Privacy Policy

At Cigar Price Scout, we are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our price comparison service.

Information We Collect

Current Services

Cigar Price Scout currently collects minimal information to provide our price comparison service:

• ZIP Code: Used for calculating accurate shipping costs and tax estimates for your location. This information may be shared with our affiliate partners in aggregated, non-personally identifiable form to improve pricing accuracy and commission tracking
• Usage Analytics: Anonymous website usage data and search trends to help us improve our service
• Technical Information: Basic browser and device information for site functionality

Optional Account Features

If you choose to create an account for enhanced features, we may collect:

• Email Address: For account access and price alerts (if you opt-in)
• Favorite Cigars: Products you choose to save for price monitoring
• Search History: To provide personalized recommendations (stored locally in your account)
• Photo Data: Images you upload for cigar identification (processed and deleted immediately)

Important: All personal information is optional and only collected when you explicitly choose to create an account. You can use our core price comparison service completely anonymously.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide accurate price comparisons including shipping and tax estimates based on your ZIP code
• Improve our service through anonymous usage analytics
• Ensure our website functions properly across different devices and browsers
• Send price alerts for favorited cigars (account holders only, with explicit opt-in)
• Provide cigar identification services through photo analysis
• Create anonymous, aggregated market reports for retailers (no personal information included)
• Comply with legal requirements

Anonymous Data & Market Insights

We may use anonymous, aggregated data about search trends and popular products to:

• Improve our price comparison service
• Create market trend reports for cigar retailers
• Identify new products to include in our comparisons

This data is completely anonymous and cannot be linked to any individual user.

Affiliate Marketing Disclosure

Material Connection Disclosure: Cigar Price Scout participates in affiliate marketing programs including CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction), Sovrn Commerce, and other networks. We earn commissions when you purchase products through our affiliate links.

• These affiliate relationships help us provide our price comparison service free of charge
• Our product recommendations and price comparisons remain objective and unbiased
• Commission rates do not influence our price comparison rankings
• You pay the same price whether you use our links or visit retailers directly

Third-Party Retailers and Affiliate Links

Our site contains affiliate links to third-party cigar retailers. When you click these links:

• You will be directed to the retailer's website, which has its own privacy policy
• We may receive a commission if you make a purchase (at no extra cost to you)
• We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external retailers
• Any transactions occur directly between you and the retailer

Affiliate Program Data Sharing

When you click affiliate links, we may share limited, non-personally identifiable information with our affiliate partners for commission tracking purposes, including:

• General geographic region (not specific ZIP codes)
• Product categories viewed
• Referral source information
• Anonymous transaction data for commission calculation

We never share personally identifiable information such as names, email addresses, or exact locations with affiliate partners.

Photo and Image Data

Our cigar identification feature:

• Processes photos locally when possible
• May temporarily upload images to our servers for identification
• Deletes all uploaded images immediately after processing
• Does not store or retain any photo data
• Does not use photos for any purpose other than cigar identification

Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies to:

• Remember your ZIP code for future visits (if you choose to save it)
• Analyze website usage through services like Google Analytics
• Ensure our affiliate links work properly

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though this may affect some functionality of our service.

Affiliate Program Cookies and Tracking

Some affiliate programs we participate in, including CJ Affiliate, Sovrn Commerce, and others, may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track purchases and ensure we receive credit for referrals. These cookies:

• Do not collect personally identifiable information
• Are used solely for commission tracking purposes
• Help us earn commissions when you make purchases through our links
• Allow us to provide our service free of charge

When you click an affiliate link, non-personally identifiable tracking data may be shared with our affiliate partners for commission purposes. We do not transmit personal information (such as names or email addresses) to third parties via our affiliate links.

For visitors in the EU/UK: You will be presented with a consent banner before affiliate tracking cookies are set, in compliance with GDPR and similar privacy regulations.

You can learn more about our affiliate partners' privacy practices:

• CJ Affiliate Privacy Policy
• Sovrn Commerce Privacy Policy

Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect the limited information we collect. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

Age Requirements

Our service is intended for users 21 years of age or older, as required by law for tobacco-related services. We do not knowingly collect information from individuals under 21.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date.