How Guinea Awards Handles Your Information

1. Information We Collect

When you use our site, we collect two categories of information:

• Information you provide directly: your name, email address, phone number, and the content of any message you send through our contact form or review submissions.
• Technical information collected automatically: browser type, device type, operating system, IP address, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs. This data is gathered through cookies and similar tracking technologies.

2. How We Use Your Data

We process personal information for the following purposes:

• Responding to your enquiries and messages sent through our contact forms.
• Processing product review submissions and verifying the authenticity of reader feedback.
• Improving our editorial content, website functionality, and user experience.
• Measuring site traffic and engagement through analytics tools to understand which reviews and buying guides are most useful to our readers.
• Sending occasional updates about new reviews or buying guides, only if you have explicitly opted in to receive them.

3. Cookies and Tracking

Our website uses cookies to remember your preferences, track which pages you visit, and understand how readers interact with our content. We use both session cookies (which expire when you close your browser) and persistent cookies (which remain on your device until they expire or you delete them).

We also use analytics services that may set their own cookies to collect aggregated data about site usage. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, but please note that some parts of the site may not function properly if you block them.

4. Data Storage and Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy. Contact form submissions are kept for up to 24 months to allow us to follow up on enquiries and maintain a record of our communications. Analytics data is retained in aggregated form for up to 26 months.

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Third-Party Processors

We share personal information only with service providers who help us operate this website and deliver our editorial content. These include:

• Web hosting providers who store our website files and databases.
• Analytics providers who help us understand site traffic and reader behaviour.
• Email service providers who manage our newsletter distribution, if you have subscribed.
• Form processing services that handle contact form submissions securely.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We do not use your data for advertising targeting or profiling.

6. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: ask us to update or correct inaccurate information.
• Deletion: request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention obligations.
• Restriction: ask us to limit how we process your data in certain circumstances.
• Portability: request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Withdraw consent: opt out of any processing based on your consent at any time.

If you are in the European Economic Area, the UK, or South Africa, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. We aim to respond to all legitimate requests within 30 days.

7. Editorial Integrity and Honest Reviews

Guinea Awards is committed to transparent and honest product reviews. We do not publish misleading claims, fake urgency, fabricated endorsements, or unverified brand affiliations. Our testing methodology is disclosed on each review page, and we clearly indicate when a product was provided by a manufacturer versus purchased independently.

We do not guarantee specific results or performance outcomes for any product we review. All opinions expressed are based on our own testing under real household conditions, and individual experiences may vary. We do not accept payment in exchange for positive reviews, and any sponsored content is clearly labelled as such.

8. Children's Privacy

Our website is intended for adult consumers and is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email if we have your contact details.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, or if you wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact us using the details below: