Privacy Policy
Introduction
Effective date: July 30, 2026
Wine Buyer is a free tool that helps users evaluate wine deals from supported online retailers. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your choices regarding your data.
Information We Collect
Account Data
When you create an account, we collect your email address and basic profile information through our authentication provider.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics to collect anonymous usage data such as pageviews, device information, and general browsing behavior. This helps us understand how the site is used and improve the experience.
Support & Tips
If you choose to leave a voluntary tip, our payment processor may collect your email address, tip amount, transaction ID, and any optional message you include.
AI Analysis
Wine titles and descriptions may be sent to AI services (Claude and Gemini) for price estimation and deal analysis. No personal information is included in these requests.
Local Storage
We store certain preferences locally in your browser, including cart items and theme preference. This data never leaves your device.
Email Notifications
You may optionally provide your email address to receive vintage chart notifications. This email is used solely for that purpose.
Community Participation
If you participate in wine comments or Marathon Live, we store your posts, reactions, reports, public profile choice, and related timestamps. Your account name and photo are public by default; using an alias displays the alias and an initial instead. We also retain prior versions of edited wine comments, report details, moderation actions, and sanctions for safety, abuse investigation, and appeals.
We may use account age and limited network information such as IP address for rate limiting, spam prevention, and determining whether a report counts toward temporary automatic hiding.
Third-Party Services
Wine Buyer relies on the following categories of third-party services to operate:
- Authentication provider — for user sign-in and account management
- Analytics service (Google Analytics) — for anonymous usage statistics
- Payment processor — for handling voluntary tips
- AI services (Claude, Gemini) — for wine deal analysis and price estimation
- Database provider — for storing wine data and user preferences
- File storage provider — for storing wine images
- Email delivery service — for sending optional notifications
- Realtime messaging provider — for delivering live community updates
Each service processes only the data necessary for its function. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these services independently.
Cookies & Local Storage
We use the following types of browser storage:
- Authentication session cookies — to keep you signed in
- Analytics cookies — used by Google Analytics for anonymous usage tracking
- Local storage — for cart items, theme preferences, and other client-side settings
Data Storage & Security
Your data is stored securely using industry-standard infrastructure providers. We take reasonable measures to protect your information, but no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.
Your Rights
You can delete your account at any time through your account settings. If you have questions about your data or wish to request its removal, please contact us using the information below.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be reflected on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to check back periodically.
Contact
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, you can reach us at: winebuyerapp [at] gmail [dot] com