RomanticEscapes ("we," "our," or "us") operates the website at romanticthings.net. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website. By using our site, you agree to the practices described in this policy.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide Voluntarily
- Email address: If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your email address to send curated romantic travel ideas and destination guides.
- Contact form data: If you contact us through our contact page, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message.
1.2 Information Collected Automatically
- Analytics data: We use Plausible Analytics, a privacy-focused analytics tool that does not use cookies and does not collect personal data. Plausible collects aggregated, anonymous usage data including page views, referral sources, browser type, device type, and country of origin.
- Server logs: Our hosting provider (Vercel) may automatically collect standard server log information, including IP addresses, browser type, and pages visited. This data is used for security and performance purposes.
1.3 Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We do not use first-party tracking cookies. Our analytics provider (Plausible) is cookie-free by design. Third-party services embedded on our site (such as maps or affiliate partner widgets) may use their own cookies. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use collected information for the following purposes:
- To send newsletter emails if you have opted in (email address only)
- To respond to your inquiries submitted through our contact page
- To analyze aggregated, anonymous site usage to improve our content and user experience
- To detect and prevent security threats or abuse
- To comply with legal obligations
3. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
For visitors in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, and Switzerland, we process personal data based on the following legal grounds:
- Consent: When you voluntarily subscribe to our newsletter or submit a contact form, you provide consent for us to process that data for its stated purpose.
- Legitimate interests: We process anonymous analytics data and server logs based on our legitimate interest in understanding site usage and maintaining security.
4. Your Rights
4.1 Rights Under GDPR (EEA/UK Residents)
If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate personal data
- Request deletion of your personal data
- Object to or restrict processing of your personal data
- Data portability (receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format)
- Withdraw consent at any time (without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing)
- Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority
4.2 Rights Under CCPA (California Residents)
If you are a California resident, you have the right to:
- Know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose
- Request deletion of your personal information
- Opt out of the sale of your personal information (we do not sell personal data)
- Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the address provided in the Contact section below.
5. Data Sharing and Third Parties
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share data with:
- Plausible Analytics: Anonymous, aggregated usage data (no personal data is shared). Plausible is GDPR compliant and EU-hosted.
- Vercel: Our hosting provider, which processes server requests. Vercel's privacy policy applies to their handling of server logs.
- Email service provider: If you subscribe to our newsletter, your email address is stored with our email delivery provider for the purpose of sending newsletters.
- Affiliate partners: When you click an affiliate link (marked with
rel="sponsored"), you are redirected to the partner's website. Their privacy policy governs data collected after you leave our site.
6. Data Retention
- Newsletter emails: Retained until you unsubscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in every email or by contacting us.
- Contact form messages: Retained for up to 12 months for reference, then deleted.
- Analytics data: Plausible retains aggregated data indefinitely (no personal data is stored).
- Server logs: Automatically purged by our hosting provider per their retention policy (typically 30 days).
7. Data Security
We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including HTTPS encryption for all pages, secure hosting infrastructure, and access controls. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure.
8. Children's Privacy
Our website is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete it promptly.
9. International Data Transfers
Our servers are hosted in the United States via Vercel. If you access our site from outside the US, your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States. We ensure that any such transfers comply with applicable data protection laws, including the use of standard contractual clauses where required by GDPR.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
11. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or need to report a privacy concern, please contact us: