Privacy Policy

Your Privacy and Data Protection Are Our Priority

Privacy Policy for Belalgarve Consultants

Last updated: [08/03/2024]

Welcome to Belalgarve. We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. If you have any questions or concerns about our policy, or our practices with regards to your personal information, please contact us at admin@belalgarve.com.

When you visit our websites www.belalgarve.com or www.belalgarve-realestate.pt, and use our services, you trust us with your personal information. We take your privacy very seriously. In this privacy policy, we seek to explain to you in the clearest way possible what information we collect, how we use it, and what rights you have in relation to it. We hope you take some time to read through it carefully, as it is important. If there are any terms in this privacy policy that you do not agree with, please discontinue use of our sites and our services.

This policy applies to all information collected through our website (such as www.belalgarve.com or www.belalgarve-realestate.pt), and/or any related services, sales, marketing, or events (we refer to them collectively in this privacy policy as the "Services").

1. What Information Do We Collect?

At Belalgarve, we collect various types of information to offer and improve our services to you. Here's a breakdown of the types of information we gather:

A. Information You Provide to Us:

Contact Information: Through our contact forms, we collect your first name, last (family) name, email address, phone or mobile phone number, and nationality. This information helps us to respond to your queries, provide services, and communicate effectively.
Transaction Information: For purchases made on our website, we redirect you to payment service providers such as PayPal and Stripe. While these transactions are subject to their own privacy policies, we may receive limited information regarding the transactions, excluding sensitive financial details.

B. Information Collected Automatically:

Usage Information via Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to collect data on how our website is accessed and used. This may include information such as your IP address, browser type, browser language, referring URLs, pages visited, the time spent on those pages, and the frequency of your visits. Google Analytics may share with us aggregate data that helps us understand how our website is being used and how we can improve the user experience.
Newsletter Engagement Data via Mailchimp: For our newsletters, we use Mailchimp, which collects information about your interactions with our emails, including browser type, browser language, and location. This data helps us to tailor our communications to better suit your preferences.
Social Media Interaction: When you interact with us through social media platforms, we may have access to information available on your social media profile, depending on your privacy settings on those platforms. This information can include your social media profiles, locations, and other data you share publicly or with us directly through messages.

C. Cookies and Tracking Technologies:

We utilize cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on our service and hold certain information. Cookies are files with a small amount of data which may include an anonymous unique identifier. We use these technologies to analyze trends, administer the site, track users' movements around the site, and gather demographic information about our user base as a whole.

D. Partners and Third-party Services:

Our website is hosted by Webnode AG, and we use various third-party services like PayPal, Stripe, Mailchimp, and Google Analytics. These services operate independently from us and have their own privacy policies. We recommend that you review their privacy policies to understand how they collect, use, and share your information.

E. Information from Social Media and Other Platforms:

By interacting with us through social media, you may be sharing additional information with us through your social media accounts. The information we receive depends on your privacy settings with the social media platform.

Please note that we prioritize the protection of your personal information and implement measures to ensure its security. However, we encourage you to review the privacy settings and notices in social media platforms and third-party services to understand how they handle your information.

2. How Do We Use Your Information?

At Belalgarve, the information we collect serves multiple purposes, all aimed at enhancing our services and your experience. Here's how we use the information you provide us:

A. Improving Communication:

Contact Information: We collect your contact details (name, email, phone number) to improve our communication with you. This enables us to respond more effectively to your inquiries, provide updates about our services, and maintain an open line of communication.

B. Enhancing User Experience and Services:

Analyzing Website Behavior: By analyzing how you use our website, we can continually improve our online platform and the services we offer. This includes understanding navigation patterns, preferences, and engagement with our content, allowing us to tailor our website to better meet your needs.
Customer Preferences: Information regarding your preferences for products or services is crucial for us. It helps in personalizing our offerings and ensuring that you find what you're looking for, enhancing your overall experience with Belalgarve.

C. Marketing and Targeted Advertising:

We may use your information to send you targeted advertisements and distribute our email newsletters via Mailchimp. This is based on your product or service preferences, aiming to keep you informed about offers and opportunities that are most relevant to you.

