Privacy Policy — Detail Directory

Detail Directory ("we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, and your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Detail Directory operates the website at valetodir.co.uk, a UK-based directory of car detailing and valeting businesses. For data protection purposes, we are the data controller.

2. What Data We Collect

Information you provide to us

Business listings: business name, address, contact details, photos, and service descriptions submitted by business owners.
Account registration: name, email address, and password when you create a business owner account.
Reviews: name, email address, and the content of any review you submit.
Enquiries: name, email address, and message content when you submit an enquiry to a listed business.

Information collected automatically

Usage data: pages visited, search queries entered, links clicked, and time spent on pages.
Technical data: IP address, browser type, operating system, and referring URL.
Cookies: essential session cookies required for the site to function. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To display and manage business listings on the directory.
To allow business owners to manage their listing via a secure account.
To publish reviews and connect customers with local businesses.
To forward customer enquiries to the relevant listed business.
To send transactional emails (e.g. account verification, enquiry notifications).
To improve site functionality and user experience through anonymised analytics.
To comply with legal obligations.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We rely on the following legal bases under UK GDPR:

Contractual necessity — to provide the directory service to business owners who have submitted a listing.
Legitimate interests — to maintain a useful and accurate public directory, prevent fraud, and improve our service.
Consent — where you have explicitly agreed to us processing your data (e.g. submitting a review).
Legal obligation — where required to comply with applicable law.

5. Sharing Your Data

We do not sell your personal data. We may share data with:

Listed businesses: your name and message when you submit an enquiry, so the business can respond to you.
Service providers: trusted third parties who help us operate the site (e.g. hosting providers, email delivery services), under data processing agreements.
Legal authorities: where required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of others.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary:

Business listing data — retained for the duration of the listing and up to 2 years after removal.
Account data — retained for the lifetime of the account plus 12 months after closure.
Reviews — retained indefinitely unless a removal request is granted.
Enquiries — retained for 6 months from submission.

7. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you.
Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erase your data in certain circumstances ("right to be forgotten").
Restrict or object to certain processing.
Data portability — receive your data in a commonly used format.
Withdraw consent where we rely on consent as our legal basis.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

8. Cookies

We use only essential cookies necessary for the site to function (e.g. session management and CSRF protection). No third-party advertising or tracking cookies are set. You can manage cookies through your browser settings, but disabling essential cookies may affect site functionality.

9. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure. All data is transmitted over HTTPS. Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text.

10. Third-Party Links

Our directory links to external business websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third-party sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Any significant changes will be noted at the top of this page with a revised date. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, please contact us:

Detail Directory
Email: [email protected]