Privacy Policy

1. What we collect

When you use Faros Guides we collect:

Account information — name, email address, password, location
Profile information — fishing experience, species preferences, photos
Guide credentials — license numbers, insurance documents submitted for verification
Booking information — trip details, dates, guest counts, payment method (stored securely via Stripe)
Messages — communications between Guides and Anglers on the platform
Reviews and ratings — content you submit after completed trips
Usage data — pages visited, searches performed, features used

2. How we use your information

We use your information to:

Operate the Faros Guides platform and process bookings
Verify guide credentials and maintain trust and safety
Send booking confirmations, reminders, and rating prompts
Improve search results and guide recommendations
Prevent fraud and enforce our terms of service
Communicate platform updates and new features

We never sell your personal information to third parties. We never allow advertisers to target you based on your activity on Faros Guides.

3. Trip insights and guide notes

Guides may write private trip insights about anglers after a completed trip. These notes are stored securely and are only accessible to the guide who wrote them. A guide may choose to share their insights with another Faros Guides guide who requests them before accepting a booking from the same angler. Anglers are not notified when insights are requested or shared between guides. Anglers' star ratings are visible on their public profile — written insights are never shown to anglers or the public.

4. Payment information

All payment processing is handled by Stripe. Faros Guides never stores your full card number, CVV, or banking details. Stripe is PCI-DSS compliant and their privacy policy governs how payment data is handled. We store only a tokenized reference to your payment method.

5. Information sharing

We share your information only in the following circumstances:

With Guides when you make a booking — your name, contact info, and angler profile are shared so the Guide can prepare for your trip
With Anglers when a Guide accepts a booking — the Guide's contact info and meeting point details are shared
With Stripe for payment processing
With law enforcement when legally required
With service providers who help us operate Faros Guides (hosting, email delivery) under strict confidentiality agreements

6. Data retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we delete your personal information within 30 days except where retention is required by law (such as financial records). Booking history may be retained for up to 7 years for tax and legal compliance purposes.

7. Your rights

You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal information at any time. You can do this through your account settings or by emailing us at privacy@farosguides.com. You may also opt out of non-essential communications at any time.

8. Cookies

Faros Guides uses essential cookies to keep you logged in and maintain your session. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking cookies.

9. Contact

Questions about your privacy? Email privacy@farosguides.com and we'll respond within 48 hours.