Contents
1. Who this covers
Car Broker Network is a private accreditation and standards organization for California auto brokers. This policy applies to brokers who apply for accreditation, dealers who join the network, and visitors to carbrokernetwork.com.
2. Information we collect
We collect only what the network needs to verify members, match brokers with dealers, and run the program.
Account information
- Your email address and a securely hashed password. We never store your password in readable form.
Broker application information
- Your name, business name, and phone number.
- Your California dealer license number and whether you hold an autobroker endorsement.
- Your surety bond company and bond amount.
- Your base ZIP code and the service ZIP codes and radius you cover.
Dealer information
- Dealership name, contact name, phone, address, city, and ZIP code, and your dealer license number if you provide one.
Conduct and enforcement information
- Violation reports filed against a broker, including any description and a link to supporting evidence that the reporter provides.
Technical information
- Your IP address and basic request information, used to keep accounts secure and to limit abusive sign-in attempts.
3. How we use it
- To verify that a broker meets the accreditation standard before activation.
- To match accredited brokers with dealers by service area.
- To let dealers confirm a broker's accreditation and standing.
- To process the annual membership payment.
- To review reported violations and enforce the Code of Conduct.
- To send you account and membership messages, such as approval or decline notices.
- To protect the network against fraud and abuse.
4. Payments
Membership payments are processed by Stripe. Your card details are entered on Stripe's secure checkout and are handled by Stripe, not stored on our servers. We keep a record of the payment status, amount, and the Stripe identifiers needed to manage your membership and any refund. Stripe's handling of your information is governed by Stripe's own privacy policy.
5. How we share it
We do not sell your information. We share it only as needed to run the network:
- With member dealers. If you are an accredited broker, your professional listing and accreditation standing are visible to dealers in the network so they can verify you.
- With service providers. Such as Stripe for payments, and our hosting and infrastructure providers, who process information on our behalf.
- For legal reasons. When required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, and integrity of the network and its members.
6. Cookies and sessions
We use a single session cookie to keep you signed in and to protect forms against cross-site request forgery. It is required for the member area to work. We do not use third-party advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.
7. How long we keep it
We keep member and application information for as long as your account is active and as long as needed to run the accreditation program, resolve disputes, meet our legal and recordkeeping obligations, and enforce the Code of Conduct, including suspension records. When information is no longer needed, we delete or de-identify it.
8. Your choices
You can ask us to access, correct, or delete your personal information, and you can update much of it directly in your member profile. Some information, such as records tied to a confirmed violation or an active suspension, may be retained to keep the program fair and enforceable. To make a request, contact us at the address below.
9. Security
Traffic to the site is encrypted in transit. Passwords are stored only as secure hashes, access to member data is restricted, and the site uses session protection, rate limiting, and cross-site request forgery protection. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information.
10. Changes and contact
We may update this policy as the network grows or as the law changes. We will post the current version here with its effective date. Questions or privacy requests can be sent to [email protected].