Pinsec Academy (“we”, “our”, “us”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and the choices you have. By using www.pinsecacademy.com you agree to the practices described here.
1. Who we are
Pinsec Academy is a curated directory of Indian colleges that helps students search programs, compare institutions, submit admission enquiries, and receive counselling support. This policy applies to all visitors and registered users of our website.
2. Information we collect
- Account details: name, mobile number, email (optional), password (stored hashed), date of birth (optional), entrance exam preference, city.
- Activity data: colleges viewed, saved to wishlist, applications submitted, enquiries, loan offers accepted or declined.
- Communication data: messages sent through our enquiry forms, WhatsApp button, or phone calls.
- Device & usage data: IP address, browser type, device type, referral source, pages viewed, and time spent — collected through cookies and analytics tools.
- Verification data: one-time passwords (OTPs) sent to your mobile via SMS for phone number verification and password reset.
3. How we use your information
- Create and manage your Pinsec Academy account.
- Match you with relevant colleges, courses, and admission opportunities.
- Contact you about enquiries, counselling calls, application updates, and loan offers.
- Send transactional messages (OTPs, application status) via SMS or WhatsApp.
- Improve our search, compare, and recommendation features.
- Measure marketing performance through Google Analytics and Google Ads.
- Prevent fraud, secure our systems, and comply with legal obligations.
4. Third-party services we use
We share the minimum data required with the following trusted partners:
- Twilio — sends OTPs and verification SMS to your registered mobile number.
- Google Analytics 4 & Google Ads — measures site usage and conversion performance. We share only a non-personal database ID (not your name, phone or email).
- Google AdSense — may display third-party advertisements. AdSense may use cookies to serve ads based on your visits. See Google’s advertising policies.
- Meta / WhatsApp — used when you click our WhatsApp contact button.
- Emergent Object Storage — secure hosting of profile photos and college images.
5. Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies for session management (keeping you signed in), analytics (Google Analytics), and advertising (Google Ads / AdSense). You can control cookies through your browser settings — however, disabling essential cookies may break login and other features.
6. Data retention
We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you request deletion, we remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law (e.g., financial or regulatory records).
7. Data sharing & disclosure
We never sell your personal information. We may share your data with:
- Colleges & universities you explicitly submit an enquiry or application to.
- Loan and scholarship partners you choose to explore.
- Government or regulatory authorities when required by law.
- Service providers listed in Section 4 above, under strict confidentiality obligations.
8. Your rights
Under India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP), 2023 you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct or update your information at any time from your profile page.
- Request deletion of your account and personal data.
- Withdraw consent for marketing communications.
- Lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Board of India.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at official@pinsecacademy.com from the email or phone number registered with us.
9. Data security
We use industry-standard measures — encrypted HTTPS transport, hashed passwords (bcrypt), access controls, and regular audits — to safeguard your data. No system is 100% secure; if you become aware of any breach, please notify us immediately.
10. Children
Our services are intended for students aged 13 years or older who are seeking college admissions. If you are under 18, please use the site with the involvement of a parent or guardian.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we’ll change the “Effective date” at the top of this page. Continued use of the site after changes means you accept the updated policy.
12. Contact us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests about this policy, reach us at:
