Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Farohirecar Faro ("we", "us" or "our") collects, uses, shares and protects your personal data when you use our website to compare and book car hire in Faro, Portugal. We take your privacy seriously and are committed to processing your personal data in line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Portuguese data protection laws that implement it. By using our site you acknowledge the practices described below. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use the site.

2. Who we are (data controller)

Farohirecar Faro operates this website as a comparison and referral service for car hire in Faro and the wider Algarve region. For the purposes of GDPR, we act as the data controller for the personal data we collect directly through this site. If you have any questions about this policy or about how your data is handled, you can reach us at the email address shown in the footer and in the Contact section below. We will respond to genuine privacy requests without undue delay.

3. What data we collect

We try to collect only the data we actually need. Depending on how you use the site, this may include:

Search details — the pickup and drop-off location (for example Faro Airport (FAO), Albufeira or Faro city centre), your pickup and return dates and times, your age band and any vehicle preferences you enter into the search form.
Contact and enquiry details — if you contact us or send an enquiry, the name, email address and any message content you choose to provide.
Technical and usage data — your IP address, approximate location, browser type and version, device type, operating system, the pages you view, referring URLs and the dates and times of your visits.
Cookies and similar technologies — small files and identifiers stored on your device that help the site function and let us understand how it is used. See the Cookies section below.

We do not knowingly collect special-category data (such as health or biometric data), and we do not ask you to provide it. Payment card details for a booking are entered directly with our booking partner or the chosen supplier, not stored by us.

4. How and why we use your data

We use your personal data for the following purposes, each supported by a legal basis under GDPR:

To run the car-hire search and pass it to our booking partner so that available vehicles and prices can be shown to you — on the basis of taking steps at your request and performing a contract.
To respond to your enquiries and provide customer support — on the basis of our legitimate interest in helping users and answering questions.
To operate, secure, maintain and improve the website, including analytics and fraud prevention — on the basis of our legitimate interest in running a reliable, safe service.
To set non-essential cookies and similar technologies for analytics and measurement — on the basis of your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.
To comply with legal obligations where applicable — on the basis of compliance with the law.

5. Cookies and similar technologies

We use strictly necessary cookies to make the site work and, with your consent, optional cookies for analytics and performance measurement. You can accept or refuse non-essential cookies through the consent controls and can change your choice at any time in your browser settings. Refusing optional cookies will not stop you from searching for or comparing cars. For a full breakdown of the cookies we use, why we use them and how long they last, please read our Cookie Policy.

6. Sharing your data

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only where it is necessary to provide the service you have asked for:

Car-hire suppliers and our booking partner — when you search or proceed toward a booking, the relevant search and booking details are shared with our booking partner, LocalRent, and with the car-hire supplier you choose, so that your reservation can be quoted and fulfilled. Those parties process your data under their own privacy policies.
Service providers — trusted third parties that host our website, provide analytics, security and similar technical services, acting on our instructions under appropriate data-processing terms.
Legal and safety reasons — where we are required to disclose data by law, or to protect our rights, users or the public.

7. International transfers

Some of our partners and service providers may process data outside the European Economic Area. Where that happens, we take steps to ensure your data remains protected to a standard equivalent to that required within the EEA — for example by relying on an adequacy decision or on appropriate safeguards such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses. You can ask us for more information about the safeguards in place.

8. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Search details are kept for a short period to operate and improve the service; enquiry correspondence is kept while we handle your request and for a reasonable period afterwards; and technical logs are retained for limited periods for security and troubleshooting. When data is no longer needed, we delete it or anonymise it. Where the law requires us to keep certain records for longer, we will do so.

9. Your rights under GDPR

If you are in the EEA, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

Access — to be told whether we hold data about you and to receive a copy of it.
Rectification — to have inaccurate or incomplete data corrected.
Erasure — to ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
Restriction — to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Portability — to receive certain data in a structured, machine-readable format and have it transferred where technically feasible.
Objection — to object to processing based on our legitimate interests.
Withdraw consent — where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting processing already carried out.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Portuguese supervisory authority, the Comissão Nacional de Proteção de Dados (CNPD), or with the data protection authority in your own country.

10. Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against loss, misuse and unauthorised access, including encrypted connections (HTTPS) and access controls. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, so while we work hard to protect your data we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Children

Our service is intended for adults and is not aimed at anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in the law. When we make material changes we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

13. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact Farohirecar Faro using the email address shown below and in the footer of this website.

Questions about this policy? Contact us at [email protected].