Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

WinBasketBuddy ("we", "us") operates a grocery price-comparison platform for Windsor, Ontario, connecting shoppers ("WinBuddies") with local grocers ("Merchants").

2. Information we collect

• Account information: name, email address, and password (stored securely by our authentication provider - we never see or store your password in plain text).
• Location data: when you submit a price report, we collect your device's GPS coordinates at that moment to confirm you are physically near the store you are reporting a price for. This prevents fake or fraudulent reports. We do not track your location at any other time.
• Merchant business information: store name, address, and postal code, for merchants who register a store.
• Usage data: price reports you submit, points earned, referral relationships, price alerts you create, and notifications sent to you.
• Push notification data: if you opt in to push notifications, your browser generates a subscription (an endpoint URL and encryption keys) that we store so we can deliver alerts to your device. We can only send notifications through this subscription - we never see the content of other apps' push subscriptions.

3. How we use your information

• To create and manage your account and let you log in.
• To verify price reports are submitted near the actual store, protecting data quality for everyone.
• To calculate and display your rewards points, report count, and leaderboard rank.
• To send price alerts and other notifications you have opted into (email or push).
• To operate the referral program (crediting both sides once a referred WinBuddy submits their first report).

4. What is public vs. private

Reported prices, product names, and store names are public and visible to anyone using Market Insights or the shopping list tool - this is the core purpose of the platform. Your name and points appear on the public leaderboard if you are a WinBuddy. However, individual price reports do not show who submitted them beyond a general "WinBuddy" or "Merchant" source tag - your identity is not attached to any specific report in the public interface.

5. Third-party services

We rely on a small number of third-party providers to operate the platform. Each has its own privacy practices:

• Database and authentication - stores your account information securely.
• Application hosting - runs and serves the platform.
• Mapping and address lookup - store location lookup and address autocomplete when reporting a price.
• Email delivery - sends transactional emails (signup confirmation, password reset).
• Push notifications - delivered through your browser or device's own notification service, if you opt in.

6. Cookies and local storage

We use your browser's local storage to keep you logged in between visits and to remember your shopping list. We do not use third-party advertising or tracking cookies.

7. Data retention

We retain your account and report data for as long as your account is active. If you would like your account and personal data deleted, contact us using the details below.

8. Your choices

• You can deny location permission, but you will not be able to submit price reports.
• You can disable push notifications at any time through your browser settings.
• You can request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data by contacting us.

9. Children's privacy

WinBasketBuddy is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the platform evolves. We will update the "last updated" date above when we do.

11. Contact

Questions about this policy or your data? Email us at buddy@winbasketbuddy.com.