The short version. We collect what you give us (your email for the newsletter, your details when you contact us, apply to the Rats or buy merch) and some basic data about how the site is used. We use it to run Pouch Rats, ship your order and answer you. We don’t sell your personal information. Email [email protected] and we’ll show you, fix or delete what we have.
This policy explains how Pouch Rats LLC (“Pouch Rats,” “we,” “us”) handles personal information when you use pouchrats.com, The Rat Report newsletter and our merch shop (together, the “Services”).
What we collect
Information you give us
- Newsletter: your email address.
- Contact, tips and brand inquiries: your name, email, the topic, your brand name if you’re a brand, and your message.
- Join the Rats applications: your full name, email, date of birth (to confirm you’re 21+), social handles and platform, follower count, the kind of content you make and why you want in.
- Merch orders: your name, email, shipping and billing address, phone number if you give it, and what you ordered. Payments are handled by our payment processor. We never see or store your full card number.
- Account: if you create a shop account, your login details and order history.
Information collected automatically
- Device and usage data: IP address, browser type, pages viewed, links clicked and referring site. Our host’s server logs record some of this, and we use your IP address briefly to stop form spam.
- Cookies and similar tools: see the cookie section below.
- Newsletter engagement: our newsletter platform may record whether you open an issue or click a link.
Cookies
We keep cookies to a minimum. Here’s what the site sets itself:
- pr_age remembers that you confirmed you’re 21+, so we don’t ask on every page. Lasts 1 year.
- pr_voted_… remembers that you voted on the Hot take of the week, so each device counts once. Lasts 30 days.
- pr_ref is set when you arrive through a Rats creator’s link, so we can credit that creator. Lasts 30 days.
- Shop cookies keep your cart and checkout working (set by WooCommerce). Most end when you close your browser or after a couple of days.
- Login cookies keep you signed in if you have an account.
We may also use analytics tools such as Google Analytics to understand which pages people read. They set their own cookies. When you click an affiliate link to a retailer, that retailer or its affiliate network may set a cookie to record that you came from us. Those cookies are governed by their own privacy policies.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. If you do, the age check will ask again and your cart may not work.
How we use it
- To send The Rat Report and other emails you asked for.
- To reply to messages, tips and brand inquiries.
- To review Join the Rats applications and run the creator program, including crediting creator links.
- To take payment, make and ship merch orders, handle returns and send order updates.
- To check age where content is for adults 21+.
- To keep the site secure, prevent spam and fraud, and fix problems.
- To understand what’s working and improve the site.
- To meet legal, tax and accounting obligations.
Who we share it with
We don’t sell your personal information. We share it only with companies that help us run the Services, and only what they need to do their job:
- Website hosting to run the site.
- beehiiv to send The Rat Report.
- Google Workspace for our email.
- Payment processors such as Stripe or PayPal to take payment.
- Printful, our print-on-demand partner, which receives your name, shipping address and order so it can make and ship your item. Shipping carriers receive what they need to deliver it.
- Analytics providers such as Google Analytics, if enabled.
We may also share information if the law requires it, to protect our rights or someone’s safety, or as part of a sale or merger of Pouch Rats, in which case this policy would still apply to your information.
Affiliate partners don’t receive your name or email from us. They may see that a visit or purchase came through our link.
How long we keep it
We keep information only as long as we need it. Newsletter data is kept until you unsubscribe. Messages and applications are kept for up to 2 years, unless you become a Rats creator, in which case we keep them while you’re in the program. Order records are kept for as long as tax and accounting law requires (generally 7 years).
Your choices and rights
- Unsubscribe from The Rat Report any time with the link at the bottom of every issue.
- See, correct or delete your information by emailing [email protected]. We’ll confirm the request comes from you and respond within 45 days.
- Opt out of any sale of personal information or targeted advertising. We don’t do either. If that ever changes, we’ll update this policy and honor Global Privacy Control signals where the law requires it.
Depending on where you live (for example, California and a growing number of other states), you may have additional rights under state privacy law. We’ll honor them, and we won’t treat you differently for using them. You can use an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf.
Age
Pouch Rats is not for children under 13, and we don’t knowingly collect their information. Nicotine reviews and picks are for adults 21+, and the Rats creator program is 21+ only. If you think a child has given us information, email us and we’ll delete it.
Security
The site uses encrypted connections (HTTPS), and we limit who can access personal information. No system is perfectly secure, so we can’t guarantee it, but we’ll tell you as the law requires if a breach affects your information.
Visitors outside the US
Pouch Rats is run from the United States, and your information is stored and processed here.
Changes
If we change this policy, we’ll update the date at the top. If a change is significant, we’ll also post a notice on the site or in The Rat Report.
Contact
Questions or requests: [email protected].