Privacy Policy for The Suitcase Detective

Who We Are

The Suitcase Detective, “we,” “us,” “our,” or “the Site,” is an independently operated website based in Iowa, United States. The site is dedicated to mystery entertainment, true crime content, book and media reviews, public resources, and the Never Quit Looking missing persons advocacy initiative.

Our primary domain is thesuitcasedetective.com. Never Quit Looking is part of The Suitcase Detective and is operated through the same website and related services.

We are not a law firm, law enforcement agency, investigative agency, victim advocacy organization, medical provider, or financial institution. Instead, we operate as an independent content creator and website publisher. Where applicable, United States federal law, Iowa law, and relevant privacy laws in other jurisdictions may apply.

Key Definitions

Personal data

Information that can identify you directly or indirectly, such as your name, email address, IP address, account information, or message contents.

Usage data

Technical information collected automatically when you use the website, such as pages visited, browser type, device type, referring URL, time spent on pages, and general location data.

Processing

Any action performed on personal data, including collecting, storing, using, sharing, deleting, or reviewing it.

Cookies

Small text files placed on your device by a website or third-party service to support functionality, remember preferences, or understand site usage.

Web beacons and similar technologies

Small electronic files, pixels, tags, or scripts that may help count visits, analyze site performance, or verify system integrity.

Affiliate link

A tracked link that may allow us to earn a commission if you click through and make a qualifying purchase.

Third party

A person, company, platform, or service that is not The Suitcase Detective and not you.

Service provider

A third-party platform or company that helps operate this website, process forms, filter spam, provide analytics, host content, manage subscriptions, or support related functions.

Data controller

The entity that determines why and how personal data is processed. For information submitted directly to this website, that is generally The Suitcase Detective.

Data processor

A third party that processes information on behalf of a data controller, such as WordPress, Automattic, Google, Jetpack, or Akismet.

Information We Collect

We collect information in two main ways: information you voluntarily provide and information collected automatically through the operation of the website.

Information You Provide

You may provide information when you use a contact form, send an email, submit a case, report an update, leave a comment if comments are enabled, subscribe to updates, respond to a poll or survey if offered, or otherwise communicate with us. This may include your name, email address, website, username, message contents, case details, source links, and anything else you choose to include.

Information Collected Automatically

Like most websites, this site may collect certain information automatically. Examples include IP address, browser type, browser version, device type, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, site searches, time spent on pages, date and time of visit, general geographic region, and related diagnostic or performance data.

Forms, Comments & Subscriptions

WordPress, Jetpack, Akismet, or related Automattic services may process form submissions, comment data, IP addresses, browser information, and spam-filtering data. Jetpack contact form submissions, if used, may route through or be stored on Automattic’s servers as part of delivering, protecting, or managing those messages.

If you subscribe to receive updates, follow the site, or use a Jetpack or WordPress.com follow feature, your email address and preferences may be collected and stored by WordPress.com, Jetpack, or Automattic.

Affiliate & Shop Information

If you click an affiliate link, the merchant or affiliate platform may use cookies or tracking tools to record that the referral came from The Suitcase Detective. We generally receive only aggregate commission information, not your personal purchase details.

Purchases through Redbubble or Zazzle are handled directly by those platforms. We do not receive, store, or process your payment information, shipping address, or order history from those purchases.

How We Collect Information

Information may be collected through:

• Contact forms and email communications.
• Never Quit Looking case submission and update forms.
• Comments, likes, follows, subscriptions, or email update features if those features are enabled.
• WordPress.com, Jetpack, Akismet, and other Automattic services used to operate and protect the site.
• Google Analytics and Google Site Kit, configured for basic site analytics and site performance review.
• Affiliate links, including Amazon and other vendor affiliate programs.
• Outbound links to third-party websites, products, services, videos, databases, articles, or social platforms.
• Social media interactions that occur on third-party platforms.

We do not install behavioral advertising systems, retargeting pixels, or advertising-profile tools of our own. Third-party platforms may still use their own tracking technologies when their tools, links, embeds, or services appear on or are accessed from this website.

How We Use Information

We use information for limited purposes, including:

• Responding to contact forms, emails, and direct communications.
• Reviewing and processing Never Quit Looking case submissions or update requests.
• Publishing case details or updates that you voluntarily submit for public use.
• Managing comments, subscriptions, follow features, and site communications if those features are enabled.
• Monitoring and blocking spam, abuse, malicious activity, trolling, or violations of our terms.
• Understanding aggregate website traffic, site performance, content popularity, and navigation patterns.
• Improving website content, layout, accessibility, and visitor experience.
• Complying with legal obligations, responding to lawful requests, or protecting safety.
• Maintaining records where needed to protect our legal interests.

We do not use personal data to build behavioral profiles, serve targeted advertising, conduct automated decision-making, or send unsolicited marketing messages. Any use beyond this privacy policy would require consent where required.

Aggregate or anonymized information may be used for internal review or public reporting. That information does not identify individual visitors.

Public Submissions & Never Quit Looking

Never Quit Looking accepts information related to missing persons, unidentified individuals, unsolved homicides, and related case updates. If you submit case information, source links, images, videos, documents, or written summaries, you are voluntarily providing information that may be reviewed, edited, summarized, and published publicly.

Please do not submit sensitive personal information about living people unless it is already public, officially released, or shared with permission. This includes private addresses, private phone numbers, non-public medical information, confidential records, and sensitive personal details.

The Suitcase Detective is not a law enforcement agency and cannot process official tips. Contact the appropriate law enforcement agency directly if you have information about a crime, missing person, unidentified person, or urgent safety concern.

Affiliate Links & FTC Disclosure

The Suitcase Detective participates in affiliate advertising programs. If you click an affiliate link and make a qualifying purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Affiliate Tracking

Affiliate links may include Amazon affiliate links or direct vendor affiliate arrangements. Pages containing affiliate links will include a visible disclosure where appropriate.

When you click an affiliate link, you leave our website and visit the merchant’s website. The merchant may use cookies or other tracking tools to record the referral. That tracking is controlled by the merchant or affiliate platform, not by The Suitcase Detective.

Payment Information

We do not receive your personal payment details from affiliate merchants. Usually, we receive only aggregate commission data, such as confirmation that a qualifying sale occurred.

Editorial Independence

Affiliate relationships do not control our editorial opinions, recommendations, reviews, or coverage decisions. Jetpack, WordPress, and Automattic may still process page views, form submissions, comments, or other site activity according to their own platform practices when those tools are enabled on pages that also contain affiliate links.

Analytics, Cookies & Cookie Policy

This section serves as our cookie policy. This website may use cookies, web beacons, tags, scripts, or similar technologies to support basic functionality, protect the website, remember preferences, understand aggregate traffic, and improve visitor experience.

Necessary Cookies

WordPress and related services may use session cookies or similar tools that are necessary for the website to function. These may help protect against spam, manage forms, support comments, remember preferences, or manage subscriptions and follow features.

Preference Cookies

If the site displays a cookie notice, age notice, or similar prompt, a cookie may remember your response for a limited period.

Never Quit Looking Age Notice

Some Never Quit Looking pages may display an age or sensitivity notice. If used, the notice does not ask for your birthdate or precise age. It may ask you to confirm that you are old enough to view sensitive content.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand aggregate site usage. This may include pages visited, time on site, device type, and browser type. We keep analytics simple and do not use Google Analytics for advertising features, remarketing, demographic targeting, or audience profiling.

Google Site Kit

Google Site Kit may connect Google services to the website dashboard. Depending on enabled modules, Site Kit may display or connect data from Google Analytics, Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, or other Google services. We use it for site management, performance review, search visibility, and aggregate analytics.

We do not currently use Google AdSense or Google advertising features through Site Kit. If AdSense, remarketing, personalized ads, or advertising-related features are enabled later, this policy and our cookie disclosures should be updated.

Third-Party Cookies

Third-party services, affiliate merchants, embedded content, and social media platforms may set cookies or similar technologies according to their own privacy policies.

Third-Party Platforms We Use

This website relies on third-party platforms and services. Each platform operates under its own privacy policy, and we cannot control its independent data practices.

Current Website Services

• WordPress / Automattic — site hosting, content management, comments, forms, Jetpack features, follow or subscription tools if enabled, and related website services.
• Jetpack — contact forms, subscriptions or follow features if enabled, site tools, security features, performance tools, and related WordPress services. Jetpack data may route through or be stored on Automattic servers.
• Akismet — spam filtering for comments, forms, and related submissions.
• Google — Google Analytics, Google Site Kit, Search Console, and PageSpeed Insights where enabled for aggregate analytics, search visibility, and site performance information.

Affiliate, Shop & Social Platforms

• Amazon — affiliate program partner.
• Redbubble — third-party print-on-demand shop.
• Zazzle — third-party print-on-demand shop.
• Social media platforms — Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr, and TikTok.

When you click a link that takes you away from thesuitcasedetective.com, you are subject to the destination site’s privacy practices, terms, and policies. We are not responsible for the content, security, accuracy, or privacy practices of external websites.

Social Media

The Suitcase Detective maintains social media accounts on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr, and TikTok.

Interactions on those platforms are governed by the platform’s own privacy policy and terms of service. This includes following, liking, commenting, sharing, tagging, or messaging.

Social media buttons, share links, or embedded content may allow those platforms to collect information about your visit. Collection can depend on your browser, account settings, cookies, and platform configuration.

We do not receive full personal data profiles from social media platforms about website visitors. If you message, comment, tag, or otherwise interact with us on a platform, we may see the information that platform makes visible to account holders.

Shop & Print-on-Demand

The Suitcase Detective may link to shops on Redbubble and Zazzle. These are independent third-party print-on-demand marketplaces.

When you make a purchase through Redbubble or Zazzle, you are buying directly from that platform. Payment information, shipping information, order history, refunds, fulfillment, and customer service are handled by the marketplace under its own privacy policy and terms.

We may receive a royalty or commission when products featuring our designs are sold. We do not receive, store, or process your payment card information, shipping address, or full order details from those platforms.

Email Subscriptions & Follow Features

If you subscribe to The Suitcase Detective, follow the website, request email updates, or use a WordPress.com or Jetpack subscription feature, your email address and preferences may be collected and managed by WordPress.com, Jetpack, or Automattic.

These services may store subscriber information on Automattic servers. They may also process that information to deliver new post notifications, manage subscriptions, prevent abuse, and provide unsubscribe tools.

You may unsubscribe using the link or instructions included in the email, where available. You may also contact us for help locating an unsubscribe option. Some subscription controls may still be managed directly by WordPress.com, Jetpack, or Automattic.

We do not use subscriber emails for unsolicited marketing campaigns and do not sell subscriber lists to third parties.

How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We also do not rent, lease, trade, or sell personal data to third parties for commercial or marketing purposes.

Information may be shared only in limited circumstances:

• With service providers that operate or protect the website, such as WordPress, Automattic, Jetpack, Akismet, and Google Analytics.
• With WordPress.com, Jetpack, or Automattic when you submit forms, comment, subscribe, follow the site, or use related platform features.
• With third-party platforms when you leave our website, click an affiliate link, use a social platform, or buy through Redbubble or Zazzle.
• When required by law, court order, subpoena, or lawful government request.
• When necessary to protect the rights, property, security, or safety of The Suitcase Detective, visitors, victims, families, or the public.
• When you voluntarily submit information for publication or public display.
• With your consent or at your request.

Aggregate or anonymized information may also be shared, such as total traffic numbers or broad content performance data. This information does not identify you individually.

Law Enforcement & Safety Disclosures

The Suitcase Detective is not a law enforcement agency and cannot accept official crime tips in place of police. However, if you send us information that appears relevant to an active investigation, public safety concern, missing person matter, or threat of harm, we may forward that information to an appropriate law enforcement agency.

Information forwarded to law enforcement may include the message, attachments, case details, contact information you supplied, and any technical information available through the platform. This may include email address, username, IP address, or submission metadata.

Information may also be disclosed when required to comply with a subpoena, court order, legal process, government request, or other legal obligation.

Data Retention

We keep personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless a longer period is required or permitted by law.

