1. About this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Ventaro collects, uses, stores and shares personal information when you visit ventaro.co.uk, create an account, submit or enquire about a business-for-sale listing, purchase a service, contact us or otherwise use our services.

Ventaro is operated by [Company Name], a company registered in England and Wales under company number [Company Number], whose registered office is at [Registered Office Address], trading as Ventaro (“Ventaro”, “we”, “us” or “our”).

For the purposes of UK data protection law, [Company Name] is the controller of personal information processed through Ventaro, except where another organisation acts as an independent controller for its own purposes.

You can contact us about privacy matters at info@ventaro.co.uk.

2. Who Ventaro is For

Ventaro is a UK business-for-sale marketplace intended for users aged 18 or over. Our services are designed for businesses located in the United Kingdom and for people interested in buying UK businesses.

Ventaro is not intended for children and we do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from anyone under 18.

3. Personal Information We Collect

The personal information we collect depends on how you use Ventaro. It may include:

Account information, including your name, email address, telephone number, username and account credentials.
Seller information, including your contact details and information you provide when creating and managing a business-for-sale listing.
Business listing information, including descriptions, town or city, financial figures, asking price, business details and photographs or other images uploaded by you. Business listing information may relate primarily to a business rather than an individual, but it can contain personal information in some circumstances.
Buyer enquiry information, including the buyer’s name, email address, telephone number and information contained in an enquiry or subsequent message.
Purchase and transaction information, including the service purchased, order value, payment status, transaction identifiers, billing information and related order records. We do not need to store full payment-card details where payment is handled by our payment providers.
Communications with Ventaro, including emails, support requests, amendment requests, advert approvals and other correspondence.
Technical and usage information, including IP address, device and browser information, pages viewed, referral information, cookie identifiers and information about how you interact with our website and advertising.
Marketing preferences, where you choose to opt in to marketing communications.

4. Information We Do Not Normally Require

Ventaro does not require sellers to upload business accounts, identity documents, bank details, proof-of-ownership documents or other confidential transaction documents as part of the ordinary listing process.

Sellers should not upload unnecessary personal, confidential or sensitive information to a public business listing. Business listings and photographs are intended for publication on the marketplace.

5. How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal information:

directly from you when you register, submit or manage a listing, purchase a service, submit an enquiry, contact us or change your preferences;
automatically when you use our website, through cookies and similar technologies where permitted;
from payment and ecommerce providers when they confirm or administer a transaction;
from analytics and advertising services such as Google Analytics 4 and Meta Pixel, where you have given the required cookie or tracking consent; and
from communications and email-delivery systems used to operate Ventaro.

6. How We Use Personal Information and Our Lawful Bases

UK data protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for using personal information. Depending on the purpose, we may rely on contract, legitimate interests, legal obligation or consent.

We use personal information for the following purposes:

To create and administer user accounts and provide the services requested by users. Where the individual is personally contracting with us, we rely on performance of a contract or steps taken at their request. Where the contract is with a company or other organisation, we may rely on our legitimate interests in administering the business relationship.
To create, publish, manage, moderate and expire business-for-sale listings. We rely on contract where applicable and/or our legitimate interests in operating the Ventaro marketplace.
To process orders and administer paid listing and promotional packages. We rely on contract where applicable, legitimate interests in administering business transactions, and legal obligations relating to financial and accounting records.
To create, approve, amend and administer promotional advertising purchased through Ventaro. We rely on contract where applicable and/or our legitimate interests in delivering and managing the purchased service.
To pass a prospective buyer’s enquiry details to the seller of the business they have chosen to contact. We rely on the steps requested by the buyer in making the enquiry and our legitimate interests in providing the marketplace introduction service.
To store enquiries in the Ventaro dashboard so that the relevant seller and authorised Ventaro staff can access and manage them. We rely on our legitimate interests in operating the marketplace and maintaining appropriate records of introductions and communications.
To send essential account, listing, enquiry, approval, amendment, expiry, purchase and service communications. We rely on contract where applicable and/or our legitimate interests in administering the service.
To prevent fraud, misuse, unauthorised access and security incidents and to enforce our Terms and Conditions. We rely on our legitimate interests in protecting Ventaro, its users and the integrity of the marketplace, and on legal obligations where applicable.
To maintain business, tax, accounting and legal records and respond to lawful requests. We rely on applicable legal obligations and, where relevant, our legitimate interests in establishing, exercising or defending legal claims.
To understand website use and improve Ventaro using Google Analytics 4. Where the use of analytics cookies or similar technologies requires consent, we will obtain consent before activating them.
To measure advertising, build relevant advertising audiences and support remarketing using Meta Pixel. Where consent is required for cookies or similar tracking technologies, we will obtain consent before activating them.
To send optional newsletters, offers or other direct marketing where you have chosen to receive them. We will provide an easy way to unsubscribe or withdraw consent.

