VAST's Commitment to Online Security

Physical, electronic and managerial procedures have been employed to safeguard the security and integrity of personal information. VAST encrypts billing information wherever VAST requests it. Personal information is accessible only by staff and volunteers designated to handle online complaints or requests. All VAST agents and contractors with access to personal information obtained on the VAST web site are also bound to adhere to this policy as part of their contract with VAST.

Personal Information that VAST May Collect Online

VAST collects the following types of personal information: names, postal and e-mail addresses, phone and facsimile numbers, billing information, and complaint information. VAST may also collect business information from sole proprietorships that apply for membership or program participation, some of which might constitute personal information, as well as personal information from individuals acting solely in their business capacity.

VAST does not collect or maintain information from those actually known to be under the age of 13, and no part of our site is structured to attract anyone under the age of 13.

How VAST May Use Personal Information Collected Online

Unless you consent, VAST will use your personal information only for the purpose for which it was submitted such as to reply to inquiries, handle your complaints and process billing and business requests related to program participation, and we will use such information to provide operational notices, in program recordkeeping and to conduct research on industry marketplace practices. Our research may lead to the publication of aggregate demographical data but will not result in the reporting or publication of any personal information provided to us. At certain points where personal information is collected on our site, there may be a box where you may indicate you would like to be on a list to receive information about other VAST programs and services and about ways to support VAST. At any time you can add or remove your name from our mailing list by contacting us at vast@virginiasolartechnology.com .

How Your Information May Be Shared

In order to process complaints against businesses, VAST will transfer complaints received online to the company complained about. It is also possible that a complaint, request or inquiry will be more appropriately handled by another VAST office, in which case the request or inquiry will be transferred to the proper VAST location. By completing a complaint form or sending us a request or inquiry, you are allowing us to forward your information to the proper business and also to the proper VAST location, if necessary. Without submission of the requested information, VAST will not be able to share your information and process your complaint. VAST may also share your personal information with other VAST locations for VAST to research industry marketplace practices. Just as in any research we may do, VAST research will not result in the reporting or publication of any personal information. VAST never sells or rents personal information.

We will also release personal information under the following circumstances:

·       Where release is required by law (for example, a subpoena) or regulation, or is requested by a government agency conducting investigations or proceedings;

·       Where our records indicate a company may be engaged in fraudulent activity or other deceptive practices that a governmental agency should be made aware of;

·       Where warranted by a company's failure to participate in VAST's advertising self-regulatory process; or

·       To appropriate persons, where your communication suggests possible harm to others.

Help Us Keep Your Personal Information Accurate

If your personal information changes or you would like to review the personal information we may have on file, please email us with the new information or your review request at vast@virginiasolartechnology.com . Let us also know the department or VAST program that led to your submission of personal information so we may efficiently locate your information.

Computer Tracking and Cookies

Our web site is not set up to track, collect or distribute personal information not entered by its visitors. Our site logs do generate certain kinds of non-identifying site usage data, such as the number of hits and visits to our site. This information is used for internal purposes by technical support staff to provide better services to the public and may also be provided to others, but again, the statistics contain no personal information and cannot be used to gather such information.

A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a Web server and stored on your computer's hard drive. VAST uses non-identifying cookies to provide easier site navigation and access to forms. You can still use the VAST site if your browser is set to reject cookies. Our cookies do not generate personal data, do not read personal data from your machine and are never tied to anything that could be used to identify you.