Privacy Policy

The Valley Insider ("we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit our website, create an account, submit content, or purchase a listing, how we use that information, and the choices you have. By using our website, you agree to the practices described in this policy and in our Terms & Conditions.

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide to us

• Account information — such as your name, email address, and password when you register for an account.
• Business listing information — such as business name, address, phone number, website, social media links, descriptions, logos, photos, videos, and documents you submit when adding or claiming a business.
• User-submitted content — such as events, image galleries, videos, and any accompanying descriptions or details.
• Payment information — when you purchase a listing or subscription, your card details are entered into a secure form provided by our payment processor, Stripe, and are sent directly to Stripe. We never see or store your full card number or security code (CVC). See section 4 for more detail.
• Communications — information you provide when you contact us by email or through forms on the website.

Information collected automatically

• Usage and device data — such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring pages, pages viewed, and the dates and times of your visits.
• Cookies and similar technologies — small data files stored on your device that help us keep you signed in, remember your preferences, and understand how the website is used.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain the website and its features;
• Create and manage your account and authenticate you when you sign in;
• Publish and display business listings, events, galleries, and videos you submit;
• Verify ownership of businesses you claim, which may include sending a verification code by phone call, text message, or email;
• Process payments, subscriptions, renewals, and cancellations;
• Send you transactional emails, such as account notices, receipts, and updates about your submissions;
• Respond to your questions and support requests;
• Monitor and improve the website, and understand how visitors use it;
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, security issues, and technical problems;
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms & Conditions.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following circumstances:

• Publicly displayed content — information you submit for publication, such as business listings, events, galleries, and videos, will be visible to other visitors of the website.
• Service providers — we work with trusted third parties who perform services on our behalf, including Stripe (payment processing), Brevo (email delivery), Twilio (phone and text-message verification), Mapbox (maps), YouTube and Vimeo (video hosting), and our web hosting provider. These providers only receive the information needed to perform their services and are required to protect it.
• Legal requirements — we may disclose information if required to do so by law, or in good faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, protect our rights or property, or protect the safety of our users or the public.
• Business transfers — if The Valley Insider is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

4. Payments and Stripe

Payments for business listings and subscriptions are processed by Stripe, Inc., a PCI-DSS Level 1 certified payment processor.

• We do not store card details — your card number, expiration date, and security code are entered into Stripe's secure payment form and sent directly to Stripe over an encrypted connection. They never pass through or get stored on our servers.
• What we keep — we store only the information needed to manage your purchase, such as your Stripe customer and subscription reference IDs and the listing your subscription applies to. When you view your subscription, details such as the card brand, last four digits, and renewal date are retrieved from Stripe for display only.
• What Stripe collects — Stripe collects and processes your payment information and may use device and transaction data for fraud prevention. Stripe's handling of your information is governed by the Stripe Privacy Policy.
• Updating or removing a card — you can update the card on file or cancel a subscription at any time from your account. Card updates are also handled securely by Stripe.

5. Third-Party Content and Links

Our website may include embedded content (such as videos and maps) and links to third-party websites. These third parties may collect information about you according to their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites or services, and we encourage you to review their policies.

6. Cookies

Most web browsers accept cookies by default. You can set your browser to remove or reject cookies, but doing so may affect certain features of the website, such as staying signed in to your account.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website — for example, which pages are viewed and how people arrive at the site. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect this information in aggregate, and it does not tell us who you are. Google processes this data according to the Google Privacy Policy. You can opt out of Google Analytics on all websites by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

7. Data Retention

We keep your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymize it.

8. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Choices and Rights

• Account information — you can review and update your account details at any time by signing in to your account.
• Email communications — you may opt out of promotional emails by following the unsubscribe instructions in those emails. We may still send you transactional or account-related messages.
• Access and deletion — depending on where you live, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information. To make a request, contact us using the details below.

10. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at the address below or through our Contact page:

The Valley Insider
[email protected]