Privacy Policy
Last Updated: April 13, 2020
Home Builders Insurance Services of Texas, Inc. dba HBIS, its subsidiaries and affiliates (“HBIS,” “we”, “our” or “us”) respect your concerns about privacy and want you to understand the ways in which we collect and use information provided to us.
This Privacy Policy applies to hbisonline.com.com, all the websites hosted within these domains, any other online services or applications that link to this Privacy Policy (collectively, the “Online Services”) and from other sources such as your application(s), contracts or other agreement(s) with HBIS, and related or supporting documentation, written or oral communications with HBIS or third parties involved in our business with you.
This Privacy Policy describes the information we collect, how we use it, and with whom we may share it. This Privacy Policy also describes the measures we take to protect the security of any personal information.
By using the Online Services or by providing your personal information, you signify your consent to this Privacy Policy. Your use of the Online Services and any information you provide through the Online Services is subject at all times to this Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use.
Information We Collect
Information You Provide Directly to Us. We collect information that you provide to us directly, for example, when you apply for an insurance policy, when you register to write business with us or when you otherwise contact us with comment, question, or request for information. The information that you provide may include, but is not limited to: (a) contact information, such as your name, postal address, email address, and telephone number; (b) other identifying numbers such as your Social Security Number or Federal Employer Identification Number; (c) account information, such as account number, producer code, and policy number; and (d) relevant information to an insurance policy, such as information about your property.
Information We Collect by Automated Means. When you use our Online Services, we collect certain information that helps us understand how the service is being used and how we may improve it.
Some of our Online Services use cookies. Cookies store information that a HBIS website transfers to your computer or mobile device to enable us to recognize your browser and to tailor the information on our websites to your interests. For example, if you previously visited a HBIS website and accessed your account information, cookies enable us to present information tailored to your account and/or particular interests the next time you visit the website. We also use cookies to analyze visitors’ use of our websites. This analysis helps us to better understand which areas of our sites are most useful and popular so we can plan improvements and updates accordingly.
In addition to gathering information with cookies, our web servers log information such as your operating system, browser, what web pages you visit, and the time you visited them. The Web server logs also may record information such as the address of a web page that you came from and the IP address of the device you use to connect to the Internet. These logs help us understand how our Online Services are being used and troubleshoot usability issues that may occur with them.
We use third-party analytics in our Online Services from Google Analytics. Google Analytics uses cookies and web beacons to help us analyze how users use our Online Services. The information collected by these cookies and web beacons (including your IP address) will be shared with Google to evaluate your use of the Online Services. For information about how Google uses the information, see Google’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. To learn about opting out of Google Analytics, you may visit http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
We use third-parties for billing and to process payments made to us. In order to allow them to create invoices and collect your payments, we share some information about your policy with them. They do not share information about your payment method, such as bank account or credit card number with us.
We may combine the information you provide us and information we automatically collect with information from public or third-party sources.
Your Cookie Choices:
You can enable or disable cookies by adjusting your browser settings. This allows you to reject the placement of all cookies (except strictly necessary cookies). You can also delete cookies which have already been placed on your device.
Please remember that disabling or deleting some or all cookies may prevent some web services (including on this website) from functioning correctly, and may lead to a less smooth or less
For further general information on cookies and more detailed advice on how to disable and enable them please go to http://www.allaboutcookies.org.
How We Use the Information We Collect
We use the information we collect and receive to provide you with products and services and to operate, maintain, and enhance the Online Services. For example:
To Provide Our Services. We use the information we collect and receive to provide you with the products, services, or information that you request; to provide you with information about Online Services or required notices; to deliver marketing communications, promotional materials, or advertisements that may be of interest to you; and to customize your experience when using the Online Services, among other things.
To Improve Our Services. We use the information we collect and receive to improve the Online Services we provide, for example by better tailoring content to user needs and preferences, such by generating and analyzing statistics about your use of the Online Services; and by developing new products and services.
To Communicate With You. We use the information we collect and receive to communicate with you about our Online Services and products, to respond to you when you contact us, and to let you know about our policies and terms.
