Privacy Policy

Effective Date: January 1, 2025

Last Updated: January 1, 2025

Welcome to SpeakPro Academy. This Privacy Policy describes how SpeakPro Academy ("we," "us," "our," or the "Company") collects, uses, discloses, and protects your personal information when you visit our website at https://maxxcommunications.com/ (the "Site") and use our services including interview coaching, public speaking training, and communication consultation programs.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about our data practices. By accessing or using our Site and services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Contact us through our contact forms or email
• Register for our courses or programs
• Schedule consultations or coaching sessions
• Subscribe to our newsletter or blog updates
• Communicate with us via phone, email, or other channels
• Participate in surveys, feedback requests, or promotional activities

The personal information we may collect includes:

• Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address
• Professional Information: Job title, company name, industry, career goals
• Account Information: Username, password (encrypted), preferences
• Payment Information: Billing address, payment method details (processed securely through third-party payment processors)
• Communication Content: Messages, inquiries, feedback, and any information you provide in your communications with us
• Program-Specific Information: Information relevant to your training programs, such as interview preparation materials, presentation recordings (with your consent), and progress assessments

1.2 Information Automatically Collected

When you visit our Site, we automatically collect certain technical information through cookies and similar technologies:

• Device Information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device identifiers
• Usage Information: Pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, referring/exit pages
• Location Information: General geographic location based on IP address
• Log Data: Server logs containing access times, error logs, and system activity

1.3 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and gather information about usage patterns. You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy section below.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following legitimate business purposes:

2.1 Service Delivery

• Provide, maintain, and improve our training programs and services
• Process registrations and manage your participation in courses
• Schedule and conduct coaching sessions and consultations
• Deliver educational materials, resources, and program content
• Communicate with you about your programs, sessions, and progress

2.2 Communication

• Respond to your inquiries, requests, and support needs
• Send you service-related announcements and updates
• Provide customer service and technical support
• Send newsletters, blog updates, and educational content (with your consent)

2.3 Business Operations

• Process payments and maintain billing records
• Manage accounts and maintain customer relationships
• Conduct internal research and analytics to improve our services
• Monitor and analyze usage patterns and trends
• Ensure security and prevent fraud

2.4 Marketing and Promotion

• Send promotional materials about new courses, programs, and services (with your consent)
• Conduct surveys and gather feedback
• Personalize your experience and provide tailored recommendations

2.5 Legal Compliance

• Comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements
• Enforce our Terms and Conditions and other policies
• Protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property
• Respond to legal requests and prevent illegal activities

3. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), our legal bases for processing your personal information include:

• Consent: You have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for specific purposes
• Contract Performance: Processing is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations to you
• Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving services, fraud prevention, and network security
• Legal Obligation: Processing is necessary to comply with applicable laws and regulations

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

4.1 Service Providers

We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business, including:

• Payment processors for secure transaction processing
• Email service providers for newsletter distribution
• Cloud hosting services for data storage
• Analytics providers for website performance analysis
• Customer relationship management (CRM) platforms
• Video conferencing platforms for virtual coaching sessions

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

4.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law, legal process, litigation, or governmental request, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal obligations
• Protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users or the public
• Detect, prevent, or address fraud, security, or technical issues
• Enforce our Terms and Conditions or other agreements

4.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the successor entity, subject to the same privacy protections.

4.4 With Your Consent

We may share your information with third parties when you have provided explicit consent for such sharing.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Retention periods vary based on:

• The nature of the information collected
• The purposes for which it was collected
• Legal, regulatory, or contractual obligations
• Our legitimate business interests

Generally, we retain:

• Account Information: For the duration of your account plus 7 years after closure for legal and accounting purposes
• Program Records: For the duration of the program plus 5 years for educational records
• Marketing Communications: Until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent
• Payment Records: For 7 years to comply with tax and financial regulations
• Website Analytics: Typically 26 months in aggregated, anonymized form

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

6.1 Access and Portability

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and receive a copy in a structured, commonly used format.

6.2 Correction

You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

6.3 Deletion

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions (such as compliance with legal obligations or completion of transactions).

6.4 Restriction of Processing

You have the right to request restriction of processing your personal information in certain circumstances.

6.5 Objection

You have the right to object to processing of your personal information based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.

6.6 Withdrawal of Consent

Where processing is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal.

6.7 Marketing Communications

You may opt out of receiving marketing communications by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in our emails or contacting us directly. Please note that even if you opt out of marketing communications, we may still send you service-related messages.

6.8 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided below. We will respond to your request within 30 days (or as required by applicable law). We may request verification of your identity before processing your request.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest using industry-standard protocols (SSL/TLS)
• Secure authentication and access controls
• Regular security assessments and vulnerability testing
• Employee training on data protection and privacy practices
• Restricted access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
• Secure backup and disaster recovery procedures

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.

8. International Data Transfers

SpeakPro Academy is based in the United States. If you are accessing our services from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate.

These countries may have data protection laws different from those in your country. By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other jurisdictions as necessary to provide our services.

For users in the European Economic Area, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

10. Third-Party Links and Services

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites, services, or resources that are not operated by us. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

11. Cookie Policy

11.1 What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit our Site. They help us recognize your device and remember information about your visit.

11.2 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for the Site to function properly (e.g., security, network management)
• Performance Cookies: Collect information about how you use our Site to help us improve functionality
• Functionality Cookies: Remember your preferences and choices to provide enhanced features
• Targeting/Advertising Cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and measure campaign effectiveness

11.3 Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or delete cookies that have been placed. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our Site.

For more information about managing cookies, visit: www.allaboutcookies.org

12. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

12.1 Right to Know

You have the right to request information about the personal information we have collected about you in the past 12 months, including:

• Categories of personal information collected
• Categories of sources from which information was collected
• Business or commercial purpose for collecting information
• Categories of third parties with whom we share information
• Specific pieces of personal information collected

12.2 Right to Delete

You have the right to request deletion of personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.

12.3 Right to Opt-Out of Sale

We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA. However, if our practices change, we will update this policy and provide an opt-out mechanism.

12.4 Right to Non-Discrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.

12.5 Authorized Agent

You may designate an authorized agent to submit requests on your behalf. We may require verification of the agent's authority.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated Privacy Policy on our Site with a new "Last Updated" date
• Sending email notifications to registered users
• Displaying a prominent notice on our Site

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy regularly. Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

14. Contact Information

15. Data Protection Officer

For privacy-related inquiries or to exercise your data protection rights, you may contact our Data Protection Officer at the address above or via email at [email protected].

16. Complaints

If you believe we have not adequately addressed your privacy concerns, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your jurisdiction. For EEA residents, you may contact your local data protection authority.

Your privacy is important to us. We are committed to protecting your personal information and providing transparency about our data practices. Thank you for trusting SpeakPro Academy with your communication training needs.