Cotswold Grapevine

1. Information We Collect About You

In General: We may collect personal information that can identify you, such as your name and email address, as well as non-identifying technical data.

Information You Provide: We collect and store personal information you enter on our website or provide to us in any other manner. This includes identifying information such as your name, town/city, email address, and telephone number. For business listing members or paid subscriptions, this may also include billing details and payment processing information. We may also request information about your interests, riding activities, motorcycle details, and general demographic information.

Information About Others: If you use our website or referral tools to send information to others, such as friends or colleagues, we may store your personal information and the contact details of the recipient.

Information Collected Automatically: We automatically collect data from your browser when you visit our site, including your IP address, browser type and language, access times, referring website addresses, and the content of undeleted cookies.

2. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Cookies: When you visit our website, we may assign your computer one or more cookies to facilitate access to our site and to personalise your online experience. Cookies allow us to collect automatic information about your online activity, such as pages visited, links clicked, and searches conducted. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser settings to decline them. Please note that declining cookies may prevent you from signing in or accessing certain interactive features of our site.

Web Beacons: We may use standard Internet technologies, such as web beacons, clear GIFs, or pixel tags, to track your use of our site or in promotional emails to determine whether messages have been opened and acted upon. This enables us to measure the effectiveness of our content, programming, and online communications.

Third-Party Analytics and Advertising: We may allow third-party service providers, analytics companies, or ad networks to display content or advertisements on our site. These companies may use tracking technologies, such as cookies, to collect non-personal information about users who interact with their content.

3. How We Use the Information We Collect

We process your personal information under the legal bases of Contractual Necessity, to provide services you request; Legitimate Interests, to operate and protect our platform; and Consent, where explicitly granted.

Specifically, we use your information to:

• Deliver the products, services, directory listings, and member features you request.

• Manage your account and provide you with customer support.

• Communicate with you by email or administrative notices regarding your account, enquiries, or directory listings.

• Send you newsletters, event updates, or promotional materials where you have consented or opted in.

• Verify eligibility for promotions, contests, or member badges.

• Enforce our Terms of Use and protect site security.

• Manage our community operations and perform business analysis.

Financial and Billing Data: Payment processing details for business members or paid features are handled securely via third-party PCI-compliant payment gateways, such as Stripe or PayPal. We do not store full credit or debit card numbers on our local servers.

4. With Whom We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties for independent marketing purposes. We share information only under the following circumstances:

• Authorised Service Providers: We may share personal information with third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf, including hosting providers, payment processors, email deployment systems, and IT security vendors. These providers have access only to the data needed to perform their functions and are contractually restricted from using it for any other purpose.

• Business Enquiries and Directory Requests: If you submit a quote request, direct message, or match enquiry to a business listed on our directory, your contact details and enquiry will be shared with that specified business so they can respond to you directly.

• Legal Disclosures: We may disclose your information if required to do so by UK law, court order, regulatory body, or law enforcement agency, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, fraud, or safety threats.

• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganisation, or sale of site assets, member data may be transferred as part of the business assets, subject to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

5. Your Legal Rights Under UK GDPR

Under UK data protection law, you have specific statutory rights regarding your personal information:

• Right of Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, known as a Subject Access Request.

• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

• Right to Erasure: You have the right to request the complete deletion of your account and personal data, subject to any legal obligations requiring us to retain certain records.

• Right to Restrict or Object to Processing: You may object to direct marketing communications at any time or request that we restrict processing under specific conditions.

• Right to Data Portability: You may request to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please submit a written request to us at: info@cotswoldgrapevine.co.uk.

6. Marketing Choices and Opt-Outs

You can choose not to provide certain optional profile information, though this may limit your ability to use specific interactive features of the community.

• Promotional Emails: You can stop receiving promotional emails or newsletters at any time by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any marketing email, or by adjusting your profile preferences in your account dashboard.

• Administrative Messages: Please note that even if you opt out of promotional communications, we reserve the right to send you transactional or administrative emails, such as password resets, security alerts, or account updates, without offering an opt-out.

7. International Data Transfers

Our site infrastructure and service providers, including Brilliant Directories, may host data on servers located outside the United Kingdom, including the EU and USA. Whenever personal data is transferred internationally, we ensure adequate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses or recognised adequacy decisions, to ensure your data receives an equivalent level of protection as required under UK GDPR.

8. Data Security and Public Forums

Security Measures: We implement appropriate technical, procedural, and physical measures to help safeguard your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, or loss. However, no internet transmission or electronic storage system can be guaranteed 100% secure.

Public Forums and Community Profiles: Any information, text, photos, or bike details that you voluntarily post to public sections of the website, such as forums, community walls, or public profiles, will be publicly visible and can be read, collected, or used by others. We strongly advise exercising caution when deciding to share personal information in public areas. To protect your privacy and property, do not post full residential street addresses online.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our website is aimed at a general audience and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from individuals under the age of 16. If we become aware that a child under 16 has provided us with personal data, we will take immediate steps to delete such information.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We will update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal obligations. We encourage you to review this page periodically to remain informed of how we protect your information.