To Maintain and Operate Our Online Services. We use the information we collect and receive to protect our rights, to detect, prevent, respond to, and alert our peer companies of fraud; intellectual property infringement; violations of industry standards and our policies and terms, such as our Terms of Use; violations of law; or other misuse of the Online Services.
We also may use the information in other ways for which we provide specific notice at the time of collection.
Sharing of Information
We may share information we collect or receive in order to provide the products and services that you have requested, when we have your consent, or as otherwise described in this Privacy Policy. We do not rent or sell personal information to third parties.
We may share your information with service providers that perform services on our behalf, such as providing payment processing services, delivering marketing communications or advertisements that may be of interest to you. These service providers are not authorized by us to use or disclose the information except as necessary to perform services on our behalf or to comply with legal requirements. We do not share social security numbers with service providers. We may also share your information among our affiliates and subsidiaries. We may share information we collect on the Online Services at your request.
We also may disclose information about you to third parties as required by law or regulations and when we have a good faith belief that it is necessary in order to protect the legal rights, safety, and security of HBIS, our affiliates, our business partners, users of our Online Services, to enforce our Terms of Use, to respond and resolve complaints, to help prevent fraud or for risk management purposes, and to comply with or respond to law enforcement or legal process or a request for cooperation by a government or other entity.
We reserve the right to transfer information in association with the consideration, negotiation, or completion of a sale transfer of all or a portion of our business assets. Should such a sale or transfer occur, we will use reasonable efforts to direct the transferee to use the information you have provided to us in a manner that is consistent with our Privacy Policy.
We may share information that is not reasonably identified with you for any purpose.
The Online Services may contain third-party links. This Privacy Policy does not apply to the third-party content; you acknowledge and agree that HBIS is not responsible for the collection and use of your information by such third parties that are not under our control. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of those third-party websites or services.
Your Choices
We offer you certain choices about what personal information we collect from you, how we use that information, and how we communicate with you. Some areas of the Online Services provide features that allow you to access and update personal information you have provided there. Some areas contain features that permit you to register your communications preferences, such as by indicating your preference to receive information about particular types of products. You may visit the area of the Online Services where you provided personal information to learn if it provides these features. If it does not, you can contact us as described in the How to Contact Us section to update your preferences, ask us to remove your information from our mailing lists or submit a request.
How We Protect Information
We maintain reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards designed to protect the information you provide against accidental, unlawful or unauthorized destruction, loss, alteration, access, disclosure or use. Because no information system can be fully secure, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information that you transmit to us and you do so at your own risk.
Protection of Social Security Numbers
We strive to protect the confidentiality of Social Security Numbers we collect by employing reasonable safeguards seeking to (i) prohibit unlawful disclosure of Social Security Numbers and (ii) limit access to Social Security Numbers.
How We Retain Information
We may retain information that can reasonably identify you for as long as your account is active or as we determine is needed for our reasonable business purposes, including to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
Children’s Information
The Online Services are not directed to, nor knowingly collect information from, children under the age of 13. If you become aware that your child or any child under your care has provided us with information without your consent, please contact us at the contact information listed below. It will be promptly removed from our systems.
Links to Other Web Sites
The Online Services may provide links to other sites for your convenience and information. These websites may be operated by companies other than HBIS. Linked websites may have their own privacy policies, which we strongly suggest you review if you visit any linked websites. We are not responsible for the content of any websites that are not operated by us, any use of those websites, or the privacy practices of those websites.
Blogs and Other Interactive Services
We may offer blogs, online forums or other interactive services on the Online Services that enable visitors to post and share information and materials. Please note that any information you post or share through these services will become public information and may be available to visitors who access the Online Services and to the general public.
Updates to Our Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically and without prior notice to you to reflect changes in our information practices or relevant laws. We will post a prominent notice on the Online Services to notify you of any significant changes to our Privacy Policy and indicate at the top of the notice when it was updated. You should review this Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Online Services constitutes your agreement to this Privacy Policy.
How to Contact Us
If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, or if you would like us to update information we have about you or your preferences, please contact us as indicated below. If you are contacting us by email to request that we change or delete personal information that you submitted through the Online Services, please be sure to tell us which page or form on the Online Services or on our contact page.