Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 1, 2026
Last Updated: April 9, 2026

Western Steel & Wire Inc. ("WSW," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website westernsteelwire.com, use our AI chat assistant, or contact us through any of our communication channels.

1. Information We Collect

a) Information You Provide Directly

• Contact Form: Name, company name, email address, subject, product/service of interest, quantity, urgency, and your message.
• AI Chat Assistant: Name, email address, phone number (optional), and the content of your chat conversations.
• Newsletter: Email address when you subscribe to our newsletter.
• Phone/Email: Information you provide when contacting us directly.

b) Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs.
• Cookies: Session cookies for website functionality (login sessions, CSRF protection, chat state). We do not use third-party tracking cookies.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Respond to your inquiries and provide quotes for wire products and services
• Process and fulfill orders
• Send order confirmations, shipping notifications, and account-related updates via email or SMS
• Provide customer support through our AI chat assistant and sales team
• Improve our website, products, and customer experience
• Send newsletters and promotional materials (only with your consent)
• Comply with legal obligations

3. SMS/Text Messaging

By providing your phone number and consenting to receive communications from Western Steel & Wire, you agree to receive SMS/text messages related to:

• Responses to your inquiries
• Order confirmations and shipping updates
• Customer service notifications

Message frequency: Message frequency varies based on your interactions with us.
Message and data rates: Standard message and data rates may apply.
Opt-out: You can opt out of SMS messages at any time by replying STOP to any message. After opting out, you will receive a one-time confirmation message.
Help: Reply HELP for assistance or contact us at sales@westernsteelwire.com or call 866-905-3198.
Carriers supported: Major US carriers are supported. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

4. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information:

• Encryption: Chat histories are encrypted using AES-256-CBC with unique initialization vectors.
• Secure Transmission: All data transmitted between your browser and our server is encrypted via HTTPS/TLS.
• Access Controls: Admin access requires authentication with bcrypt-hashed passwords.
• Rate Limiting: Automated protections against abuse and unauthorized access attempts.
• CSRF Protection: All forms are protected against cross-site request forgery attacks.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: Trusted third-party services that help us operate our business (e.g., email delivery, AI processing via OpenAI for our chat assistant).
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, regulation, or legal process.
• Business Protection: To protect the rights, safety, or property of Western Steel & Wire, our customers, or others.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. Chat histories are retained to provide personalized customer service for returning customers.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal obligations.
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from newsletters via our unsubscribe page, or opt out of SMS messages by replying STOP at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, visit our unsubscribe page or contact us at sales@westernsteelwire.com.

8. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, request its deletion, and opt out of any sale of personal information. As stated above, we do not sell personal information. To make a request, contact us at sales@westernsteelwire.com.

9. Third-Party Services

Our website uses the following third-party services:

• Google reCAPTCHA v3: To protect forms from spam and abuse. Subject to Google's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
• OpenAI: Powers our AI chat assistant. Chat messages are processed by OpenAI's API. See OpenAI's Privacy Policy.

10. Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: