Privacy Policy

Welcome, Adventure Planner! At Bellings, we’re committed to protecting your privacy while you design, run, and participate in exciting pub crawls, city explorations, and other interactive games. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information (“details”) we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your details, especially under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as we operate from The Netherlands. Our service primarily uses phone numbers for all user interactions.

1. Information We Collect: Details for Your Adventure

To enable you to use Bellings effectively and for us to operate and improve the platform, we collect certain types of information:

• Game Master / Organizer Information:
  • When you sign up as a Game Master (or “Organizer”), we collect your phone number. This is used for account creation, verification, essential service communications, and, with your explicit consent, for optional marketing communications.
  • Payment information is collected and processed securely by our third-party payment partner, Mollie. Bellings does not store your full credit card or bank account details directly on our systems.
  • Information you provide when setting up your Campaigns/Adventures.
• Campaign Design Information (User Content):
  • The narratives, specific tasks or challenges, timings, locations (if specified), and any other creative content you (as a Game Master) design and input for your Campaigns. Please see our Terms of Service for how we are licensed to use this User Content.
• Participant / Player Information (Provided by Game Masters):
  • The phone numbers of Players the Game Master invites to their Campaigns. This is essential for Players to receive game-related SMS messages and calls.
  • Any nicknames for Players provided by the Game Master for use within the game.
  • Game Master’s Responsibility for Consent: As outlined in our Terms of Service, Game Masters are responsible for lawfully collecting and sharing Player phone numbers with Bellings. This includes obtaining any necessary consent from Players (or from parents/guardians for Players under 16, in line with GDPR Article 8) before adding their phone numbers to a Campaign.
• Communications Data:
  • Records of SMS messages and call metadata (e.g., timestamp, duration, to/from phone numbers, delivery status) sent and received through the Bellings platform as part of a Campaign. These communications are facilitated by our specialized third-party communication service providers (e.g., Twilio, Bird, or similar services). Voice content of calls is not recorded by Bellings unless this is an explicit feature.
• Usage & Analytics Data:
  • Information about how you interact with the Bellings platform (e.g., features used, actions taken, pages visited on our website, IP address, browser type, device information). This data is collected with the help of third-party analytics services (e.g., PostHog, or similar services) to help us understand user behavior and improve our service. This may involve the use of cookies and similar tracking technologies.
• Account and Core Application Data:
  • Your account credentials (linked to your phone number, e.g., verification tokens) and core application data, including campaign setups and user associations, are stored and managed using secure third-party backend infrastructure and database services.

2. How We Use Your Information: Powering and Improving Your Adventures

Your information is used for the following purposes:

• To Provide and Operate the Bellings Service: This is our primary purpose – to enable Game Masters to design and run their Campaigns using their phone number for account access, and for Players to participate through automated SMS and call delivery using their phone numbers.
• To Process Payments: Via our payment partner (Mollie), for Game Masters subscribing to or paying for Bellings services.
• To Communicate With You (Game Masters & Players for Service Messages):
  • For Game Masters: To send important service-related announcements, support responses, security alerts, and information relevant to your Campaigns or account, primarily via SMS to your registered phone number.
  • For Players: To deliver essential game-related communications as part of a Campaign they are enrolled in.
• Optional Marketing Communications (Game Masters Only): With your explicit prior consent, we may use your Game Master phone number to send you marketing materials via SMS, such as information about new game modes, features, or special offers. You can withdraw this consent at any time through the website (or via other methods we may provide) or by contacting us. We do not send marketing communications to Player phone numbers (other than those that are part of the game itself as designed by the Game Master).
• To Personalize the Experience: For example, using Player nicknames in automated messages within a Campaign.
• To Improve Bellings and Develop New Features:
  • We analyze usage patterns (with the help of our analytics providers) to understand how our platform is used, identify areas for improvement, and enhance functionality.
  • As detailed in our Terms of Service, we may analyze User Content (Campaign designs) in anonymized or aggregated forms to understand trends, improve our platform, develop new game mechanics, or create generalized templates.
• To Ensure Security and Prevent Misuse: Protecting the integrity of our platform and enforcing our Terms of Service.
• To Comply With Legal Obligations: Including GDPR and applicable Dutch data protection laws.

3. Sharing Your Information & Our Service Providers

We do not sell your personal information. We only share your details when necessary to provide our service, or as required by law. This involves sharing data with trusted third-party service providers who act as data processors on our behalf to perform various functions:

• Core Infrastructure, Database & Authentication Services: To securely store your account information (linked to phone numbers), campaign data, and manage user authentication.
• Payment Processing Services (e.g., Mollie): To securely process payments from Game Masters.
• Communication Delivery Services (e.g., Twilio, Bird, or similar): To process phone numbers and message content for delivering SMS messages and initiating calls for Campaigns.
• Analytics Services (e.g., PostHog or similar): To process usage data and provide us with insights.
• Other Specialized Service Providers: We may use other providers for functions like cloud hosting or customer support tools.

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and are restricted to using it only for the services they provide to Bellings. We take steps to ensure these providers comply with applicable data protection laws. Your data may be processed and stored by these providers in various locations, which may include countries outside of The Netherlands or the European Economic Area (EEA).

We may also share information:

• For Legal Requirements & Safety: If required by law, or to protect rights, safety, investigate fraud, or respond to legitimate government requests.
• During Business Transfers: If Bellings is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
• With Your Explicit Consent: For any other purpose not listed here.

4. Data Security: Protecting Your Adventure Details

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disclosure. However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

5. Data Retention: How Long We Keep Your Details

We retain your personal information (primarily phone numbers and associated campaign data) for as long as your Bellings account is active, or as long as necessary to provide you with our services and to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy. We will also retain and use your information as necessary to comply with our legal obligations (e.g., financial record-keeping for tax purposes in The Netherlands), resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. After this period, your personal data will generally be deleted or anonymized. Game Master phone numbers used for marketing communications with consent will be retained as long as this consent remains active or until you opt-out.

6. Your Data Protection Rights (Under GDPR)

As Bellings is based in The Netherlands, you have specific rights regarding your personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• The Right to Access: You have the right to request copies of your personal data that we hold.
• The Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
• The Right to Erasure (The ‘Right to be Forgotten’): You have the right to request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions.
• The Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
• The Right to Object to Processing: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data, under certain conditions (including objecting to marketing communications sent to Game Masters via SMS).
• The Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.
• The Right to Withdraw Consent: If we are processing your personal data based on your consent (such as for marketing communications to Game Masters via SMS), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
• The Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 10.

7. Information Regarding Younger Adventurers (Children’s Privacy)

Bellings is intended for users who meet the age requirements outlined in our Terms of Service. Our policy regarding children’s data, in line with GDPR (particularly Article 8), is as follows:

• Users Under 16:

  • Our Terms of Service require that individuals under the age of 16 may only use Bellings (either as a Game Master creating Campaigns or as a Participant/Player in a Campaign) with the verifiable consent and active supervision of a parent or legal guardian.
  • It is the responsibility of the user, and their parent or legal guardian if the user is under 16, to ensure this consent has been obtained before using the Bellings service or providing any personal data.
  • For Players Under 16 (Invited by a Game Master): The Game Master who invites a Player under 16 to their Campaign is also responsible, as per our Terms of Service, for ensuring that appropriate consent has been obtained from that Player’s parent or legal guardian for the collection and processing of the child’s personal data (phone number and nickname) for participation in that specific Campaign.

• Users 16 and Over: Individuals aged 16 and over are generally considered capable of consenting to the processing of their own personal data for services like Bellings under GDPR, unless specific national law in their jurisdiction sets a different age. By using Bellings, users aged 16 and over affirm they have the capacity to consent.

• Our Stance: Bellings does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16 in contravention of our Terms of Service and stated consent requirements. If we become aware that personal data has been collected from a child under 16 without verifiable parental/guardian consent having been appropriately managed (either by the child’s parent/guardian for direct use, or by a Game Master for an invited Player), we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

  • If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 16 has provided us with personal information without the necessary consent procedures being followed, please contact us immediately using the details in Section 10 so we can investigate and take appropriate action.

8. Third-Party Links and Services

The Bellings Service or website may contain links to other websites or services that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party’s site or service. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. If we make material changes, we will notify you by posting the new Privacy Policy on our website and updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

10. Contact Us: Your Privacy Contact at Bellings

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, how we handle your personal data, or if you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, please contact us:

Email: bellings.app@proton.me
(Please include “Privacy Query” or “Data Protection Request” in the subject line to help us direct your inquiry appropriately.)

To help us process your request efficiently, please provide sufficient information to identify yourself (e.g., the phone number associated with your Bellings account). We may need to request further information from you to confirm your identity before proceeding with your request. This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. We aim to respond to all legitimate requests within one month, as required by GDPR.