Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Beacon-AI is an independent business operated by Beacon-AI, trading as Beacon-AI. We provide AI-assisted recommendations for products, travel, entertainment, vehicles, services and other consumer choices.

For the purposes of UK data protection law, the operator of Beacon-AI is the data controller for the personal information described in this policy.

2. Information we collect

The information we collect depends on how you use Beacon-AI. It may include the following categories.

Information you provide

• Your name, email address and account login information.
• Information included in recommendation requests, such as your budget, preferred location, travel dates, interests, product requirements or other priorities.
• Preferences saved to your account, including household, family, pet or vehicle information where you choose to provide it.
• Messages, feedback, support enquiries and other communications you send to us.
• Subscription, billing and transaction information, excluding complete payment-card details handled directly by our payment provider.

Information collected automatically

• Internet Protocol address, browser type, device type, operating system and approximate location derived from technical data.
• Pages visited, links selected, searches performed, referring pages and the date and time of activity.
• Account, session, security and authentication data.
• Cookie identifiers and similar technical information, subject to your consent where required.
• Diagnostic information, error logs and performance data used to maintain and secure the service.

Information received from other organisations

We may receive information from payment providers, authentication providers, analytics services, affiliate networks and commercial partners. The information received depends on the service involved and the choices you make.

Please avoid including sensitive personal information in a recommendation request unless it is genuinely necessary. This includes information about health, ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, trade-union membership, genetics, biometrics or sexual life.

3. How we use your information

We may use personal information to:

• Create, operate and secure your Beacon-AI account.
• Interpret your requests and generate personalised recommendations.
• Remember preferences and provide Beacon+ membership features.
• Process subscriptions, payments, refunds and related billing administration.
• Respond to enquiries, complaints and support requests.
• Measure website use and improve functionality, reliability and user experience.
• Detect fraud, misuse, security incidents and technical problems.
• Send service messages about your account, subscription or important changes.
• Send marketing communications where you have consented, or where another lawful basis permits them.
• Meet legal, tax, accounting, regulatory and enforcement obligations.
• Establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

4. Our lawful bases

UK data protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for each use of personal information. Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following bases.

5. AI-assisted recommendations

Beacon-AI uses automated systems and artificial intelligence to interpret search requests, compare options, calculate recommendation scores and produce explanatory text.

Information entered into a recommendation request may be processed by technology providers that help us generate or deliver the response. We aim to provide only the information reasonably required for that purpose.

Recommendation results are intended to support your own research and decision-making. They are not guaranteed to be complete, current or suitable for every individual. Beacon-AI does not use automated processing to make legal or similarly significant decisions about you.

Do not enter confidential information, payment-card details, passwords or unnecessary sensitive personal information into a recommendation request.

6. Payments and Stripe

Payments and subscriptions may be processed by Stripe. When you make a payment, Stripe may collect information such as your name, email address, billing address, payment-method details, transaction amount, subscription status and applicable tax information.

Complete payment-card details are submitted to and handled by Stripe rather than stored directly by Beacon-AI. We may receive limited payment information, including payment status, transaction identifiers, card type, card expiry information, billing details, subscription status and fraud or dispute information.

Stripe may process personal information as a data processor on our behalf and, for some activities, as an independent data controller. Stripe's own privacy terms apply to its processing.

Stripe may assist with the calculation, collection or reporting of applicable taxes. Beacon-AI remains responsible for its own legal, accounting and tax obligations except where the law or Stripe's terms provide otherwise.

7. Who we share information with

We do not sell your personal information. We may disclose it to the following categories of recipient where reasonably necessary:

• Hosting, database, cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity providers.
• AI, search, data and recommendation technology providers.
• Stripe and other payment, subscription, billing, fraud-prevention or tax-service providers.
• Account authentication and email-delivery providers.
• Analytics providers where you have consented to optional analytics technologies.
• Affiliate networks, retailers, travel providers and other partners when you follow an outbound link.
• Professional advisers, including accountants, insurers and legal advisers.
• Regulators, courts, law-enforcement agencies, government authorities or other parties where disclosure is legally required.
• A buyer, investor or successor if Beacon-AI is reorganised, sold or transferred, subject to appropriate safeguards.

Third-party websites have their own privacy policies. Beacon-AI is not responsible for how an external website collects or uses information after you leave our service.

8. International data transfers

Some service providers may process personal information outside the United Kingdom. Where UK data protection law requires additional protection, we seek to use a legally recognised transfer mechanism, such as an adequacy regulation, approved contractual clauses or another lawful safeguard.

You may contact us for more information about the safeguards relevant to your information.

9. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, tax, security, fraud-prevention and dispute-resolution requirements.

We may anonymise information so it can no longer be associated with an identifiable person. Anonymised information may be retained for research, statistics and service improvement.

10. How we protect information

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure. These may include access controls, encryption in transit, secure authentication, monitoring, backups and restrictions on service providers.

No internet service can guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential and for notifying us promptly if you believe your account has been compromised.

11. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law may give you the right to:

• Ask for confirmation that we process your personal information and request a copy.
• Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Ask us to erase personal information in certain circumstances.
• Ask us to restrict processing in certain circumstances.
• Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Object at any time to the use of your information for direct marketing.
• Request the transfer of eligible information in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Ask for information about safeguards used for international transfers.
• Complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exceptions. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. We normally respond within the period required by applicable law.

To exercise a right, contact us using the details at the end of this policy.

12. Cookies and similar technologies

Beacon-AI may use cookies, local storage and similar technologies to keep the website secure, maintain sessions, remember choices, understand performance and measure website use.

Strictly necessary technologies may operate without consent where permitted by law because they are required to provide a service you requested or maintain security. Optional analytics, advertising or personalisation technologies should not be activated until the required consent has been given.

You can manage optional technologies through our cookie controls and your browser settings. For more information, read our Cookie Policy.

13. Marketing communications

We may send marketing emails only where permitted by law. You can unsubscribe using the link included in a marketing email or by contacting us.

Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent us from sending necessary service messages about your account, payments, security or changes to the service.

14. Affiliate links

Some Beacon-AI recommendations contain affiliate links. If you follow one of these links, the destination website or affiliate network may collect information about the referral and may use cookies or similar technologies.

Beacon-AI may receive a commission if you complete an eligible transaction. This does not normally increase the price you pay. For further information, read our Affiliate Disclosure.

15. Children's information

Beacon-AI is intended for people aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly offer paid memberships directly to children or intentionally collect personal information from children.

If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, contact us so that we can review and, where appropriate, delete it.

16. External websites

Beacon-AI links to retailers, travel businesses, service providers and other external websites. This privacy policy does not govern those websites. Review the privacy information provided by an external organisation before submitting personal information to it.

17. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when our services, suppliers, business practices or legal obligations change. The latest version will be published on this page with an updated revision date.

Where a change materially affects how we use personal information, we may provide an additional notice by email, through your account or on the website.

18. Questions and complaints

Please contact us first if you have a question or concern about how Beacon-AI handles personal information. We will investigate and respond as soon as reasonably possible.

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office. Information about making a complaint is available on the ICO's official website.

19. Contact us

Contact the Beacon-AI data controller using the following details: