Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

This Privacy Policy describes how DisputeGoat(“DisputeGoat,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and discloses information when you visit disputegoat.com and use our software workspace. DisputeGoat is a self-service credit-report-review and consumer-letter-preparation tool based in California. It is not a credit repair organization.

2. Information we collect

We collect information in three categories.

(a) Information you give us

• Sender information for letters— your full name and mailing address, which you enter into the “Your info” form when generating consumer letters.
• Letter content and edits — anything you type or edit into a letter before downloading it.
• Dispute log entries — which items you have downloaded letters for, the bureaus you selected, the strategy you chose, and the status updates you record (mailed, resolved, rejected, notes).
• Support requests — anything you write to us at support@disputegoat.com.

(b) Information from SmartCredit® / ConsumerDirect®

When you complete enrollment through the SmartCredit® hosted widget on our signup page, ConsumerDirect® returns the following limited information to us so we can recognize your membership:

• Customer name (the name you enrolled under)
• Customer email
• A non-sensitive customer session token (used to recognize your session)
• Your SmartCredit® partner ID and member-plan name

We do not receiveyour Social Security Number, date of birth, full credit report, full credit-card or bank-account number, or any of the identity-verification answers you provided to ConsumerDirect®. Those fields are collected and held by ConsumerDirect® and governed by SmartCredit®'s separate privacy policy.

(c) Information collected automatically

• Browser and device data — your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, screen size, and the pages you visit on our site.
• Cookies and local storage — see Section 5.
• Aggregated usage statistics — de-identified counts such as how many letters were generated this month or which features are most used. These statistics never identify you.

3. How we use information

We use the information described above to:

• Provide, operate, secure, and improve the DisputeGoat workspace.
• Recognize your active SmartCredit® enrollment so we can unlock your dashboard.
• Auto-fill your name and address on consumer letters you generate.
• Maintain your personal letter log so you can track what you have sent.
• Respond to support requests and product feedback.
• Detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, abuse, or violations of our Terms of Service.
• Comply with legal obligations.
• Send service-related communications (e.g., changes to these policies).

4. Where your data is stored

Most of the information you enter into DisputeGoat — sender info, letter content, dispute log, gamification progress — is stored locally in your own browser using your browser’s localStorage. It does not leave your device unless you take an action that sends it (for example, downloading a PDF and emailing it to yourself). Clearing your browser’s site data for disputegoat.com deletes all of this information.

Information we receive from ConsumerDirect® during SmartCredit® enrollment is processed by our application and may be persisted in our hosting environment (described in Section 6) so we can recognize your membership across sessions. Server-side persistence is in active development; this policy will be updated with specifics when that infrastructure ships.

5. Cookies and local storage

We use essential cookies and local storage to keep you signed in, remember your preferences, and store the items above. We do not use third-party advertising cookies on the DisputeGoat product pages. The marketing site may use a small number of analytics cookies to count visits and understand which pages are most useful. You can clear or block cookies in your browser settings; doing so may break sign-in and cause your saved letters and dispute log to disappear.

6. How we share information

We share information only as described below.

• SmartCredit® / ConsumerDirect®— the SmartCredit® enrollment widget on our signup page is hosted by ConsumerDirect®. Information you enter into that widget (including your SSN, address, identity verification, and payment information) flows to ConsumerDirect® under their privacy policy. We do not see those fields.
• Hosting and infrastructure providers— we use third-party providers (currently Hostinger) to host the website. These providers may process information to provide hosting and security services and are bound by their own security commitments.
• Service providers— we may share limited information with vendors that help us operate the Service (for example, error monitoring or analytics). They are contractually limited to using the information only to provide their services to us.
• Legal compliance— we may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or to protect our rights, the rights of users, or to investigate fraud or abuse.
• Business transfers— if DisputeGoat is acquired, merged, or otherwise transferred (in whole or as a sale of assets), your information may be transferred to the successor entity. We will notify you and continue to honor the commitments in this policy.

We do not sell your personal information as that term is defined under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or any similar U.S. state privacy law.

7. Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• Know what personal information we have collected about you.
• Request that we delete or correct your personal information.
• Opt out of any sale or sharing of your personal information (we do not sell it).
• Receive a copy of your information in a portable format.
• Not be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights.

To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@disputegoat.com. We will respond within the time frame required by applicable law (generally 45 days under CCPA/CPRA). We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests.

California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and other state-law residents may have additional rights under their respective state privacy laws. We honor those rights and respond to verifiable requests in the manner those laws require.

8. Data retention

We retain server-side information for as long as your SmartCredit® Membership is active plus a reasonable period thereafter to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Locally stored data (sender info, letters, dispute log) persists in your browser until you sign out or clear your site data.

9. Security

We use commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect information — HTTPS for all traffic, scoped access controls on hosting, and limited employee access on a need-to-know basis. No method of internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we ever experience a security incident affecting your information, we will notify you as required by applicable law.

10. Children

DisputeGoat is intended for adults (18+) and is not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, contact privacy@disputegoat.com and we will delete it.

11. Third-party links

Our site may link to third-party sites (including SmartCredit®, the FTC, the CFPB, and the credit bureaus). This Privacy Policy does not apply to those sites; review their privacy notices before using them.

12. International users

DisputeGoat is intended for U.S. residents. If you access the Service from outside the United States, you understand that your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States.

13. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Effective” date at the top of this page reflects the latest revision. Material changes will be flagged on our site or via email. Continued use of the Service after a change takes effect means you accept the updated policy.

14. Contact us

Privacy questions, requests, or complaints? Email privacy@disputegoat.com or write to: