Last Updated: January 2025
CarRentalAzores.com ("we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share and protect your personal information when you use our car rental comparison service.
1. Who We Are
CarRentalAzores.com operates as an independent car rental comparison platform for the Azores archipelago. We compare live offers from multiple trusted rental suppliers across all nine Azorean islands and facilitate the connection between you and the supplier you choose. We do not rent cars directly; the rental contract is always between you and the selected supplier or their booking partner.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
When you use our comparison service, contact us or subscribe to updates, we may collect:
- Search Parameters: Pickup and return locations (airports, cities, islands), dates and times, driver age, residence country
- Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number (when you contact us or subscribe to our newsletter)
- Correspondence: Messages, questions or feedback you send to us via our contact form or email
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information through cookies and similar technologies:
- Usage Data: Pages visited, search queries, click patterns, time spent on pages, referring website
- Device Information: Browser type and version, operating system, IP address, device identifiers, screen resolution
- Location Data: Approximate geographic location derived from IP address (country/region level)
2.3 Information from Third Parties
When you proceed to book with a supplier through our comparison platform, you will be redirected to the supplier's booking partner platform. That platform operates under its own privacy policy. We may receive limited confirmation data (such as booking reference numbers) to improve our service, but we do not store your full payment or identity documents.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- Comparison Service: To search real-time availability and prices from multiple suppliers based on your criteria and display relevant results
- Redirection: To connect you to the selected supplier's booking platform with your search parameters pre-filled
- Communication: To respond to your inquiries, send confirmation emails, service updates or requested newsletters
- Improvement: To analyze usage patterns, identify popular routes and islands, improve search relevance and website performance
- Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations and legal processes
- Security: To detect and prevent fraud, spam and technical issues; to protect our platform and users
We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
For visitors from the European Union (including Portugal and the Azores), we process your personal data based on:
- Consent: When you opt in to receive newsletters or marketing communications (you can withdraw consent at any time)
- Legitimate Interests: To operate and improve our comparison service, analyze usage trends and ensure website security
- Contractual Necessity: To provide the comparison results and facilitate your connection to the booking platform
- Legal Obligation: To comply with EU and Portuguese laws and regulations
5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience and analyze website traffic:
- Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly (search widget, session management). These cannot be disabled.
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site (page views, search patterns, bounce rates). We use anonymized analytics.
- Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences (language, currency, previous searches) to improve your experience.
You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. Blocking certain cookies may limit website functionality. Our platform does not currently respond to Do Not Track signals, but we minimize tracking and do not use invasive third-party advertising cookies.
6. Sharing Your Information
We share your information only in the following limited circumstances:
- Booking Partners: When you click through to book, your search parameters (dates, location, vehicle preference) are transmitted to the supplier's booking platform so they can display the selected offer. You then complete the booking directly with that platform under their privacy policy.
- Service Providers: We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist with hosting, analytics, email delivery and technical support. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the services they provide to us.
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order or governmental regulation, or if necessary to protect our rights, safety or property.
- Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the successor entity, subject to this Privacy Policy.
We do not share your email address or contact information with rental suppliers for marketing purposes.
7. International Data Transfers
Our servers and service providers may be located in the European Union, United States or other jurisdictions. When we transfer personal data outside the EU/EEA, we ensure adequate protection through:
- Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
- Service providers certified under recognized data protection frameworks
- Other lawful transfer mechanisms under GDPR
Booking platforms operated by suppliers or their partners may be based outside the EU and will handle your data according to their own policies once you complete the booking.
8. Data Retention
We retain your personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:
- Search Data: Anonymized and aggregated after 90 days for analytics; individual search logs deleted after 12 months
- Contact Form / Email Correspondence: Retained for 3 years or until resolved
- Newsletter Subscriptions: Until you unsubscribe
- Analytics Cookies: Typically expire after 24 months
9. Your Rights
Under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable privacy laws, you have the following rights:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (right to be forgotten) in certain circumstances
- Restriction: Request limitation of processing under specific conditions
- Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format and transmit it to another controller
- Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
- Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent (does not affect prior processing)
- Complaint: Lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority
To exercise these rights or ask questions about your data, contact us at [email protected] or use our contact form. We will respond within 30 days.
10. Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure or destruction. These measures include:
- Secure HTTPS encryption for all pages
- Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
- Access controls and authentication for internal systems
- Data anonymization and pseudonymization where possible
However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Children's Privacy
Our service is not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.
12. Third-Party Links
Our website contains links to third-party websites (supplier booking platforms, tourism resources, social media). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements or for other operational reasons. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you via email or a prominent notice on our website. Your continued use of our service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
14. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
15. Data Protection Officer
For EU residents, if you wish to contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO) directly regarding GDPR-related matters, please email [email protected].
Summary of Key Points:
- We are a comparison service, not a rental company. The contract is always with the supplier.
- We collect search parameters, contact details and usage data to provide and improve our comparison service.
- We do not sell your personal information.
- You have full GDPR rights: access, rectification, erasure, portability and objection.
- We use essential and analytics cookies; you can control non-essential cookies via browser settings.
- When you proceed to book, the supplier's booking platform handles your payment and personal details under their own privacy policy.
Thank you for trusting CarRentalAzores.com. We are committed to transparency and protecting your privacy while helping you find the best car rental deals across all nine Azorean islands.