How we collect, use, and protect your information.

1. Who we are

Adjustable Dumbbells HQ (referred to as "we", "us", or "our") is an independent product review and buyer's guide website focused on adjustable dumbbells and related home gym equipment. We publish research, rankings, and recommendations based on owner data gathered from public forums, hands on evaluation, and manufacturer specifications.

This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through our website. It does not apply to sites or services we link to, each of which has its own privacy practices.

2. Information we collect

2.1 Information you provide directly

If you contact us, sign up for a newsletter, or submit a comment or inquiry, we may collect:

• Your name
• Email address
• The content of the message you send us
• Any other information you choose to share

2.2 Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, we and our service providers may automatically collect technical information about your device and browsing activity, including:

• IP address (usually truncated or anonymized)
• Browser type, version, and language
• Operating system and device type
• Pages viewed, referring URL, time on page
• Date and time of visit
• General geographic location derived from IP (country, region)
• Interaction events such as clicks on affiliate links, scroll depth, and search queries

2.3 Affiliate click tracking

When you click an outbound affiliate link on our site (for example, a link to Amazon or a manufacturer's site), that click is typically tracked by the affiliate network (such as Amazon Associates, Impact, CJ Affiliate, or ShareASale). This allows the affiliate network to attribute any subsequent purchase to our site. The data shared with the affiliate network generally includes a click identifier, the destination URL, and referral information. We do not share your name, email, or other directly identifying personal information with affiliate networks unless you voluntarily provide it.

3. How we use information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate and maintain the website
• Understand how visitors use the site so we can improve content and navigation
• Measure which content is most helpful to visitors
• Process and respond to inquiries you send us
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, security issues, and abuse
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Use
• Attribute affiliate commissions to purchases made through our links
• If you opt in, send you periodic updates (we do not send marketing emails unless you explicitly subscribe)

4. Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to remember your preferences, understand site usage, and support affiliate attribution. The categories we use are:

4.1 Strictly necessary cookies

Required for the site to function. You cannot opt out of these through our cookie controls, but you can block all cookies in your browser settings (some features will break if you do).

4.2 Analytics cookies

We use Google Analytics or similar privacy respecting analytics to understand aggregate site usage. These cookies help us know which product pages are most read, how people arrive at our site, and where they exit. IP addresses are anonymized where supported.

4.3 Affiliate tracking cookies

When you click an affiliate link, the destination site typically sets cookies on your browser to attribute any purchase you make during the subsequent session. These cookies are set by the affiliate network or retailer, not by us. They generally expire within 24 hours to 90 days depending on the network.

4.4 Your cookie choices

Most browsers let you refuse cookies, delete existing cookies, or notify you when cookies are being set. Because we do not sell personal information, we do not operate a "Do Not Sell My Personal Information" mechanism beyond what California law requires (see section 10).

5. Third parties and affiliate networks

We work with the following categories of third parties who may process information about you:

• Analytics providers such as Google Analytics
• Affiliate networks such as Amazon Associates, Impact, CJ Affiliate, ShareASale, and direct brand affiliate programs
• Hosting and CDN providers such as Netlify, Cloudflare, or similar
• Email service providers if you subscribe to a newsletter
• Embedded media providers such as YouTube if we embed videos

6. When we share information

We share information only in these specific situations:

• Service providers. With vendors and contractors who help us operate the site (analytics, hosting, email), under confidentiality obligations.
• Affiliate networks. As described in sections 2.3 and 5, click event data is shared with the networks to attribute commissions.
• Legal compliance. If required by law, subpoena, court order, or to protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights of others.
• Business transfers. If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of the transaction.
• With your consent. Any other sharing will occur only with your explicit permission.

7. Data retention

We keep personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Analytics data is typically retained for 14 to 26 months at the aggregate level. Contact form submissions are retained for up to 24 months unless we need to keep them longer for a specific reason.

8. Data security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include HTTPS encryption for all site traffic, access controls on any systems containing personal data, and vendor review for third party services. No method of internet transmission or electronic storage is 100 percent secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your rights and choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

• Access. Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction. Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion. Ask us to delete personal information we hold about you, subject to legal exceptions.
• Portability. Receive your information in a structured, commonly used, machine readable format.
• Objection and restriction. Object to or restrict certain processing.
• Withdraw consent. If processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time.
• Complain. Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in section 16.

10. California residents (CCPA and CPRA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act grant you additional rights:

• The right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell or share
• The right to delete personal information, subject to exceptions
• The right to correct inaccurate personal information
• The right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (we do not sell or share personal information for cross context behavioral advertising purposes)
• The right to limit use of sensitive personal information
• The right to non discrimination for exercising your rights

To submit a verifiable consumer request, email us at the address in section 16 with the subject line "California Privacy Request." We will respond within 45 days.

11. European Union and United Kingdom residents (GDPR and UK GDPR)

If you are located in the EU or UK, we process your personal information on one of these legal bases:

• Consent for optional cookies, newsletter subscriptions, and similar voluntary interactions
• Legitimate interest for analytics, site operation, fraud prevention, and affiliate attribution
• Legal obligation where required by law
• Contract performance where applicable

You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. You can also contact us directly to exercise any of the rights described in section 9.

12. Do Not Track signals

Some browsers transmit "Do Not Track" signals. Because there is no consistent industry standard for how to respond to these signals, we currently do not respond to them. We do, however, respect Global Privacy Control signals where legally required.

13. International data transfers

We are based in the United States. If you access the site from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. These countries may have different data protection laws than your home country. We rely on lawful transfer mechanisms where required, including Standard Contractual Clauses for transfers subject to the GDPR.

14. Children's privacy

Our site is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it. If you are between 13 and 18 and a parent or guardian has not given consent, do not use this site or submit personal information.

15. Changes to this 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. Material changes will be announced via a prominent notice on the site. Your continued use of the site after the effective date of a revision constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

16. How to contact us