Privacy Policy

Destin Financial Services, Inc. ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of our clients, applicants, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you visit our website at destinfinancialservices.com or submit a financing application through our platform. Please read this policy carefully. By using our website or application portal, you consent to the practices described below.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

a. Information You Provide Directly

When you submit a financing application or create an account, we may collect:

• Full legal name, title, and contact information (address, phone, email)
• Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
• Business name, DBA name, business address, and Tax Identification Number (EIN)
• Financial information, including equipment cost, years in business, and credit history
• Copies of financial documents you upload in support of your application
• A username and password for your applicant account

b. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website or use our application portal, we automatically collect:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URL
• Date and time of each request
• Device identifiers

c. Information From Third Parties

In the course of evaluating a financing request, we may receive information about you from credit bureaus, financial institutions, or lending partners. This information is used solely for the purpose of processing and underwriting your application.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Process, evaluate, and manage your equipment financing or lease application
• Communicate with you about the status of your application, including approval, denial, or requests for additional documentation
• Create and manage your applicant account
• Submit your application to lending partners and financial institutions on your behalf
• Comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations
• Maintain records of application activity, including a log of events tied to your application for documentation and verification purposes
• Improve the functionality and performance of our website and application portal
• Analyze aggregated, anonymized usage data to understand how our site is used

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Lending Partners: We are a financing broker. Your application information will be shared with one or more financial institutions or lending partners for the purpose of evaluating and funding your request.
• Service Providers: We may share information with third-party vendors who assist in operating our website or platform (such as hosting providers, email delivery services, and analytics providers). These vendors are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only as directed.
• Legal Obligations: We may disclose information if required to do so by law, court order, or government authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or the safety of others.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any material change in ownership or use of your personal information.

4. Data Security

We take the security of your personal and financial information seriously. Our platform employs the following protections:

• Encryption at rest for sensitive data fields, including Social Security Numbers, using industry-standard encryption
• Encrypted data transmission over HTTPS/TLS for all site and application traffic
• Access controls limiting who within our organization can view sensitive applicant data
• Activity logging for all actions taken on your application for audit and verification purposes
• SOC 2 Type II certified data facilities for information storage

While we implement these safeguards, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to maintaining reasonable and appropriate protections for the data we hold.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with legal obligations, and to resolve any disputes.

Certain sensitive fields, such as Social Security Numbers, are subject to deletion policies upon the conclusion of the application process (whether approved, declined, or withdrawn). Other application data may be retained to allow you to more quickly submit future requests, subject to your right to request deletion as described below.

6. Cookies and Analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to support site functionality, remember your preferences, and maintain your session while using our application portal. You may configure your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. Please note that some features of our site, including the applicant login portal, may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

For website analytics, we use a privacy-respecting solution that does not use tracking cookies, does not follow users across other websites, and does not collect personally identifiable information. Only aggregated, anonymized usage data is collected and is used solely to improve our website.

We do not use cookies for advertising or cross-site tracking purposes, and we do not sell or share cookie data with third parties.

7. Your Rights and Choices

You may have certain rights with respect to your personal information, depending on applicable law. These may include:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal and contractual obligations.
• Opt-Out: Opt out of receiving marketing or promotional emails from us. Note that transactional communications related to your application (status updates, document requests) are not subject to opt-out while an application is active.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected].

8. Children's Privacy

Our website and services are intended for business use and are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

9. Links to Third-Party Sites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including vendor or partner sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our website or services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Destin Financial Services, Inc.

311 Carter Road, Monroe, NC 28110

Phone: 704-238-7219

Email: [email protected]