At The Welcome Book, we take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our digital welcome book platform.
Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the site or use our services.
1. Information We Collect
Personal Data
When you register for an account, we may collect the following information:
- Name and email address
- Property details (name, address, type)
- Payment information (processed securely via third-party payment processors)
- Contact information including phone number (optional)
- Business information (for VAT purposes if applicable)
Usage Data
We automatically collect certain information when you use our platform:
- IP address and browser type
- Device information (device type, operating system)
- Pages viewed and time spent on our platform
- QR code scan analytics (anonymous, aggregated data)
- Referring website addresses
Content You Provide
Information you add to your digital welcome books:
- Property information (WiFi details, house rules, check-in/out times)
- Local recommendations and guides
- Photos and images
- Any other content you choose to include
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide, operate, and maintain our digital welcome book platform
- Process your subscription payments and manage your account
- Send you important updates about your account and our services
- Generate AI-powered local recommendations for your property
- Improve and personalise your experience
- Analyse usage patterns to enhance our platform
- Respond to your enquiries and provide customer support
- Detect and prevent fraud or technical issues
- Comply with legal obligations
3. Legal Basis for Processing (UK GDPR)
We process your personal data under the following legal bases:
- Contract Performance: To provide the services you've subscribed to
- Legitimate Interests: To improve our services, prevent fraud, and ensure security
- Legal Obligation: To comply with UK tax, accounting, and legal requirements
- Consent: For marketing communications (which you can opt out of at any time)
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with:
Service Providers
- Payment Processors: To process subscription payments securely
- Cloud Hosting: To store and serve your welcome book content
- AI Services: To generate location-based recommendations (anonymised where possible)
- Analytics Providers: To understand how our platform is used (Microsoft Clarity, Google Analytics)
- Email Services: To send transactional and account-related emails
Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court order or government agency).
Business Transfers
If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your personal data may be transferred. We will provide notice before your personal data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
5. Data Retention
We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to:
- Provide you with our services while you maintain an active account
- Comply with our legal and regulatory obligations (typically 6 years for UK tax purposes)
- Resolve disputes and enforce our agreements
When you cancel your account, we will delete or anonymise your personal data within 90 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or regulatory reasons.
6. Your Data Protection Rights (UK GDPR)
Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights:
- Right of Access: You can request copies of your personal data
- Right to Rectification: You can request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Right to Erasure: You can request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances
- Right to Restrict Processing: You can request that we limit how we use your data
- Right to Data Portability: You can request a copy of your data in a machine-readable format
- Right to Object: You can object to our processing of your data in certain circumstances
- Rights Related to Automated Decision-Making: We do not use automated decision-making or profiling
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@thewelcomebook.com. We will respond within one month.
7. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:
- SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit
- Encryption of sensitive data at rest
- Regular security assessments and updates
- Restricted access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
- Secure authentication and password requirements
However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. Whilst we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:
- Keep you signed in to your account
- Remember your preferences
- Understand how you use our platform (via Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity)
- Improve our services
You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of our platform.
For more information about the cookies we use, please see our Cookie Policy.
9. Third-Party Links
Our platform may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing them with your personal information.
10. Children's Privacy
Our services are not intended for children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 16, please contact us immediately.
11. International Data Transfers
Your data is primarily stored and processed within the United Kingdom and European Economic Area. If we transfer your data outside the UK/EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:
- EU Standard Contractual Clauses
- UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA)
- Adequacy decisions by the UK government
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by:
- Posting the updated policy on this page
- Updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
- Sending you an email notification (for significant changes)
Your continued use of our services after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe we have not handled your personal data properly: