Privacy Policy
How we collect, use, and protect your information
This Privacy Policy describes how The Coffee Locator collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you visit our website. We are committed to transparency and protecting your privacy.
Last Updated: March 2026
We review and update this policy annually or when significant changes occur
Information We Collect
We collect information in the following ways to provide you with the best experience:
Information You Provide Directly
We collect information you voluntarily provide when you interact with our site:
- •Newsletter sign-up: Email address and, optionally, your first name
- •Contact form: Name, email address, your message, and selected inquiry type
- •Reader feedback: Any information you choose to share when submitting corrections or suggestions
We only collect what is necessary. You are never required to provide more information than the minimum fields on each form.
Automatically Collected Information
When you visit our website, certain technical information is collected automatically:
- •IP address: Used to understand geographic distribution of readers (aggregated, not personally identified)
- •Browser type and version: Helps us ensure our site works correctly across different browsers
- •Device type and operating system: Used for mobile/desktop optimization
- •Referring URL: The page or search query that brought you to our site
- •Pages visited and time on site: Helps us understand which content is most valuable to readers
Affiliate Link Interaction Data
When you click a product link that leads to a retailer (such as Amazon), affiliate tracking technology records:
- •That a click originated from our website
- •The product or category page the click came from
- •Whether a qualifying purchase was made (for commission purposes)
This tracking is handled by the retailer's affiliate system (e.g., Amazon Associates). We receive aggregated commission data, not your personal purchase history or identity. See our Affiliate Disclosure for more detail.
How We Use Your Information
We use collected information responsibly to:
- ✓Send you newsletters and updates (only if you've subscribed)
- ✓Respond to your inquiries and support requests
- ✓Improve our website and user experience
- ✓Analyze website traffic and usage patterns
- ✓Comply with legal obligations
Third-Party Services
We use trusted third-party services that may collect information:
Email Service Providers
Newsletter distribution and communication
Affiliate Networks
Tracking affiliate links and commission attribution (Amazon, ShareASale, etc.)
Your Privacy Rights
You have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- →Access:Request a copy of your personal information
- →Correction:Request correction of inaccurate information
- →Deletion:Request deletion of your information
- →Opt-Out:Unsubscribe from marketing communications anytime
- →Cookie Control:Disable cookies through your browser settings
Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:
- ✓SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
- ✓Secure hosting infrastructure
- ✓Regular security audits and updates
- ✓Limited access to personal information
Important: While we implement robust security measures, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Retention
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.
Retention Periods by Data Type:
Newsletter Subscription Data
Retained until you unsubscribe, then deleted within 30 days
Contact Form Submissions
Retained for 2 years from the date of last contact
Website Analytics Data
Anonymized and aggregated after 14 months
Cookie Data
Varies by cookie type: 30 days to 2 years. You can delete cookies at any time through your browser settings
Deletion Procedures:
When data is no longer needed or when you request deletion, we securely delete or anonymize your information in accordance with our data retention policy and applicable law. Some information may be retained in backup systems for a limited period or as required by law.
Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Article 6)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), our legal basis for collecting and using your personal information depends on the specific information and the context in which we collect it.
1.Consent
When you provide explicit consent (e.g., subscribing to our newsletter, submitting a contact form). You may withdraw consent at any time.
2.Legitimate Interests
We process data when we have a legitimate business interest that does not override your privacy rights, such as:
- • Improving our website and user experience
- • Analytics and understanding how visitors use our site
- • Fraud prevention and security
- • Direct marketing (with the ability to opt-out)
3.Legal Obligations
When we need to comply with legal or regulatory requirements (e.g., tax records, responding to legal requests).
4.Contract
When processing is necessary to perform a contract with you (e.g., responding to your support requests).
Data Export and Portability
Under GDPR and similar privacy laws, you have the right to request a copy of your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
How to Request Data Export:
Step 1: Submit Request
Contact us via our Contact Form with the subject line "Data Export Request"
Step 2: Verification
For security, we will ask you to verify your identity by providing:
- • The email address associated with your data
- • Additional information to confirm your identity (if needed)
Step 3: Processing
We will process your request within 30 days (or as required by applicable law) and provide your data in JSON or CSV format via secure email.
What's Included:
- ✓Newsletter subscription information (if applicable)
- ✓Contact form submissions and correspondence history
- ✓Any other personal data we have collected about you
- ✗Anonymized analytics data (cannot be linked back to you)
Processing Timeline: We aim to fulfill data export requests within 30 days. If your request is complex or we receive multiple requests, we may extend this period by an additional 60 days, and we will notify you of the extension.
Do Not Track Signals
Some browsers have a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that sends a signal to websites requesting that your browsing not be tracked. At this time, our website does not respond to DNT signals because there is no consistent industry standard for how sites should respond to these requests.
What you can do: If you wish to limit tracking, you can disable cookies in your browser settings, use a browser extension such as Privacy Badger or uBlock Origin, or opt out of Google Analytics using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Children's Privacy
The Coffee Locator is intended for general audiences and is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
- ✓If we discover that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly
- ✓If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately
- ✓Parents and guardians who believe their child has provided us with personal information should contact us for deletion
For users in the European Economic Area, this policy also applies to individuals under the age of 16, consistent with the GDPR's protections for minors.
Links to Third-Party Websites
Our website contains links to third-party websites, including retailer product pages (Amazon, Best Buy, etc.) and manufacturer websites. This Privacy Policy applies only to The Coffee Locator. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites.
When you click an affiliate or external link:
- →You leave our website and enter the third party's environment
- →That website's own privacy policy governs how your data is handled
- →We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party site before providing personal information
- →Our inclusion of a link does not constitute an endorsement of that site's privacy practices
Questions or Concerns?
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us.
Response Time: Typical response within 24–48 business hours.