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Privacy Policy
Linkly LLC Last updated: [14 September 2026] Effective date: [14 September 2026]
1. Who we are
Linkly LLC (“Linkly,” “we,” “us,” “our”) is a freight forwarder and customs broker registered in [Illinois], United States, with offices at [488 W Liberty St, Wauconda, IL 60084].
This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with, and what choices you have. It covers our website at [linkly.com], our quoting and tracking tools, and the information we handle in the course of arranging shipments.
Contact for privacy questions: [privacy@linkly.com] · [+1 (979) 637-8372]
2. Who this policy covers
- Website visitors — anyone browsing our site or submitting a form.
- Customers and prospects — businesses and individuals who request quotes or book shipments, and the employees who deal with us on their behalf.
- Shipment contacts — consignees, shippers, notify parties and delivery contacts whose details appear on shipping documents.
If you’re a shipment contact, your details usually reached us from our customer rather than from you directly. Section 11 explains your options.
3. Information we collect
3.1 Information you give us
- Contact details — name, company, job title, email address, phone number, business address.
- Shipment details — origin and destination addresses, commodity description, weight, dimensions, ready dates, special handling requirements, declared value.
- Commercial and customs documents — commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, certificates of origin, importer of record details, EIN or importer number, customs bond details, power of attorney.
- Correspondence — emails, form submissions, and notes from calls about your shipments.
- Payment details — billing contact, billing address, and payment reference. [Card payments are processed by our payment provider; we do not store full card numbers.]
3.2 Information collected automatically
- Device and usage data — IP address, browser type, operating system, referring page, pages viewed, time on page.
- Cookies and similar technologies — see Section 7.
3.3 Information from other sources
- Our customers — when a customer books a shipment, they give us the details of the shipper, consignee and delivery contacts.
- Carriers, terminals and ports — status updates, gate and release events, weight and inspection records.
- Government systems — entry status, holds and release messages from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other agencies.
- Credit and compliance checks — business credit references and sanctions and denied-party screening results.
We do not seek sensitive personal information. Please don’t send us Social Security numbers, health information, or government ID scans unless we have specifically asked for them for a customs or compliance requirement.
4. How we use your information
| Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|
| Quoting and booking | Preparing rates, issuing booking confirmations, reserving space |
| Moving your freight | Instructing carriers, arranging pickup and delivery, updating you in transit |
| Customs and compliance | Filing ISF and entries with CBP, screening against denied-party and sanctions lists, retaining records the law requires us to keep |
| Billing | Invoicing, collecting payment, resolving disputes |
| Support | Answering questions, investigating claims, handling complaints |
| Improving the service | Understanding which pages are used, fixing errors, measuring site performance |
| Marketing | Sending rate updates, lane notices and service news to business contacts who have asked for them or who we already do business with. You can opt out of any of it at any time |
| Legal and safety | Meeting our legal obligations, enforcing our terms, defending claims |
5. Why we’re allowed to use it
We rely on one or more of the following, depending on the situation:
- Performance of a contract — we need your details to arrange the shipment you asked for.
- Legal obligation — customs, export control, sanctions screening and record-retention rules require us to collect and keep certain information.
- Legitimate interests — running, securing and improving our business, and marketing our services to business contacts, where that doesn’t override your rights.
- Consent — where we ask for it, such as optional marketing emails or non-essential cookies. You can withdraw consent at any time.
6. Who we share it with
We share personal information only where it’s needed to move your freight or where the law requires it.
- Carriers and their agents — steamship lines, airlines, trucking companies, rail operators, terminals, warehouses and delivery agents.
- Overseas partner agents — our counterparts at origin or destination who arrange the other end of the move.
- Government authorities — U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Census Bureau (AES filings), the FMC, and equivalent authorities in other countries, where a filing or a lawful request requires it.
- Service providers — [hosting, email, CRM, transportation management system, accounting, payment processing, analytics]. They act on our instructions and are bound by confidentiality terms.
- Professional advisers — lawyers, auditors and insurers, where necessary.
- Business transfers — if Linkly is acquired or merges, your information may transfer as part of that transaction; we’ll notify you if that happens.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
7. Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies to run the site and understand how it’s used.
| Type | What it does | Can you refuse? |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Keeps the site working — session handling, security, form submission | No — the site won’t function without them |
| Preferences | Remembers settings such as language or units | Yes |
| Analytics | Tells us which pages are used and where errors occur [Google Analytics / other] | Yes |
| Marketing | Measures response to our campaigns | Yes |
You can control cookies through [our cookie banner] and through your browser settings. Blocking strictly necessary cookies will break parts of the site. We [do / do not] respond to Global Privacy Control signals.
8. International transfers
Freight is international, so your information often has to travel with it. Details may be sent to our partner agents, carriers and customs authorities in the countries your shipment moves through, including countries whose data protection laws differ from those in the United States.
Where we transfer personal data out of the EEA or UK, we rely on [Standard Contractual Clauses] or another lawful transfer mechanism. Transfers made because a customs authority requires a filing are made to meet a legal obligation.
9. How long we keep it
- Customs and brokerage records — five years from the date of entry, as required by U.S. customs regulations [19 C.F.R. § 111.23].
- Financial and tax records — [seven] years.
- Shipment files and correspondence — [seven] years from completion of the shipment, to cover claim and limitation periods.
- Website and analytics data — [26] months.
- Marketing contacts — until you unsubscribe, plus a suppression record so we don’t contact you again by mistake.
When a retention period ends we delete the information or de-identify it so it can no longer be linked to you.
10. Security
We use [TLS encryption in transit, access controls, role-based permissions, multi-factor authentication on business systems, and regular backups] to protect information. Our staff see only the files they need for their work.
No system is perfectly secure, and we can’t guarantee absolute security. If a breach affects your personal information, we’ll notify you and the relevant regulators where the law requires it.
11. Your rights and choices
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- Know what personal information we hold about you and how we use it.
- Access a copy of it.
- Correct information that’s wrong or incomplete.
- Delete it, subject to the records we’re legally required to keep.
- Opt out of marketing, at any time, using the unsubscribe link or by emailing us.
- Opt out of sale or sharing — we don’t sell or share personal information, so there’s nothing to opt out of, but you’re welcome to confirm that with us.
- Not be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights.
- Appeal a decision we make about your request.
California residents have these rights under the CCPA/CPRA, including the right to know the categories of information collected, the purposes, and the categories of third parties we disclose to — all set out in Sections 3, 4 and 6 above.
To make a request, email [privacy@linkly.com] with the subject line “Privacy Request.” We’ll verify your identity before acting, usually by confirming details already on file, and respond within [45] days. An authorized agent may act for you with written permission.
One limit worth stating plainly: if we hold your information because a customs or export filing required it, we generally cannot delete it before the statutory retention period ends, even if you ask.
12. Children
Our services are for businesses. We don’t knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we’ll delete it.
13. Other sites
Our site links to third-party sites, including carrier tracking pages, mapping services and video embeds. We’re not responsible for their privacy practices. Read their policies before giving them information.
14. Changes to this policy
We’ll update this policy when our practices change. The “last updated” date at the top tells you when. If a change is significant, we’ll flag it on the site or contact you directly.
15. Contact us
Linkly LLC [488 W Liberty St, Wauconda, IL 60084, United States] [privacy@linkly.com] · [+1 (979) 637-8372]
If you’re not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with your state attorney general, or with your local data protection authority if you’re in the EEA or UK.
