Your Trusted Collection Partner

Introduction

GrindStone Collection Strategies, Inc. (“GrindStone,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a commercial collection agency headquartered in Vancouver, Washington. We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of information entrusted to us by our clients and visitors to our website located at www.grindstonecollections.com (the “Site”).

 

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you visit our Site or engage our services. Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with its terms, please discontinue use of the Site.

Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to:

Visitors to the Site
Business clients and prospective clients who submit inquiries or engage our commercial collection services
Individuals whose contact information is provided to us by our business clients in the course of collection activities

 

This Policy does not apply to information collected offline or through channels not described herein.

Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you contact us, submit a form on our Site, schedule a call, or engage our services, we may collect:

Name, job title, and company name
Business email address and phone number
Mailing address
Details about your accounts receivable or collection needs
Any other information you choose to provide

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Site, we automatically collect certain technical information, including:

IP address and general geographic location
Browser type and version
Operating system
Pages visited and time spent on the Site
Referring URLs
Date and time of your visit

This information is collected using cookies and similar tracking technologies. See Section 7 for more details.

3.3 Information Received from Clients

In performing our commercial debt collection services, clients may provide us with information about their commercial debtors, including business names, contact details, account balances, and related financial information. This information is used solely to perform the services contracted by our clients and is governed by our service agreements.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To respond to inquiries and provide requested services
To communicate with you about your account or our services
To process and fulfill commercial collection placements
To generate business credit reports and asset/liability reports as contracted
To send service updates, industry newsletters (such as our Bankruptcy Watch Newsletter), and marketing communications (with your consent where required)
To improve our Site and service offerings
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations
To enforce our agreements and protect our rights
Disclosure of Information

5.1 Service Providers and Partners

We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business, including:

Altus Receivables Management (our affiliated collections platform and technology provider)
Legal professionals and attorney networks used for legal forwarding services
Credit data providers including Experian, Dun & Bradstreet, and Ansonia Credit Data
Coface (for international debt collection services)
GRI (Global Receivables Insurance Solutions, for credit insurance services)
BKwire (for bankruptcy monitoring services)
IT, cloud, and communications service providers

These parties are contractually obligated to keep your information confidential and use it only for the purposes we specify.

5.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required to do so by law, court order, or regulatory authority, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

5.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify affected parties of any such change in ownership or control.

5.4 No Sale of Personal Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes.

Data Retention

We retain information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Collection-related records are retained in accordance with applicable state and federal regulations governing the debt collection industry.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Site uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience and collect usage data. Types of cookies we use include:

Essential cookies: Required for basic Site functionality
Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our Site (e.g., Google Analytics)
Marketing cookies: Used to deliver relevant content and track advertising performance

 

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our Site. By continuing to use our Site, you consent to our use of cookies as described herein.

Data Security

We implement industry-standard administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. Our platform, ARM STRONG™ (operated by Altus), is PCI DSS certified and AICPA SOC compliant, providing 24/7 secure client access with full transparency to account activity.

 

While we take reasonable measures to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security and encourage you to contact us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access to your information.

Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites, including our partners Altus, GRI, BKwire, and others. This Privacy Policy applies only to our Site. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites and encourage you to review their policies before providing any information.

Children’s Privacy

Our Site and services are intended exclusively for business use by adults. We do not knowingly collect information from individuals under the age of 18. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, we will promptly delete it.

State-Specific Privacy Rights

11.1 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you may have certain rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, the right to request deletion of your personal information, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information). To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 13.

11.2 Other U.S. State Residents

Residents of Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, and other states with applicable privacy laws may have similar rights regarding access, correction, deletion, and portability of personal information. Please contact us to make a request under your applicable state law.

11.3 Canadian Residents (PIPEDA)

As an agency operating in Canada, we comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Canadian residents have the right to access and correct their personal information held by us. Contact us as described in Section 13 to make a request.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. When we make material changes, we will update the Effective Date at the top of this document and post the revised Policy on our Site. Your continued use of the Site following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Policy. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:

 

GrindStone Collection Strategies, Inc.

6420 Southeast McGillivray Boulevard, Suite 103-861

Vancouver, WA

 

Phone: 360.718.2063 or 877.263.0833

Email: info@grindstonecollections.com

Website: www.grindstonecollections.com