You came here for straight talk on budget UTVs, so here is some straight talk on privacy. This page explains what information Trail & Tag collects when you visit the site, what we do with it and what rights you have.

Short version: we are an independent publication, not a dealer or a data broker. We keep what we collect to a minimum and we do not sell your personal information to anyone.

This privacy policy is a general template written for a US-based website. It is here to explain our practices in plain language. It is not legal advice, and it does not create any rights or obligations beyond what the law already gives you.

Privacy rules in the United States vary. There is no single federal privacy law that covers everything, and states like California, Virginia, Colorado and others have their own rules with their own definitions and deadlines. If you have questions about how a specific state law applies to you, talk to a qualified attorney or check your state attorney general's website. Same advice we give on street-legal rules: confirm it with the official source, not with us.

If anything on this page conflicts with a law that applies to you, the law wins.

Who we are

Trail & Tag is an independent online publication covering budget and off-brand UTVs and side-by-sides: brand and model guides, reliability notes, used values, street-legal rules and riding areas across the US.

We are not a dealer, importer or manufacturer. We are not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Polaris, Can-Am, CFMoto, Massimo, Hisun, Tracker, Kubota, John Deere or any government agency. For privacy purposes, Trail & Tag is the party responsible for the personal data collected through this website. You can reach us at [email protected].

What information we collect

We keep this short because the list is short. Depending on how you use the site, we may collect:

Information you give us directly. If you email us or fill out a contact or newsletter form, we receive your name, your email address and whatever you write in the message. If you write to tell us a Massimo dealer took six weeks to ship a CVT belt, that story is in the email too.

Information collected automatically. Like most websites, our servers and analytics tools log technical details when you visit: your IP address, browser type, device type, pages viewed, approximate location (usually no more precise than your city or region), and how you arrived at the site.

Cookies and similar tools. Small files stored on your device that help the site work and help us understand which pages get read. More on that in the cookies section below.

We do not ask for or want sensitive information like Social Security numbers, payment card details or health data. Please do not send us any.

Why we use your information

We use the information above for a handful of plain purposes:

To run and maintain the website, including keeping it secure and fixing things when they break.

To answer you when you contact us. If you email a question about a 50-inch trail limit in your state, we use your email address to reply. That is the whole trick.

To understand what readers actually use, so we know whether to write more about used values or more about youth models. This is done with aggregated, anonymized statistics wherever possible.

To send a newsletter if you signed up for one. Every newsletter email includes an unsubscribe link. We do not add you to a list because you emailed us once.

To measure whether affiliate links and advertising on the site are working, and to comply with legal obligations when they come up.

Where a privacy law requires us to state a legal basis, here it is in plain terms:

Consent. For things like the newsletter and non-essential cookies, we rely on your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

Legitimate interest. For running, securing and improving the site and understanding readership in aggregate. We balance this against your privacy and keep collection minimal.

Contract or your request. When you contact us and we respond, we process your details to do what you asked.

Legal obligation. In rare cases we may need to keep or disclose information because a law, court order or regulator requires it.

US state privacy laws use different concepts, such as notice at collection and the right to opt out of sale or targeted advertising. To be clear: we do not sell your personal information.

How long we keep your information

We do not hang on to personal data longer than we need it. We also do not believe in inventing precise-looking numbers, so we will not quote you a fixed day count here.

In practice: contact emails are kept as long as needed to handle your question and any follow-up, then deleted or archived. Newsletter details are kept until you unsubscribe. Server and analytics logs are kept for a limited period set by our hosting and analytics providers, then deleted or anonymized.

When data is no longer needed for the purpose it was collected for, we delete it or strip out anything that identifies you.

Cookies and similar technologies

A cookie is a small text file a website stores on your device. We use a few types:

Strictly necessary cookies. These make the site function, for example remembering your cookie preferences. You cannot turn these off without breaking the site.

Analytics cookies. These tell us which pages get read and how visitors move through the site, in aggregate. They help us decide what to write next.

Affiliate and advertising cookies. Some pages carry affiliate links, for example to Amazon. When you click one, the retailer may set a cookie to know you came from us, which is how we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect how the site works. Where required, we ask for your consent before setting non-essential cookies.

Who we share information with

We do not sell your personal information, full stop. We share data only with the service providers that keep the site running, such as our website host, email service and analytics provider. These parties process data on our behalf and under contract, and only for the purposes described on this page.

When you click an affiliate link or an outbound link, for example to a state DMV or DNR page, you leave our site and the other site's privacy policy applies. We recommend reading those, especially before entering personal details anywhere.

We may also disclose information if the law requires it or to protect the rights, safety and property of Trail & Tag, our readers or others.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have some or all of the following rights over your personal data:

The right to know what personal information we hold about you and to receive a copy of it.

The right to correct inaccurate information.

The right to ask us to delete your information, subject to legal exceptions.

The right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your information for targeted advertising. As noted, we do not sell your information.

The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, such as unsubscribing from the newsletter.

The right not to be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at [email protected]. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request, and we will respond within the timeframe the applicable law sets. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may be able to complain to your state attorney general or another regulator, depending on your state.

Children and security

This site is written for adults researching UTVs, including parents sizing up youth models for their kids. It is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

On security: we use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the information we hold. No website can promise perfect security, and we will not pretend otherwise. If we ever become aware of a breach that affects your rights, we will notify you and the authorities as the law requires.

Changes to this policy and how to contact us

We may update this policy from time to time, for example when we add a feature or when a law changes. The current version is always on this page, with the date it was last updated shown at the top. If we make a material change, we will flag it clearly on the site.

Questions, requests or complaints about privacy? Email us at [email protected]. We answer ourselves, in plain English, the same way we answer questions about diff locks and dead batteries.