Privacy Policy

Lipo.com (“we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website lipo.com (“Site”). Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this policy, please do not access the Site.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide to Us

We collect information you voluntarily provide when you:

• Submit a surgeon inquiry form (name, email, phone number, procedure interest)
• Create a user account (name, email, password)
• Submit a patient story or review (name or pseudonym, experience details, photos)
• Contact us via email or contact forms (name, email, message content)
• Claim a clinic listing (practice name, surgeon name, contact details, credentials)
• Subscribe to our newsletter (email address)

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain information about your device and your visit, including:

• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• IP address (anonymized for analytics purposes)
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation patterns
• Referring website or source
• Date and time of visit
• Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)

This information is collected through cookies and similar technologies as described in our Cookie Policy.

Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third parties, including:

• Credential verification services (for surgeon listings — board certification status, licensing records)
• Analytics providers (aggregated website usage data)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To Provide Our Services. We use your contact information to connect you with surgeons you've inquired about, to process clinic listing claims, and to deliver requested information.

To Improve the Site. We use analytics data to understand how visitors use the Site, identify popular content, improve navigation, and enhance the user experience.

To Communicate with You. We may use your email address to respond to inquiries, send service-related notices (such as confirming a surgeon inquiry), and, if you have opted in, send educational newsletters.

To Verify Credentials. We use surgeon-provided information and public records to verify board certifications, facility accreditations, and licensing status for listed practices.

To Protect Our Rights. We may use your information as necessary to enforce our Terms of Service, protect against fraud, and comply with legal obligations.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

With Surgeons You Inquire About. When you submit an inquiry through a surgeon's profile, your contact information and inquiry details are shared with that surgeon or practice so they can respond to your request. Once shared, that information is subject to the surgeon's own privacy practices.

With Service Providers. We share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as website hosting, analytics, email delivery, and payment processing. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and may only use it for the purposes we specify.

For Legal Reasons. We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, in response to a valid legal process (such as a court order or subpoena), or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Lipo.com, our users, or others.

Business Transfers. If Lipo.com is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of its assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or a prominent notice on the Site if your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

4. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These measures include encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS), secure server infrastructure, access controls, and regular security assessments.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specifically:

• Surgeon inquiry data is retained for 24 months after submission, then anonymized.
• User account data is retained until you delete your account.
• Analytics data is retained in anonymized form indefinitely.
• Clinic listing data is retained for the duration of the listing plus 12 months.

You may request deletion of your personal information at any time by contacting us (see Section 8).

6. Your Privacy Rights

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

Right to Access. You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

Right to Correction. You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

Right to Deletion. You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions (such as legal compliance requirements).

Right to Opt Out. You may opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any marketing email or by contacting us.

Right to Data Portability. Where technically feasible, you may request a copy of your personal information in a structured, machine-readable format.

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including the right to know what personal information we collect and how we use it, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information.

To exercise your California privacy rights, contact us at privacy@lipo.com with the subject line “California Privacy Request.”

European Residents (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. Our legal basis for processing your information is your consent (which you may withdraw at any time), the performance of a contract, or our legitimate business interests.

“Do Not Sell My Info”

Lipo.com does not sell your personal information to third parties. The “Do Not Sell My Info” link in our footer is provided for compliance and transparency. If you click it, you will be directed to confirm that we do not engage in the sale of personal information.

7. Children's Privacy

The Site is not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete such information promptly. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 18, please contact us immediately.

8. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have a privacy-related complaint, please contact us:

Email: privacy@lipo.com
Postal Address: Lipo.com, Privacy Office

We aim to respond to all privacy-related requests within 30 days.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and may notify you by posting a prominent notice on the Site or by email. Your continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.