Privacy & Cookie Policy 

PART 1 – PRIVACY POLICY

1. Data We Collect and Why

To provide a secure, trustworthy, and legally compliant marketplace for rare and investment-grade spirits, we collect and process the following information:

• Account Information: Your name, email address, phone number, and billing/shipping address to safely process your transactions and handle logistics.
• Mandatory Age & Identity Verification: Due to strict statutory international alcohol trading laws, we maintain a fully vetted community. Before placing a bid or listing a lot, we require biometric age and identity verification. This process is securely executed by our certified third-party partner, Veriff, utilizing a digital scan of your government-issued ID and a biometric facial check to confirm you are 18+. We only receive the final verification status (approved/declined) and do not store your raw biometric data on our servers.
• Transaction & Escrow Data: Details of bids placed, lots won, and transaction history managed through our secure third-party escrow payment provider.

2. How We Share Your Data

We never sell your personal data to third parties. We only share essential information with trusted partners to execute our core auction services:

• Sellers & Couriers: Your shipping address and 18+ verification status are shared with the seller and courier to handle the specialized, insured transport and legal signature check upon delivery.
• Compliance & Financial Partners: Data is securely shared with our licensed escrow payment provider and our identity verification partner (Veriff).
• Legal Authorities: If explicitly required by law, we may share data to comply with statutory tax (VAT/OSS) regulations or anti-fraud measures.

3. Data Security and Retention

We enforce strict security benchmarks to keep your personal data safe from unauthorized access, loss, or alteration. Your personal data is only retained for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this notice, or to comply with statutory accounting and legal retention periods.

4. Your Rights under GDPR

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have full control over your personal data. You have the right to access, correct, or request the absolute deletion of your data. You can also object to or restrict certain data processing activities. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us directly at exclusivewhiskyauctions@proton.me.

PART 2 – COOKIE NOTICE

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data stored on your device when you visit a website. They help us recognize your device, remember your preferences, and ensure our auction platform works reliably and securely.

2. How Long Do Our Cookies Remain Active?

• Session Cookies: These cookies are temporary and are automatically deleted from your device the moment you close your internet browser.
• Persistent Cookies: These cookies remain on your device for a predetermined period to recognize your account and maintain your preferences when you return.

3. Which Cookies Do We Use?

We use different types of cookies depending on their specific purpose:

• Essential Cookies: These cookies are strictly necessary for the operation of our Online Marketplace and cannot be switched off. They enable core auction functions such as securely logging into your dashboard, maintaining your secure session, and placing valid live bids. Without these cookies, our services cannot function.
• Functional & Analytical Cookies: These cookies support the performance, analytics, and usability of our website. They help us monitor technical performance, detect potential errors, and analyze visitor behavior to continuously improve our platform. These cookies do not track your personal surfing behavior on third-party websites.
• Marketing Cookies: These cookies are used to understand your interests and optimize our platform layout based on popular auction lots. These tracking technologies are optional and are only activated with your consent via our entry banner.

4. Managing Your Preferences

You can accept or decline non-essential cookies at any time via the cookie pop-up banner upon your first visit. Additionally, you can manage, block, or delete cookies directly through the built-in settings of your internet browser (such as Google Chrome, Apple Safari, or Mozilla Firefox). Please note that disabling essential cookies may impact the core bidding and user functionality of our platform.