Privacy Policy

MyCargoRacks.com (“MyCargoRacks,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates this website to publish independent reviews, buying guides, and comparison tools for cargo racks, bike racks, kayak carriers, ski carriers, rooftop tents, and related automotive accessories. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the rights you have over your personal information.

By using this site, you agree to the practices described here. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.

1. Who we are

MyCargoRacks is an independent, reader-supported publisher. We are the data controller for the personal information we collect through this website. For questions about this policy, use the contact information at the bottom of this page.

2. Information we collect

We keep data collection to the minimum needed to operate the site and improve it for readers. We collect:

• Automatically collected technical data — IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, referring URL, pages viewed, and timestamps. This is standard server log data used for security, fraud prevention, and high-level traffic analysis.
• Cookie and similar identifiers — small files placed on your device for the purposes described in Section 5 below.
• Information you provide voluntarily — such as your email address if you subscribe to our newsletter, submit a guest-contributor pitch, or contact us. We only receive what you choose to send.
• Affiliate attribution data — when you click an affiliate link, the destination retailer (e.g., Amazon) may set identifiers that attribute a subsequent purchase to MyCargoRacks. We do not receive your name, shipping address, or payment details from those retailers.

We do not collect government identifiers, payment-card data, or health information. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.

3. How we use your information

• Operate, maintain, and secure the website
• Understand how visitors use the site so we can improve content, site speed, and navigation
• Fulfill your requests — for example, sending the newsletter you subscribed to or replying to your message
• Measure the performance of our affiliate partnerships for accounting and commission-tracking purposes
• Detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, abuse, security issues, and technical problems
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Use

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

4. Legal bases for processing (GDPR)

If you are in the United Kingdom, European Economic Area, or Switzerland, we rely on the following legal bases under the UK GDPR and EU GDPR:

• Consent — for non-essential cookies, newsletter subscriptions, and any marketing communications. You can withdraw consent at any time.
• Legitimate interests — for running and securing the site, understanding how it is used, preventing fraud, and measuring affiliate performance. We only rely on this basis when our interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Legal obligation — when we are required to retain or disclose information under applicable law.

5. Cookies and similar technologies

A cookie is a small text file stored on your device by your browser. We use:

• Strictly necessary cookies — required for the site to function (e.g., session, security, locale preference). These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies — help us understand aggregate usage (popular pages, average time on page, etc.). We use privacy-respecting analytics that do not track you across unrelated websites.
• Affiliate cookies — set by retailers like Amazon when you click an affiliate link so the retailer can attribute a purchase to MyCargoRacks.

You can manage or delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers also support a “Do Not Track” signal. We respect the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal where it is recognized by applicable law.

6. Third-party services we use

We rely on trusted third-party vendors to operate the site. Each vendor has its own privacy policy, which governs its handling of your information:

• Cloudflare — hosting, content delivery, network security, and DDoS protection
• Supabase — database and backend infrastructure
• Amazon Associates — affiliate program (see Affiliate Disclosure)
• AvantLink — additional affiliate network
• Google Search Console — aggregated search performance data
• Analytics providers — privacy-respecting website analytics

7. Data retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:

• Server logs: up to 90 days
• Newsletter subscriptions: until you unsubscribe or request deletion
• Contact and guest-contributor correspondence: up to 24 months for reference
• Aggregated, de-identified analytics: indefinitely (no personal information)

8. International data transfers

MyCargoRacks is operated from the United States. If you access the site from outside the U.S., your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in countries with data-protection laws different from your own. Where required, we use Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent safeguards for cross-border transfers.

9. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your information (“right to erasure”)
• Object to or restrict certain processing
• Request a copy of your information in a portable format
• Withdraw consent you previously gave
• Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (for EEA/UK residents) or applicable regulator

California residents (CCPA/CPRA): You have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion, and to opt out of any sale or sharing of your personal information. MyCargoRacks does not sell personal information and does not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

10. Children’s privacy

MyCargoRacks is intended for a general adult audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or under 16 in the EEA/UK). If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

11. Security

We use commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. No system is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other reasons. We will post the revised policy on this page and update the “Last updated” date at the top. Material changes will be announced more prominently.

13. Contact us

Questions about this Privacy Policy or requests about your personal information can be sent to privacy@mycargoracks.com. For general editorial or business inquiries, see our About page.