Privacy Policy

Overview

This Privacy Policy explains how South Florida Faves (“we,” “us,” “our”) collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you use the South Florida Faves website, mobile application, and services (the “Service”). We are committed to handling your information responsibly and giving you meaningful choices. By using the Service, you agree to this policy.

Information we collect

We collect the following categories of information:

• Account information — name, username, email address, password, and profile details you provide when you register or sign in;
• Business information — for business owners, your business name, address, phone, website, hours, category, descriptions, photos, offers, and claim/verification details;
• Email addresses — for account, transactional, marketing, and notification messages;
• Phone numbers — including mobile numbers you provide to receive SMS/text notifications (Best-Of voting alerts, lead alerts, reminders) and for account verification;
• Payment information — when you subscribe to a paid plan, billing details are collected and processed by our payment processor, Stripe; we receive limited data such as the last four digits, card brand, and billing ZIP, but not your full card number;
• Usage & analytics data — pages viewed, searches, clicks, referring URLs, and interactions with listings, news, events, and voting;
• Device & app data — IP address, browser and device type, operating system, unique device identifiers, and, for our mobile app (PWA and Capacitor builds), app version, push-notification tokens, and crash/diagnostic data;
• Location data — approximate location (from IP) and, with your permission, more precise device location, to show local results and nearby businesses; and
• Cookies & similar technologies — see the Cookies section and our Cookie Policy.

We collect this information directly from you, automatically as you use the Service, and from third-party sources such as business-data providers, mapping providers, and social-media platforms when you connect or share.

How we use your information

We use information to:

• provide, operate, personalize, and improve the Service, including local search and directory results;
• create and manage your account and business listings and verify claims;
• process payments, manage subscriptions, and prevent fraud;
• send transactional messages (receipts, security alerts, account notices) and, where permitted, marketing and notification messages by email and SMS (see below);
• operate Best-Of awards, including voting, reminders, and results notifications;
• generate lead alerts and analytics for business owners;
• understand usage through analytics and measure and improve performance;
• protect the security and integrity of the Service and enforce our Terms; and
• comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests.

Email & SMS/text messaging consent

Email

We send transactional emails necessary to operate the Service and, if you opt in, promotional and notification emails. You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the “unsubscribe” link in the message or by adjusting your account settings; we may still send you essential transactional and account emails.

SMS / text messaging

If you provide a mobile number and opt in, we may send you recurring SMS/text messages such as Best-Of voting notifications, lead alerts, and reminders. By opting in you agree to the following:

• Consent is not a condition of purchase. You are not required to agree to receive marketing texts to use the Service or buy anything.
• Message frequency varies based on your activity and settings.
• Reply STOP to unsubscribe at any time; after you text STOP we will send one confirmation and stop sending further messages. Reply HELP for help, or email privacy@soflofaves.com.
• Message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile carrier and plan.
• Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
• We do not sell or share mobile phone numbers or SMS opt-in data with third parties for their own marketing, and consent to receive text messages is not shared with third parties except the messaging providers that help us deliver them.

You represent that you are the subscriber or authorized user of the mobile number you provide and will notify us if it changes.

Social sharing

The Service offers buttons to share content to third-party platforms such as Facebook, X (Twitter), WhatsApp, and LinkedIn. When you share, the URL, title, and any text you choose are transmitted to that platform, and the platform may collect information about you under its own policies. Depending on the feature, we may receive limited information about shares. We do not control third-party platforms; their handling of your information is governed by their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review.

Cookies & tracking technologies

We and our providers use cookies, local storage, pixels, and similar technologies for essential functionality, preferences, analytics, and measurement. You can control cookies through your browser and, where offered, our on-site controls. For details on the specific cookies we use and how to manage them, see our Cookie Policy.

Analytics

We use analytics tools to understand how the Service is used — which pages and listings are viewed, how searches perform, and how features are adopted — so we can improve them. Analytics providers may set their own cookies and collect usage and device data as described in this policy and the Cookie Policy.

Third-party service providers

We share information with trusted service providers who process it on our behalf and under contract, only for the purposes of operating the Service. These include:

• Stripe — payment processing and subscription billing;
• Supabase — application database and authentication/hosting infrastructure;
• Vercel — website and application hosting and delivery;
• Email and SMS providers — to send transactional and notification messages;
• Analytics providers — to measure and improve the Service; and
• Mapping and location providers — to display maps, directions, and local results.

We may also disclose information (1) to comply with law, legal process, or lawful government requests; (2) to enforce our Terms and protect the rights, safety, and security of our users and the public; and (3) in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, in which case we will require the recipient to honor this policy.

How we share — and our “no sale” stance

We do not sell your personal information for money. We do not sell your email address, phone number, or SMS consent data. Some uses of cookies and analytics for advertising or cross-context behavioral measurement may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” under certain U.S. state privacy laws even when no money changes hands; where that is the case, you can opt out as described in the “Do Not Sell or Share” section below.

Data retention

We retain personal information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the Service, comply with legal, tax, and accounting obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When information is no longer needed, we delete or de-identify it. Some information may persist in backups for a limited period.

Security

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information, including encryption in transit, access controls, and use of reputable infrastructure providers. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please protect your account credentials and notify us of any suspected compromise.

Your privacy rights (CCPA/CPRA & GDPR-style)

Depending on where you live, you may have some or all of the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access / know — request the categories and specific pieces of personal information we hold about you and how we use and share it;
• Deletion — request that we delete personal information we collected from you, subject to legal exceptions;
• Correction — request that we correct inaccurate personal information;
• Portability — request a copy of certain information in a portable format;
• Opt out of sale/sharing and targeted advertising — as described below;
• Limit use of sensitive information, where applicable; and
• Non-discrimination — we will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.

For residents of California, these rights arise under the CCPA as amended by the CPRA. If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or a similar jurisdiction, you may have GDPR-style rights, including access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, and portability, and the right to lodge a complaint with your supervisory authority; our lawful bases for processing include performance of a contract, our legitimate interests, consent, and legal compliance.

To exercise any right, contact us at privacy@soflofaves.com or use the account controls in your dashboard. We will verify your request (typically via your account email) and respond within the time required by applicable law. You may use an authorized agent where the law permits.

Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information for money. To the extent any of our advertising or analytics activity constitutes a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information or “targeted advertising” under applicable U.S. state law, you can opt out by:

• emailing privacy@soflofaves.com with the subject “Do Not Sell or Share”;
• adjusting the cookie/tracking controls offered on the site where available; and
• enabling a recognized opt-out preference signal (such as Global Privacy Control) in your browser, which we will honor where required by law.

Children’s privacy

The Service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or under 16 where a higher age applies). If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us at privacy@soflofaves.com and we will delete it.

International users & transfers

We operate in the United States, and the Service is intended for U.S. users. If you access it from outside the United States, you understand that your information will be processed in the United States, where data-protection laws may differ from those in your country. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards for international transfers.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will revise the “Last updated” date above and, for material changes, provide additional notice. Your continued use of the Service after the changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

Contact & data requests

For privacy questions or to exercise your rights, contact us at privacy@soflofaves.com. # TODO: confirm legal entity name and mailing address for privacy requests.