D. Compliance with GDPR and Legal Requirements:

GDPR Adherence: We handle all personal information in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), ensuring your data is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently. Consent is a cornerstone of our data collection practices, and we always seek your agreement with our privacy policy before interacting further.
Legal Obligations: In certain circumstances, we are required by law to "know our client" due to the nature of our business. This involves collecting and verifying personal information to meet regulatory standards.

E. Sharing with Third Parties:

Partnerships: We share your contact details (name, family name, and nationality) with third-party partners with whom we have partnership contracts, including real estate developers, lawyers, law firms, or consultants assisting with real estate transactions or migration investment processes. This sharing is strictly for the purpose of satisfying your requests and is always conducted under the framework of GDPR compliance.
Authorities and Law Enforcement: If legally mandated, we will share client information with authorities or law enforcement agencies. This is part of our commitment to comply with legal obligations and ensure the safety and security of our clients and services.

F. Data Integrity:

We never sell your data. Protecting your personal information and respecting your privacy are fundamental principles at Belalgarve. Any sharing of information is done with your consent and in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements, ensuring your data is used responsibly and ethically.

Through these practices, Belalgarve aims to provide a secure, personalized, and compliant service that meets your needs and exceeds your expectations.

3. Will Your Information Be Shared With Anyone?

At Belalgarve, we are committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of our clients. As such, we handle your personal information with the utmost care and in compliance with privacy laws. Here's how we approach sharing your information with third parties:

A. Consent and Necessity:

We only share your information with third parties when it is strictly necessary and after obtaining your explicit consent. "Strictly necessary" encompasses sharing information with providers of products or services you have expressed interest in. This may include, but is not limited to, real estate developers, legal consultancy firms, lawyers, forwarders, and postal services for order or document shipments.

B. Third-Party Providers:

Some of your information is automatically shared with third-party providers such as our web host, email newsletter management provider, customer management programs, and tracking tools like Google Analytics. This sharing is essential for the provision and optimization of our services.

C. Contracts and Legal Compliance:

We have established client or partnership contracts with all these providers and partners, which mandate adherence to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legal requirements and EU privacy legislation. This applies regardless of the partner's or provider's location, ensuring your information is handled with care across borders.

D. Automated Tools and Opt-Out Options:

Our automated tools, including our website and email newsletter management tool, offer opt-out options. These are typically located at the bottom of our websites or newsletters, providing you with control over your data and the choice to limit how it is used.
Clients may request the deletion of any or all personal information by contacting us at admin@belalgarve.com. We respect your right to control your data and will act promptly to accommodate your request.

E. International Transfers:

In cases where your information is transferred internationally, especially to entities outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we ensure such transfers comply with GDPR or other relevant data protection regulations. Safeguards are in place to protect your information regardless of geographical location.

F. Security and Protection:

The security of your information is paramount. All third parties with whom we share your data are required to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We only allow such third parties to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.

Belalgarve's commitment to your privacy extends beyond the careful selection of partners and providers. We continuously monitor compliance with our privacy standards and the law, ensuring your data is protected across all interactions. Your trust is the foundation of our service, and we are dedicated to preserving it through transparency and responsibility in data handling.

4. Geographical Considerations

In today's globalized environment, the services we provide and the partnerships we maintain often transcend geographical boundaries. This global reach necessitates a vigilant approach to the geographical considerations of data sharing, especially concerning the protection of personal information.

A. Commitment to EU GDPR Compliance Across Borders:

Regardless of where our partners and service providers are located, we ensure a unified standard of data protection by mandating adherence to the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regulations. We achieve this through stringent agreements with all our partners, including those outside the European Union, clearly stipulating that compliance with EU privacy and GDPR regulations is non-negotiable.

B. Agreements with International Partners and Providers:

Our commitment to your privacy does not end at the EU's borders. For partners and service providers situated outside of the EU, we sign agreements that explicitly require them to adhere to GDPR regulations. This ensures that your personal information receives the same level of protection, regardless of the country in which the data is processed.

