Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Who We Are

This Privacy Policy describes how Tom's Junk Service, owned and operated by Thomas Dove as a sole proprietor ("we," "us," or "our"), collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects your personal information when you visit our website at toms-junk.com, submit a service request, or engage us to perform any services.

We take your privacy seriously. This policy is written in plain language so you understand exactly what happens with your information — especially your phone number. Please read it carefully.

Business Name	Tom's Junk Service
Owner / Operator	Thomas Dove (Sole Proprietor)
Phone / Text	(240) 549-2926
Website	toms-junk.com
Location	1301 W 7th St, Frederick, MD 21702

2. Information We Collect

We only collect information that is necessary to provide you with our services and communicate with you effectively. We collect information in the following ways:

Information You Provide Directly

When you submit our online estimate form, call or text us, or interact with us in person, you may provide:

• Full name — so we know who we're working with
• Mobile phone number — used to confirm appointments, send estimates, and follow up on your service
• Email address — used for estimate confirmations and follow-ups
• Service address and ZIP code — to confirm we serve your area and schedule the job
• Photos — images you upload or text us showing items to be removed or the service area, which help us give an accurate estimate
• Job details — type of service needed, approximate load size, preferred appointment date, and any special instructions or access notes
• Payment information — collected at time of payment after service is complete; we do not store full card numbers
• Referral source — how you heard about us (e.g., Google, Thumbtack, referral), which helps us understand our marketing effectiveness
• SMS consent — whether you have opted in to receive text messages from us, recorded with a timestamp

Information We Do Not Collect

We do not collect Social Security numbers, government-issued ID numbers, financial account numbers, health information, or any other sensitive personal data. Our services do not require this information.

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit toms-junk.com, basic analytics data may be collected automatically, including approximate geographic region, pages visited, time on site, and device/browser type. This data is aggregated and anonymized — it is never linked to your personal identity.

3. How We Use Your Information

Every piece of information we collect serves a specific purpose related to providing you with great service. Here is exactly how we use it:

• Responding to estimate requests — we use your contact information and job details to prepare and deliver your free estimate as quickly as possible
• Scheduling and confirming appointments — we contact you to set a time, confirm the appointment, and send a heads-up when we're on the way
• Delivering your service — your address and job details are used by our crew to complete the work
• Processing payment — we use your payment information solely to collect the agreed-upon fee after the job is done
• Sending appointment reminders and job updates — via SMS and/or email, depending on your consent preferences
• Follow-up communications — after your service, we may reach out to request a review or ask if you were satisfied
• Promotional messages — if you separately opt in, we may send seasonal offers and service reminders (you can opt out anytime)
• Improving our services — aggregate feedback and job data help us understand how to serve customers better
• Legal compliance — we retain certain records as required by applicable law

4. SMS / Text Message Program

By submitting our online estimate form and checking one or both of the optional SMS consent checkboxes (which are never pre-checked), you expressly consent to receive text messages from Thomas Dove operating as Tom's Junk Service at the mobile number you provide. We operate two separate SMS programs:

Program 1 — Service & Appointment Messages

If you check the Service Messages checkbox, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS text messages related to your service, including:

• Appointment confirmations and scheduling reminders
• Crew arrival notifications ("We're on our way!")
• Estimate follow-ups and quote updates
• Job status updates and completion confirmations
• Review requests and satisfaction follow-ups after completed service

Program 2 — Promotional & Marketing Messages

If you check the Promotional Messages checkbox, you separately agree to receive SMS messages including:

• Seasonal service offers and discounts
• Spring, summer, fall, and post-holiday cleanup promotions
• Referral program offers
• Annual service reminder messages

SMS Terms That Apply to Both Programs

• Message frequency: Varies based on your service activity and the programs you opt into. Typically 2–6 messages per month across both programs combined.
• Message & data rates: Standard message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile carrier and plan.
• How to opt out: Reply STOP to any message at any time. You will receive one final confirmation and no further messages will be sent. You can re-subscribe by contacting us directly.
• How to get help: Reply HELP to any message, or call/text us at (240) 549-2926.
• Consent is not required: Checking either or both SMS consent boxes is entirely optional. You can request and receive our services without consenting to any text messages.
• Carrier disclaimer: Mobile carriers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and others are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Message delivery is subject to network availability.

5. No Sharing of SMS Opt-In Data — Critical Disclosure

The only parties who may have access to your contact information are:

• Our CRM platform (GoHighLevel) — used strictly to manage our customer communications, scheduling, and follow-up workflows. GoHighLevel is contractually bound to protect your data and is prohibited from using it for their own marketing purposes.
• Payment processors — used only to process your payment after service is complete. They receive only the payment information necessary to complete the transaction.
• Law enforcement or courts — only if we are legally required to disclose information by valid subpoena, court order, or applicable law.

Your personal information, including your phone number, is never sold or disclosed to any advertising platform, lead aggregator, or data marketplace under any circumstances.

6. Cookies & Website Tracking

Our website at toms-junk.com may use basic, privacy-respecting analytics tools to help us understand how visitors use the site. The type of data collected may include:

• Which pages are visited and for how long
• General geographic region of visitors (city/state level — not your exact address)
• Device type and browser (e.g., mobile vs. desktop, Chrome vs. Safari)
• How visitors arrived at the site (e.g., from a Google search or direct link)

This analytics data is aggregated and anonymized. It is never used to personally identify you, never linked to your name or phone number, and never sold to any third party.

We do not use advertising cookies, remarketing pixels, Facebook Pixel, Google Ads tracking, or any behavioral profiling tools on our website. We do not engage in cross-site tracking.

Most web browsers allow you to view and manage cookie preferences in your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some website functionality but will not prevent you from requesting a service estimate.

7. Data Security Practices

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement reasonable safeguards appropriate for a small business. These include:

• Encrypted data storage — customer data stored in GoHighLevel is protected by industry-standard encryption at rest and in transit (TLS/SSL)
• Limited access — only Thomas Dove and authorized tools used to operate the business have access to customer data
• No physical paper records — customer information is managed digitally through secured platforms, not stored in unsecured paper files
• Payment security — payments are processed through PCI-compliant processors; we never store full credit card numbers

While we implement these protections, no method of data transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to responding promptly to any suspected data breach. If you believe your information may have been compromised, please contact us immediately at (240) 549-2926.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to:

• Maintain your customer record for future service requests
• Fulfill our legal, tax, and accounting obligations
• Resolve any disputes related to a service we performed

If you request that we delete your information, we will do so within 30 days, except where applicable law requires us to retain certain records for a longer period. To request deletion, contact us at (240) 549-2926.

9. Your Rights — Unsubscribe, Update & Delete

You have the following rights regarding your personal information at any time:

• Right to access — you may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Right to correct — if any information we have is inaccurate, you can ask us to correct it
• Right to delete — you can request that we delete your personal information from our records
• Right to opt out of SMS — reply STOP to any text message at any time, or contact us directly to remove your number
• Right to opt out of email marketing — click "Unsubscribe" in any marketing email we send
• Right to withdraw consent — you can withdraw any previously given consent at any time by contacting us directly; withdrawal of consent does not affect any service already received
• Right to non-discrimination — we will never treat you differently or deny you service because you chose not to consent to SMS communications or exercised any of the rights above

To exercise any of your rights, contact us at (240) 549-2926 or visit toms-junk.com. We will respond to all requests within 30 days.

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are intended exclusively for individuals who are 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect, solicit, or store personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has submitted information through our website or form, please contact us immediately at (240) 549-2926 and we will promptly delete that information from our records.

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may occasionally reference or link to third-party websites such as review platforms or scheduling tools. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those external sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any third-party site you visit.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the tools we use, or applicable legal requirements. When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically. For significant changes, we may also notify active customers directly via text or email. Continued use of our website or services after any changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information — including requests to access, correct, or delete your data — please reach out to us directly:

Business Name	Tom's Junk Service
Owner	Thomas Dove (Sole Proprietor)
Phone / Text	(240) 549-2926
Website	toms-junk.com
Mailing Address	1301 W 7th St, Frederick, MD 21702

We are committed to resolving any privacy concerns promptly and transparently.