Privacy Policy

Southside Eyecare & Optical (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of visitors to our website. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit southsideeyecare.com, how we use and protect that information, and what rights you have regarding your personal data.

By using our website, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the site.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information when you visit or interact with our website:

• Contact information – Your name, email address, phone number, and any other details you voluntarily submit through our contact or inquiry forms.
• Appointment information – Requested appointment dates, times, and reason for visit when you submit a scheduling request.
• Payment information – If you make a payment through our website, payment details (such as credit card numbers) are processed by our third-party payment processor. We do not store your full payment card information on our servers.
• Technical data – Your IP address, browser type and version, device type, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs, collected automatically when you browse our site.
• Cookies and tracking data – We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience and analyze website traffic (see Section 5 below).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Responding to questions or inquiries you submit through our contact forms
• Scheduling and confirming appointments
• Processing payments for services
• Communicating important updates about our practice or your care
• Improving the functionality and content of our website
• Analyzing website traffic and user behavior to enhance the visitor experience
• Complying with applicable legal and regulatory obligations

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in limited circumstances with trusted third parties who help us operate our website and business, including:

• Payment processors – To securely process online payments on our behalf.
• Scheduling systems – Third-party platforms used to manage and confirm appointments.
• Analytics providers – We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site. Google Analytics collects anonymized usage data. You can learn more about Google’s data practices at policies.google.com/privacy.
• Legal requirements – We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government authority, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of Southside Eyecare & Optical or others.

4. Data Security

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect the personal information you share with us from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies (small text files stored on your device) and similar technologies such as web beacons to:

• Remember your preferences and improve site navigation
• Analyze how visitors use our site (via Google Analytics)
• Understand the effectiveness of our web pages

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of our site. For more information about opting out of Google Analytics tracking, visit tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

6. Your Privacy Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access – You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction – You may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion – You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to any legal obligations we have to retain it.
• Opt-out – You may opt out of receiving marketing communications from us at any time by contacting us directly or using the unsubscribe link in any email we send. To stop receiving text messages, reply STOP to any message from us.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 10.

7. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to remove it.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Effective Date” at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

9. SMS Communications

Patients must affirmatively opt in to receive SMS messages. Providing a mobile phone number alone does not constitute consent. Patients opt in by checking the separate SMS consent box on our online appointment request or contact form, or by giving affirmative verbal consent when a Southside Eyecare staff member asks while scheduling or confirming an appointment by phone. Only patients who give that consent are enrolled. Patients who opt in will receive SMS text messages from Southside Eyecare & Optical related to appointment reminders, confirmations, scheduling updates, customer care, and service-related notifications. Consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of receiving care or services.

Message frequency may vary.
Message and data rates may apply.
Reply STOP to opt out at any time.
Reply HELP for assistance.

Your mobile phone number and your SMS consent information are never shared with or sold to third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes. That is separate from general business information, which we may share with service providers who support our operations, and only so they can perform those services for us.

No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Information sharing with subcontractors that provide support services, such as customer service, is permitted. Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

Southside Eyecare & Optical
9350 Independence Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99507
907-561-1167 · info@southsideeyecare.com
Contact us online