Direct Communications

• Contact form submissions and email communications are generally retained only long enough to respond and resolve the inquiry.
• Private communications may generally be deleted from our personal systems within approximately 90 days after the matter is completed, unless legal, safety, administrative, or recordkeeping reasons require longer retention.

Public Case Records

• Never Quit Looking case submissions that are published may be retained indefinitely as part of a public case record, unless a removal request is received and granted.
• Comments or public submissions may remain visible unless removed by us or by request where appropriate.

Third-Party Retention

• Subscription or follow information may be retained by WordPress.com, Jetpack, or Automattic until you unsubscribe, delete the relevant account, or manage those settings through the platform.
• Analytics data is retained according to the settings and policies of Google Analytics and related services.
• Third-party platforms such as WordPress, Automattic, Jetpack, Google, Redbubble, Zazzle, Amazon, and social media sites retain data according to their own policies.

To review, correct, or delete specific personal information you submitted directly to us, please contact us using the details at the bottom of this policy.

Security

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information we process. These steps may include limiting access, using reputable service providers, relying on secure website platforms, and avoiding unnecessary collection of sensitive data.

No electronic transmission, website platform, email system, or storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your information, you submit information to and use this website at your own risk.

Please avoid sending sensitive private information through general website forms or email unless necessary.

International Visitors

The Suitcase Detective is based in Iowa, United States. If you access this website from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored in, or processed in the United States or other locations where our service providers operate.

Privacy laws in those locations may differ from the laws in your country, state, province, or region. By using this website, you understand that your information may be processed in the United States and by third-party platforms that operate internationally.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have certain rights regarding your personal data. We aim to honor reasonable privacy requests regardless of jurisdiction, subject to legal, safety, and practical limits.

Possible Privacy Rights

• Right to know or access: You may ask whether we hold personal data about you and request a copy where available.
• Right to correct: You may ask us to correct inaccurate personal data we hold about you.
• Right to delete: You may ask us to delete personal data we hold about you, subject to legal, safety, public record, or administrative exceptions.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent.
• Right to portability: Where technically feasible, you may request a structured copy of information you provided.
• Right to opt out of sale: We do not sell personal data.
• Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising applicable privacy rights.

Iowa, California, EU & UK Visitors

Iowa residents may have rights under Iowa privacy law where that law applies. Some Iowa privacy obligations apply only to businesses that meet specific statutory thresholds, and The Suitcase Detective may not meet those thresholds. Even so, reasonable privacy requests are handled in good faith.

California residents may have rights under California privacy laws, including rights to know, delete, correct, and opt out of sale or sharing where applicable. EU and UK visitors may have rights under the GDPR or UK GDPR.

How to Make a Request

To exercise a privacy right, contact us at thesuitcasedetective@outlook.com or through our contact page. We may need to verify your identity before completing a request. Verification may require matching your request with information you previously provided.

We aim to respond to privacy-related requests within 45 days where reasonably possible.

Children’s Privacy

This website is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Due to the nature of true crime and missing persons content, some content may not be appropriate for younger audiences. Parents and guardians are encouraged to supervise children’s use of this website.

If you believe a child has submitted personal information through this website, please contact us immediately so we can review the matter and take appropriate steps.

Do Not Track

Some browsers and mobile systems offer a “Do Not Track” signal. At this time, there is no uniform legal or technical standard for recognizing and responding to all Do Not Track signals.

As a result, this website does not currently respond to Do Not Track browser signals. You can still manage cookies, tracking preferences, and privacy settings through your browser and through available third-party platform tools.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, website tools, or third-party services.

When changes are made, the effective date at the top of this page will be updated. If material changes are made, we may also provide notice on the website.

Continued use of this website after an updated policy is posted constitutes acceptance of the revised privacy policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy, website privacy policy, cookie policy, your privacy rights, or a data request, please contact us.

If your request involves a third-party platform such as WordPress, Automattic, Jetpack, Akismet, Google, Amazon, Redbubble, Zazzle, Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr, or TikTok, we will do our best to direct you to the appropriate privacy contact or opt-out mechanism. However, we cannot act on behalf of those platforms.