Privacy policy

This policy explains how we collect and use personal data through rectools.io: when you browse the site, get in touch, ask our AI assistant a question, join the rectools® panel or sign in to update your company's page. We follow UK data protection law: the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations.

Who we are

rectools.io is run by RecTools.io Limited, trading as RecTalk Media, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 11933858. Our registered office is at 53–55 Earlsdon Park One, Butts Road, Coventry CV1 3BH. We are the data controller for the personal data described here. Questions about this policy or your data: email info@rectools.io.

The data we collect

• Enquiries: when you email, call or apply to join the panel, your name, contact details, company and what you tell us.
• Panel members' sign-in: the name and work email address of the people at a panel member who can update its page (including its billing contact), the changes they send us, and requests to update a page: your name, work email, company and anything you tell us.
• Joining the panel: payments are taken by Stripe, which handles your card details; we never see them. Stripe tells us who subscribed, for which plan, and your billing contact details.
• Ask rectools® (our AI assistant): the questions you type and the answers it gives. They're sent to Anthropic, whose AI writes the answers. We don't keep the conversation: it stays in your browser until you close the tab. Please don't include personal details in your questions. To stop the assistant being misused, we count questions using a scrambled (one-way hashed) version of your IP address, which we delete within 24 hours.
• Analytics, only if you allow them: Google Analytics records the pages you visit, how you found us and your type of device, with your IP address shortened.
• Server logs: our hosting provider keeps short-term technical logs (such as IP address, browser type and the pages requested) to keep the site running and secure.

Company pages on the panel are about businesses. We don't publish reviews or anyone's personal contact details.

How we use your data, and our lawful basis

• To reply to enquiries, and consider applications to join the panel and requests to update a page: our legitimate interests in running rectools®, and steps you ask us to take before a contract.
• To provide panel membership (your page, sign-in and invites, invoices): performance of our contract with your company.
• To answer the questions you ask Ask rectools®, and to stop it being misused: our legitimate interests in helping visitors find the right companies on the panel.
• To understand how the site is used: your consent, which you can withdraw at any time with “Cookie settings” at the bottom of every page.
• To keep the site secure and meet our legal obligations, such as keeping business records.

We never sell your personal data.

Who we share it with

• Vercel: hosts the site (servers in the EU, pages delivered worldwide).
• Supabase: stores our database and images, in the EU (Ireland).
• Resend: sends sign-in codes, invites and form notifications (United States).
• Stripe: takes payments for panel membership.
• Anthropic: provides the AI that answers questions in Ask rectools® (United States). It doesn't use them to train its models, and deletes them within 30 days.
• Google: Google Analytics, only if you allow it; and YouTube, for videos you choose to play.
• Vimeo and Wistia: for videos you choose to play.
• Our email provider: receives messages and notifications in our inbox.

Where a provider handles data outside the UK, it is protected by UK adequacy regulations (including the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework, where the provider is certified) or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum.

How long we keep it

• Enquiries and applications: 24 months from when you send them.
• Panel members' sign-in details: while your company is on the panel, then deleted. When we email you a sign-in code, we note when it went and how often it's been tried, for a day at most.
• Requests to update a page: up to 12 months from when you ask (once approved, they're sign-in details).
• Billing records: as long as the law requires (usually six years).
• Ask rectools® questions: we don't keep them; the count used to stop misuse is deleted within 24 hours.
• Analytics: no more than 14 months.

Cookies and similar technologies

Essential, so they don't need your consent:

• Your cookie choice, stored in your browser so we don't ask again.
• A sign-in cookie for panel members updating their page.
• Stripe, on the pricing page only, to take payments safely and prevent fraud.

Optional, only if you choose “Allow optional”: Google Analytics (cookies named _ga and _ga_ followed by an ID). Videos load from YouTube (in its privacy-enhanced mode), Vimeo or Wistia only when you press play, after which their own policies apply, such as Google's privacy policy (opens in a new tab).

Your rights

You can ask for a copy of your data, ask us to correct or delete it, restrict or object to how we use it, take it elsewhere, and withdraw consent at any time. Email info@rectools.io: it's free, and we'll reply within one month.

Complaints

Please tell us first so we can put it right. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk (opens in a new tab) or on 0303 123 1113.

Changes to this policy

We'll update this policy if the way we use personal data changes. The date at the top shows when it last changed.