7. Buyer Enquiries and Sharing Details with Sellers

Ventaro is designed to introduce prospective buyers to sellers.

When a buyer submits an enquiry about a particular business, the buyer’s name, email address and telephone number are made available to the seller of that business so that the seller can respond to the enquiry.

The enquiry is also stored within Ventaro and may be accessed by the relevant seller and authorised Ventaro staff for the purposes of operating the marketplace, providing support, administering enquiries and dealing with misuse or disputes.

By submitting an enquiry, the buyer understands that their enquiry details will be disclosed to the seller of the business they have selected.

Once a buyer and seller communicate independently of Ventaro, each party is responsible for how it handles personal information received directly from the other.

8. Seller Privacy and Public Listings

Ventaro is designed so that a seller’s personal contact details are not displayed publicly on their business listing.

Public listings ordinarily show only a general business location such as the relevant town or city, rather than a precise trading address, unless the seller specifically chooses to provide more detailed location information.

Prospective buyers contact sellers through the Ventaro enquiry process rather than being shown the seller’s private email address or telephone number on the public listing.

Where a seller chooses a Confidential Sale, additional identifying information or imagery may be withheld in accordance with Ventaro’s listing process. However, no online marketplace can guarantee that a business will be impossible to identify from the information a seller chooses to provide.

9. Payments and Ecommerce

Ventaro uses WooCommerce to operate ecommerce functionality and Stripe to process payments. Depending on the options made available at checkout and the user’s device or account, payments may also be initiated using services such as Apple Pay, Google Pay or Amazon Wallet.

Payment providers may collect and process information required to authorise, secure and administer a payment. Payment providers may act as independent controllers or processors for different parts of their services and will handle information in accordance with their own privacy notices.

Ventaro receives information needed to confirm and administer an order, such as payment status, transaction references, the service purchased and relevant billing or order information. Ventaro does not need to receive or store a customer’s full payment-card number where this is handled by the payment provider.

10. Email Delivery and Brevo

Ventaro uses Brevo to support the delivery of operational and, where applicable, marketing emails.

Information such as your name, email address, communication status and information needed to send or record a relevant message may be processed through Brevo.

Essential service communications are not the same as optional marketing. You may still receive necessary account, listing, enquiry, approval, payment or service messages even if you have not opted in to marketing.

11. Google Analytics 4

Ventaro uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors use the website, for example which pages are visited, how visitors arrive at the site and how users interact with the service.

GA4 may use cookies and similar technologies and may process information such as device information, approximate location derived from network information, website activity, referral information and online identifiers.

We will configure our cookie-consent system so that non-essential analytics technologies are not activated until the visitor has provided the consent required by applicable law.

You can change or withdraw your cookie choices using the cookie controls provided on the website.

12. Meta Pixel and Advertising Measurement

Ventaro uses Meta Pixel to help measure the effectiveness of advertising, understand actions taken after people interact with advertising and, where appropriate, create or reach relevant advertising audiences.

Meta Pixel may process information about your browser or device, pages viewed, interactions with the website, online identifiers and information relating to advertising activity.

Meta Pixel and other non-essential advertising technologies will be controlled through our cookie-consent system and will not be activated before the consent required by applicable law has been obtained.

Meta may also process information for its own purposes in accordance with its privacy terms and settings.

13. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Ventaro uses cookies and similar technologies for purposes including essential website operation, security, account functionality, analytics and advertising measurement.

Strictly necessary technologies may be used where required for the website to function. Non-essential analytics and advertising technologies, including Google Analytics 4 and Meta Pixel, will be subject to the appropriate consent controls.

Our Cookie Policy provides more detail about the categories of cookies and technologies used, their purposes and how you can manage your choices.

14. Who We Share Personal Information With

We only share personal information where reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, where you ask us to do so, or where required by law.

Recipients may include:

the seller of a business when a prospective buyer submits an enquiry about that seller’s listing;
WooCommerce and providers supporting our ecommerce functionality;
Stripe and supported wallet/payment providers used to process or facilitate payments;
Brevo for email delivery and communication services;
123-Reg and relevant hosting, domain, infrastructure and technical service providers;
Google in connection with Google Analytics 4;
Meta in connection with Meta Pixel and Meta advertising services;
professional advisers such as accountants, solicitors, insurers or IT/security specialists where reasonably necessary;
regulators, law-enforcement bodies, courts, government authorities or other parties where disclosure is required or permitted by law; and
a purchaser, investor or successor organisation in connection with a genuine sale, merger, restructuring or transfer of all or part of Ventaro’s business, subject to appropriate safeguards.

