Privacy Policy

1. About Whereego

Whereego is a global local-discovery platform that helps people find where to go for shopping, supermarkets, malls, retail stores, and everyday local experiences. We organize information about physical retail locations into structured place pages that include addresses, opening hours, amenities, visitor reviews, and other practical details.

Our platform serves a global audience including local residents, travelers, and business owners. This Privacy Policy applies to all visitors and users of the Whereego website and services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

We collect information you voluntarily provide when you interact with Whereego, including:

• Contact form submissions: your name, email address, and message content when you contact us.
• Business submissions: business details you provide through our "Add a Business" form, including business name, address, category, opening hours, phone number, amenities, photos, and your submitter contact information (name, role, email).
• Corrections and feedback: information you send when reporting inaccurate listings or suggesting updates.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit Whereego, certain information may be collected automatically, including:

• Browser type and version, operating system, and device type.
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs.
• IP address (which may indicate general geographic location).
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Cookies & Analytics).

2.3 Location Information

If you use the "Near Me" feature, your browser may request permission to access your device location. This is used solely to show nearby retail destinations. If you do not grant location permission, you can still browse Whereego by manually selecting a city or using the search function. We do not store precise location data on our servers.

3. How We Use Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Provide, operate, and improve the Whereego platform and its features.
• Respond to inquiries, feedback, and support requests.
• Review, verify, and publish business submissions.
• Display relevant place information and search results.
• Monitor platform security and prevent fraud or abuse.
• Analyze usage patterns and performance to improve the user experience.
• Comply with applicable legal obligations.

4. How We Share Information

Whereego may share information in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: We may use third-party services for hosting, analytics, email delivery, and other operational functions. These providers access information only as needed to perform their services.
• Legal requests: We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request.
• Public listing content: Business information submitted through the "Add a Business" form may be displayed publicly on the corresponding place page. This includes the business name, address, phone number, opening hours, amenities, category, and photos (if provided). Submitter contact information (name, role, email) is kept private and is not displayed publicly.

5. Public Place Information

6. Cookies & Analytics

Whereego uses cookies and similar technologies to support basic site functionality, remember your preferences, and understand how the platform is used.

What cookies are used for:

• Essential cookies: required for the website to function properly (e.g., navigation, session management).
• Analytics cookies: help us understand how visitors interact with the site, which pages are popular, and where users encounter issues.
• Preference cookies: remember settings such as language or region selections.

Managing cookies:

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of some features on Whereego. We may use third-party analytics services (such as Google Analytics) that set their own cookies. These services collect anonymized or aggregated data to help us improve the platform.

7. Data Retention

We retain information for as long as it is reasonably needed to fulfill the purposes described in this policy. This includes maintaining business listings for as long as they remain relevant and useful to the platform, and keeping contact and submission records for a reasonable period to handle follow-up questions or disputes.

When information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to delete or anonymize it.

8. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

• Access and correction: You can request to see what personal information we hold about you and ask for corrections.
• Deletion: You can request deletion of personal information we have collected, subject to legal or operational requirements.
• Cookie preferences: You can manage cookie settings through your browser at any time.
• Location permission: You can enable or disable location access through your browser or device settings.
• Listing removal: If you are the owner or authorized representative of a listed business, you can request removal by contacting us.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us through our Contact page.

9. Children's Privacy

Whereego is not intended for use by children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such information, we will take steps to delete it promptly. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

10. Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the information we collect from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. International Transfers

Whereego is a global platform and may process information in countries other than the country in which it was originally collected. By using Whereego, you acknowledge that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in locations where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.

12. Third-Party Links

Whereego pages may contain links to third-party websites, including Google Maps, business websites, and social media profiles. These external sites operate independently and have their own privacy policies. Whereego is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external site you visit.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of Whereego after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please reach out to us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Contact form: whereego.com/contact.html