Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Top Solar Services ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website https://topsolarservices.com (the "Site") — a directory and lead-matching platform connecting homeowners and businesses with solar installation, removal, cleaning, maintenance, and battery storage contractors across the United States.

For the purposes of the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulation (the "GDPR"), we are the data controller of the personal data collected through the Site. Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (the "CCPA"), we are a "business."

Contact: info@topsolarservices.com

2. Information we collect

2.1 Information you provide

• Lead / match form data: name, email, phone, street address, ZIP code, service needed, project timeline, budget range, property type, best time to contact, and any project details you provide.
• Account data (contractors): email, password hash, full name, company name, company location, and the content of your listing (description, services, photos, reviews responses).
• Review submissions: reviewer name, job title, location, ratings, review text, project details.
• Contact form submissions: name, email, subject, message.

2.2 Information collected automatically

• Log data: IP address, browser type and version, pages visited, date/time of visit, referring URL, and similar diagnostic data, collected via our webserver and preserved for security and abuse-prevention purposes.
• Cookies: a session cookie (PHPSESSID) used to maintain your logged-in state, CSRF tokens, and rate-limit counters. No third-party advertising cookies are set without consent.

2.3 Information from third parties

If you log in through a third-party provider, we may receive your basic profile (name, email, avatar). We do not purchase personal data from data brokers.

3. How we use your information

• To match you with vetted solar contractors in your service area.
• To enable contractors to contact you regarding your project request.
• To operate and improve the Site (analytics, debugging, abuse prevention, fraud detection).
• To respond to inquiries, support requests, and review submissions.
• To send service emails (e.g., match confirmations, review approval notices, account changes).
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.

4. Legal bases for processing (EU/UK users)

• Contract: to provide services you requested (e.g., matching you with contractors).
• Consent: where you have ticked a consent box (lead submission, marketing emails where applicable). You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Legitimate interests: to secure the Site, detect fraud, analyze usage, and improve our services.
• Legal obligation: to comply with applicable laws and respond to lawful requests.

5. How we share information

We share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Matched contractors: when you submit a Get Matched or contact request, we forward the relevant details to up to five contractors in your area so they can follow up. Contractors are contractually required to use your information only to contact you about your project.
• Service providers: hosting, email delivery (e.g., SMTP relays), error monitoring, and similar operational vendors, under written data-processing terms.
• Legal / safety: when required to comply with law, respond to subpoenas, protect our rights, or prevent fraud or imminent harm.
• Corporate transactions: in connection with a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, subject to confidentiality obligations and this policy.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

6. Your rights

6.1 Everyone

You may contact us at info@topsolarservices.com at any time to access, correct, or delete your personal information, or to opt out of marketing emails.

6.2 GDPR (EU/UK residents)

• Right of access (Article 15)
• Right to rectification (Article 16)
• Right to erasure / "right to be forgotten" (Article 17)
• Right to restrict processing (Article 18)
• Right to data portability (Article 20)
• Right to object to processing (Article 21)
• Right to withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your country of residence

6.3 CCPA / CPRA (California residents)

• Right to know what categories of personal information we collect, the sources, the purposes of collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
• Right to delete personal information we have collected about you, subject to legal exceptions.
• Right to correct inaccurate personal information.
• Right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. We do not sell or share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
• Right to limit use of sensitive personal information. We do not use your data for purposes beyond those disclosed in this policy.
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising any of these rights.

To exercise a CCPA right, email info@topsolarservices.com with the subject "CCPA Request." We will verify your identity before responding.

7. Data retention

• Leads / match submissions: 24 months from submission, then deleted or anonymized.
• Contractor accounts: retained while the account is active and for 24 months after closure for accounting and legal purposes.
• Reviews: retained as long as the reviewed company is listed; reviewers may request removal at any time.
• Logs: 30 days, unless retained longer for active security investigations.

8. Cookies and tracking

We use a minimal set of first-party cookies strictly necessary to run the Site: a session cookie to keep you signed in, a CSRF token to protect forms, and rate-limit counters to prevent abuse. We do not use advertising cookies, social-plugin cookies, or cross-site tracking pixels on the organic Site. If this changes, we will update this section and, where required, obtain your consent.

9. Security

We implement technical and organizational safeguards including TLS encryption in transit, bcrypt password hashing, parameterized database queries, CSRF protection, session hardening, and rate limiting on forms. Despite our efforts, no system is perfectly secure — please use a strong, unique password and alert us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access.

10. Children's privacy

The Site is not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

11. International transfers

We are based in the United States, and personal data is processed on servers in the United States. If you access the Site from outside the US, your information will be transferred to and processed in the US. Where required, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent safeguards for cross-border transfers.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Effective" and "Last updated" dates above reflect the most recent revision. Material changes will be communicated via the Site or email where appropriate.

13. Contact us

Privacy questions, rights requests, or complaints:

• Email: info@topsolarservices.com
• Mail: Top Solar Services, Attn: Privacy, United States