We do not sell lists of users’ personal information to third parties.

15. International Transfers

Some of the technology, analytics, advertising, email and payment providers used by Ventaro operate internationally. As a result, personal information may in some circumstances be processed in, transferred to, or made accessible from countries outside the United Kingdom.

Where UK data protection rules on restricted international transfers apply, we will use an appropriate transfer mechanism. Depending on the recipient and destination, this may include UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or the UK Addendum to approved contractual clauses, together with any required transfer assessment.

You may contact us at info@ventaro.co.uk if you would like further information about the safeguards applicable to a particular international transfer.

16. How Long We Keep Personal Information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to provide our services, maintain appropriate business records, meet legal obligations and establish or defend legal claims.

Our general retention approach is:

Account information: while the account remains active and normally for up to 24 months after account closure or the user’s last material activity, unless a longer period is needed for legal, security or dispute purposes.
Business listings and listing-management records: while the listing is active and normally for up to 24 months after expiry, withdrawal or removal, unless required for an ongoing account, transaction, complaint or legal issue.
Buyer enquiries and associated dashboard records: normally for up to 24 months after the enquiry, allowing sellers and Ventaro to manage introductions and related issues. We may delete or anonymise them sooner where appropriate.
Orders, invoices and transaction records: normally for up to 7 years where necessary for tax, accounting, audit or legal record-keeping.
Promotional advert approvals, amendment requests and service records: normally for up to 24 months after the relevant service ends, or longer where connected to an order record, dispute or legal requirement.
Customer-service and general correspondence: normally for up to 24 months after the matter is closed, unless it forms part of another record that must be retained longer.
Marketing records and consent preferences: for as long as needed to administer the marketing relationship and to retain appropriate evidence of consent, withdrawal or suppression preferences.
Analytics and advertising data: according to the retention settings configured within the relevant analytics or advertising platform and our cookie/privacy settings, and only for as long as reasonably necessary for the stated purpose.

These periods are general guidelines rather than absolute rules. We may keep information for a shorter or longer period where necessary because of legal requirements, fraud prevention, security, complaints, disputes or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. Where possible, information may instead be deleted or anonymised.

17. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against accidental or unlawful loss, alteration, disclosure, access or misuse.

Measures may include access controls, account authentication, appropriate hosting and system security, restricted staff access, software updates, backups and the use of reputable specialist service providers.

No internet service can guarantee absolute security. Users are responsible for keeping their account credentials confidential and should notify Ventaro promptly if they believe their account has been compromised.

18. Marketing Communications

Ventaro may offer users the option to receive newsletters, offers, marketplace updates or other promotional communications.

Where consent is required, marketing will only be sent after the user has taken a clear positive action to opt in. Marketing consent will be separate from acceptance of the Terms and Conditions and will not be required in order to use the core Ventaro service.

You can unsubscribe from marketing at any time using the unsubscribe option in the message or by contacting info@ventaro.co.uk.

Withdrawing from marketing does not prevent us from sending essential service communications relating to your account, listings, enquiries, purchases or promotional services.

19. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis we rely on, UK data protection law may give you rights in relation to your personal information, including:

the right to be informed about how your personal information is used;
the right to request access to your personal information;
the right to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information;
the right to ask us to erase personal information in certain circumstances;
the right to ask us to restrict processing in certain circumstances;
the right to object to certain processing, including certain processing based on legitimate interests and direct marketing;
the right to data portability in certain circumstances; and
the right to withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent.

These rights are not absolute and may not apply in every situation. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

20. Your Right to Object

Where we rely on legitimate interests to process your personal information, you may have the right to object to that processing. We will consider your objection and stop the processing unless we have a lawful reason to continue.

You have the right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing at any time.

21. Exercising Your Rights

To exercise a data protection right or ask a question about how we use your personal information, contact:

Email: info@ventaro.co.uk

Postal address: [Registered Office Address]

We will respond in accordance with the timescales and requirements of applicable UK data protection law.

22. Complaints

If you have concerns about our use of your personal information, please contact us first at info@ventaro.co.uk so that we can try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK regulator for data protection. Information about making a complaint is available from the ICO at ico.org.uk.

23. Third-Party Websites and Services

Ventaro may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of independent third parties.

Where you leave Ventaro or use a third-party service, you should review that organisation’s privacy information.

24. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to Ventaro, our service providers, technology or applicable law.

The latest version will be published on the Ventaro website with the date it was last updated.

Where a change is significant and it is appropriate to do so, we may also notify registered users by email or through the website.

25. Contact Details

Ventaro

[Company Name]

[Registered Office Address]

Company number: [Company Number]