Vendor Privacy Notice

This Vendor Privacy Notice ("Notice") explains how MelaMatch collects, uses, and protects personal data related to vendors and service providers who use our lead-generation platform for South Asian events. We are committed to safeguarding your information and adhering to applicable privacy laws, including relevant provisions of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), CAN-SPAM Act, the Colorado Privacy Act (2023), and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (2024), among others.

Information We Collect from Vendors

We collect various types of information from vendors when you register and use MelaMatch as a service provider:

• Business and Contact Information: When you sign up as a vendor, we collect information such as your name, business name, business type (e.g., catering, photography), contact person, email address, phone number, postal address, and other identifiers needed to create and display your vendor profile.
• Profile Content: Information you provide for your public profile and listings, including descriptions of services, pricing, photos, availability, and any other content you choose to upload to showcase your services for South Asian events.
• Transactional Information: If there are paid features or subscriptions (e.g., premium listings), we may collect payment-related information (such as billing address and payment card details) through a secure third-party payment processor. (Note: We do not store full payment card numbers on our servers.)
• Communications: Copies of communications you send through our platform or communications we send to you. For example, if you message a potential client (user) through MelaMatch or receive inquiries, we may collect and store those messages.
• Usage Data: Technical data about how you access and use the vendor features of our site, such as IP address, device type, browser type, access times, and pages viewed. We also use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your interactions with the platform (see "Cookies & Tracking" below).

How We Use Vendor Information

We use the information collected from vendors for purposes that include:

• Providing Services: To create and maintain your vendor account, display your vendor profile to users, and facilitate connections and lead generation between you and potential clients planning events.
• Communications: To send you important account or transactional communications, such as lead notifications, inquiries from users, updates about our platform, and responses to your customer support requests. We may also send you promotional communications about new features or opportunities on MelaMatch (you can opt out of marketing emails as noted below).
• Improving Our Platform: To analyze usage and performance of our site (including vendor-specific features) in order to develop new tools and enhance the vendor experience. For instance, we might track how often vendors update profiles or respond to leads to improve our matching algorithm.
• Payments and Billing: To process any fees or payments related to services you purchase (such as advertising or premium listings), and to keep proper financial records. All payment processing is done in compliance with applicable security standards.
• Legal and Compliance: To enforce our Terms of Service for Vendors, to prevent fraud, to comply with legal obligations (such as tax and accounting requirements or responding to lawful requests), and to ensure the platform's integrity and security for all users.

Sharing of Vendor Information

We share vendor-related information only in limited circumstances:

• With Users (Your Potential Clients): Much of the information you provide in your vendor profile is public on MelaMatch for users browsing event service providers. For example, your business name, services offered, photos, and reviews are visible to all site visitors. However, certain contact details (like your email address or phone number) are not publicly displayed unless you choose to include them in public fields. When a user submits an inquiry or request for quote to you through the platform, we will share the necessary contact information with that user (such as your name and phone or email) to facilitate direct communication, unless communications are handled through our internal messaging system.
• With Service Providers: We may use third-party companies to support our services (for example, cloud hosting providers, email/SMS delivery services, analytics services, payment processors). These providers may have access to vendor information as needed to perform their functions on our behalf, but they are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for providing their specific services to us.
• As Required by Law: We may disclose vendor information if required to do so by law or in response to valid legal process (e.g., subpoenas or court orders), or when necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request.
• Business Transfers: If MelaMatch is involved in a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, vendor information may be transferred to the successor or affiliate as part of that transaction. If such a transfer occurs, your personal data will remain subject to the protections outlined in this Notice (unless you are notified otherwise and consent to any new terms).

Cookies & Tracking

Our platform uses cookies and similar technologies for general functionality, analytics, and advertising, which apply to all users including vendors. For instance, cookies help keep you logged in to your account, remember your preferences, and track site usage metrics. As a vendor, you may also encounter cookies that track how you use your dashboard and tools, which helps us improve features (e.g., by analyzing which features are most used by vendors). You can manage cookie preferences in your browser settings. As stated in our User Privacy Notice, we honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals and similar mechanisms; if you use a browser or device setting that sends a GPC signal, our site will treat it as an opt-out of any sale of personal data or targeted advertising cookies as required by applicable law.

Communications to Vendors

MelaMatch may send you emails, text messages, or phone calls for service-related purposes. Examples include notifying you of a new lead or message from a prospective client, communications about your account status, or updates to our policies. These are considered transactional or relationship messages and may be sent even if you opt out of marketing emails. We may also send you marketing communications (such as newsletters, promotional offers, or suggestions to improve your profile) if you have not opted out. All marketing emails will comply with the CAN-SPAM Act – they will clearly state who the email is from, and provide a way for you to unsubscribe. If you provide us with a mobile number, we will only send marketing text messages with your consent, and you can opt out by replying "STOP". We comply with the TCPA and other applicable regulations when sending communications to ensure you only receive communications you agreed to.

Your Rights and Choices

Vendors, as individuals, have rights over their personal data similar to our other users, subject to applicable law:

• Access and Correction: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you (such as the information in your vendor account) and ask us to correct or update it if it is inaccurate or incomplete. Much of your basic info can also be corrected by logging into your account and editing your profile.
• Data Portability: In certain cases, you can request a copy of the personal data you have provided to us in a portable format.
• Deletion: You can request that we delete personal data we have collected from you. Note that we may need to retain certain information for legal or business purposes (for example, records of transactions or communications) as permitted by law. If you choose to close your vendor account, we will deactivate your profile and remove public content, but some data may be kept internally for record-keeping requirements.
• Opt-Out of Selling/Sharing: MelaMatch does not sell vendors' personal information for monetary gain. If we engage in practices that might be considered "sharing" for targeted advertising, you have the right to opt out. As noted, we honor Global Privacy Control signals, and you can also submit an opt-out request by contacting us.
• State Law Privacy Rights: If you are a resident of a state with specific privacy laws (for instance, the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) or the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA)), you may have additional rights such as the right to opt out of targeted advertising and profiling, or the right to appeal our decision on a privacy request. We will honor those rights as applicable. You can exercise state-specific rights by contacting us.

Please note that in some situations, if you are interacting with MelaMatch solely in a business capacity (e.g., as an employee of a larger company vendor), certain privacy laws may classify your data as business contact information not subject to consumer rights requests. However, we will still make good faith efforts to honor any legitimate requests regarding personal data.

Data Security

We implement security measures designed to protect vendor information. This includes administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the data. For example, we use encryption for sensitive data transfers, maintain firewalls, and limit access to personal data to authorized personnel. Vendors also have a role in security: please maintain the confidentiality of your login credentials and notify us immediately if you suspect any unauthorized access to your account.

Changes to This Notice

We may update this Vendor Privacy Notice from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by updating the Effective Date above and, if required, through additional notice (such as an email to vendor account holders or a notification on your dashboard). We encourage you to review this Notice periodically. Continued use of the platform after an update signifies your acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Vendor Privacy Notice or our handling of your information, please contact us here.