Fielder’s Choice Direct values the privacy of individuals who visit our web site and we adhere to the privacy standards which have been adopted here in the United States. This statement sets forth the important information which individuals who visit these sites need to know about how Fielder’s Choice collect and use personal information from web site visitors.  In this Privacy Policy, “Fielder’s Choice” refers to GrowDirect, Inc., who operates the website on which this Privacy Policy is found.

Please read this policy carefully.  By visiting the Fielder’s Choice Direct website and using the services provided on this site, you are indicating your agreement to Fielder’s Choice use of your personal information as set out in this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy is intended to be in compliance with the applicable privacy laws and regulations of the United States from which personally identifiable information is collected.  To the extent the laws may prohibit Fielder’s Choice from using and sharing personal information in a way described in this Privacy Policy, the Privacy Policy and Fielder’s Choice practices shall be deemed modified to be consistent with such local laws.

Table of Contents                                                                             Opting In/Opting Out

Changes to Privacy Policy                                                                  Retention of Personal Information

Children and Privacy                                                                          Security

Collection of Information                                                                   Sharing and Disclosure of Your Personal Information

Cookies                                                                                              Transfers of Information

Contacting Fielder’s Choice                                                                 What does this Privacy Policy cover?

Correction/Updating of Personal Information

Fielder’s Choice Use of Your Personal Information

What Does This Privacy Policy Cover?
This Privacy Policy applies to the Fielder’s Choice web site and information collected by and through this web site.  It does not apply to any other Fielder’s Choice services or dealings with users or customers and does not apply to third-party sites which may be linked to the Fielder’s Choice site.

Collection of Information
The Fielder’s Choice web site collects personally identifiable information only from individuals who voluntarily choose to provide the information through the web site.  (In this Privacy Policy the foregoing information is referred to as “Personal Information.”  That Personal Information may be collected in several different ways:

1. Some sites may permit users to request a “user i.d.” and password which can be used on future visits to the site.  Visitors to the site may be asked to supply their name, geographic location and some information about their business or occupation or other reason for interest in the site.  In addition, the Fielder’s Choice site permits users to supply an email address to sign up for Fielder’s Choice Newsletters.  Fielder’s Choice may also include feedback or comment forms whereby users can submit questions or comments to Fielder’s Choice Direct. (In this Privacy Policy, the foregoing information is referred to as “User Information.”)
2. The Fielder’s Choice web site permits users to enter into transactions with Fielder’ Choice Direct or to take advantage of services provided by Fielder’s Choice Direct to its customers through the site or its Call Centers.  On the Fielder’s Choice web site, users will be required to provide detailed information necessary to enable Fielder’s Choice to process the transaction and to provide the goods and services requested by the visitor.  Visitors may be requested to provide financial information, including credit card or bank information, in connection with such transactions.  Visitors may also be asked to provide information about the pesticide and other licenses which they hold in order to determine whether Fielder’s Choice can lawfully sell the products requested by the visitor.  (In this Privacy Policy, the foregoing information is referred to as “Transactional Information.”)
3. The Fielder’s Choice web site may provide chat rooms or discussion forums where users may register and post messages or comments.  Participation in such discussion areas is entirely voluntary and the user therefore has a choice whether or not to disclose whatever additional demographic information.  (In this Privacy Policy, the foregoing information is referred to as “Survey Information.”
4. From time-to-time the Fielder’s Choice site may request additional information from users by means of surveys or contests.  Participation in these surveys or contests is completely voluntary and the user therefore has a choice whether or not to disclose whatever additional information may be requested.  Information requested through surveys and contests may include additional demographic information.  (In this Privacy Policy, the foregoing information is referred to as “Survey Information.”

In addition to the foregoing Personal Information, the Fielder’s Choice web site automatically logs information about each visitor from the browser used to access the site (e.g., Internet Explorer, Netscape, etc.).  This includes information about the I.P. address of the visitor, the pages in the site which are visited from that address and the web site which the user visited just prior to the Fielder’s Choice site.  (In this Privacy Policy, the foregoing information is referred to as “Visit Information.”)  None of this Visit Information permits personal identification of the individual user who is accessing the Fielder’s Choice site; thus Visit Information is not considered Personal Information in this Privacy Policy.  Visit Information will be used by Fielder’s Choice to diagnose problems with its web servers, to administer, design and construct the web site, to track visitor movements on the web site and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use only.

Cookies
A cookie is a small data file that web sites commonly write to the site visitor’s hard drive when a site is visited.  A cookie file contains information that can identify a return visitor each time he or she visits our site.  The data is encrypted for added security.  Fielder’s Choice web site may use cookies as a way to measure activity and traffic patterns on the site in order to continually improve the visitor’s experience.  Cookies also provide visitors the convenience of not having to log in a password more than once on a Fielder’s Choice web site, thereby saving the visitor time while on our site.

A browser can be set to warn the users before accepting cookies.  Users can choose to refuse cookies by turning them off in the browser.  Users do not have to have cookies turned on to visit our web site, but will need them to use certain customizable features of our web site such as automatically displaying local weather and crop forecasts, accessing certain areas of our site and transacting business on our web site.

Fielder’s Choice Use of Personal Information
Your Personal Information may be used to communicate with you and about your use of our site, to let you know about changes to our services or our site, or to provide services to you, or to improve our understanding of what visitors may want and need to see on the site.  In particular:

1. User Information may be used by Fielder’s Choice primarily to enhance the usability and friendliness of the Fielder’s Choice web site and to ensure that the information provided is timely and relevant and meets the needs of our visitors.  Fielder’s Choice may also use the information which visitors voluntarily furnish through this site to provide information and promotional material to persons who have visited the Fielder’s Choice site and to process specific requests for information which visitors may make.  (See Opting In/Opting Out below if you do not wish to receive such materials from Fielder’s Choice.)
2. Transactional Information will be used by Fielder’s Choice to process and complete the transaction for goods or services requested by the visitor.
3. Survey Information will be used in a manner similar to User Information but will be used primarily in aggregate form to provide Fielder’s Choice with information on customer needs, product design, market demand, etc.

Also, you should know that your Personal Information, as well as Visit Information collected at the Fielder’s Choice site, may be used by Fielder’s Choice security personnel if deemed necessary to protect Fielder’s Choice from a threat or other perceived security risk and such information may be shared with law enforcement authorities if appropriate.

Sharing and Disclosure of Your Information
Fielder’s Choice may share Personal Information with others for a number of reasons:

1. We may provide contact information to our trade partners, advertisers and other interested parties so that they may contact you directly to furnish you information about their products and services.  (As used in this Privacy Policy, “Trade Partners” means businesses not owned or operated by Fielder’s Choice but which provide compatible goods or services which may be desired by or potentially useful for visitors to the Fielder’s Choice web site.)  (See “Opting In/Opting Out” below if you do not want to receive such materials from Trade Partners.)
2. We will provide aggregated data about products and services purchased, visitor interests, demographics and other information collected from our web site to our Trade Partners, advertisers and other interested parties so that they can learn what products and services are most popular to our customers.  Aggregated data will be in anonymous group statistical form and not associated with any individual person.
3. We may use a credit card processing company to bill web site visitors for products and services which they request.
4. We may partner with other parties to provide specific services.  When the user signs up for these services, we will share names or other contact information that is necessary for the third parties to provide these services.  These parties will not be allowed to use personally identifiable information except for the purpose of providing these services.
5. We may also share Personal Information about visitors to our site among our corporate affiliates and or subsidiary companies for purposes related to the business of those affiliates and subsidiaries.

Fielder’s Choice may also share Personal Information about web site visitors with third parties under the following circumstances:

1. When you consent to disclosure
2. To comply with law, court orders, subpoena or legal process
3. To enforce or apply Fielder’s Choice agreements or protect Fielder’s Choice and its rights
4. By operation of the law, when such Personal Information is transferred as a part of sale of assets including the assets represented by the Fielder’s Choice web site; or
5. In the event that Fielder’s Choice, or substantially all of its assets, is acquired outside of the ordinary course of business and such Personal Information may be one of the transferred assets.

