Privacy Policy

Information we collect

From owners, when they create and use an account:

• Name, email address and password. Passwords are stored in a protected form, never as plain text.
• Business details: business name, category and logo.
• Branch details: branch name, address, phone number and map location.
• Replies that owners write to reviews.

From customers, when they leave a review:

• Name and email address.
• Phone number, only if the customer chooses to add it.
• The star rating and written comment.
• A voice recording, if the customer chooses to speak their review.
• A random identifier stored on the device, used to prevent duplicate and fake reviews.

We also collect basic technical information, such as IP address, browser type and the time of each request, to keep the service secure and working.

Map services

When a map opens without a saved location, your browser contacts ipwho.is to estimate your location from your IP address and center the map. This provider receives your IP address. The estimate is kept only in memory for the current session and is not saved as your business location. You choose the business location manually. OpenStreetMap serves map tiles, and selected coordinates are sent to its Nominatim service to suggest an address. Text you type into the map's address search is also sent to Nominatim to find matching places. If you choose "Use my current location", your browser asks for your permission first; the precise position it shares is only used to place the pin and is saved only if you then save that location.

How we use information

• To provide the service: show each review to the business it is about, and let owners read and reply to reviews.
• To send owners email alerts when a low rating arrives.
• To prevent abuse, such as duplicate or fake reviews.
• To keep accounts and the service secure.
• To contact owners about their account and important changes.
• To understand how the service is used and improve it.

We do not sell personal information, and we do not use it for third-party advertising.

Who can see information

A review, including the customer's name and contact details, is visible only to the business that was reviewed and the people that business authorizes. Other businesses on Rating Cube cannot see it.

We share information with service providers that help us run Rating Cube, such as hosting, email delivery and, only if you accept analytics, Google Analytics (see "Cookies and storage on your device"), only as needed for them to provide their service and under an obligation to protect it.

We may also disclose information when the law requires it, or to protect the rights, safety or property of Rating Cube, our users or others.

Responsibility for customer information

Each business decides how it uses the contact details of the customers who review it, for example to follow up on a complaint. Rating Cube stores and processes that information on the business's behalf. Businesses must use it lawfully and only for purposes related to the customer's review.

How long we keep information

We keep owner information for as long as the account is active, and for a limited time afterwards where needed for legal, security or accounting reasons.

Reviews are kept for as long as the business's account is active, unless deletion is requested earlier.

Your choices and rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to ask us to:

• Give you a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct information that is wrong or out of date.
• Delete your information.
• Stop or limit certain uses of your information.
• Withdraw consent you gave earlier, without affecting what was done before.

Customers can also ask the business they reviewed. We will respond to requests within a reasonable time and may need to confirm your identity first.

Cookies and storage on your device

Rating Cube needs some storage to work: a cookie that keeps owners signed in, and storage in the browser for the signed-in session, the chosen language, your analytics choice and the device identifier used against duplicate reviews. We do not use advertising cookies.

Analytics is optional. Only if you choose "Accept analytics" do we load Google Analytics, a service provided by Google, which sets its own cookies (named _ga) to count visits and to show us which pages and features are used, such as page views, sign-up steps, sign-in attempts, clicks on our email link and QR code downloads. If you choose "Reject", or make no choice, Google Analytics is not loaded.

We do not send Google Analytics your name, email address, phone number, address, review text or ratings, or the identifiers of your account, business or device. Before a page address is sent, we remove private parts such as the code in a review link and most of its query string. Like any website it connects to, Google receives technical information such as your IP address and browser details, and handles it under its own policies. Advertising features and Google signals stay turned off.

You can change your choice at any time through "Cookie preferences", at the bottom of the website, in the dashboard menu, or on review pages where analytics is used. If you withdraw your consent, analytics stops on that device and the Google Analytics cookies our site can reach are deleted; information sent before you withdrew is not affected. Your choice is saved only in your browser, so you will be asked again if you clear your browser data or use another browser or device.

Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect information. No online service can be completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

International use

Rating Cube is available in many countries. Your information may be stored and processed in a country other than the one you live in, where data protection rules may differ. We protect it as described in this policy wherever it is processed.

Children

Rating Cube is not intended for children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect their information. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will change the date at the top, and tell owners about important changes before they take effect.

Contact

If you have a question about this policy or a request about your information, email the Rating Cube team at support@ratingcube.com.