Privacy policy

1. Who we are

The controller responsible for personal data processed through Hold Your Place is:

2. What this policy covers

This policy explains how we collect, use, share and retain information when you visit Hold Your Place, submit or pay for a listing, open a listed destination, save a payment method, or contact us. It should be read with our Terms, Board Rules and Cookie Policy.

3. Information we collect

We collect submitted URLs, selected categories, bid totals, payment differences, round identifiers and public board results. We also retrieve public website descriptions and favicons and may store an administrator-approved override.

If you use the thumbs-up or thumbs-down controls, we store the vote against a signed anonymous browser identifier so the same browser can change or remove its reaction without creating an account.

We record payment status, amounts, payment-provider references, masked payment-method information, the anonymous customer reference used for optional saved cards, and the listing, leaderboard view, relevant round and time associated with an outbound click.

We and our infrastructure providers process request information such as IP address, browser or device information, timestamps and security logs. We also keep information you send when contacting us about a listing, payment, complaint or privacy request.

4. Payments and saved cards

Our payment provider collects and processes payment-card details. Hold Your Place does not receive or store complete card numbers. We receive information needed to confirm, capture, reconcile or refund a payment.

If you actively choose to save a card, the payment provider stores it against an anonymous customer profile. After that successful payment, Hold Your Place stores a signed, secure browser cookie so the same browser can access that profile during a later checkout. The cookie is not created merely because you open payment. Saving a card does not authorise automatic charges.

5. Clicks and browser storage

When you open a listing, we record a click against the leaderboard view you used. A short-lived cookie prevents an immediate repeat click from the same browser being counted again. If you vote on a listing, a signed browser identifier remembers that browser's vote and helps prevent ordinary repeat voting. We also use local browser storage to remember the most recently used URL and category and whether the introductory explanation has been seen.

More detail and a control for clearing saved browser data are available in our Cookie Policy.

6. Public information

Domains, categories, retrieved metadata, favicons, bid totals, ranks, click totals, thumbs-up and thumbs-down totals and historical performance may be shown publicly and indexed by search engines. Do not submit a destination if you do not want its public website information associated with the board. A request from Hold Your Place to retrieve metadata may be visible to the destination's operator.

7. Why we use information

We process information to perform our contract with you by preparing and processing bids, applying paid rankings, providing checkout and handling service or refund requests. We rely on legitimate interests to operate and improve the board, retrieve public metadata, measure outbound clicks, prevent abuse, secure the service, correct errors and defend legal claims.

We also process records where necessary to meet accounting, tax, fraud, complaint and payment obligations. Where you actively choose an optional feature such as saving a payment method, we rely on your consent where required. You may object to processing based on legitimate interests, and we will consider your request against the reasons the processing is needed.

8. Who we share information with

Payment, database, hosting, network and security providers process information needed to take payments, prevent fraud, store service records, deliver Hold Your Place and protect the service. These providers act under their own terms and privacy notices and are given only the information needed for their role.

Information may also be shared with professional advisers, regulators, courts or authorities where reasonably necessary to comply with law, protect rights or resolve a dispute. If the service or company is sold or reorganised, relevant information may pass to a buyer or successor subject to appropriate safeguards. We do not sell personal data or use it for behavioural advertising.

9. International transfers

Some providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where required, we rely on recognised safeguards such as adequacy regulations, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or approved contractual clauses and risk assessments.

10. How long we keep information

Public listing and leaderboard records may remain while needed to operate current and historical boards. Payment and accounting records are retained for the periods required by tax, accounting, fraud and dispute-handling obligations. Security logs and click records are retained only for as long as reasonably needed for protection, troubleshooting and aggregate reporting.

The saved-card and voting browser identifiers last for up to one year unless cleared sooner, while local browser data remains until you or the browser clears it. Correspondence is kept for as long as needed to answer the matter and maintain an appropriate legal record.

11. Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you may ask us to access, correct or erase personal data, restrict or object to processing, or provide a portable copy. Where processing depends on consent, you may withdraw it without affecting earlier lawful processing. We may need information to identify the relevant record and verify your request.

You may complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk. We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concern first.

12. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect information. No online system is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. Signed browser identifiers do not contain card details, and complete card information is handled by our payment provider.

13. Children

Hold Your Place is intended for adults and is not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. Contact us if you believe a child has provided personal data through the service.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the service, providers or law changes. The effective date above identifies the current version. Material changes will be published on this page.

15. Contact

Questions about this policy or requests concerning personal information can be sent using the details below.