C. Uniform Protection Standards:

By setting these strict compliance requirements for all our partners and service providers, we ensure that your data is protected uniformly, maintaining the highest standards of privacy and data protection. These measures are part of our broader commitment to uphold your trust and ensure the security of your personal information across all interactions, irrespective of geographical locations.

D. Continuous Monitoring and Compliance:

We continuously monitor our partners and service providers to ensure ongoing compliance with these requirements. This vigilance allows us to adapt to any changes in data protection laws and maintain alignment with GDPR standards, safeguarding your information at all times.

Through these geographical considerations and our proactive approach to compliance, we strive to protect your personal information in a globally connected world, ensuring that privacy and data protection are paramount, regardless of where our partners or service providers are based.

5. Data Security

At Belalgarve, we understand that the security of your personal information is paramount. We are committed to protecting your data from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. Here's how we safeguard your information:

A. Advanced Security Measures:

Technical Safeguards: We implement state-of-the-art technical measures, including encryption, firewalls, and secure server configurations, to protect your information while it is stored, processed, and transmitted.
Access Controls: Access to your personal data is strictly limited to authorized personnel who need the information to perform their job duties. Employees are trained on the importance of data protection and are bound by confidentiality agreements.
Regular Audits and Monitoring: Our systems undergo regular security audits and continuous monitoring to detect and address potential vulnerabilities promptly. This proactive approach ensures that our defenses remain robust against emerging threats.

B. Data Breach Response Plan:

In the unlikely event of a data breach, we have a comprehensive response plan in place. This includes immediate measures to secure our systems, mitigate any potential impact, and notify affected individuals and regulatory authorities in accordance with legal requirements.

C. Partner and Vendor Security:

We carefully select partners and vendors who share our commitment to data security. All third parties that handle personal information on our behalf are required to adhere to our security standards and practices, and their compliance is regularly reviewed.

D. Data Minimization and Retention:

We adhere to the principles of data minimization, collecting only the information necessary for the purposes stated in our privacy policy. Personal data is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill these purposes, after which it is securely deleted or anonymized.

E. Encryption and Secure Data Transfer:

All data transferred between your device and our servers is encrypted using the latest security protocols. We also ensure that any data shared with third parties is transmitted securely to prevent interception.

F. User Empowerment and Control:

We empower our users with tools and settings to control their personal information. This includes options to access, correct, delete, or transfer their data, as well as settings to manage privacy preferences.

G. Commitment to Continuous Improvement:

Data security is an evolving field, and we are committed to continuously improving our practices. We stay abreast of the latest security technologies and regulatory requirements to ensure that we provide the highest level of protection for your information.

At Belalgarve, your data security is our top priority. We are dedicated to maintaining the trust you place in us by implementing comprehensive security measures and practices to protect your personal information.

6. User Rights

At Belalgarve, we recognize and respect your rights concerning your personal data. Under data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you are entitled to various rights, which we are committed to supporting:

A. Right to Access:

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, including details about how we use it and who we share it with.

B. Right to Rectification:

If you believe that any information we hold about you is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request its correction or completion.

C. Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten):

You can request the deletion of your personal data when it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or if you withdraw your consent and there is no other legal ground for processing.

D. Right to Restriction of Processing:

You have the right to request a restriction on the processing of your personal data under certain circumstances, such as if you contest the accuracy of the data or if the processing is unlawful.

E. Right to Data Portability:

Where applicable, you can request the transfer of your personal data to another organization, or directly to you, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

F. Right to Object:

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data based on legitimate interests or the performance of a task in the public interest/exercise of official authority (including profiling), direct marketing (including profiling), and processing for purposes of scientific/historical research and statistics.

G. Rights in Relation to Automated Decision Making and Profiling:

You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you, unless necessary for entering into, or performance of, a contract between you and us, or based on your explicit consent.

H. Right to Withdraw Consent:

Where we rely on your consent to process personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

I. Right to Lodge a Complaint:

You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe that our processing of your personal data infringes data protection laws.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at admin@belalgarve.com. We are committed to facilitating the exercise of your rights and will respond to your requests promptly and in accordance with applicable laws.