Effective Date: October 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how GHOEGuide.com (“GHOEGuide,” “we,” “us”) collects, uses, and protects information when you visit the website, create an account, submit a listing, or purchase a paid listing.

1. Information We Collect

  • Account information — your name, username, email address, and password when you create an account.
  • Listing information — business, event, or place details you submit, such as names, descriptions, addresses, phone numbers, websites, social links, hours, images, and categories. Listing information is intended to be published publicly in the directory.
  • Contact form messages — your name, email address, optional phone number, the topic you select, and your message.
  • Payment information — paid listings are processed by Stripe. GHOEGuide does not receive or store your full card number; we receive limited details such as your name, email, plan, payment status, and membership status.
  • Technical information — IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and similar data collected through server logs, cookies, and analytics tools.

2. How We Use Information

  • To operate the directory and publish, review, and manage listings.
  • To create and manage user accounts and provide account support.
  • To process free and paid listings, membership periods, expirations, and manual renewals.
  • To respond to questions, partnership requests, and support messages.
  • To send service-related emails, such as account, listing, and payment notices.
  • To maintain security, prevent fraud and spam, and improve the website.

3. Public Listing Information

Information you submit as part of a business, event, or place listing is displayed publicly. Please do not include personal information in a listing that you do not want to be public.

4. Cookies & Analytics

GHOEGuide uses cookies to keep you signed in, remember preferences, and understand how the website is used. Third-party services such as analytics, maps, and payment providers may also set cookies. You can control cookies through your browser settings; some features may not work without them.

5. Sharing of Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only with service providers that help us operate the website (such as hosting, email, maps, analytics, and Stripe for payments), when required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of GHOEGuide and its users.

6. Payments & Memberships

Payments for paid listings, including the GHOE 100 Founding Member listing, are processed securely by Stripe under Stripe’s own privacy policy. Paid memberships are one-time payments for a fixed period and do not renew automatically. Before a membership expires, GHOEGuide may send you a renewal reminder; to continue, you can renew manually from your account. When a paid membership ends, its paid benefits end and your business remains listed as a free listing.

7. Data Retention

We keep account and listing information for as long as your account or listing is active, and afterward as needed for legal, accounting, and security purposes. Contact form messages are kept only as long as needed to respond and follow up.

8. Your Choices

You can update your account and listing information from your dashboard at any time. You may ask us to correct or delete your personal information, or to remove a listing, by contacting us. We will respond to requests as required by applicable law.

9. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect information. No website or online service can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

10. Children’s Privacy

GHOEGuide is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

11. Third-Party Websites

Listings may link to third-party websites. GHOEGuide is not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites; please review their policies.

12. Changes to This Policy

GHOEGuide may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The effective date on this page will be updated whenever material changes are made.

13. Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy can be submitted through the Connect With GHOEGuide page or by mail to GHOEGuide.com, 1852 Banking St. #29513, Greensboro, NC 27408.

GHOEGuide.com is an independent, unofficial directory and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with North Carolina A&T State University.