Who we are
VAI.me (the Verified Agencies Index) is operated by GM Sunshine, New Castle, Delaware, United States. GM Sunshine is responsible for the personal information described here. Questions or requests: support@vai.me.
What we collect
If you request a quote from an agency: your name, email address and project description, plus anything optional you add (budget, company, phone).
If you leave a review: your name, email address, rating and review text. Your email is used to check the review and is never shown publicly.
If you create an account: your name, email address and password (stored only as a one-way hash), and the agency profile you build: company details, website, logo, services, locations, projects and team information.
If you subscribe to a paid plan: billing is handled by Stripe. We receive your subscription status and billing contact, never your full card number.
Agency listings built from public information: some listings were created from information agencies publish themselves (company name, website, public business email and phone, address, description and services). These are marked as unclaimed until the agency claims them.
When you use the site: server logs (IP address, browser, pages requested, time) and pseudonymous usage events (for example “viewed a profile”, “started sign-up”, “sent a quote request”) tied to a random ID stored in a first-party cookie and your browser’s local storage.
Who receives your information
- The agency you contact. A quote request goes to the agency you chose. If the agency manages its profile, it reaches their team by email and in their dashboard. If the listing is unclaimed, we forward it to the business email address on the listing, with your email as the reply address. We don’t send your request to other agencies.
- Our team. We see quote requests and reviews to run the service and stop abuse.
- Service providers that run parts of the service for us (listed below). They process data only to provide their service.
- Authorities, if the law requires it.
- A buyer of the business, if VAI.me is ever sold or merged; this policy would continue to apply.
We do not sell your personal information, and we don’t share it for advertising.
How we use it
- To deliver quote requests and reviews, and to send you a copy of what you sent.
- To run your account and agency profile, and to check that the Verified badge is still earned (we read the agency’s website and DNS records, or confirm a work email at the same domain).
- To send service emails: confirmations, account and security notices, and product emails for agency accounts, each with an unsubscribe link where it applies.
- To invite agencies with an unclaimed listing to claim it, using the business email on the listing. Anyone can opt out from the link in those emails, and we keep a list of opted-out addresses so they are not contacted again.
- To understand how the site is used, keep it secure and stop spam and fraud.
- To meet legal, tax and accounting obligations.
Service providers and where data is stored
- OVH hosts our servers. The application and database run on a dedicated server in Montreal, Canada.
- Email is sent through a mail server we operate ourselves on OVH infrastructure in Europe.
- Cloudflare provides DNS, security and caching, and processes IP addresses and request data across its global network.
- Stripe processes payments for paid plans (United States and elsewhere).
- Google reCAPTCHA checks sign-up, login and contact forms for bots and receives device and interaction data from those forms.
Because these providers operate in several countries, your information may be processed outside the country where you live, including in Canada, the European Union and the United States.
Cookies
We use cookies and browser storage to keep you signed in, remember preferences such as light or dark mode and your cookie choice, and hold the random ID used for the usage events above. We don’t use advertising or tracking pixels.
How long we keep it
- Accounts and agency profiles: while the account is open. Ask us to close it and we delete it within 30 days, except records we must keep by law.
- Quote requests and reviews: while the service needs them. Ask us and we delete yours.
- Billing records: 7 years, for tax and accounting.
- Server logs: 14 days.
- Database backups: daily backups kept for 14 days, and weekly full backups kept for 30 days.
- Usage events: kept for analysis; ask us and we delete the ones linked to you.
- Opt-out list: kept for as long as we send email, so we can honour it.
Your choices and rights
You can ask us for a copy of your information, to correct it, to delete it, or to stop using it for a particular purpose. Agencies can edit most of their information in their dashboard, and anyone can unsubscribe from our emails using the link in them. Email support@vai.me and we’ll respond within 30 days. If you live in the EU, UK or California, you also have the rights that local law gives you, including the right to complain to your data protection authority.
If your agency appears in an unclaimed listing and you’d like it changed or removed, email us from an address at your company’s domain, or claim the listing and edit it yourself.
Security
Connections to VAI.me are encrypted (HTTPS), passwords are stored as one-way hashes, and access to our servers and admin tools is restricted. No service can promise perfect security, so tell us at support@vai.me if you notice a problem.
Children
VAI.me is a business service and isn’t intended for anyone under 16.
Changes
When this policy changes we update the date at the top of this page. Related pages: Terms of service, Refund policy, Trust & security.