Privacy Policy
Last updated:
1. Who We Are
Estimate Consultants ("we," "us," "our") provides independent vehicle appraisal services, including Diminished Value, Total Loss, Estate & Probate, Bank & Collateral, IRS Vehicle Donation, and Divorce/Legal Settlement appraisals, along with related insurance claim representation support. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information when you use our website, client portal, or services.
2. Information We Collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
- Contact information: name, phone number, email address, mailing address.
- Vehicle information: VIN, year, make, model, trim, mileage, license plate, title status, color, and photographs of your vehicle.
- Claim information: insurance carrier, claim number, adjuster contact details, date of loss, repair records, and related documents you upload (such as repair estimates).
- Account information: if you create a client portal account, your email address and a securely hashed password (we never store your password in plain text).
- Payment information: invoices for our services are generated and processed through Wave; we do not directly store your full payment card details.
- Usage data: basic website analytics (such as pages visited) collected through standard tools like Google Ads/Analytics tags.
3. How We Use Your Information
- To prepare your vehicle appraisal report and supporting documentation.
- To act as your authorized technical representative on your claim directly with the applicable insurance carrier or adjuster on your behalf, where you've engaged us to do so.
- To generate and send invoices for our services.
- To communicate with you about the status of your appraisal or claim, by email (and, where you've provided a phone number, by phone).
- To comply with legal, tax, and recordkeeping obligations related to our appraisal work.
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:
- Insurance carriers and adjusters, when representing a claim on your behalf.
- Service providers who help us operate our business, including Google (for document storage, email, and our client portal infrastructure) and Wave (for invoicing).
- Legal or regulatory authorities, where required by law.
5. Data Storage & Security
Your information is stored using Google's business infrastructure (Google Sheets and Google Drive) with access restricted to authorized personnel. Passwords for client portal accounts are stored as salted cryptographic hashes, never in plain text. While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure.
6. Data Retention
We retain appraisal records, claim documentation, and related communications for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, including any applicable legal, tax, or professional recordkeeping requirements for appraisal work.
7. Your Choices
You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information by contacting us at the email address below. Note that we may need to retain certain records related to an active or completed appraisal for legal or professional purposes even after a deletion request.
8. Children's Privacy
Our services are intended for adults handling their own vehicle appraisal and insurance matters. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, contact us at kevin@estimateconsultants.com or 910-333-6001.