Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

VanPubStops ("we", "us", "our") operates the website vanpubstops.com. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Data We Collect

• Account data: name, email address, password hash, account type (user or business).
• Business listing data: pub name, address, contact details, photos, opening hours, menu and content you upload.
• Bookings & messages: details you submit when contacting a pub or booking a stopover.
• Usage data: pages visited, search terms, approximate location (only if you consent to "My location"), device/browser info.
• Cookies: essential cookies for login and preferences. See our cookie banner.

3. Legal Basis

We process data on the basis of: (a) your consent (cookies, location, marketing), (b) contract (providing accounts, bookings, subscriptions), (c) legitimate interests (site security, fraud prevention, service improvement), and (d) legal obligation (tax, accounting).

4. How We Use Your Data

• Provide and operate the directory, map, bookings and messaging features.
• Process subscription payments for business listings.
• Send transactional emails (bookings, messages, account activity).
• Improve the service and prevent abuse.

5. Sharing

We share limited data with processors acting on our instructions: hosting provider, database/auth provider, email delivery, payment processor (Stripe), and mapping/geocoding services (OpenStreetMap, Nominatim). We do not sell personal data.

6. Retention

We keep account data for as long as your account is active, and for a reasonable period afterwards to meet legal and accounting requirements. You may request deletion at any time.

7. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict, port, and object to processing of your data, and to withdraw consent. To exercise these rights contact us via the site. You may also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).

8. Cookies

We use strictly necessary cookies to keep you logged in and to remember preferences. Optional analytics cookies are only set with your consent via the cookie banner. You can withdraw consent by clearing site data.

9. International Transfers

Some processors may store data outside the UK/EEA. Where this happens, we rely on adequacy decisions or Standard Contractual Clauses.

10. Contact

For privacy questions, contact us through the site. See also our Terms of Service.