FleetMechanic.net

1. Who We Are

FleetMechanic.net is committed to protecting your privacy. We follow applicable data protection laws and strive to handle your personal information responsibly and securely.

2. Information We Collect and How We Use It

Comments

  • Data Collected: When you leave a comment, we collect the information you provide, your IP address, and your browser’s user agent string.
  • Gravatar Integration: An anonymized hash of your email address may be sent to Gravatar to check if you are using their service. Once approved, your profile picture may be displayed publicly alongside your comment.

Media

  • Uploaded Content: When you upload images, please avoid including embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Visitors may download and extract such data from images on the website.

Cookies

  • Comment Cookies: If you leave a comment, you may opt-in to saving your name, email, and website in cookies for one year—so you don’t have to re-enter your details for future comments.
  • Login Cookies: On our login page, we set a temporary cookie to confirm that your browser supports cookies. Once logged in, cookies remember your login details and screen preferences. Login cookies last for two days (or two weeks if “Remember Me” is selected) and screen option cookies last for one year.
  • Editing Cookies: If you edit or publish an article, a temporary cookie (lasting 1 day) may store the post ID of the article you edited.

3. Embedded Content from Other Websites

Articles on our site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles). This embedded content behaves as if you visited the external website directly. Such websites might collect data about you, use cookies, or apply additional tracking, particularly if you’re logged into those services.

4. Third-Party Plugins and Services

Our website uses several WordPress plugins to enhance functionality, improve security, and provide a better user experience. These plugins may collect or process data as described below:

  • Akismet Anti-Spam:
    We use Akismet to filter spam comments. When you leave a comment, your IP address, comment content, and other relevant details may be sent to Akismet for spam detection. For more information, please review the Akismet Privacy Policy.
  • Contact Form 7:
    Our contact forms are powered by Contact Form 7. Data submitted via these forms is sent to our designated email and is only retained as long as necessary to address your inquiry.
  • Jetpack:
    Jetpack provides various features including security enhancements, performance improvements, and usage statistics. It may collect data such as usage patterns, IP addresses, and device information. More details are available in the Jetpack Privacy Policy.
  • Limit Login Attempts Reloaded:
    To protect against brute force login attempts, this plugin records failed login attempts and logs your IP address for security purposes. This data is used solely to enhance site security.
  • Site Kit by Google:
    We integrate Site Kit by Google to connect with services such as Google Analytics, Search Console, and AdSense. Data collected through these services is subject to the Google Privacy Policy.
  • Yoast SEO:
    Yoast SEO helps optimize our site’s content for search engines. This plugin does not collect personal data from visitors.
  • WP Super Cache:
    WP Super Cache improves our site’s performance by caching pages. It does not collect or process personal data.

5. Sharing of Your Data

  • Password Resets: If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.
  • Third Parties: We only share your data with third parties as necessary to provide our services or comply with legal obligations.

6. Data Retention

  • Comments: Comments and their metadata are retained indefinitely so that we can automatically recognize and approve any follow-up comments.
  • User Profiles: For registered users, the personal information provided is stored in your user profile. You may view, edit, or delete your personal information (except your username) at any time. Website administrators also have access to this data.

7. Your Rights

If you have an account or have left comments, you can request an exported file of the personal data we hold about you. You may also request the deletion of your personal data (excluding data we are required to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes).

8. Use of ChatGPT and Other Third-Party Services

To enhance user experience and provide automated responses, certain user-submitted data (e.g., comments or queries) may be transmitted to ChatGPT, a service provided by OpenAI.

  • Data Handling: Data sent to ChatGPT is processed according to OpenAI’s privacy practices.
  • Consent: By using our website, you consent to your submitted data being shared with ChatGPT for purposes such as spam detection, content generation, or user support. For further details, please review the OpenAI Privacy Policy.

9. Where Your Data Is Sent

Your data may be transmitted to:

  • Automated Spam Detection Services: To help prevent spam.
  • Third-Party Services: Such as Gravatar, Akismet, Jetpack, Site Kit by Google, and ChatGPT as detailed above.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy periodically. Any changes will be posted on this page, and we encourage you to review our policy regularly.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this privacy policy, please contact us at the form on our contact page.