The short version
- We collect as little as we can. Your name is never shown, and your email is never published or shared.
- We never sell your data or use it for advertising. We show a few clearly labelled, vetted sponsor messages; they don’t track you, and sponsors get no information about you.
- You can delete your account and everything you created at any time, and it’s deleted right away.
What we collect
- Your email address, when you sign in. We use it to send sign-in links and the emails you choose (reply notices, check-ins, visit reminders, monthly updates).
- What you post: reviews (scores, the visit month and type, your branch or the Veteran’s branch, your written answers), reported problems, “Good to know” tips, and helpful or out-of-date votes. Reviews and tips are public without your name or email.
- Your choices: locations you follow, visit reminder dates (the date only, never the reason), and email settings.
- A scrambled form of your internet address (IP), when you ask for a sign-in link, so we can stop abuse. We store only a one-way hash, not the address itself.
- A sign-in cookie that keeps you signed in for up to 30 days. We use no advertising or tracking cookies.
We don’t collect financial information, your contacts, or medical records. Please don’t include personal medical details, names of staff, phone numbers or Social Security numbers in reviews or tips; if you do, a moderator reviews them before they appear.
Location
To show VA locations near you, we use the approximate location of your internet connection (usually your city) that our hosting provider supplies with each page request. We use it only for that page and never store it. If you choose “Use my exact location” on the Find page, your device’s location stays in your browser and is never sent to us.
How we use data
- To run the site: sign-in, showing reviews and scores, and the emails you ask for.
- To publish combined numbers, such as a location’s average score, typical reported wait, and the quarterly Veteran Voice reports. These never identify anyone.
- To keep the site safe: rate limits, spam and abuse checks, and moderation.
We count page views of each location so reviewers can see their impact. Those counts aren’t linked to who viewed the page.
Who we share data with
We never sell user data or exchange it for money or anything of value. We don’t share it with advertisers, data brokers or marketers, and we don’t use it for targeted advertising. No third party may use or disclose your information, including de-identified or combined data, for any purpose without your consent.
Sponsor messages. We show a small number of vetted sponsor messages, labelled “Sponsored”. They are the same for every visitor and are not targeted. We don’t use ad networks, advertising cookies or tracking, and we give sponsors no information about you. When you click a sponsor’s link, we add one to that sponsor’s total click count, which isn’t linked to you; after that you are on the sponsor’s own site, under its privacy policy.
We use these service providers only to run the site. They are bound by contract to the same commitments we make to you:
- Cloudflare: hosting, database, security checks (Turnstile) and the approximate location described above.
- Resend: delivers our emails, so it processes your email address and the email content.
- Pages load fonts from Google Fonts, maps from OpenStreetMap, and some photos from Wikimedia Commons. Your browser contacts them directly, which shares your internet address with them; we send them nothing about you.
We get public facility information from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. We never send the VA, or anyone else, information about you. RateMyVA is independent and not affiliated with the VA.
We will disclose information only if the law requires it, and we will tell you unless the law prevents us.
How long we keep data
- Your account and what you post stay until you delete them, even if you stop signing in.
- Sign-in link records are deleted after 30 days. Expired sign-in sessions are deleted nightly.
- A visit reminder is deleted as soon as it is sent.
- Deleted data may remain in encrypted database backups for up to 30 days, then it is gone. It is never restored to the site.
Deleting your data
You can permanently delete 100% of your data: your account, email address, reviews, tips, votes, follows, reminders and settings.
- Online, right away: sign in, go to My reviews, and choose Delete my account. Deletion happens immediately.
- By email: write to privacy@ratemyva.net from the address you sign in with. We complete it within 7 days, and never later than 45 days.
To change a single review instead, edit it from My reviews.
Security and data breaches
Data is encrypted in transit and stored with our hosting provider. Sign-in links and sessions are stored only as one-way hashes. If a breach ever affects your information, we will email you promptly, explain what happened, and tell you what you can do.
If RateMyVA changes hands or closes
If WeeBie Media LLC sells or transfers RateMyVA, or stops running it, we will email you first. Any new owner must keep this policy’s commitments, and you can delete your account and all your data before the change takes effect. If the site closes, we will delete all user data.
Children
RateMyVA is for adults. It isn’t meant for children under 13, and we don’t knowingly collect their information.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy or our terms of service, we will update the date at the top and email account holders about meaningful changes before they take effect.
Contact
WeeBie Media LLC, operator of RateMyVA. Email privacy@ratemyva.net.