Privacy Policy

In Gold Coast (inGoldCoast.app)

Effective date: 20 October 2026

This policy explains how we handle personal information on inGoldCoast.app. We follow the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

1. Who we are

In Gold Coast is run by N.L Milner & S.J Milner, a partnership (ABN 57 531 916 529) ("we", "us").

2. The short version

You can use the site without an account and without telling us who you are.
We collect basic technical information when you visit, and the search terms you type.
Our analytics and marketing cookies stay off unless you accept them.
If you let the map use your location, it stays in your browser and isn't sent to us.
Our venue listings are built from public business information.
We don't sell personal information.

3. What we collect and how

When you visit. Our servers and our network provider record technical details of each request: your IP address, browser and device type, the page you asked for, the page that linked you to us, and the date and time. This is standard for any website and helps us run and protect the site.

When you search. The words you type into search are sent to our servers to find matching venues, and are recorded in our server logs. Your last few searches are also kept in your own browser so you can repeat them. That copy isn't sent to us.

Your location. The map can ask for your device's location so it can show how far away venues are. This only happens if you allow it in your browser. The location is used in your browser and isn't sent to us or stored.

Cookies and similar tools. We use:

a cookie that remembers your cookie choices;
small items stored in your browser that keep the site working, such as your recent searches;
our analytics cookies, only if you accept them: Google Analytics and our own visit identifier, which help us see which pages are used;
our marketing cookies, only if you accept them: if you arrive from an online ad, we record the ad's click identifier so we can tell whether the ad worked.

You can change your choice at any time with "Cookie settings" at the bottom of the page. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser. The site still works without analytics or marketing cookies.

Error reports. If a page breaks, an error report is sent to our error monitoring service. It records what went wrong and can include the page address (including words you searched for), your browser type and your IP address. We don't add your name or contact details to these reports.

When you contact us. If you email us, we receive your email address, your name if you give it, and what you tell us.

4. Information about venues and the people behind them

In Gold Coast is a guide to local venues. We build listings from publicly available business information, mainly Google Maps listings and Uber Eats store pages, and from details venues send us. A listing can include the business name, address, map location, phone number, website, ratings, menu, prices, opening hours and photos.

This is business information. Some of it can identify a person, for example when a business is run by a sole trader or carries an owner's name. We publish it so people can find and contact the venue.

If you run a venue and want something corrected or removed, email [email protected]. We'll fix errors promptly. If you ask us to remove details that identify you personally, we'll do so unless we have a good reason to keep them, and we'll explain that reason to you.

Quote requests

What we collect. When you ask for quotes, we collect your name, email, phone number, suburb, the job you need done, when you need it, the type of property and anything you write in the description. We also record the time you sent it, a scrambled copy of your IP address and your browser type, and the result of a security check, to stop spam.

Why. To pass your request to tradies who can do the job, to email you about your request, to stop spam and misuse, and to work out what we charge tradies.

Who receives it. On In Gold Coast's tradie pages, local tradies we offer your job to see your first name, suburb and job details. Your full name, phone number and email go only to the tradies who take the job, at most 2. If you use the form on one business's page or its own website, only that business receives your details. A tradie who takes your job uses your details to contact you and do the work. Tradies must use your details only for your job (see our terms for tradies). Tradies run their own businesses, and their own privacy obligations apply to the copy they hold.

How we choose tradies. A computer program chooses which tradies are offered your request. It only offers it to tradies who do that trade, cover your area and have room for more requests that day. It then puts the ones closest to your suburb first, then those who have had the fewest requests in the past 7 days, then those with the better public star rating (weighted by how many reviews it rests on). Nobody can pay to be shown first. The program also checks each request for signs of spam: more than 2 links, a disposable email address, a phone number that isn't valid, the same description sent in the past 24 hours, or a very short description. A request that looks like spam is held for us to review and is not sent to tradies.

How long we keep it. If no tradie takes your request, we remove your name and contact details 90 days after you sent it. If a tradie takes it, we keep the request while the tradie's account is open so you and they can see the job history, and we remove your contact details within 90 days after their account closes. We keep records of what we charge tradies for 5 years for tax, without your contact details. You can ask us to delete your details sooner.

Your choices. You can close your request from the link in your email at any time. Tell a tradie directly if you no longer want them to contact you, or email us and we'll pass it on.

5. Why we use personal information

We use the information above to:

run the site, show search results and display venue listings;
keep the site secure and prevent misuse;
find and fix errors;
understand how the site is used and improve it (with your consent for analytics cookies);
reply to you and deal with requests and complaints;
keep our venue listings accurate;
meet our legal obligations.

6. Who we share it with

We share personal information only as needed with service providers who help us run the site:

Vultr, which hosts our servers and database in Melbourne;
Cloudflare, which delivers and protects the site and routes email sent to our address;
Amazon Web Services, which stores and delivers venue images from Sydney;
Google, which provides Google Analytics (if you accept analytics cookies) and hosts our email inbox;
Sentry, which receives error reports;
Resend, which sends our emails;
Mobile Message, which sends our text messages from Australia.

When you send a quote request, we also share your details with tradies as described in Quote requests.

Our team can also access information to run the site. We may disclose information if the law requires it, or to a buyer if our business is sold. We don't sell personal information.

Third-party content. Some pages load content directly from other services: map tiles from OpenFreeMap and, where a venue has them, videos from YouTube and posts from Instagram. When this happens, your browser connects to that service, which receives your IP address and may set its own cookies under its own privacy policy. Links to Uber Eats, DoorDash and Google Maps take you to those services, and their policies apply once you're there.

7. Overseas

Our main servers and database are in Australia. Some information is handled overseas:

our service providers Google, Cloudflare, Sentry and Resend process information in the United States, and Cloudflare and Amazon Web Services deliver content through servers in many countries;
members of our own team may access information from outside Australia to run the site;
we manage our servers through a connection that passes through Singapore.

8. Marketing

If we send you marketing emails or text messages, we'll only do so with your consent, and every message will include an easy way to unsubscribe. You can also ask us at any time to stop, and we'll act on it promptly.

9. How we protect and keep information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, loss and unauthorised access. These include encrypted connections to the site, limiting access to people who need it, and keeping backups.

We keep personal information only for as long as we need it for the purposes in this policy or as the law requires. After that we delete it or remove anything that identifies you. Server records and backups are deleted on a rolling basis. Quote request retention is set out under Quote requests.

If a data breach is likely to cause you serious harm, we'll tell you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, as the law requires.

10. Access and correction

You can ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it. Email [email protected]. We may need to confirm who you are first. We'll respond within 30 days, and there's no charge to make a request or to correct your information. If we can't do what you ask, we'll tell you why in writing and explain how you can complain.

11. Complaints

If you think we've mishandled your personal information, email [email protected] and tell us what happened. We'll look into it and give you a written response within 30 days.

If you're not satisfied with our response, or we haven't responded within 30 days, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au or on 1300 363 992.

12. Changes to this policy

We'll update this policy when our practices change, for example before we add new features that collect more information. The effective date at the top shows the current version. If a change is significant, we'll also note it on the site.