Spark Energy Corporation Review about Privacy Policy

Our Privacy Commitment

At Spark Energy, your privacy is important to us. We care about our customers and are committed to protecting their privacy. This Privacy Policy (the “Privacy Policy”) describes the type of personal information collected by Spark Energy, LLC, or its affiliates such as Spark Energy Gas, LLC and Spark Energy, Inc. (all of which are collectively known as (“us,” “we,” “our” or “Spark Energy”), and it describes how Spark Energy uses this information and to whom it may be disclosed to ensure that your personal information is kept confidential and safe.

This Privacy Policy also informs our customers how they can make their preferences known regarding when and how Spark Energy may send them marketing communications. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. From time to time, we may need to change this Privacy Policy in order to address new issues or to comply with governmental regulations. We will make notice of such changes available to you and will post the changes on the Spark Energy website (the “site” or “website”) at http://www.Sparkenergy.com. By using the Spark Energy website, you represent that you agree with our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. If you do not agree with our Privacy Policy or Terms of Use, please do not use the Spark Energy site.

We will provide individuals, from whom we collect Personal Information (as defined later) from, with a copy of our Privacy Policy upon request.

What is Personal Information?

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, “Personal Information” means information that could identify a specific individual such as names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers. If during your visit you personalize the site, complete an order form, enter a contest, or submit other information to us, you may provide us with Personal Information. We may collect and use that Personal Information to provide you with products or services, to bill you for products and services you request, to tell you about Spark Energy products and services which we think may be of interest to you, or to communicate with you for other purposes. Personal Information does not include the name, title, and business address or business telephone number of an employee of an organization when used for business communications. This Privacy Policy does not cover Personal Information collected from or about our employees.

Personal Information that Spark Energy Collects

We only collect Personal Information that is provided voluntarily by you. We collect and maintain different types of Personal Information about individuals with whom we interact. If you choose to supply us with your Personal Information we will only use such Personal Information consistent with our policies regarding the establishment of service accounts, our Terms of Use and as may be described in this Spark Energy Privacy Policy. Please note that certain Personal Information must be supplied in order to establish an account. In connection with our efforts to better serve you, we may also share your Personal Information with our affiliates. This information includes:

· Contact and identification information, such as name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, social security number and driver’s license number;
· Product and service related information, such as information on your energy needs and use (i.e. characteristics about your home, family size, etc.);
· Credit and financial information such as billing and credit history or payment history and employment and income information;
· Customer relationship information, such as customer service requests; and
· Business relationship information.

We may also collect market-related information, which may include Personal Information, concerning market trends and activities impacting our business. This information may include contract terms, financial information and other information for the purpose of market analysis and strategic planning. This information may also include information related to our media and public relations activities and information related to our interactions with financial and other analysts and advisors. In order to operate the site or deliver a service we may sometimes share your Personal Information with a service partner under strict conditions. We will not otherwise disclose your Personal Information to other companies without your explicit consent.
Spark Energy will not disclose any information about you to unaffiliated service partners, companies or organizations without your consent, unless;

• Required by law;
• We believe it is necessary to respond to an inquiry or provide you with a service which you have requested;
• To implement our Terms of Service; or
• To protect the rights, property or personal safety of another Spark Energy user, any member of the public or Spark Energy.
From time to time we may purchase Personal Information from outside sources. This information is used to identify potential new customers as well as analyze existing customer base. The information purchased from outside sources is strictly for internal use and is not sold or shared with others.

How Spark Energy Collects and Uses Your Personal Information

We collect your Personal Information when establishing a business relationship with you, including enrollment and re-enrollment for services provided by Spark Energy, and for obtaining credit approval for the establishment of such services.
Like many companies, we may from time to time use “cookie” technology on our site. “Cookies” are small text files a site can use to recognize repeat users, facilitate the user’s ongoing access to and use of the site and to track usage behavior of, for example, the website pages you visit. Our site may automatically collect cookies and other information, such as, but not limited to, your domain name and Internet protocol address, and compile aggregate data for statistical purposes to improve our content and services and administer our site.
Spark Energy may also run contests, sweepstakes and other promotions. Entrants may be asked to provide Personal Information that is needed in order to administer the contest, sweepstakes or promotion and to notify winners. Occasionally, Spark Energy customers will have the opportunity to forward promotional opportunities or other information to friends and family. This personal referral information is recorded but it is not used without the consent of the recipient.
Spark Energy may occasionally ask customers to complete surveys and provide opinions about interests, needs, and viewpoints. These surveys help Spark Energy provide better services and products to meet our customer’s needs. When customers contact the Spark Energy customer service department it may be necessary to obtain Personal Information for record keeping and follow-up.
All employees, contractors and other independent companies engaged by Spark Energy to perform work that involves access to Personal Information are contractually required to keep the Personal Information confidential and private and are not permitted to use it in any way other than what is necessary to perform their work for Spark Energy.
In addition, we use your Personal Information in the management and development of our business and operations, including, without limitation:

· Establishing, managing and terminating business relations with you;
· Reviewing the products and services that we provide to you;
· Obtaining credit approval;
· Informing you of our products and services other than those that you have specifically requested;
· Informing you of products and services offered by Spark Energy, or these product services that carefully selected third parties, may wish to offer you;
· Responding to your comments or requests for information or services;
· Collecting for payment(s) due;
· Protecting Spark Energy against error, fraud, theft and damage to our goods and property;
· Enabling us to comply with applicable law or regulatory requirements; and
· Any other reasonable purpose to which you consent.

