Privacy Policy

At GPLink, we understand that you may have concerns about the privacy and security of the information we collect.  Our primary goal in providing the GPLink service is to provide vessel users with peace-of-mind regarding vessel safety and maintenance issues.  In order to provide you with the kind of real-time safety features and alerts that GPLink offers, we have to collect information about you and your vessel.  This notice describes the types of information we collect through the GPLink service,  www.gplink.com and my.gplink.com, why we collect that information, how we share it and how it is secured.

We know your privacy is important to you and we want you to understand our privacy practices.  If you have any questions about this notice or GPLink, please contact us at concierge@gplink.com.  Pursuant to our Service Agreement, when you subscribe to GPLink, you consent to our collection and use of personal information as described in this Privacy Notice.

Information We Collect

Cookies

We use browser cookies on this website, which are small files that help us determine whether a visitor has ever been to our site before. Browser cookies also can improve your experience with our website by saving your preferences. The first time you visit our website, we will show you a notification asking for your permission to allow cookies. You may reject cookies through our notification, or disable cookies through your web browser settings, however, this may affect your use and experience with our website.

Automated Information Collection by Our Website

We collect certain information when you visit this website using technologies such as cookies. Much of this information is aggregated, such as reports on the number of users who visited our site or used certain features. We typically use this information to determine which pages and features are the most popular, to improve site functionality, and to customize the site for better user experience.  We may share the information with our web designers, content providers and other business partners to improve our site or our products.  Our use of cookies is described in greater detail below.

IP Addresses

When you visit our website, your browser automatically sends us your Internet protocol (“IP”) address so that the web pages you request can be sent to your computer or device.  We use your IP address to determine additional information, such as whether the computer or device has ever been used to visit our site before, which site features were used the most often, and how much time was spent on a page.

Your GPLink Subscription

If you register for GPLink, we ask that you provide us with your name, email address, postal address, phone numbers, and the name and phone number of your designated emergency contact.  We use this information to contact you regarding installation, to complete your subscription to the GPLink service and will use the emergency contact information in cases of actual or perceived emergency.  We also ask for your shirt size so that we can send you a free GPLink t-shirt to say “thank you” for subscribing.  We also request the name, email address, mobile phone number and shirt sizes of your captain and mate so that we can contact those individuals if needed regarding the provision of GPLink services to your vessel, and provide them with a free GPLink t-shirt.

When you register, we also request information about your vessel, including its name, length, manufacturer, model, year, class, hull identification number, home port, insurance provider, towing and recovery service, dealership and salesperson.  We also request information about your engine, including the manufacturer, model, horsepower, number of control stations, engine monitoring system and engine serial number.  We use this information to prepare for the installation of GPLink and to provide the services described below regarding the monitoring of and response to engine diagnostics and critical systems alerts.

Finally, when you register, we ask that you indicate your vessel’s availability for installation, including a location and date.  We use that information to arrange for installation.

Your Use of GPLink

Once the service is initiated, we will monitor your vessel’s precise geographic location and its speed.  We also will monitor engine diagnostics, and critical system function (both mechanical systems and vessels systems), such as battery levels, bilge levels, tank levels, power interruptions, fire alarms, engine RPMs, engine hours, oil pressure, coolant temperature, and fuel consumption. The vessel and mechanical systems functions and diagnostics we monitor may vary based on the type of vessel and the type of engine.  The intervals at which we conduct this monitoring will be determined by GPLink based on factors such as the criticality of the system function and whether any system alarm has been triggered.  In some cases, our monitoring may result in real time, or near real time, logging of system functions, such as in situations where a system alarm has been triggered, indicating a need for more detailed and timely monitoring.

We and our business partners may use this information for a variety of purposes related to providing you with GPLink services, including diagnosis of and response to engine or system conditions, communicating with dealers or manufactures about the use, condition or function of your vessel, and providing you and others with notification of alarm conditions, such as engine problems or unauthorized movements of your vessel.  We also may use information about you and your vessel to improve our services and product information.  We retain a partial archive of past monitoring information collected so that we can provide you with reports regarding your vessel and your usage, but that archive is usually retained for a maximum of seven years.

We also provide you with the option to log on to our site at any time using your username and password.  You will be able to monitor your vessel’s engine diagnostics and critical systems function, such as battery levels, bilge levels, power interruptions, fire alarms, engine RPM, engine hours, oil pressure, coolant temperature, and fuel consumption.  You also will be able to monitor your vessel’s current location and access past routes.

If you choose to do so, you can set up a “boundary area” using our Geo-Fence function that establishes the general area in which your vessel should be operated or docked.  We maintain a record of your designated boundary area so that we can notify you if your vessel travels outside that designated area.

In the event you apply for or become eligible for an insurance discount or enhanced insurance coverage because your vessel is equipped with GPLink, we will share the information we collect with your insurance carrier.  We will do so only with your consent.

We also will use information about you and your vessel to provide you with periodic reports regarding your vessel’s diagnostics, any maintenance that may be coming due, and maintenance notifications and other information from your boat’s manufacturer.

If you use our email service or call our 24/7 Concierge Center in cases of emergency, you will be able to send and receive email communications or speak to a GPLink agent regarding your emergency.  We will use information about you and your vessel to respond to actual or perceived emergencies.  We may share information with emergency responders and rescuers in order to respond to your communication.

