DRAFT - needs legal review. This placeholder is not final and is not legal advice. Do not rely on it until a lawyer has reviewed and approved it.

Privacy Policy

Last updated: [date to be set after legal review]

This page describes, in plain language, how the Lot Dog website at thelotdog.com handles information today. [Owner/operator legal name to be added.]

No accounts

The site has no user accounts, sign-ups or logins.

The calculator

The price and monthly-cost calculator runs in your browser. The numbers you type into the calculator (price, down payment, loan, tax, insurance and similar fields) are not sent to our server.

Vehicle search

If you use the optional vehicle search, the search fields you enter (such as ZIP code, radius, vehicle type, make, model, years, price and mileage limits, condition) or a VIN are sent to our server. Our server looks them up with a third-party vehicle listing data provider, Auto.dev, and returns the results to your browser. Our server keeps search results in a short-lived memory cache (about 10 minutes) and applies a per-visitor rate limit. A VIN with no listing may be decoded by your browser with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's free vPIC service. [Describe hosting provider (Cloudflare) logs and retention after review.]

Map tiles (OpenStreetMap)

After you search, the results map loads map image tiles from OpenStreetMap's tile servers (tile.openstreetmap.org). Those servers receive standard web request information, such as your IP address and which map area is being viewed. Their handling of that information is governed by OpenStreetMap's own policies.

Affiliate links and ads

Some links on the site are marked "Ad" or "Affiliate link". If you click one, you leave our site and the partner's own privacy policy applies. Partners may use cookies or similar technology to record that you came from our site. We may earn a commission if you click or buy; this doesn't change your price or our estimates. [List active partners/ad networks and their cookie/tracking practices once approved. Add a cookie notice approach that stays inline (no pop-ups) if required.]

Quote request form

A quote request form is not active on the site. [If it is turned on later: what is collected, who receives it, consent language, retention, and how to opt out, after legal review.]

Your choices and contact

Contact: support@thelotdog.com

[State privacy rights wording (for example, California and other state laws) and children's privacy statement to be added after legal review.]