Privacy policy

Who we are

ReviewCloud is a Darkforge Labs product. The legal operator is [legal business name] ("we", "us"), at [registered address]. We are the controller of the personal data you give us to run your account, and the processor of the customer details you enter to send review requests (see "Your customers' data" below).

Questions about this policy go to rob@darkforgelabs.co.uk. Operator details and this draft policy will be reviewed before public launch.

What we collect

Your account. Your email address and password (stored hashed by our authentication provider), your business name, trade, Google review link and message template, and the usual technical logs (IP address, browser, timestamps) that come with running a web service.

Your customers. The mobile number and optional first name entered by you or submitted through your QR form, request timestamps, sending channel, provider reference and any sending error. A sent status records acceptance by the SMS provider, not confirmed delivery to a handset. For messages opened in your own SMS or WhatsApp app, we record the handoff rather than whether you sent them.

Accounting connections. If you connect an accounting provider, we store encrypted access credentials, connection details and paid-invoice references, dates and available customer contact details. Scheduled checks use these records to prepare requests when you enable automatic sending.

Optional features. Google business search sends your search to Google. If message suggestions are available and you request them, Anthropic receives your business name and trade to generate template wording, without customer phone numbers or names.

Link clicks. When someone taps a tracked link (for example [public domain]/r/k7f2d9qa) we record the time of the tap and the browser's user agent string, then send them on to your Google review form. The click record does not include an IP address; hosting providers may separately process IP addresses in technical logs.

Billing. Stripe handles payment details and billing documents. ReviewCloud stores Stripe customer and subscription identifiers, subscription status, billing periods and text usage. Card details are entered with Stripe; ReviewCloud does not store full card numbers.

We show request and link-click statistics within your account. We do not use advertising trackers or buy data about you.

Lawful basis

We process your account data because it is necessary to perform our contract with you (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(b)), and to keep the service secure and to meet our legal obligations, for example tax records.

We process your customers' data on your instructions, as your processor. You decide who to contact, including through enabled accounting automation and reminders. You are responsible for the lawful basis and any consent needed under PECR and UK GDPR. Having a customer relationship does not by itself establish permission to send every message. See the ICO's guidance on electronic messages.

We rely on our legitimate interests to keep security logs and to send you occasional service emails about your account. We will not send you marketing emails without asking first, and you can opt out at any time.

Your customers' data

For the numbers and names processed for your business, you are the controller and our legal operator is the processor. We use the data to prepare the requests and reminders you enable, track link openings, prevent repeat or suppressed requests and run the service. The hosting, database and messaging providers listed below process data as needed for these purposes.

Numbers are shown to you masked (for example 07700 ••• 123) throughout the app. Our Terms include a short data-processing summary that sets out our obligations to you as processor.

Opting out and how long we keep data

Platform texts sent through Twilio include Reply STOP to opt out and use a number that accepts replies. When a STOP reply (or STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END or QUIT) is received and processed, we suppress future requests. The review-link redirect page also links to an opt-out confirmation form. For messages sent from your own phone, you must handle replies and requests to stop yourself.

A number that has opted out goes on one list that covers the whole of ReviewCloud, so no business using it can text that number again, whoever sent the first message. Businesses cannot browse the list, but receive a warning if they try to contact a suppressed number. A processed START, UNSTOP or YES reply removes the number from this suppression list.

Our daily retention job clears raw mobile numbers and customer names from request and imported-invoice records older than 90 days. Request history retains a masked number, including its prefix and last three digits. We retain a business-specific, keyed number fingerprint for up to 12 months to check your repeat-request cooldown. This fingerprint is pseudonymous personal data, not anonymous data. Suppressed numbers remain on the stop list until the suppression is removed so we can continue to honour the request.

Sub-processors

These providers support the service. Processing locations and contractual safeguards are subject to the final launch review.

We will update this list before adding a new sub-processor that handles your customers' data.

Retention

• Customer contacts. Raw phones and names in request and invoice records are cleared after 90 days by a daily job. Masked request numbers, invoice references, send outcomes and click history remain with your account. Cooldown fingerprints expire after 12 months.
• Usage and abuse prevention. Text-attempt identifiers and timestamps, without phones or names, are retained for up to 13 months for allowance checks and billing reconciliation. Salted IP hashes used to limit QR submissions are cleared after 48 hours.
• Account data. Deleting your account removes its operational account, request, connection, invoice and usage records. Global customer suppressions are retained. Stripe and infrastructure providers may retain billing records, backups and logs under their own retention arrangements.
• Provider logs and backups. Final retention periods and any accounting-record obligations will be confirmed before public launch.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you can ask us to:

• give you a copy of the personal data we hold about you (access);
• correct it (rectification);
• delete it (erasure);
• stop or limit how we use it (restriction and objection);
• send it to you or another provider in a usable format (portability).

Email rob@darkforgelabs.co.uk with your request. If one of your customers contacts us directly about their data we will pass the request to you, as you are the controller, and help you answer it.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113. We would appreciate the chance to sort things out first.

Cookies

ReviewCloud uses essential cookies for sign-in and secure account connections. These can contain session identifiers. We do not use advertising or social-media tracking cookies. Our review-link click records are stored in the database rather than in advertising cookies.

International transfers

Providers may process data outside the UK. The final policy will identify the relevant processing locations, agreements and international-transfer safeguards after these have been reviewed for the production setup.

Children

ReviewCloud is a business tool for adults. You must be 18 or over to hold an account, and you should not use it to text anyone you know to be under 18.

Changes to this policy

If we make a material change we will email you at least 14 days before it takes effect and update the date at the top of this page. Minor wording changes may be made without notice.

Contact

[legal business name], [registered address]. Email rob@darkforgelabs.co.uk.