Privacy Policy | Trip Carver Cook Islands

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and share your personal information when you use our Services, including when you browse our website or make bookings through our platform. By using our Services, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

1. Definitions

"Trip Carver", "we", "us" or "our" means Trip Carver Ltd, the company that operates this website.

"Website" means book.cookislandspocketguide.com, operated by Trip Carver Ltd.

"Provider" refers to tourism businesses whose products are listed and sold on our platform.

"Traveller" or "Customer" refers to users who browse, book or use tourism products via our platform.

"Service Providers" refers to third parties we work with to deliver our Services, such as payment processors, email services, analytics tools, and hosting providers.

"Personal Information" means information about an identifiable individual, as defined in the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020.

2. What Information We Collect

We collect the following types of personal information:

a. Information You Provide to Us

• Contact details: first name, last name, email, phone number, billing address, town/city, ZIP/postal code.
• Booking details: pick-up locations, dietary or medical requirements (if relevant to your booking), group size, accommodation details.
• Commercial information: booking history, reviews you've submitted, and any travel plans you share voluntarily.
• Communications: any messages or emails sent to us.
• Provider-submitted content: business listings, photos and product details submitted during the provider onboarding process.

b. Information We Collect Automatically

• Cookies and analytics: we use cookies to improve loading speed and collect website analytics.
• Device information: such as browser type, device ID and location (if permitted).
• Booking system emails: automatic messages (e.g. confirmations, reminders, cancellations) may be stored securely in our cloud-based system for up to 45 days.

c. Information We Receive from Third Parties

• Payment information from payment processors
• Government agencies or destination partners (e.g. DMOs) we collaborate with

We do not currently receive demographic or marketing data from third-party platforms. If this changes, we will update our policy and comply with applicable privacy laws.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

• To process your bookings and facilitate communication with providers
• To send booking confirmations, reminders and cancellation notices
• To respond to your enquiries
• To offer relevant product suggestions based on the selected country
• To improve and secure our website and Services
• To comply with our legal obligations

We do not use personal information for retargeting or analytics profiling. If we engage in third-party marketing in the future, we will update this policy accordingly.

4. How We Share Your Information

We may share your personal information with:

• Providers – only the information necessary for them to fulfil your booking
• Government and destination partners – such as DMOs in Cook Islands and funding partners, where relevant
• Service Providers – such as payment processors, booking software and analytics platforms
• Legal authorities – where required by law

We do not sell your personal information. We do not currently share data with third-party advertising platforms or social media integrations, but we may introduce them in the future.

5. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request corrections to your information
• Request deletion of your information
• Opt out of promotional emails at any time

To exercise these rights, please contact us at hello@tripcarver.com. We will respond to all requests within 20 working days, although we usually respond much sooner.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies to:

• Improve site performance and page load speed
• Collect anonymous usage statistics via analytics tools
• Enable integrations with third-party platforms such as Google

We currently use essential and analytics cookies to operate and improve our website. We do not use marketing or advertising cookies at this time, but we may introduce them in the future and will update this Privacy Policy accordingly. You can delete cookies at any time using your browser settings.

7. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not intended for children under 18 years of age (or the age of privacy consent in your location). We may collect children's information only when it is necessary for a booking and with the consent of a parent or guardian. If we learn we have collected personal data from a child without valid consent, we will delete it.

8. Information Security

We take steps to protect your information, including:

• Using encrypted hard drives
• Limiting access to personal information to authorised personnel
• Employing firewalls and intrusion detection systems

However, no system is completely secure. We encourage you to use caution when sharing your information online.

9. Data Retention

We keep your information:

• As long as you maintain an account with us
• As needed to fulfil the purposes described in this policy
• As required by law or to defend legal claims

Automatic emails are stored for 45 days before deletion. These emails are managed through a secure cloud-based service hosted on servers located outside of New Zealand.

10. International Transfers

We may transfer your information to partners and service providers located outside of New Zealand in order to deliver our Services. This may include working with destination marketing organisations (DMOs) and funding partners in countries such as Cook Islands. Some funding support may also be linked to partners based in Australia.

Wherever your information is transferred, we ensure it is handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable privacy laws, including reasonable safeguards to protect your personal information.

11. Provider Responsibilities

Providers are required to:

• Provide accurate and complete information during onboarding
• Own copyright to photos submitted
• Update their listings promptly as details change
• Keep login credentials (User IDs) confidential
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorised access

Providers must not use the platform in ways that could harm or interfere with our systems.

12. Contacting Us

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, you can contact us at hello@tripcarver.com.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner in New Zealand. You can do so online at www.privacy.org.nz.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy occasionally. The latest version will always be available on our website. If changes are significant, we'll notify you by email or through our platform.