Privacy Policy
Effective Date: 11/01/ 2025
1. Introduction and Scope
Consumer Guardian Group (“Consumer Guardian Group,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), with its principal place of business in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, is committed to protecting the privacy of visitors, prospective clients, and clients.
This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information and sensitive information obtained through https://consumerguardiangroup.com, its www subdomain, associated online forms, consultation-request tools, document-upload interfaces, downloadable resources, and related communications and services.
This Policy also describes the choices available to you and the procedures for exercising applicable privacy rights.
Our privacy practices are subject to applicable United States federal and state laws, including applicable consumer-protection, data-security, telecommunications, and breach-notification requirements; the Tennessee Information Protection Act (“TIPA”), where applicable; and the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (“CCPA/CPRA”), where applicable.
Our text-messaging programs are also subject to applicable telecommunications laws and the requirements of our messaging providers and participating mobile carriers, including applicable A2P 10DLC requirements. Carrier registration or approval does not constitute governmental approval or replace legal compliance.
This Policy does not create an attorney-client relationship, replace a written professional engagement agreement, or diminish duties of confidentiality or other obligations imposed on an attorney or other professional by applicable law.
2. Definitions
“Personal information” means information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked to an identifiable individual or household, as defined by applicable law.
“Sensitive personal information” or “sensitive data” has the meaning assigned by applicable law. Depending on the jurisdiction, it may include government identifiers, certain financial-account credentials, precise geolocation, health information, biometric information, or other specifically protected categories.
Legal and financial documents may be sensitive in an ordinary confidentiality sense even when every field within those documents does not satisfy a particular statute’s definition of sensitive personal information. We apply appropriate safeguards to such documents regardless of that distinction.
“Processing” means an operation performed on personal information, including collection, storage, organization, analysis, use, disclosure, correction, or deletion.
“Service provider” or “processor” means a person or entity that processes personal information on our behalf under appropriate contractual restrictions. A professional adviser may instead act independently with respect to activities governed by that adviser’s professional obligations.
“Sell,” “share,” “targeted advertising,” and “profiling” have the meanings assigned by the applicable privacy law. Those meanings may extend beyond an exchange of information for money.
3. Personal Information You Provide
We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you request information, download a guide, schedule a consultation, complete an intake form, submit documents, communicate with us, or engage services.
Depending on the interaction, this information may include:
Your full name.
Your email address.
Your telephone number.
Your physical or mailing address.
Your preferred contact method and availability.
Information identifying your timeshare property, developer, resort, ownership account, or financing arrangement.
The date and circumstances of a purchase, upgrade, financing transaction, or sales presentation.
Your description of statements made during a sales presentation and concerns about those statements.
Information about requested assistance, service eligibility, scheduling, and communications preferences.
Information necessary to document consent, respond to privacy requests, or administer an engagement.
We request information relevant to the purpose of the interaction. You should not submit unrelated sensitive information merely because an online form allows free-text entry.
If a field is required, the form will identify it or otherwise make its required nature clear. Declining to provide information necessary for a requested review may limit our ability to complete that review, but does not constitute consent to unrelated marketing.
4. Case Documents and Financial Information
You may provide documents and information relevant to your timeshare circumstances, including:
Original timeshare contracts and copies of purchase agreements.
Upgrade agreements, amendments, disclosures, and cancellation provisions.
Developer, resort, lender, collection-agency, or other correspondence.
Payment histories and account statements.
Maintenance-fee statements and special-assessment notices.
Mortgage loan details, financing agreements, balances, interest terms, and payment obligations.
Sales materials, written representations, and related evidence.
Records of complaints, demands, settlement discussions, or prior proceedings.
Information about co-owners, spouses, witnesses, or authorized representatives where relevant.
These documents may contain signatures, account identifiers, financial circumstances, legal allegations, or information about other individuals.
Please use the designated document-submission channel. Unless specifically requested through an appropriate secure process, do not submit passwords, authentication codes, full payment-card numbers, card security codes, complete Social Security numbers, or unrelated government identification.
You may redact information that is unnecessary for the requested review. Identify material redactions and missing records so that we can assess the submission accurately.
If you provide another person’s information, you must have a lawful basis to do so. We do not treat your submission as permission to market to that person or as that person’s consent to automated calls or texts.
5. Automatically Collected Technical Information
When you use the Website, we and service providers acting on our behalf may collect technical and interaction information, including:
Internet Protocol addresses.
Browser type, version, and language.
Device type and technical device identifiers.
Operating system and related technical characteristics.
Referring pages and referring sources.
Pages visited and resources accessed.
Visit dates, timestamps, session duration, and interaction events.
Errors, performance information, and security-related logs.
Cookie identifiers and similar browser or session identifiers.
Approximate location derived from an IP address.
We do not collect precise geolocation from your device through the Website for independent advertising purposes.
Technical collection may occur through server logs, essential cookies, analytics tools, tags, and web beacons. The collection and use of these technologies are subject to the restrictions in this Policy.
We do not use technical information to obtain unrelated sensitive information from your device or to create third-party marketing lists.
6. Sources of Personal Information
We obtain information from the following sources:
You, through forms, uploads, scheduling tools, emails, calls, and messages.
Your browser or device through the technical mechanisms described above.
A co-owner or authorized representative providing information lawfully on your behalf.
Designated attorneys or other professionals involved in an authorized review or engagement.
Service providers supplying delivery confirmations, transaction records, security information, or other operational information on our behalf.
Relevant counterparties, public records, or other lawful case-related sources where appropriate to an authorized matter.
We do not purchase consumer databases or broker-supplied personal profiles for unsolicited outreach under the operating model described in this Policy.
Information obtained for a case review is not automatically added to an unrelated marketing program.
7. Purposes of Processing
We use personal information for the following purposes, to the extent applicable to your interaction:
7.1 Requested Initial Review
We use identifying, contact, and case information to respond to your inquiry, establish contact for the requested Free Initial Case Review, understand your case history, examine relevant documents, evaluate potential issues, determine service eligibility, and identify whether further professional review is appropriate.
Legal conclusions and legal representation, where involved, must be provided by an appropriately authorized attorney within the applicable scope of professional responsibility.
7.2 Resource Delivery and Scheduling
We use contact and scheduling information to deliver requested self-help resources and download links, communicate access instructions, coordinate consultations, send authorized appointment reminders, and respond to scheduling changes.
A delivery link may be individualized or access-controlled. You should avoid forwarding a link containing personal access credentials unless intended and authorized.
7.3 Authorized Services
Where an engagement is established, we use relevant information to administer services, coordinate with designated counsel, maintain case records, communicate progress, process authorized payments, and perform obligations identified in the engagement agreement.
7.4 Email Updates and Optional Marketing
We may send email updates concerning requested resources, services, or educational information, subject to your preferences and applicable law.
We send automated marketing calls or texts only where the required consent or other lawful authorization has been obtained. An inquiry, guide request, or telephone-number submission does not independently authorize all future marketing.
7.5 Website Performance and Security
We use limited technical information to audit Website performance, diagnose errors, prevent fraudulent submissions and spam, detect unauthorized access, maintain system integrity, and improve the user experience.
7.6 Compliance and Rights Administration
We use necessary records to document consent, maintain opt-out and suppression preferences, respond to privacy requests, comply with applicable legal obligations, and preserve records required for an authorized engagement.
We do not use sensitive case documents for unrelated advertising, third-party lead generation, or general-purpose artificial-intelligence model training.
8. Purpose Limitation and Sensitive Information
We collect and process personal information only to the extent reasonably necessary and proportionate to the purposes described in this Policy or otherwise lawfully disclosed at collection.
We will not materially expand the use of personal information in a manner incompatible with the disclosed purpose without providing any notice and obtaining any consent required by applicable law.
Where applicable law requires consent for processing sensitive data, we will obtain that consent before the relevant processing unless a lawful exception applies. Submission of a document is not treated as blanket consent to every possible use of its contents.
We do not use sensitive personal information to infer characteristics for advertising, unrelated eligibility determinations, or independent commercial profiling.
We do not make decisions producing legal or similarly significant effects solely through automated profiling under the operating model described in this Policy. Human evaluation remains part of substantive case eligibility and strategy review.
9. Cookies, Analytics, and Web Beacons
Essential cookies and similar technologies may support session management, form operation, security controls, and preference storage.
Analytics technologies may measure traffic, page performance, and interaction patterns for our internal operational purposes. Providers processing identifiable analytics information must act under appropriate restrictions and must not use that information for their own advertising, unrelated profiling, or independent marketing.
We do not authorize third-party advertising pixels or visitor-identification tools to build independent profiles, enrich broker databases, or facilitate cross-context behavioral advertising under this Policy.
We do not place advertising or independent marketing trackers in document-upload interfaces for the purpose of collecting case information.
Where consent is legally required for nonessential technologies, we will obtain it before activating those technologies. You may also control cookies through your browser settings and any controls provided on the Website.
Blocking essential technologies may affect Website functionality. A browser’s cookie setting is separate from an email unsubscribe or SMS opt-out.
Where applicable law requires recognition of a supported universal opt-out mechanism, including Global Privacy Control, we will honor that signal for the processing to which it legally applies. We will not require you to create an account to exercise a qualifying opt-out.
10. No Sale, Trade, Rental, or Independent Advertising Sharing
Consumer Guardian Group does not sell, trade, or rent user databases or personally identifiable information to third-party brokers.
We do not disclose personal information in exchange for monetary or other valuable consideration in circumstances constituting a sale under applicable privacy law.
We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as defined by the CCPA/CPRA, or disclose personal information for third-party targeted advertising under the operating model described in this Policy.
Operational disclosures to restricted service providers or designated counsel are limited to the purposes described below and must satisfy the requirements applicable to those relationships.
We do not characterize a disclosure as a service-provider disclosure merely because the recipient performs a useful service. The recipient’s actual use restrictions, contractual terms, and legal status must support that characterization.
11. Mobile Information and SMS Consent Protection
Mobile information, text messaging originator opt-in data, and consent records will not be shared, sold, or rented to any third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
Text-messaging consent records are maintained separately from third-party lead-generation sharing lists. We do not contribute those records to such lists or permit their use to authorize communications by unrelated businesses.
A vendor that delivers messages on our behalf may process the telephone number, message content, delivery status, and necessary consent or suppression information solely to operate the authorized program. Such processing does not authorize the vendor to use the information for independent marketing.
We maintain operational separation through appropriate access restrictions, purpose restrictions, consent records, and contractual controls. This does not require that every record reside in a physically separate computer system, but it does require that consent information not be repurposed or disclosed contrary to this section.
12. SMS and Telephone Consent, Preferences, and Opt-Outs
Where an online form offers optional consent to texts or calls, the disclosure identifies the sender, communication purposes, and relevant technologies.
Consent is collected through an affirmative action, such as selecting an initially unchecked consent box. Marketing consent is voluntary and is not a condition of purchasing services.
Where authorized by the applicable disclosure, communications may use automated technology or an artificial or prerecorded voice. We do not infer the necessary consent merely from your acceptance of a general Privacy Policy.
Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Reply STOP to cancel at any time, and HELP for operational assistance.
You may also revoke consent by emailing Info@ConsumerGuardianGroup.com, calling (865) 643-8377, or using another reasonable method that clearly communicates your request.
We honor valid revocation and do-not-call requests within the time required by applicable law and applicable provider requirements. We may send a nonmarketing opt-out confirmation where permitted.
Opting out does not authorize us to replace the prohibited communications with marketing through another channel. The scope of an opt-out will be applied in accordance with your request and applicable law.
We may retain limited suppression and consent records to honor your preference and demonstrate compliance. Deleting a contact record does not require deleting the minimum information necessary to prevent unwanted future contact where retention is lawful.
If your telephone number changes or is reassigned, notify us so that we can update our records.
13. Disclosure to Designated Attorneys and Legal Counsel
We may disclose relevant case information to designated network attorneys or legal counsel assigned to evaluate an authorized inquiry or review and execute an accepted case strategy.
Disclosure is limited to information reasonably necessary for that purpose and subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations, professional responsibilities, and any required authorization.
An attorney may have independent duties concerning conflicts, records, representation, privilege, and legal compliance. We do not represent that every attorney is merely a processor subject to our instructions.
We do not distribute sensitive case information to an unrestricted attorney-marketing list or auction your inquiry as a commercial lead.