We may use third-party advertising technology to provide ads when you visit sites upon which we advertise. This technology will not process any information that can be used to personally identify you, and will not include your name, address, or other Personal Information. When you access an ad, a “cookie” file will be stored on your computer. This information is used to help manage our on-line advertising. To learn more about the third-party ad-serving technology, cookies, and how to “opt-out” of targeted ads from members of the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”), click on the NAI website at www. https://www.networkadvertising.org.

How Spark Energy Protects Your Personal Information

Spark Energy will endeavor to safeguard Personal Information using reasonable procedures to protect against the unlawful use or disclosure of your Personal Information, and will specifically endeavor to maintain the confidentiality and security of your social security number. These procedures and precautions include limiting access to such Personal Information to authorized individuals only. Your Personal Information is stored on secure servers that are protected in controlled facilities. Personal Information is destroyed once it is determined it is of no use or outdated. We will, from time to time, modify our procedures as needed in order to protect and maintain the security of your Personal Information.

Access To and Disclosure of Personal information
The following persons and parties have access or may be provided access to some or all of your Personal Information in order to assist Spark Energy in establishing, maintaining and managing our business relationship with you:

Authorized employees of Spark Energy;
· Authorized contractors and consultants, including debt collection agencies, who have been hired by Spark Energy to provide services to Spark Energy or its customers and who have agreed to abide by the terms of this Privacy Policy; and
· Authorized parties, including third parties who provide services to Spark Energy or on our behalf or third parties who collaborate with Spark Energy in the provision of services to you.
· In addition, your Personal Information may be used or disclosed when, for example, it is:
o Permitted or required by applicable law or regulatory requirements;
o Part of Spark Energy’s regular reporting activities to other Spark Energy subsidiaries and affiliates;
o During emergency situations or when necessary to protect the safety of a person or group of persons;
o Personal Information that is already available to the public;
o Reclined disclosure to another party, in the event of a change in ownership of all or a part of Spark Energy through some form of merger, purchase, sale, lease or amalgamation or other form of business combination, provided that the parties are bound by appropriate agreements or obligations which require them to use or disclose your Personal Information in a manner consistent with the use and disclosure provisions of this Privacy Policy, unless you consent otherwise; and
o To any party upon your consent.

Children’s Privacy
We believed that it is especially important to protect children’s privacy online. The Spark Energy sites are directed at adults only, and not directed towards children under the age of eighteen. If you are under eighteen, you are not eligible to use the Spark Energy site. If you believe we have collected Personal Information from children under the age of eighteen, please notify us immediately so that we may be able to take steps to dispose of such information.

Accuracy of Your Personal Information
It is important that the Personal Information Spark Energy holds about you is accurate and current. Spark Energy requires you to keep us informed of changes to any of your Personal Information.

Accessing Your Personal Information
If you want to know what Personal Information Spark Energy holds about you or wish to change Personal Information that is inaccurate or out of date, please contact us at the address listed below under “Contacting Us”. It may not always be possible to completely modify or remove all information in our databases, although we will make reasonable efforts to do so upon your written request.

How Does Spark Energy Dispose of Personal Information
For Personal Information that is not to be retained by Spark Energy for any reason, we will use reasonable efforts to destroy or arrange for the destruction of the records that contain sensitive Personal Information, which includes your social security number.

Hyperlinks
This site may have links to sites that Spark Energy does not own, control or maintain. We cannot be responsible for their privacy policies and practices and we make no representations or warranties about the privacy practices of those sites. Similarly, we cannot be responsible for the policies and practices of any site from which you linked to our website. We recommend that you check the privacy policy of other sites and contact the operator if you have concerns or questions. Spark Energy has no control over the content posted at these sites and makes no representations about any content or material available at these locations. Links are not intended to imply sponsorship, application or endorsement of the linked website or any content or material on such website. If you believe that Spark Energy has provided a link to a website that contains infringing or illegal content or material, please notify us so that we may evaluate whether (in our sole discretion) to disable or remove such link
.
Data Transfers
We may transfer the Personal Information we collect about you to countries other than the country in which the information was originally collected. These countries may not have the same data protection laws as the country in which you initially provided the information. When we transfer your information to other countries, we will protect that information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you provide us with your Personal Information in an electronic format, such as an e-mail, such act shall be deemed to constitute your acceptance of the transfer of your Personal Information in such fashion unless such Personal Information is sensitive information such as your social security number.

Opt Out/Modify Information 
You can request the removal or modification of your Personal Information by sending an e-mail to the appropriate area under “Contacting Us”. We will then make a reasonable effort to accommodate your request. As previously noted, it would be helpful to let us know the context in which you provided Personal Information.

Conditions of Use, Notices and Revisions
If you choose to visit our site, your visit and any dispute over privacy is subject to this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use for our site, including any limitations on damages, arbitration of disputes and application of law provisions.

Updates to this Privacy Policy
Spark Energy reserves the right to make changes in this Privacy Policy at any time without notice. In the event that Spark Energy makes a material change to this Privacy Policy, it will be posted here. We encourage you to check this page regularly since your continued use of this site following any changes to this Privacy Policy will be deemed to constitute your acceptance of such change.

Contacting Us
To get more information about Spark Energy's Privacy Policy or to update your Personal Information, please use one of the following methods:
o Login to your online account
o Email us at [email protected]
or
o Write to us at:
Spark Energy, LLC
12140 Wickchester Lane, Ste. 100, Houston, TX 77079
Attention: Marketing

Your Acceptance of These Terms
By providing Spark Energy with your Personal Information, you signify your understanding and acceptance of this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy does not create or confer on any individual or on Spark Energy any rights, or impose on Spark Energy any obligations beyond any rights conferred or obligations imposed by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

State Law
You may have privacy rights under applicable state law in addition to those outlined in this Privacy Policy.