Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

AptAlert NYC ("we," "us," or "our"), operated by SA Consulting AEP LLC, provides a real-time apartment listing alert service for the New York City metropolitan area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and services at aptalertnyc.com (the "Service"). This policy is designed to comply with applicable U.S. privacy laws including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the CAN-SPAM Act, and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Name, email address, and password when you create an account, or profile data from Google OAuth or Apple Sign-In.
• Search Preferences: Boroughs, neighborhoods, price ranges, bedroom counts, transit preferences, and other apartment search criteria you configure.
• Payment Information: Billing details processed securely by Stripe. We do not store credit card numbers on our servers.
• Communication Data: Phone number (for SMS alerts), Telegram chat ID (for Telegram alerts), and email address (for email alerts).
• Support Communications: Any messages you send to us via email.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, alert history, and interaction timestamps.
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type, and screen resolution.
• Analytics Data: We use Google Analytics 4 (measurement ID G-WNBG8MVSHD) to collect anonymized usage data including page views, session duration, and feature interactions. Google may set cookies such as _ga, _gid, and _gat.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies for authentication, preferences, and analytics. See our Cookie Policy for details.
• Log Data: IP address, access times, and referring URLs.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To provide, maintain, and improve the Service
• To send apartment alerts matching your search criteria via email, SMS, or Telegram
• To process payments and manage subscriptions
• To communicate with you about your account, updates, and support requests
• To detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, or technical issues
• To analyze usage patterns and improve user experience
• To comply with legal obligations

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:

• Service Providers: Stripe (payments), SendGrid (email delivery), Twilio (SMS alerts), Telegram Bot API (Telegram alerts), Firebase/Google Cloud (hosting and authentication), Upstash Redis (search result caching), and Google Analytics (usage analytics). Each provider processes data solely for the purpose of providing their respective service.
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, subpoena, or governmental request.
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
• With Your Consent: When you explicitly authorize sharing.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Alert history is retained for 90 days. Listing data is cached for 7 days. When you delete your account, we delete your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including encryption in transit (TLS/SSL), encrypted data storage, secure authentication via Firebase Auth, and PCI-compliant payment processing through Stripe. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access, correct, or delete your personal information
• Object to or restrict processing of your data
• Data portability (receive your data in a structured format)
• Withdraw consent at any time
• Opt out of marketing communications

To exercise these rights, contact us at sa.consultingaepllc@gmail.com.

8. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to Know: You may request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources of collection, the business purpose, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
• Right to Delete: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions.
• Right to Opt Out of Sale: We do not sell personal information. If this changes, we will provide a "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" link.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

To exercise these rights, email us at sa.consultingaepllc@gmail.com with the subject line "CCPA Request." We will verify your identity and respond within 45 days.

9. CAN-SPAM Compliance

We comply with the CAN-SPAM Act for all commercial email communications:

• All emails clearly identify AptAlert NYC as the sender.
• All emails include a valid physical mailing address or registered agent address.
• All marketing emails include a clear unsubscribe mechanism.
• Unsubscribe requests are honored within 10 business days.
• We do not use deceptive subject lines or false header information.
• Transactional emails (alerts matching your search criteria) may be sent without an unsubscribe option, as they are essential to the Service you requested.

You can manage your email preferences from your account settings or by clicking "Unsubscribe" in any marketing email.

10. SMS Alerts and TCPA Compliance

If you opt in to receive SMS alerts (available on Premium plans via Twilio):

• Express Consent: By providing your phone number and enabling SMS alerts in your account settings, you provide express written consent to receive automated text messages from AptAlert NYC at the number you provide.
• Message Frequency: Message frequency varies based on your search criteria and matching listings. You may receive multiple messages per day.
• Message and Data Rates: Standard message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile carrier plan.
• Opt-Out: You may opt out at any time by replying STOP to any SMS message, disabling SMS alerts in your account settings, or contacting us at sa.consultingaepllc@gmail.com.
• Help: Reply HELP to any SMS message for assistance.
• No Purchase Required: Consent to receive SMS is not a condition of purchasing any service.
• Carriers: Supported carriers include major US carriers. Carrier support is not guaranteed.

11. Children's Privacy

The Service is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn that we have collected data from a child under 18, we will delete it promptly.

12. Third-Party Links

The Service may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., Craigslist, StreetEasy, LeaseBreak listings). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at: