more, contact us. We'll remove what we're not required to keep.
Your choices and rights
Wherever you live, you can ask us to:
- show you the personal information we have about you;
- correct it;
- delete it, apart from what we need to keep for records;
- stop using it for a purpose you object to.
How: email chuck@valiarchitects.com from the address on your account, or tell us how we can confirm it's you. We'll answer as soon as we can, and at the latest within 30 days.
Changing your details: you can change your name and email yourself under Settings → Profile, and your password under Settings → Security.
Renewal reminders: turn them off with the link in any reminder, or under Settings → Profile.
Children
Our website and extensions are for adults. You must be 18 or older to create an account. We don't knowingly collect information from children.
Security
We protect your information with encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, limits on login attempts, and access limited to the people who need it. No system is perfectly secure, so please use a strong password that you don't use anywhere else.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we'll post the new version here with a new "Last updated" date. If a change is significant, we'll say so on the website.
Questions
Email chuck@valiarchitects.com.