At Ecole Chocolat, we respect our clients' rights and we have a long-standing policy of protecting their privacy in all of our business operations.1 Here are the international privacy policies to which we adhere:
The California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)
CalOPPA is the first state law in the United States to require commercial websites and online services to post a privacy policy. The law's reach stretches well beyond California to require a person or company in the United States (and conceivably the world) that operates websites collecting personally identifiable information from California consumers to post a conspicuous privacy policy on its website stating exactly the information being collected and those individuals with whom it is being shared, and to comply with this policy.
According to CalOPPA we agree to the following:
Users can visit our site anonymously. Once this privacy policy is created, we will add a link to it on our homepage or as a minimum on the first significant page after entering our website. Our Privacy Policy link includes the word 'Privacy' and can be easily be found on the page specified above.
Users will be notified of any privacy policy changes:
On our Privacy Policy Page.
Users are able to change their personal information:
- By emailing us.
- By calling us.
- By logging in to their account.
Children Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of the US Federal Trade Commission
When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under 13, COPPA puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, the United States consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule, which spells out what operators of websites and online services must do to protect children's privacy and safety online.
We do not specifically market to children under 13.
The CAN SPAM Act of the US Federal Trade Commission
The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have emails stopped from being sent to them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.
We collect your email address in order to:
- Send information, respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions.
To be in accordance with CANSPAM we agree to the following:
- NOT use false or misleading subjects or email addresses.
- Identify the message as an advertisement in some reasonable way.
- Include the physical address of our business or site headquarters.
- Monitor third-party email marketing services for compliance, if one is used.
- Honor opt-out/unsubscribe requests quickly.
- Allow users to unsubscribe by using the link at the bottom of each email.
The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) of Canadian
We've adopted the CSA (Canadian Standards Association) Model Code as the basis for our own Ecole Chocolat Privacy Code. It sets out the principles that govern the collection, use and disclosure of our clients' personal information.2
The CSA Model Code also forms the basis for the federal government's privacy legislation, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, which came into effect on January 1, 2001. We've updated our Privacy Code to ensure that we are in full compliance with this new legislation. The result is that we've strengthened our commitment to protect our students' personal information.
We've added this text to inform you about our privacy practices. We want you to understand the purposes for which we collect personal information about our students. And we want to be sure that we have your consent to continue to collect, use and disclose your personal information for those purposes.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of European Union Member States
Passed by the European lawmakers to create a harmonized data privacy law across all the EU member states, the GDPR went into effect on May 25, 2018. Because visitors to our website and users of our services may be members of the EU, we comply with GDPR requirements in the following ways beyond the measures already taken:
- Support privacy as a fundamental human right;
- Are accountable for managing that data appropriately; and
- Give individuals rights over how their personal data is processed or otherwise used.
Do we use 'cookies'?
Yes. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the site's or service provider's systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information. For instance, we use cookies to help us remember and process your language preferances or items in your shopping cart. They are also used to help us understand your preferences based on previous or current site activity, which enables us to provide you with improved services. We use cookies to help us compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future.
We use cookies to:
- Understand and save user's preferences for future visits.
You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies. You do this through your browser (like Internet Explorer) settings. Each browser is a little different, so look at your browser's Help menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies.
If users disable cookies in their browser:
If cookies are disabled on your browser some features of our website will not function properly. For this reason, we recommend you keep them enabled.
Third-party disclosure
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information.
Third-party links
We do not include or offer third-party products or services on our website.
Google's advertising requirements can be summed up by Google's Advertising Principles. They are put in place to provide a positive experience for users. https://support.google.com/adwordspolicy
We use Google AdSense Advertising on our website.
Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on our site. Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to our users based on previous visits to our site and other sites on the Internet. Users may opt-out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google Ad and Content Network privacy policy.
We have implemented the following:
- Demographics and Interests Reporting.
We, along with third-party vendors like Google, use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookies) and third-party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) or other third-party identifiers together We use Google Analytics to track visitor movement throughout the site and Google Search to help provide a high level of searchability throughout its pages.
Opting out:
Users can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using the Google Ad Settings page. Alternatively, you can opt-out by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative Opt-Out page or permanently using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser add-on.
The following is a brief summary of our privacy practices.
Why we collect personal information
If you are a patiant of Ecole Chocolat, we do archive some basic information about you. We understand that some of this information is private, which is why we collect personal information only for the following purposes:
- To establish and maintain a responsible relationship with you and to provide ongoing service.
- To understand your needs and preferences. We maintain a record of the education you receive from us, and we may ask for additional information so that we can serve you better.
- To manage and develop our business and operations. For example, we analyze customer usage of our networks and facilities to help us manage them efficiently and plan for future growth.
When do we disclose personal information?
There are a number of circumstances where we may need to disclose some personal information about our clients. Here are some examples:
- We may disclose a client's personal information to:
- A company or individual employed by Ecole Chocolat to perform functions on its behalf, such as schedualling or data processing.
- Any such disclosure of a customer's personal information outside of Ecole Chocolat is made on a confidential basis with the information to be used only for the purpose for which it was disclosed.
- We may disclose a customer's personal information to a public authority or agent of a public authority, if in the reasonable judgment of Ecole Chocolat, it appears that there is imminent danger to life or property which could be avoided or minimized by disclosure of the information.
- In conjunction with special offers or programs, we may disclose customers' personal information to our program partners, or to third-party agents responsible for administering such offers or programs. Any such disclosure is made on a confidential basis with the client's express consent.
How do we protect your personal information?
In order to protect your personal information and your right to privacy, Ecole Chocolat:
- Will not collect, use or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than those identified above, except with your consent;
- Will protect your personal information with appropriate security safeguards;
- Will protect the confidentiality of your personal information when dealing with other companies;
- Will strive to keep your personal information as accurate and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes identified above; and
- Will honor any request you may make for access to your personal information.
What are your choices?
We would like to have your consent to continue to collect, use and disclose your personal information for the purposes identified above. However, you do have choices and can refuse or withdraw your consent as follows:
- You may have your name removed from our telephone, mail or email marketing lists. We use these lists to inform you of relevant products, services and special offers that may be of benefit to you.
- You may refuse to provide personal information to us. You may also withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. However, in either case, this may limit our ability to serve you.
If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy practices, contact us at 1-213-291-8309 in the U.S. and 1-604-484-1872 in Canadian or Internationally. Or email us at: info@ecolechocolat.com. Otherwise, we will assume that we have your consent to continue to collect, use and disclose your personal information for the purposes identified above.
1 On this site, the words "we" or "Ecole" refer to Ecole Chocolat and its subsidiary companies, as they may exist from time to time. These include, without limitation, the subsidiaries which carry on business under the following names: Ecole Chocolat, ecolechocolat.com, courses.ecolechocolat.com, chocomap.com and Wilmor Publishing Corp. The words "we" and "Ecole Chocolat" do not include independent dealers and distributors of Ecole Chocolat products and services.
2 The Ecole Chocolat Privacy Code does not limit the collection, use or disclosure by Ecole Chocolat of information that is publicly available. This includes: (a) a customer's name, address, telephone number, and email address, when listed in a directory or available through directory assistance; and (b) other information about the customer that is publicly available and is specified by regulation pursuant to the "Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act".
The Ecole Chocolat Privacy Code and the privacy practices described in this site are subject to the provisions of all applicable legislation and regulations.
For more information about your privacy, contact us by phone at 1-213-291-8309 in the U.S. and 1-604-484-1872 in Canadian or Internationally. Or email at info@ecolechocolat.com.
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Photography by Jessica Washburn, Bliss Chocolatier and Ecole Chocolat
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Contact Us
Email: info@ecolechocolat.com
Visits by appointment only:
505 Montgomery
San Francisco, CA U.S.
1-213-291-8309
Canadian or International
1666 West 2nd Ave
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
1-604-484-1872
Ecole Chocolat is a woman-owned and operated chocolate education organization. Founded by chocolatier, Pam Williams, we are the professional school of chocolate arts for both chocolatiers and chocolate makers. We also donate our time, leadership, expertise and funds to preserve the fine chocolate industry and save fine cacao.