Your Online Payment

If you choose to purchase your GPLink subscription through our website, in addition to your subscription information we will ask for the name appearing on the card, the credit card number, the security code and the card’s expiration date, and the billing address.  We make our online payment feature available through our service provider, who uses the information you provide to carry out the transaction and process your payment.  That website is operated and controlled by our service provider and information collected there is subject to that site’s privacy notice, rather than this GPLink Privacy Notice.

Your Use of Other Website Features

Even if you do not subscribe to the GPLink service, you can use this website to get information about our services.  If you request information from us, sign up to receive e-newsletters, or request to receive other correspondence, we ask for information such as your name, email address, phone number and vessel make.  We use this information to respond to your request and communicate with you directly.

If you indicate you’d like to be included in our email newsletter, you will be sent a verification email by our subscription system. Once you have confirmed your intent to opt-in by clicking the link in that email, you will be subscribed to our future mailings. You may choose to opt-out of this subscription at any time via the link included in all of our email marketing messages.

If you request an individual vessel system analysis or ask to be contacted, we ask for your name, email address, phone number, postal address, and vessel make.  We use this survey to determine what additional needs and costs are entailed in GPLink installation for your vessel, and we use this information to respond to your request for that analysis.

Information We Share

You may direct GPLink to share information about you or your vessel(s), such as with your vessel, crew, or your boat dealer.  To make a request, please contact concierge@gplink.com.

GPLink will share the information you provide among the Gregory Poole family of companies, Caterpillar, Inc. and CAT authorized dealers.  We also may share information with our subsidiaries and affiliates, service providers and with our business partners, such as boat dealers, boat manufacturers, and engine manufacturers. These parties use the information to provide the GPLink services described above, such as to respond to requests, provide you with information about your vessel’s location and function, provide communication services including emergency response, administer the website, and improve their or our products and services.  Our providers also may assist us with administration and governance, such as customer management, data analysis, and product development. GPLink may share the information we collect about you and your vessel with your insurance company but only with your consent.

When we share information with service providers, they are authorized to use that information solely to perform services on our behalf or to comply with legal requirements.  In addition, we may disclose information about you (i) if we are required to do so by law or legal process, (ii) to law enforcement authorities, other government officials, or emergency responders, (iii) when we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to prevent physical harm or financial loss or in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual illegal activity or (iv) if necessary to protect the vital interests of an individual, GPLink, its affiliates or its business partners.  We reserve the right to transfer any information we have about you in the event we sell or transfer all or a portion of our business or assets.

Pursuant to our Service Agreement, when you subscribe to GPLink, you consent to our disclosure of personal information as described here.

How We Protect Information

We maintain administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect against loss, misuse or unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction of the information you may provide to us. Your account information also is protected by your account’s user name and password.  It is your responsibility to keep your user name and password secure; sharing it with others will permit the recipients to access your information, and if you share your user name and password with others you do so at your own risk.

Information We Transfer

We may transfer the information we collect about you and your vessel to other countries where we or our business partners do business.  These locations may not have the same data protection laws as the country in which you reside. When we transfer your information to other countries, we will protect that information as described here, even though a given country may not have the same privacy and data protection laws as the country in which you reside.

Pursuant to our Service Agreement, when you subscribe to GPLink, you consent to our transfer of personal information as described here.

Your California Privacy Rights

If you are a resident of California, you may ask us not to share your personal information with our business partners, subsidiaries and affiliates to use for direct marketing purposes.  To tell us your preference, please contact us as directed in the “Contact Us” section of this notice.

Other Websites

This privacy notice applies only to the collection of information in connection with use of GPLink and the www.gplink.com and my.gplink.com websites.  It does not apply to websites operated by other organizations, including vessel manufacturers or dealers.  It also does not apply to websites that may have linked to this notice but which are not operated on GPLink’s behalf.  Those websites operate independently from our site and should have their own privacy notices which dictate how the sites and their operators will collect, use, disclose and secure personal information.  We are not responsible for your use of any websites not operated by or on behalf of GPLink, the content of those sites, or their privacy practices.

Updating and Accessing Your Information

We provide GPLink subscribers and our website visitors with reasonable access to the personal information they provide through our sites and the ability to review and correct it, as applicable. To help protect your privacy and security, we will take reasonable steps to verify your identity, such as requiring a password before granting access to your information.

In general, if you would like to update or modify information you submitted through the site, you should do so by logging into your account and editing your profile.  Alternatively, you may contact us at concierge@gplink.com.  You should contact us at that same email address or use the opt-out feature provided in our email communications if you decide to opt out of receiving newsletters or similar correspondence.

Updates to this Notice

If we update this notice we will post a new effective date at the top.  If we make any material changes to the notice, they will apply prospectively and will only apply retroactively if we first contact you and obtain your agreement to those changes.  You should check the effective date on this notice every time you visit our site to ensure that you have reviewed the most recent version.

Contact Us

You can contact us with questions about this notice or our privacy practices, to update your information, or to tell us your preferences about information sharing at concierge@gplink.com.

GPLink LLC, 1500 Sensation Weigh, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA