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Privacy Policy

Effective 2026-10-11

This Privacy Policy explains how [MALCOLM'S LLC NAME] ("we", "us") collects, uses and shares information when you visit https://vertechef.com or buy VerteChef Personal Meal Coach.

Information we collect

• Information you give us: your email address, your quiz answers, chat and voice messages with our coach, weigh-ins you log, and messages you send us.
• Health-related information you choose to share: goals, health conditions you select (for example diabetes or high blood pressure), whether you take prescription medicine, allergies, height, weight and age. This is "consumer health data" under some state laws. We collect it only with your consent and use it only to build and adjust your meal plan and coach replies.
• Voice: when you use voice talkback, your audio is streamed to our voice provider to turn speech into text and reply. We keep text transcripts in your coach history; we do not keep audio recordings.
• Fridge and pantry photos: when you use "What's in my fridge?", your phone first shrinks the photo, then sends it to our server, which passes it to our AI model provider only to list the ingredients it can see. We do not store your photo. It is held in memory only for that one request and deleted as soon as the ingredient list comes back (normally within seconds, and never longer than 24 hours). It is never written to our database, files or logs, never used for advertising, and never used to train models by us. Our AI provider processes it under its API terms, which may let it keep request data for a short time for abuse monitoring. The ingredient list is used only to build your meal ideas and is not saved either (if you swap an idea into your plan, that meal is saved like any other meal). Try not to include people or personal papers in the photo.
• Daily voice check-in (optional, off by default): if you turn it on, we store the time and timezone you pick and how you want to be reminded. For device notifications, your browser gives us a notification address (from Google, Apple or Mozilla's push service) that we use only to send your check-in reminder; the reminder itself says only that your check-in is ready and never includes health information. The check-in call works like voice talkback above: audio is streamed to our voice provider, we keep text transcripts, not recordings. To make the first words play instantly we prepare a short spoken greeting ahead of time and delete it within about a day and a half. We also keep simple timing numbers (how fast the voice responded) to keep it fast. Turn check-ins off any time in Account or with the link in any check-in email. Text-message check-ins are not offered yet; if they ever are, we will only text you after you separately agree, and you can reply STOP at any time.
• Grocery budget: if you set a weekly budget, we store the amount to shape your plan and show an estimated weekly cost. Prices are rough averages, not your store's prices.
• Purchase information: payments are processed by Stripe. We receive your name, email, billing details and order details. We do not see or store your full card number.
• Automatic information: IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, referring link and ad-click identifiers, collected using cookies, pixels and similar technologies.

Your health information is never used for advertising

We do not sell your health information, and we do not share it with advertising platforms. Ad pixels run only on our public sign-up pages and receive only basic events (page viewed, quiz completed, checkout started, purchase), never your quiz answers, conditions, allergies, weight, chat or voice. Our member app does not load advertising pixels.

To build plans and answer questions, your answers may be processed by our service providers, including our AI model provider and voice provider, under contracts that limit their use of it. You can ask us to delete your health information at any time by emailing support@vertechef.com.

Cookies, pixels and advertising

We may use the Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Pixel and Conversions API and the TikTok Pixel and Events API to measure our ads and show ads to people who may be interested. These services may receive information about your activity on our site, such as page views, quiz completion and purchases, along with a hashed (one-way encrypted) version of your email. You can opt out of interest-based ads through your Meta and TikTok ad settings, at optout.aboutads.info, or by blocking cookies in your browser.

How we use information

• To build your meal plan, grocery list and coach replies
• To deliver your quiz results and the products you buy
• To process payments, subscriptions, refunds and support requests
• To send the emails you agreed to (you can unsubscribe at any time)
• To measure and improve our site and our advertising
• To prevent fraud and meet legal obligations

How we share information

We share information with service providers that help run our business (payment processing, hosting, email delivery, analytics and advertising), when the law requires it, or as part of a business transfer. We do not sell your personal information for money. Some advertising uses may count as "sharing" or "targeted advertising" under certain state laws. You can opt out by emailing support@vertechef.com.

Shopping links (Walmart and Instacart)

When you use "Shop at Walmart," our server looks up the items on your grocery list (ingredient names only, such as "baby spinach") in Walmart's product catalog so you can check the matches. We do not send Walmart your name, email, health answers or any other personal information. When you tap a Walmart link, you leave our site and go to walmart.com, where Walmart's own privacy policy applies to your cart, order, payment and delivery. Walmart and its affiliate network (Impact) may set cookies to credit us for the referral. Affiliate disclosure: VerteChef may earn a small commission from qualifying Walmart purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you. If we turn on Instacart, it works the same way: we send your list items to Instacart to build a shopping list page, and Instacart's privacy policy applies once you open it.

Your rights

Depending on where you live (for example California, Virginia, Colorado, or the EU/UK), you may have the right to access, correct, delete or get a copy of your data, and to opt out of targeted advertising. To make a request, email support@vertechef.com. We will not discriminate against you for using these rights.

Data retention and security

We keep information as long as we need it for the purposes above or as the law requires, and we use reasonable safeguards to protect it. No method of storing or sending data is 100% secure.

Children

This site is not intended for anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.

Changes and contact

If we update this policy, we will post the new effective date here. Questions: support@vertechef.com, [MALCOLM'S LLC NAME], [STREET, CITY, STATE ZIP].