The short version
- We collect what we need to run the directory: your email, what you post, and business details.
- Reviews and questions are public, with your display name.
- We don’t sell your information, and we don’t use advertising trackers.
- You can ask us to delete your account and your information.
1. What we collect
When you create an account
Your email address. If you sign in with Google, we also get your name and profile picture from Google.
When you post
Your reviews, star ratings, questions and answers, with the date. With each review and question we also record the IP address it was sent from, to help us spot fake reviews and spam.
When you run a business listing
Business details you give us: name, phone, address, hours, photos and descriptions. To confirm you own the business, we send a code to the business phone through our text and call provider. If you send us documents instead, we keep them only as long as we need to check them.
When you ask a business for a quote
Your name, email, phone number if you give it, and your message. These go to the business, and a copy is kept in the business’s dashboard.
When you pay for Verified
Our payment provider handles your card details. We receive your name, email, and whether payments went through, but not your full card number.
When you browse
We count how many times each business page is viewed and how often people tap to call or visit a business website. These counts don’t identify you. We briefly use your IP address to limit repeated sign-in emails and code requests, to stop abuse.
2. How we use it
- To run your account and sign you in.
- To show business listings, reviews and questions.
- To confirm business owners and check Verified businesses.
- To send quote requests to the businesses they’re meant for.
- To take payments and send receipts.
- To send emails you need, like sign-in links and notices about your listing. We don’t send marketing emails without asking first.
- To prevent spam, fake reviews and abuse.
3. What’s public
Reviews and questions show your display name, the date, and what you wrote. Business listings are public. Your email address is never shown on the site.
4. Who we share it with
We don’t sell your personal information. We share it only with:
- The business you contact, when you send a quote request.
- Service providers that help us run the site: our web host, our email delivery service, our text and call provider for phone codes, our payment provider, and Google if you use Google sign-in. They may only use it to provide their service to us.
- Authorities, if the law requires it or to protect someone’s safety.
5. Cookies
We use a small number of cookies that the site needs to work:
- Sign-in cookies, to keep you signed in.
- A view-count cookie, so the same visit isn’t counted twice.
- Payment cookies from our payment provider during checkout.
We don’t use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. If we add website analytics later, we’ll update this page first.
6. How long we keep it
- Your account and posts: until you delete your account or ask us to.
- Quote requests: 90 days, then deleted automatically.
- Ownership documents and claim disputes you send us: deleted automatically after 90 days.
- Payment records: as long as tax law requires.
7. Your choices
Business owners can change their business details from their dashboard. To get a copy of your information, correct it, remove a review or question, or delete your account, email us and we’ll reply within 30 days. Depending on where you live, including Maryland, you may have further rights under state privacy law, and we’ll honor them.
8. Children
Bowie Local isn’t meant for children. You must be 18 or older to create an account, and we don’t knowingly collect information from anyone under 13.
9. Changes and contact
If we change this policy in a way that matters, we’ll say so on the site before the change takes effect.
Privacy questions: info@localbowie.com
