Privacy Policy

VinoScout helps you search wines and compare prices advertised by independent Australian retailers. We do not sell liquor. If you buy a bottle, you buy from the retailer, under that retailer’s terms and privacy policy.

Depending on how you use VinoScout, we may collect:

• name or display name, email address, and password (stored in hashed form by our sign-in provider)
• Google (or similar) sign-in details if you choose that option, such as a provider user ID, name and email
• wines, vintages or retailers you track, and price-alert settings
• saved searches or similar in-product choices
• messages you send us, and our replies
• technical information such as IP address, approximate location from IP, device and browser type, pages viewed, searches, retailer-link clicks, dates and times, cookie identifiers, and error logs
• a record that you confirmed you are 18 or over, if we show an age gate

We do not collect payment card details. We do not take payment for wine.

We do not ask for your date of birth to browse. We do not seek sensitive information (for example health information). Please do not send us sensitive information.

Wine catalogue data (names, regions, advertised prices, images, retailer URLs) is product information from retailers. It is not your personal information.

We collect personal information:

• from you, when you create an account, sign in, set an alert, or email us
• automatically, through cookies, logs and analytics when you use the site
• from an identity provider, if you sign in with Google or a similar service
• from the hosting and email providers we use to run the site

If you do not give us information a feature needs (for example an email address for alerts), we may not be able to provide that feature.

We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information to:

• provide, operate and secure the site
• create and manage your account
• remember wines you track and send price alerts you asked for
• show search results, wine information and advertised prices
• understand how the site is used and to fix problems
• send service messages, security notices, and notices about this policy or the Terms of Use
• send marketing only where the Spam Act 2003 (Cth) allows it
• respond to enquiries, access or correction requests, and complaints
• protect the site against misuse or security threats
• comply with Australian law

We will not use or disclose personal information for an unrelated purpose unless you consent, or the Privacy Act allows or requires it.

We may disclose personal information to:

• any contractor who needs it to help run VinoScout, on a confidential basis
• service providers that host, authenticate, analyse, or send email for the site. These currently include, or are likely to include, the Base44 platform, Cloudflare, Supabase, Google (if you use Google sign-in, or if we use Google tools for analytics or security), Usercentrics (if a consent banner is shown), and the email provider we use for alerts and account messages
• professional advisers if we engage them
• a court, regulator or enforcement agency if required or authorised by law
• a buyer of the Service, if we transfer it, on the basis that they handle the information consistently with this policy

We do not sell personal information. Clicking through to a retailer does not send them your VinoScout email address. If you then shop with that retailer, their privacy policy applies to what they collect.

Some providers store or access personal information outside Australia. Recipients are likely to be in the United States, the European Union or the United Kingdom, and in other countries used by those cloud vendors for support or backups.

We use reputable providers and take reasonable steps so that overseas handling is consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles.

Account, security and price-alert emails you asked for are service messages, not marketing.

We only send marketing (such as product news) where the Spam Act allows it. Marketing emails will include a way to unsubscribe. You can also opt out by emailing hello@vinoscout.au.

We use cookies, local storage and similar tools to keep you signed in, remember settings, measure use of the site, and help with security. You can control cookies in your browser. Blocking some cookies may stop sign-in or other features from working.

We hold personal information in electronic systems run by us and our providers. We take reasonable steps to protect it, including HTTPS, limited access, hashed passwords, and commercial hosting. No website is completely secure. If you think your account has been misused, email us and change your password.

We keep personal information only as long as we need it for the purposes in this policy, or as the law requires. Account data is kept while the account is open and for a short period after. Alert settings are kept until you turn them off or we close the account. Support emails and logs are kept for a reasonable operational period. When we no longer need information, we take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it.

You may ask for access to the personal information we hold about you, and ask us to correct it if it is wrong, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.

Email hello@vinoscout.au with the subject “Privacy access request” or “Privacy correction request”. We will need to confirm it is you. We aim to respond within 30 days. We do not charge for making a request. If giving access would take unusual effort, we may charge a reasonable fee and will tell you first.

You may ask us to close your account and delete personal information we no longer need, by emailing hello@vinoscout.au. We may retain information where we must (for example a complaint, security incident, legal obligation, or backups that expire in the ordinary cycle).

If you think we have mishandled your personal information, email hello@vinoscout.au with the subject “Privacy complaint”. Tell us what happened, when, and what you would like us to do. We aim to respond within 30 days.

If we become aware of an eligible data breach under the Privacy Act, we will assess it and, where the law requires, notify affected people and the OAIC. If you suspect a breach involving your VinoScout information, email us straight away.

VinoScout is about alcoholic drinks and is for people aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from people under 18. If you believe we have, email us and we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

We use software to match wines, rank results, and send price alerts you set. We do not use personal information in computer programs to make decisions that could reasonably be expected to significantly affect your legal or similarly significant rights (for example credit, housing or employment). If that changes, we will update this policy.

Links to retailers and other sites have their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for those sites.

We may update this policy. The “Last updated” date will change. For material changes we will take reasonable steps to tell you, such as a notice on the site or an email.

Email: hello@vinoscout.au

We will provide the operator’s legal name, and a postal address if you need one, on request. Please do not include payment-card numbers or unnecessary sensitive information in emails.