Sending information to us or to an attorney for preliminary evaluation does not automatically establish formal representation. Applicable duties to prospective clients and other legally imposed confidentiality protections remain applicable notwithstanding the absence of an executed engagement agreement.
14. Disclosure to Operational Service Providers
We may disclose personal information to trusted providers that perform necessary functions on our behalf, including:
Website hosting and infrastructure.
Secure document storage and data-server operation.
Intake and scheduling administration.
Email and text-message delivery.
Restricted analytics and security monitoring.
Payment processing.
Records management and technical support.
We limit access to information relevant to the provider’s function and require appropriate contractual confidentiality, security, purpose-limitation, and deletion or return provisions where applicable.
Providers acting on our behalf are prohibited from selling the information, using it for their own marketing, adding it to unrelated databases, or using it for independent purposes inconsistent with the authorized service.
Where a payment network or other provider must process information to comply with an independent statutory obligation, such processing is limited to the applicable legal requirement and does not authorize independent marketing.
We do not permit the use of sensitive case materials or mobile consent records to train providers’ general-purpose artificial-intelligence models.
15. Legal Compulsion and Case-Directed Disclosures
We disclose personal information to law-enforcement agencies or regulatory bodies when compelled by a valid subpoena, court order, statutory obligation, or other legally binding process.
We assess the request as appropriate, disclose only information responsive to the lawful requirement, and preserve applicable confidentiality and privilege protections. Where legally permitted and appropriate, we may notify the affected person.
This Policy does not promise disclosure in response to every informal governmental request.
Where you engage services and authorize case-related communications, relevant information may be disclosed to a developer, lender, opposing counsel, mediator, arbitrator, court, or other necessary participant to pursue the authorized matter.
These case-directed disclosures are governed by the engagement, applicable professional duties, and procedural requirements. They are not independent marketing disclosures, and may involve recipients who are not our service providers.
A court filing or arbitration submission may become accessible under applicable procedural rules. Responsible counsel should evaluate confidentiality protections where appropriate.
16. Payment Information
Where payments are accepted, transactions are processed through designated third-party payment gateways.
We do not store raw payment-card credentials on the Website, including complete card numbers or card security codes. Payment information entered into a processor-controlled payment interface is handled by that processor.
We may receive limited transaction information, including payment status, transaction identifiers, billing contact details, receipts, and partial payment-method information needed for billing administration.
We use payment information to process authorized transactions, maintain financial records, address billing questions, and satisfy legal obligations. It is not used to build third-party advertising profiles.
Do not include payment-card credentials in case documents or general inquiry fields.
17. Information Security
Uploaded sensitive documents and intake forms are transmitted through HTTPS connections protected by Transport Layer Security (“TLS”), commonly referred to as SSL/TLS.
Sensitive records are stored in secured database or storage environments protected by industry-standard access controls appropriate to the information and processing risks.
Our safeguards include administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to restrict unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These measures include access authorization, role-appropriate permissions, credential protection, and management of service-provider access.
Access to sensitive information is limited to personnel, designated professionals, and authorized providers with a legitimate operational or professional need.
Security measures are evaluated in light of the information processed, technological developments, reasonably foreseeable threats, and applicable legal obligations.
No transmission or storage system is completely secure. This limitation does not waive our obligation to implement reasonable safeguards or comply with applicable security and breach-notification laws.
We do not represent that TLS transmission alone provides end-to-end encryption, protects information after an unauthorized recipient obtains access, or establishes attorney-client privilege.
18. Security Incidents and Breach Notification
We maintain procedures for assessing suspected unauthorized access, containing incidents, evaluating affected information, and taking appropriate corrective action.
Where an incident triggers a legal notification requirement, we will provide notices to affected individuals, authorities, or other required recipients in accordance with applicable law.
An incident notice may differ from a routine policy update and will include the information required by the applicable legal framework.
You should promptly contact us if you believe your information has been submitted fraudulently, a document link has been misdirected, or a Company-related account or communication has been compromised.
19. Retention and Deletion
We retain personal information and case documentation only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the consultation objectives, deliver requested resources, provide authorized professional services, administer the relationship, and comply with applicable legal or professional retention obligations.
Retention decisions consider:
The nature and sensitivity of the information.
The purpose for which it was collected.
Whether an inquiry resulted in an engagement.
Applicable legal and professional recordkeeping duties.
Consent and opt-out documentation requirements.
Applicable limitation periods and reasonably anticipated disputes.
Court orders, preservation duties, and litigation holds.
The feasibility of deletion from active systems and backups.
Information associated with an unaccepted inquiry is not retained indefinitely solely because it may be useful for future marketing.
Consent and suppression records may be retained separately for compliance purposes after substantive inquiry information is deleted.
When information is no longer needed and no lawful retention obligation applies, we delete it, render it appropriately unreadable, or deidentify it where legally appropriate.
Deletion from backups may occur through scheduled backup replacement rather than immediate removal from every archived copy. Information retained in backups is not restored for unrelated purposes. If restored for recovery, applicable deletion and suppression requirements will be reapplied.
This Policy does not promise immediate deletion upon guide delivery, because limited delivery, consent, security, and compliance records may lawfully remain necessary.
20. Email Preferences
You may stop promotional emails by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link in the message or emailing Info@ConsumerGuardianGroup.com.
We will honor the request within the period required by applicable law.
Unsubscribing from promotional email does not necessarily prevent communications necessary to respond to your inquiry, administer requested services, send receipts, communicate security information, or provide legally required notices.
We do not use a service communication as a pretext to send marketing that you have declined.
Email opt-out and SMS opt-out are administered according to the channel and scope of your request. You may request cessation of marketing across all channels.
21. General Privacy Requests
You may contact us to request access to personal information, correction of inaccurate information, or deletion of stored personal information.
Submit a request by emailing Info@ConsumerGuardianGroup.com or calling (865) 643-8377. Identify the requested action and provide sufficient information for us to locate the relevant records.
Do not send identity documents, passwords, or complete financial-account numbers with an initial request unless we subsequently identify an appropriate verification method.
Where a statute applies, we will process the request under that statute. Where a request is not subject to a statutory entitlement, we will consider it in light of our obligations, operational capabilities, confidentiality duties, and lawful retention needs.
Privacy rights do not authorize access to another person’s confidential information, privileged material, protected legal work product, or information that applicable law permits or requires us to withhold.
22. Verification and Authorized Representatives
For requests requiring identity verification, we use information reasonably necessary to confirm that the requester is the individual concerned or an authorized representative.
Verification is proportionate to the sensitivity of the information and the risk of unauthorized disclosure or deletion. We do not require account creation solely to submit a privacy request.
An authorized agent may submit a request where permitted by law. We may require evidence of authority and, where allowed, direct verification with the individual. Valid powers of attorney and other legally recognized authorizations will be handled as required by applicable law.
Information collected to verify a request is used for verification, request administration, security, and compliance—not unrelated marketing.
Opt-out requests that legally do not require identity verification will not be subjected to unnecessary verification barriers.
23. Tennessee Privacy Rights
Where TIPA applies to our processing of a Tennessee resident’s personal information, the resident may request:
Confirmation of whether we process the resident’s personal information and access to that information.
Correction of inaccuracies, taking account of the nature and purpose of processing.
Deletion of personal information as provided by the statute.
A portable copy of eligible information in a readily usable format, where technically feasible.
An opt-out of sale, targeted advertising, or profiling in furtherance of decisions producing legal or similarly significant effects, as defined by TIPA.
We do not engage in sale, third-party targeted advertising, or solely automated significant-decision profiling under this Policy. Applicable opt-out requests will nevertheless be honored if relevant processing occurs.
We will respond without undue delay and generally within forty-five days after receiving a request, subject to statutory verification requirements and exceptions.
Where permitted and reasonably necessary, we may extend the response period once by an additional forty-five days. We will notify you within the initial period and explain the extension.
If we deny a request, we will explain the basis to the extent required by law and provide appeal instructions.
To appeal, email Info@ConsumerGuardianGroup.com with the subject line “Tennessee Privacy Appeal” and identify the decision you wish to challenge. The appeal process is available without charge.
We will respond to an appeal within sixty days of receipt, explaining the action taken or not taken and the reasons. If the appeal is denied, we will explain how to submit a complaint to the Tennessee Attorney General through https://www.tn.gov/attorneygeneral.
Requests will be provided without charge at the frequency required by TIPA. Any permitted fee or refusal for a manifestly unfounded, excessive, or repetitive request will be supported by the applicable statutory requirements.
24. California Privacy Disclosures
This section applies where the CCPA/CPRA governs our processing of a California resident’s personal information.
The categories below describe information that may be collected and disclosed for the stated business purposes when relevant to your interaction. We do not collect every category about every person.
CategoryExamplesSourcesPurposesAuthorized recipientsIdentifiersName, address, email, telephone number, IP address, account identifiersYou, authorized representatives, devices, relevant case sourcesInquiry response, scheduling, case review, security, complianceDesignated counsel and restricted operational providersCustomer-record informationSignatures, contact details, financial or ownership informationYou and submitted documentsCase evaluation, engagement administration, authorized billingDesignated counsel and relevant restricted providersCommercial informationTimeshare purchases, upgrades, payment history, maintenance fees, services requestedYou, case documents, authorized case sourcesEligibility review, strategy evaluation, service administrationDesignated counsel and relevant restricted providersInternet or network activityPages visited, browser details, interactions, security logsBrowser, device, Website systemsWebsite operation, restricted analytics, fraud preventionHosting, security, and restricted analytics providersApproximate locationGeneral location derived from IP addressDevice and network dataSecurity and operational analysisRelevant hosting and security providersProfessional or employment informationEmployment details appearing in relevant financing or case documentsYou and submitted recordsReview of relevant circumstancesDesignated counsel and necessary restricted providersSensitive personal informationGovernment identifiers, protected financial-account information, or other legally sensitive information appearing in necessary recordsYou and relevant documentsAuthorized review, services, security, legal complianceDesignated counsel and necessary restricted providersDerived assessment informationInternal assessments of relevance, eligibility, or potential issuesInformation supplied and authorized reviewHuman-supervised case evaluationDesignated counsel and authorized case-administration providers
Disclosure to authorities or case participants may occur as described in Section 15.
We do not collect biometric identifiers for identification, precise device geolocation for advertising, or sensory recordings through Website intake under the operating model described here. Any later recording program requires appropriate notice and any legally required consent.
We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not knowingly sell or share personal information concerning individuals under sixteen years old.
Category-specific retention follows the criteria in Section 19. The applicable period depends on whether information concerns an unaccepted inquiry, an active engagement, a completed matter, or a compliance record.
25. California Privacy Rights
Subject to applicable exceptions, California residents may exercise the following rights:
25.1 Right to Know and Access
You may request the categories and specific pieces of personal information we maintain about you, the categories of sources, the purposes of collection, and the categories of recipients to whom information was disclosed.
The scope and historical period of the response will comply with applicable law, including requirements extending beyond a fixed twelve-month period where applicable.
25.2 Right to Delete
You may request deletion of personal information, subject to exceptions permitting or requiring retention, including obligations connected with an authorized transaction, security, legal compliance, or protected legal interests.
25.3 Right to Correct
You may request correction of inaccurate personal information, taking account of the information’s nature and processing purposes.
25.4 Right to Opt Out of Sale or Sharing
You may opt out of sale or sharing as defined by the CCPA/CPRA. Although we do not conduct those activities under this Policy, we will honor legally applicable requests and qualifying opt-out preference signals.
We will not treat a sale-or-sharing opt-out as withdrawal of consent for an unrelated requested service unless that consequence is legally necessary and clearly explained.
25.5 Sensitive Personal Information
We use sensitive personal information only for purposes permitted without offering an additional limitation right, including appropriately authorized services, security, and compliance, and not for unrelated inference or advertising.
If we begin a use requiring a right to limit, we will provide the required notice and an effective method to exercise that right before or as required for the new processing.
25.6 Nondiscrimination
We will not unlawfully discriminate against you for exercising privacy rights. We do not offer financial incentives in exchange for personal information under this Policy.
25.7 Submission and Response
Submit requests by emailing Info@ConsumerGuardianGroup.com or calling (865) 643-8377.
For qualifying requests to know, delete, or correct, we will confirm receipt within ten business days where required and provide a substantive response generally within forty-five calendar days.
Where a permitted extension is necessary, we will notify you and explain the extension within the initial period. The total response period will not exceed ninety calendar days where that statutory maximum applies.
Sale-or-sharing opt-outs and sensitive-information limitation requests are handled under the shorter deadlines applicable to those requests.
We provide requests without charge as required by law. Any permitted fee or refusal for an excessive or manifestly unfounded request will be supported by the applicable legal criteria.
26. Other State Privacy Rights
Residents of other states may have rights to access, correct, delete, or obtain personal information; opt out of specified processing; use an authorized agent; or appeal a denied request.
Where an applicable law provides such rights, we will honor them in accordance with that law’s scope, verification requirements, deadlines, exemptions, and appeal procedures.
Submit a request using the contact methods in this Policy. If an appeal is available, email Info@ConsumerGuardianGroup.com with the subject line “Privacy Appeal” and identify the decision being appealed.
We will not use the absence of a state-specific section to deny a right that applicable law provides.
27. Exceptions, Professional Records, and Privileged Information
Access, correction, and deletion rights are subject to applicable legal exceptions.
We may retain or withhold information where necessary to comply with legal or professional obligations, preserve evidence, protect another individual’s rights, maintain security, or preserve legally protected confidentiality or privilege.
We will not apply an exception more broadly than permitted. Where only part of a record is exempt, we will provide the nonexempt portion where legally required and reasonably practicable.
A privacy request does not replace a client’s right to request a professional file under applicable law or an engagement agreement. Such requests may require coordination with responsible counsel.
28. Children’s Information
The Website’s intake and engagement features are intended for adults. We do not knowingly solicit personal information from children under thirteen or operate a service directed to children.
If we learn that information has been collected from a child in violation of applicable law, we will take appropriate steps to delete or otherwise lawfully address it.
An adult’s case records may incidentally mention a minor. Such information is used only where relevant and lawful and is not used for marketing to the minor.
A parent or guardian who believes a child has submitted information should contact Info@ConsumerGuardianGroup.com.
29. United States Processing and International Visitors
Our operations are based in the United States. Information submitted to us is processed in the United States and may be processed by authorized providers in other locations only under appropriate safeguards and restrictions.
Privacy protections and governmental-access rules may differ from those in your country of residence.
Visiting the Website or submitting information does not, by itself, establish explicit consent to an international transfer where applicable law requires a separate lawful transfer mechanism.
If processing falls within a non-U.S. legal framework requiring additional safeguards or disclosures, we will address those requirements before conducting the relevant processing.
30. Deidentified Information
Where we lawfully deidentify information, we use reasonable measures to prevent association with an identifiable individual and maintain it in deidentified form.
We do not attempt to reidentify such information except where lawful testing is necessary to verify the adequacy of deidentification.
Recipients of deidentified information must be subject to appropriate restrictions where required by applicable law.
Merely removing a name does not necessarily render a record deidentified. Sensitive case documents are not treated as anonymous solely because direct identifiers have been removed.
31. External Websites and Third-Party Services
The Website may link to external resources or services not operated by us. Their collection and use of information are governed by their own notices and applicable law.
A link does not imply that we control the external site’s privacy practices.
This section does not excuse our obligations concerning embedded tools, selected processors, or disclosures we initiate. Information transferred by us remains subject to the restrictions applicable to that transfer.
32. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Policy to reflect lawful changes in operations, technologies, or legal requirements. The revised Policy will display an updated Effective Date prominently at the top.
For material changes, we will provide additional notice where required, including notice through the Website or appropriate direct communications.
Where a new purpose or disclosure requires consent, we will obtain that consent before the new processing. Continued Website use is not treated as blanket consent to materially different processing, sale or sharing, or automated marketing.
A revision does not retroactively eliminate privacy rights, invalidate an opt-out, or authorize previously prohibited use of consent records.
33. Contact Information
Consumer Guardian Group
Principal Place of Business: Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Email: Info@ConsumerGuardianGroup.com
Telephone: (865) 643-8377
Website: https://www.consumerguardiangroup.com
For privacy requests, use the subject line “Privacy Request.” For an appeal, use “Privacy Appeal” or “Tennessee Privacy Appeal.” These subject lines help route requests but are not mandatory conditions for exercising a legal right.
For text-messaging assistance, reply HELP. To stop text messages, reply STOP or contact us through another reasonable method.