Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 3, 2026

RL Jarrett Associates ("we," "us," or "our") operates PuzzledPuzzles. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and services.

By using PuzzledPuzzles, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our services.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

When you create an account or use our services, we collect:

• Email address: Required for account creation and communication
• Username: Optional display name for your account
• Password: Stored in hashed and encrypted form (we never store plain-text passwords)
• Payment information: Processed securely through Stripe. We do not store complete credit card numbers on our servers

Automatically Collected Information

When you use PuzzledPuzzles, we automatically collect:

• Puzzle progress: Which puzzles you've started, completed, and your current state
• Game performance data: Completion times, move counts, and leaderboard statistics
• Device information: Browser type, device type, operating system, and screen resolution
• Usage data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on the site, and interaction patterns
• IP address: For security, fraud prevention, and analytics
• Cookies and session data: See "Cookies and Tracking" section below

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

Account Management

• Create and maintain your account
• Authenticate your identity when you log in
• Manage your subscription and billing
• Respond to your support requests and communications
• Send important account notifications (subscription renewals, password resets, etc.)

Game Progress and Features

• Save and restore your puzzle progress across devices
• Track daily puzzle streaks and achievements
• Display your position on leaderboards (Pro subscribers only)
• Personalize your gaming experience

Payment Processing

• Process subscription payments through Stripe
• Send receipts and billing confirmations
• Handle refunds and billing disputes
• Prevent fraudulent transactions

Service Improvement

• Analyze usage patterns to improve our puzzles and features
• Identify and fix bugs and technical issues
• Conduct A/B testing to optimize user experience
• Develop new features based on user behavior

Security and Fraud Prevention

• Detect and prevent unauthorized access to accounts
• Monitor for cheating and manipulation of leaderboards
• Protect against spam and abuse
• Enforce our Terms of Service

Marketing Communications (Optional)

• Send promotional emails about new puzzle collections and features
• Share product updates and announcements
• You can opt out of marketing emails at any time

3. Cookies and Session Data

PuzzledPuzzles uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to provide and improve our services.

Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function:

• Session cookies: Maintain your logged-in state as you navigate the site
• Authentication tokens: Verify your identity and keep your account secure
• Security cookies: Protect against cross-site request forgery and other attacks

Functional Cookies

• Progress tracking: Store your puzzle state locally for faster loading
• Preference cookies: Remember your settings and preferences
• Visitor ID: Anonymous identifier for analytics purposes

Analytics Cookies

We use analytics services to understand how users interact with PuzzledPuzzles. These cookies collect anonymized data about:

• Page views and navigation patterns
• Time spent on different features
• Device and browser information
• Geographic region (country/city level, not precise location)

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling essential cookies may prevent you from using certain features of PuzzledPuzzles.

4. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect and process your information:

Stripe (Payment Processing)

All subscription payments are processed by Stripe. When you subscribe, Stripe collects:

• Payment card information (credit/debit card details)
• Billing address
• Email address
• Transaction history

Stripe's data practices are governed by their Privacy Policy. We receive limited information from Stripe (subscription status, payment success/failure) but do not store complete payment card numbers.

Render (Hosting Infrastructure)

Our website and database are hosted on Render. Render may collect:

• Server logs (IP addresses, request timestamps, response codes)
• Performance and uptime metrics

Render acts as a data processor and handles data according to their security and privacy standards.

Neon (Database Hosting)

Our PostgreSQL database is hosted by Neon. All user data stored in our database (account information, puzzle progress, subscription status) is hosted by Neon with encryption at rest and in transit.

5. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations:

• Active accounts: Data retained indefinitely while your account is active
• Deleted accounts: Personal data deleted within 30 days of account deletion (except as required by law)
• Payment records: Retained for 7 years for tax and accounting purposes
• Logs and analytics: Aggregated and anonymized data may be retained indefinitely for analysis

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers uses HTTPS/TLS encryption
• Password hashing: Passwords are hashed using bcrypt with salt, making them unreadable even if our database were compromised
• Database security: Our database requires authentication and uses encrypted connections
• Access controls: Only authorized personnel have access to user data, and access is logged
• Regular security audits: We monitor for vulnerabilities and apply security patches promptly

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

7. Your Privacy Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access and Portability

You can request a copy of all personal data we have about you. We will provide this in a machine-readable format (JSON or CSV).

Correction

You can update your email address and username through your account settings. Contact support if you need help correcting other information.

Deletion

You can delete your account at any time through account settings or by contacting support. Upon deletion:

• Your account and personal information will be permanently deleted within 30 days
• Your puzzle progress and game data will be erased
• Active subscriptions will be cancelled (no refund for unused time)
• Some data may be retained for legal or accounting purposes (e.g., payment records)

Opt-Out of Marketing

You can unsubscribe from promotional emails by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email or updating your preferences in account settings.

Do Not Track

We respect browser "Do Not Track" signals. If your browser sends a DNT signal, we will not use analytics cookies or third-party tracking.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights:

• Right to know what personal information is collected
• Right to know whether personal information is sold or disclosed (we do not sell data)
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (not applicable)
• Right to deletion
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights

European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area, you have these rights:

• Right to access your personal data
• Right to rectification of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object to processing
• Right to withdraw consent

8. Children's Privacy

PuzzledPuzzles is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If we discover that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it immediately. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us.

9. International Data Transfers

PuzzledPuzzles is operated in the United States. If you access our services from outside the U.S., your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States.

By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to the U.S., which may have different data protection laws than your country.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date.

For material changes, we will notify you via email or through a prominent notice on our website. Your continued use of PuzzledPuzzles after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

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

RL Jarrett Associates
Email: privacy@puzzledpuzzles.ai
Support: support@puzzledpuzzles.ai

We will respond to privacy requests within 30 days.