Transfers of Information
Because Fielder’s Choice operates as an independent operating company owned by Monsanto with headquarters based in St. Louis, Missouri, it is possible that Personal Information about visitors may be transferred.  Such transfers will only occur in compliance with the applicable local law relevant to the source of the information.

When you furnish Personal Information to Fielder’s Choice through the web site, you are also giving your consent to a cross-border transfer of that information unless you specifically elect not to have the information transferred at a time you furnish it to us and inform us of your decision according to the instructions on the site through which the information is provided.

Children and Privacy
Fielder’s Choice does not knowingly collect information from or about children age 13 and under.

Opting In / Opting Out
Upon registering at the Fielder’s Choice web site which collects Personal Information, visitors will be given an opportunity to determine whether they wish to receive promotional materials from Fielder’s Choice or from Trade Partners.  The manner and method in which a Fielder’s Choice site permits users to opt out of receiving such materials will be described on the site collecting that Personal Information.  If the user would like to “opt out” at a later time, they may do so by following the instructions on the site where the original request was made or the instructions contained in the e-mail messages delivering such materials to them.

Likewise, you may withdraw your consent to the collection or use of your Personal Information at any time by clicking this link to unsubscribe. 

Correction / Updating of Personal Information
Each site which collects Personal Information will provide users with instructions regarding correcting or updating that Personal Information.  Some sites may maintain a user account section where visitors can make corrections themselves; others may provide email link or contact information to request us to make those changes; generally, user requests for an update of Personal Information will be honored within a reasonable time after we receive a request.  However, no changes to personal information will be permitted where the change would result in incorrect information or would alter a transaction with us already completed.

Retention of Personal Information
Fielder’s Choice will periodically delete Personal Information collected from visitors to our web site if it is no longer needed for any purpose for which the information may be used or disclosed under the terms of this Privacy Policy.

Security
Fielder’s Choice takes precautions to protect users’ information.  Our safeguards include technical means and policies and procedures that our staff is trained to follow.  In any event in which a Fielder’s Choice web site is hosted by a third party, these safeguards shall also apply.  If as a registered user you receive a password, you should keep it confidential because it is the key to access to the information held by Fielder’s Choice about you.  If you leave your computer’s internet browser running and someone else uses your computer, they will be able to access your account; thus, if your computer is not physically secure remember to shut down your browser before you leave it.

We try to reduce the likelihood of accidental disclosures and unintended access and modification of account information, but it is impossible to eliminate this possibility completely.  When users submit sensitive information via the web site, their information is protected both on-line and off-line.

When an enrollment or order form asks users to enter sensitive information (such as a credit card number) that information is encrypted and is protected with the (Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.  While Fielder’s Choice uses SSL encryption to protect sensitive information online, we also take steps to protect user-information off-line.  All of our users’ information, not just the sensitive information mentioned above, is restricted in our offices.  Fielder’s Choice employees are kept up-to-date on our security and privacy practices.  Any time new policies are added; our employees are notified and/or reminded about the importance we place on privacy, and what they can do to ensure our customers’ information is protected.

Protecting You Own Privacy
Please keep in mind that whenever you voluntarily disclose personal information online – for example on message boards, through email, or in chat areas – that information can be collected and used by others.  Ultimately, you are solely responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your passwords and/or any account information.

Changes to Policy
If Fielder’s Choice decides to change its privacy policies and practices, we will post those changes to our Privacy Policy on our web site in advance of the changes taking effect, so our users are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it.  If, at any point we decide to use personally identifiable information in a manner different from that stated at the time it was collected, we will notify users.  Users will have a choice as to whether or not we use their information in this different manner.  We will continue to be able to use information in accordance with the Privacy Policy under which the information was collected.

Contacting Fielder’s Choice
The Fielder’s Choice web site provides a Contact Us section to facilitate feedback from site visitors.  Please use this facility to notify us if you have any questions, concerns or complaints about the manner in which your personal information has been collected or handled by Fielder’s Choice, or contact Fielder’s Choice directly by calling us toll-free at 1-800-321-3177.

Policy Last Updated January 23, 2008