Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to B2CLocal ("B2CLocal", "we", "our", or "us").

B2CLocal is an online business discovery platform intended to help people discover local businesses, products, and services and help businesses establish an online presence.

We respect your privacy and are committed to handling personal information responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains what information we may collect, how we use it, when we may share it, how we protect it, and how you can exercise your applicable privacy rights.

This policy applies to visitors, registered users, business owners, listing contributors, and other individuals who interact with B2CLocal.com and its associated services.

By using our website, you acknowledge that you have read this policy. Where consent is required by applicable law, we will seek it through the appropriate process. Merely visiting the website does not replace any consent that the law requires.

2. Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you use our website and which features are available.

2.1 Information You Provide

You may provide information when you:

• Create or manage an account.
• Submit a business listing.
• Claim or update a listing.
• Contact our support team.
• Submit feedback, a review, or a complaint.
• Subscribe to updates or newsletters.
• Purchase an optional paid service, if offered.
• Participate in surveys or promotional activities.

This information may include your name, email address, phone number, business name, business address, business category, website, social media links, business description, photographs, and other information you choose to submit.

If you submit documents for verification, we may process the information contained in those documents to the extent necessary for the stated verification purpose.

Please do not submit passwords, financial credentials, government identity documents, or other sensitive information unless a specific, legitimate process requires it and the relevant instructions explain how it will be handled.

2.2 Public Business Information

Business owners and authorised contributors may submit information intended for public display.

Depending on the listing features, this may include:

• Business name and category.
• Business address or service area.
• Public business telephone number.
• Business email address.
• Website and social media links.
• Products and services.
• Business descriptions and photographs.
• Opening hours.
• Public reviews or ratings, where enabled.

Information published in a public business listing may be visible to visitors, indexed by search engines, and copied or referenced by third parties.

Please do not submit personal information for public display unless you are authorised to share it and understand the consequences of publication.

2.3 Technical and Usage Information

When you access the website, our servers and service providers may collect technical information such as:

• IP address.
• Browser type and version.
• Device and operating system information.
• Pages visited and referring pages.
• Date, time, and duration of visits.
• Error reports and diagnostic information.
• Security events and website interaction data.

We use this information, where applicable, to operate the website, diagnose technical problems, improve performance, understand usage, and protect against fraud or abuse.

2.4 Cookies and Similar Technologies

B2CLocal may use cookies or similar technologies to support website functionality, remember preferences, maintain sessions, measure website performance, or provide advertising where applicable.

The specific technologies depend on the services installed on the website.

You can manage cookies through available website controls and your browser settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect some website features.

Where required by applicable law, we will obtain consent before using non-essential cookies or similar technologies.

2.5 Information From Other Sources

We may receive business information from business owners, authorised contributors, public sources, licensed datasets, service providers, or other sources where collection and use are lawful.

We aim to use information for legitimate business-directory purposes and to respect applicable privacy, intellectual property, database, and data-licensing requirements.

If you believe information about you has been published improperly, contact us with the relevant URL and details of your concern.

3. How We Use Information

We may use information for the following purposes, where applicable and lawful:

1. To operate and maintain B2CLocal.
2. To create, display, manage, and update business listings.
3. To help users discover businesses, products, and services.
4. To create and manage user accounts.
5. To verify a user's authority to manage a listing, where verification is offered.
6. To respond to questions, complaints, and support requests.
7. To process payments and manage subscriptions, where offered.
8. To detect spam, fraudulent listings, impersonation, and misuse.
9. To protect the security and integrity of the platform.
10. To understand website performance and improve user experience.
11. To send service-related communications.
12. To send marketing communications where permitted and, when required, with your consent.
13. To comply with applicable laws, lawful requests, and legal obligations.
14. To establish, exercise, or defend legal claims where necessary.

We will not use personal information for purposes that are incompatible with the purposes disclosed to you unless permitted by applicable law.

4. Legal Basis and Consent

We handle personal data in accordance with applicable Indian law, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and its rules to the extent and when applicable to the relevant processing.

Depending on the circumstances, processing may rely on valid consent, a permitted legitimate use under applicable law, or another lawful basis recognised by the applicable legal framework.

Where consent is required, we will seek it through an appropriate and clear process. You may withdraw consent through the available mechanism or by contacting us, subject to applicable law.

Withdrawal of consent does not invalidate processing lawfully carried out before withdrawal. It may affect our ability to provide certain services.

5. Public Listings and Contact Information

B2CLocal is designed to make business information discoverable.

