Legal
Privacy policy
This policy explains what we collect, why, who sees it and what you can do about it. We wrote it to be read, so it's in plain English. If anything is unclear, write to privacy@qualbids.com.
Who we are
[Legal entity name, e.g. Qualbids LLC] (“qualbids”, “we”, “us”) recruits participants for qualitative market research, such as focus groups, interviews, ethnographies, in-home tests and online studies. We are based at 101 High Street #306, Waterford, PA 16441, USA.
We are responsible for the personal information described in this policy. When we recruit for a specific study, the research client may also decide how participant information is used in that study. Where that happens, we tell you who the client is or what kind of company they are before you agree to take part, and their own privacy notice applies to what they do with it.
This policy covers three groups of people:
- Clients and prospective clients who request bids or work with us.
- Participants, meaning people who join our participant list, answer a screener or take part in a study.
- Website visitors to qualbids.com.
At a glance
We do not sell personal information. We do not share it for targeted advertising. We do not use advertising or analytics cookies on this website.
Mobile information will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent are excluded from all other categories of information we share and will not be shared with any third parties.
We ask before we collect sensitive information, such as health conditions, and you can skip any screener question.
What we collect
From clients and prospective clients
- Name, company, job title, work email and phone number.
- Project details you send us, such as the audience you want to recruit, quotas, dates and locations.
- Billing details and correspondence related to a project.
From participants
| Category | Examples | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identifiers and contact details | Name, email, mobile number, ZIP code, mailing address when a study needs it | You |
| Profile and demographics | Age, gender, household, occupation, employer type, income range, education | You |
| Screener answers | Purchase habits, product use, opinions, open-ended answers, availability | You |
| Sensitive information, only with your consent | Health conditions, medications, racial or ethnic origin, and other categories described under sensitive information | You |
| Participation history | Studies you were invited to, attended or missed, and the date of your last study | Us and the research client |
| Incentive and tax information | Payment method details needed to send your incentive. Tax forms such as a W-9 when the law requires them | You and our payment provider [confirm provider and whether W-9s are collected] |
| Identity checks | Confirmation that you are who you say you are, such as matching your name to a photo ID at a facility. We do not keep copies of IDs [confirm] | You |
| Recordings | Audio, video or photos taken during a session. These are made by the client, the moderator or the facility, and you are told and asked for consent at the session | Research client or facility |
From website visitors
- Information you type into our forms, as described above.
- Technical data that our hosting and security provider processes to deliver the site and block abuse, such as IP address, browser type and the pages requested. [name the host, e.g. Cloudflare, and confirm log retention]
We do not run analytics, advertising pixels, session recording or social media trackers on this website.
Sensitive information
Some studies need people with a particular health condition, background or life situation. To recruit for them, a screener may ask about:
- physical or mental health, diagnoses, medications or treatments;
- racial or ethnic origin, religion, citizenship or immigration status;
- sexual orientation, sex life, or transgender or nonbinary status;
- information about a child, when the study involves parents.
We only ask these questions when the study requires them. Before the first sensitive question, we ask for your clear, separate consent and explain why the question is there. You can decline any question. Declining may mean you don't qualify for that study, and that is the only consequence.
We use sensitive answers only to decide whether you qualify for the study you are being screened for, and we share them only with the research client and facility running that study. We never sell sensitive information, even with consent.
How we use it
| Purpose | What it involves | Legal basis (EEA and UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiting for studies | Matching you to screeners, checking eligibility, scheduling, reminders | Consent, and steps you ask us to take before a contract |
| Running studies | Confirming attendance, coordinating with facilities and clients, handling incentives | Contract |
| Research quality | Spotting duplicate profiles, people who misrepresent themselves, and over-participation | Legitimate interests |
| Client work | Preparing bids, delivering projects, invoicing | Contract and legitimate interests |
| Communicating with you | Replying to messages, sending screeners you signed up for, service notices | Consent or legitimate interests |
| Legal and safety | Tax reporting, responding to lawful requests, protecting rights and safety | Legal obligation and legitimate interests |
We do not use personal information to make automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you.
Who we share it with
Research clients and facilities
When you qualify for a study, we share your first name and last initial, your screener answers and your session details with the client and the facility or moderator running it. We share your full name and contact details with them only when the study needs it, for example an in-home visit, and we tell you before we do. [confirm what is shared by default]
Partner recruiters
For some studies we work with vetted partner recruiters. They are bound by contract to use the information only for that study and to protect it to the same standard we do.
Service providers
We use companies that help us run our business. They process information on our instructions and may not use it for their own purposes.
| Service | Provider |
|---|---|
| Website hosting and security | [e.g. Cloudflare, Inc., USA] |
| Form handling | [e.g. form backend or CRM] |
| [e.g. Google Workspace or Microsoft 365] | |
| Text messaging | [SMS provider] |
| Participant database | [database or panel software] |
| Incentive payments | [payment provider] |
Legal reasons and business changes
We may disclose information when the law requires it, to respond to valid legal process, or to protect the rights and safety of people. If qualbids is sold or merged, information may transfer to the new owner, who must honor this policy.
What we never do
- We do not sell personal information, as “sell” is defined by US state privacy laws.
- We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
- We do not share mobile numbers or text messaging consent with anyone for marketing.
Text messages
If you agree to receive texts, we send recurring messages about studies you might qualify for, scheduling and reminders. Agreeing to texts is never required to join our list or take part in a study.
- Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply.
- Reply STOP to stop at any time, or tell us by email or phone. We confirm and stop within 24 hours. Reply HELP for help, or call 814-796-5010.
- Mobile information will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent are excluded from all other categories of information we share and will not be shared with any third parties.
Full program details are in our SMS terms.
Cookies and tracking
This site does not use advertising, analytics or social media cookies, so there is nothing to accept or reject. The only technologies in use are:
| Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| __cf_bm | Set by our hosting provider to tell people from bots. Strictly necessary [confirm after hosting is chosen] | 30 minutes |
| qb-intro (session storage) | Remembers that you have seen the opening animation so it doesn't replay. Contains no personal information | Until you close the tab |
Our fonts are served from our own server, so loading a page does not send your IP address to a font provider. We honor Global Privacy Control signals. If we ever add analytics or other optional cookies, we will update this part of the policy and ask for your consent first where the law requires it.
How long we keep it
| Information | How long |
|---|---|
| Participant profile | While you stay on our list. If you haven't taken part or answered a screener in [24 months], we ask whether you want to stay, then delete the profile if you don't reply |
| Screener answers for a study | [12 months] after the study ends, then deleted or de-identified |
| Sensitive screener answers | [90 days] after the study ends, unless you ask us to keep them for future studies |
| Participation history | [3 years], to enforce limits on how often people take part |
| Incentive and tax records | As long as tax law requires, usually 7 years |
| Client and bid records | [7 years] after the last project, for accounting |
| Text messaging consent records | For as long as you are subscribed, plus [5 years] as proof of consent |
Security
We protect personal information with access controls, encryption in transit, encrypted storage where our providers support it, and by limiting access to the staff who need it for a study. No system is perfectly secure. If a breach affects your information, we will notify you and the authorities as the law requires, including under Pennsylvania's Breach of Personal Information Notification Act.
Your rights
Wherever you live, you can ask us to:
- tell you what personal information we hold about you and give you a copy;
- correct information that is wrong;
- delete your information, unless we need to keep it for a legal reason such as tax records;
- stop sending you screeners, emails or texts;
- withdraw a consent you gave us. This doesn't affect what we did before you withdrew it.
Send requests to privacy@qualbids.com or call 814-796-5010. We will confirm who you are, usually by asking you to reply from the email address we have on file, and answer within 45 days. We will not treat you differently for exercising your rights.
US state privacy rights
Residents of states with consumer privacy laws, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia, have the rights in “Your rights” and may also:
- obtain their information in a portable format;
- opt out of the sale of personal information, targeted advertising and certain profiling. We don't do any of these;
- limit the use of sensitive personal information. We already use it only to recruit you for the study you agreed to;
- use an authorized agent to make a request on their behalf;
- appeal our decision. Reply to our answer with “appeal” in the subject line and a manager will review it within 45 days. If you disagree with the result, you may contact your state attorney general.
[Counsel to confirm which state laws apply based on qualbids' volume of residents' data and revenue.]
Consumer health data
Residents of Washington and Nevada have additional rights over health-related information. Our Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why, who we share it with and how to exercise those rights.
If you are outside the US
Our services are aimed at people in the United States. When we recruit participants in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, the legal bases under “How we use it” apply. Your information is transferred to and stored in the United States, and we protect those transfers with the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses or an equivalent safeguard. You may also complain to your local data protection authority. [Confirm whether qualbids recruits outside the US. If it does regularly, appoint an EU or UK representative.]
Children and teens
This website is not meant for anyone under 18, and our participant list is for adults. Some studies involve children or teens. In those cases we contact the parent or legal guardian, who decides whether the child takes part, and we collect the child's information only with that parent's verifiable consent and in line with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Parents can review or delete their child's information at any time by writing to privacy@qualbids.com.
Changes to this policy
When we change this policy, we update the version number and effective date at the top. If a change materially affects how we use information we already hold, we will tell participants by email before it takes effect.
| Version | Date | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | [launch date] | Full rewrite. Added participant data sharing, sensitive information, retention periods, cookies table, state rights and consumer health data. |
| 1.0 | January 2025 | First version. |
Contact
[Legal entity name]
101 High Street #306, Waterford, PA 16441, USA
privacy@qualbids.com [create this mailbox, or use hello@qualbids.com]
814-796-5010