Consumer Advocate Home

Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting the web site of the Consumer Advocate Division (CAD) of the Public Service Commission of WV. This site has been designed to make it easier and more efficient for West Virginia citizens and businesses to interact with CAD. CAD is committed to preserving your privacy when you visit our web site. This privacy statement addresses the collection, security and disclosure of information that may be obtained through the use of our web site maintained by the PSC.

If you visit a web page or link on our web site, which is maintained by the PSC, in order to read or download information, we may collect the following information:

The name of your domain, for example, "abzcompany.com";
The IP address of the client accessing the web site;
The type of browser and operating system used to access our sites;
The Internet address of the web site from which you linked directly to our sites, if applicable;
The pages you visit within the PSC’s web site; and
The links made to other web sites through our sites.

This information is collected for purposes of determining what information is of most and least interest to all visitors and in improving content and performance of the site. This information is not collected for commercial marketing purposes.

The CAD may collect personally identifiable information that you voluntarily provide while visiting the PSC maintained web site. Personal information is information about a natural person that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes such things as an individual's name, address, social security number, credit and debit card information, and phone number. A domain name or Internet Protocol address is not considered personal information.

We collect no personal information about you unless you volunteer to participate in an activity that asks for information, e.g., sending an email, registering or participating in a listserv or participating in a survey. If you choose not to participate in these activities, your choice will in no way affect your ability to use any other feature of our web site.

If personal information is requested on the web site or volunteered by the user, state law and the federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it. However, this information is a public record once you provide it, and may be subject to public inspection and copying if not protected by federal or state law.

Users are cautioned that the collection of personal information requested from or volunteered by children on-line or by email will be treated the same as information given by an adult, and may be subject to public access.

In general, please note the information collected, whether or not personally identifiable, is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video and other graphic formats you send us. Information is retained in accordance with existing laws, rules, regulations, and other policies.

Public Disclosure

As a general rule, the Public Service Commission of WV does not disclose anypersonally identifiable information collected online except where permission hasbeen granted, or where the information is public information under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act W.V.C.A. §§ 29B-1-1 et seq., or other applicable laws. Visitors should be aware that information collected by thePSC on its web site may be subject to inspection, if such information is a public record or not otherwise protected from disclosure.

Access and Correction of Personal Information

You can review any personal information we collect about you, and you may request a copy of that information. You may recommend changes to your personal information you believe is in error by submitting a written request that credibly shows the error. If you believe that your personal information is being used for a purpose other than what was intended when submitted, you may contact us. In all cases, we will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections. See Contact Information Section.

Link Disclaimer

Web sites maintained by the PSC may contain links to other web sites, including those owned or maintained by other government, private, or not-for-profit entities. Such links are provided for convenience and/or information purposes only. A link does not constitute an endorsement of content, viewpoint, policies, products or services of that web site. Once you link to a web site not maintained by the PSC, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that website, including but not limited to its privacy policy.

Trademarks, Service Marks, and Copyrights

All trademarks, service marks or copyrights appearing on this web site and other linked web sites are trademarks, service marks, or copyrights of their respective owners. Pursuant to 17 U.S.C. Sec. 512(c)(2).

Information Disclaimer

Information provided on our web site maintained by the PSC is intended to allow the public convenient access to public information. While all attempts are made to provide accurate, current and reliable information, we cannot guarantee that the information will be error-free. Therefore, the Public Service Commission of WV, the State of West Virginia and respective employees, officers and agencies expressly deny any guarantee of the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published through our web sites and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information.

Any person who relies upon such information obtained from the PSC web site, does so at his or her own risk. The contents of this web site are published for information purposes only and subject to change without notice.

Contact Information

To offer comments about the information presented in this Privacy Notice, contact:

Kevin McGraw
Manager, Information Technology Section
Public Service Commission of WV
201 Brooks Street, Charleston, WV 25301
(304) 340-0778
E-Mail: kmcgraw@psc.state.wv.us