When you submit information for a public listing, you authorise its publication for the purposes explained during submission and in this policy, subject to your rights and applicable law.

Public information may be accessed by search engines, other websites, and members of the public. We cannot guarantee that third parties will remove copies of information already collected or indexed.

If you are a business owner, review your listing carefully before publishing personal contact details, home addresses, or information about other individuals.

If you believe that a listing exposes personal information improperly, contact us to request review, correction, or removal.

6. When We Share Information

We do not sell personal information as a standalone product. We may share information in the following circumstances, subject to applicable law.

6.1 Publicly Displayed Information

Information submitted for public business listings may be displayed to website visitors as described in Section 5.

6.2 Service Providers

We may use third-party providers for hosting, website maintenance, security, analytics, email delivery, customer support, payment processing, and other operational functions.

These providers may process information on our behalf to perform their contracted services, subject to appropriate arrangements and applicable law.

6.3 Business Communications

If you choose to contact a business using its publicly displayed contact information, the communication may take place directly between you and that business. The business's subsequent handling of your information is governed by its own practices and applicable law.

6.4 Legal and Safety Requirements

We may disclose information where required or authorised by applicable law, a valid legal process, or a lawful request from a competent authority. We may also disclose information where necessary to investigate fraud, protect rights, or address security threats, subject to legal requirements.

6.5 Business Transfers

If B2CLocal or its operating business undergoes a merger, acquisition, restructuring, or transfer of assets, relevant information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to applicable law and appropriate safeguards.

7. Data Retention

We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes explained in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Retention periods may depend on:

• Whether your account remains active.
• Whether a business listing is published.
• The nature of a support request or dispute.
• Security and fraud-prevention requirements.
• Legal, tax, or accounting obligations.
• The need to establish or defend legal claims.

When information is no longer required, we will take appropriate steps to delete it, anonymise it, or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with applicable law and our retention practices.

Public information may continue to exist in third-party caches or archives after a listing is removed from B2CLocal.

8. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures appropriate to the information we handle to help protect it against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, loss, and misuse.

Depending on the services we use, these measures may include access controls, security updates, backups, encryption where appropriate, monitoring, and restricted administrative access.

No website, electronic transmission, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

If a personal data breach occurs, we will take appropriate steps in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable law and its implementation, you may have the right to:

• Request information about personal data we process about you.
• Request correction or updating of inaccurate information.
• Request deletion of personal data where legally available.
• Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.
• Raise a grievance about our handling of personal data.
• Exercise any additional rights available under applicable law.

To make a request, contact us using the details in Section 15.

We may ask for reasonable information to verify your identity and understand your request. We will respond within the applicable legal time limits.

Some information may need to be retained where required by law or where a lawful exception applies.

10. Children's Privacy

B2CLocal is intended for general business discovery and is not designed to collect children's personal information unnecessarily.

If a person under the age of 18 submits personal information, the applicable requirements concerning children's data, including parental consent or other safeguards where legally required, will apply.

If you believe a child has provided personal information inappropriately, please contact us so we can review the matter and take appropriate action.

11. Third-Party Websites and Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms, maps, payment services, or other external resources.

We do not control the privacy practices or security of independent third parties. Visiting those services is subject to their own privacy policies and terms.

Please review their policies before providing personal information or making a payment.

12. International Processing

Our hosting providers and service providers may process information in India or other countries, depending on the services used.

Where information is transferred or processed outside India, we will follow applicable legal requirements and restrictions relating to international transfers and use appropriate safeguards where required.

13. Marketing Communications

If you subscribe to marketing updates, we may send information about platform features, announcements, and relevant offers in accordance with applicable law.

You can opt out of marketing communications using the unsubscribe option where available or by contacting us.

You may continue to receive essential service, account, security, or legally required communications where applicable.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, technology, operational practices, or legal obligations.

The latest version will be published on this page with its updated date. Where required by applicable law, we will provide notice or obtain consent for material changes.

We encourage you to review this page periodically.

15. Contact and Grievance Redressal

For privacy questions, personal data requests, corrections, deletion requests, or complaints, contact:

Website: https://b2clocal.com
Legal entity/operating name: [Insert legal name]
Privacy or Grievance Contact: [Insert designated contact name or role]
Email: [Insert monitored privacy/support email]
Postal address: [Insert official business address]

Please include the relevant listing URL or account details and a clear description of your request. Do not send passwords or unnecessary sensitive documents.

We will review and address requests in accordance with applicable law and our grievance-handling process.