Privacy Policy
The Away Message
Effective Date: January 4, 2027
Last Updated: November 6, 2026
At The Away Message ("we," "us," or "our"), we respect your privacy and are committed to handling your personal information responsibly.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share information when you visit our website, submit a travel planning inquiry, purchase a product or service, or otherwise interact with The Away Message.
By using our website or services, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect the following categories of information:
Personal and Contact Information
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Full name
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Email address
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Contact information you voluntarily provide
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Communications, questions, and feedback
Travel Planning Information
When you request personalized travel planning services, we may collect:
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Preferred destinations and departure locations
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Travel dates and trip duration
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Number of travelers
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Travel budgets and preferences
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Accommodation, dining, and activity preferences
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Accessibility or other travel-related needs you choose to share
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Additional information voluntarily provided through questionnaires or correspondence
Please avoid submitting sensitive information, such as passport numbers, payment card details, or medical records, unless specifically necessary and requested through an appropriate secure process.
Purchase and Transaction Information
When you purchase travel planning services or digital products, we may receive information such as your name, email address, purchased items, payment status, and transaction details.
Payments are processed through third-party payment providers. We do not intend to collect or store full payment card numbers directly.
Automatically Collected Information
When you visit our website, our website platform and any enabled analytics tools may collect information such as:
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IP address
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Browser and device information
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Pages visited and website interactions
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Referring websites
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Cookies and similar technologies
2. How We Collect Information
We collect information when you:
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Submit a travel planning inquiry or questionnaire
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Contact us by email or through our website
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Purchase a travel planning service or downloadable product
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Voluntarily submit a testimonial or feedback
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Subscribe to marketing communications, if offered
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Browse or interact with our website
Our website is hosted on Wix, and our travel planning questionnaires may be administered through Google Forms.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use personal information to:
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Respond to inquiries and communicate with prospective clients
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Evaluate travel planning requests and prepare quotes
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Create personalized travel guides and itineraries
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Deliver purchased products and services
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Process transactions and maintain business records
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Provide customer support and respond to feedback
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Improve our website, products, and services
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Send marketing communications when you have subscribed or when otherwise permitted by law
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Maintain website security, prevent fraud, and comply with legal obligations
We use travel preferences and related information to personalize recommendations to your interests, budget, and travel style.
4. How We Share Information
We do not sell personal information to third parties for money.
We may share information with trusted service providers when reasonably necessary to operate our business, including:
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Wix: Website hosting, website functionality, and applicable online store features.
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Google: Google Forms, email, and related tools used to collect and manage inquiries.
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Payment processors: Such as Square, Stripe, PayPal, or other providers we select to process payments.
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Email and communication providers: To send and receive business communications.
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Analytics and website service providers: If enabled, to understand website performance and improve visitor experience.
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These providers process information according to their applicable agreements and privacy practices.
We may also disclose information when required by law, to protect our legal rights, or in connection with a legitimate business transfer.
We do not routinely provide your personal travel questionnaire responses to airlines, hotels, or tour operators. Clients are responsible for making their own reservations unless a separate service arrangement expressly states otherwise.
5. Cookies and Website Analytics
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to support essential website functions, improve performance, understand visitor interactions, and, if enabled, support analytics or marketing features.
Some cookies are necessary for the website to function. Others may be optional.
Where required, visitors will be offered appropriate choices about non-essential cookies.
You can also manage cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.
6. Affiliate Links and Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, travel products, accommodations, attractions, and affiliate partners.
Some links may be affiliate links, meaning The Away Message may earn a commission when you make a qualifying purchase, at no additional cost to you.
When you click an affiliate link, the third-party website may collect information about your visit or purchase according to its own privacy policy.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites.
Affiliate relationships will be disclosed where applicable.
7. Testimonials and Customer Feedback
We may request testimonials or feedback from individuals who have used our travel planning services or received travel planning assistance.
We will obtain permission before publicly displaying identifiable testimonials, names, photographs, or other personal information submitted for promotional purposes.
You may contact us to request removal of a published testimonial. We will review and address requests as appropriate.
8. Data Storage and Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or loss.
Information may be stored through our website platform, Google services, payment providers, and other business tools.
Although we take privacy and security seriously, no method of electronic storage or internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, including providing services, maintaining business records, resolving disputes, and meeting applicable legal obligations.
Information that is no longer reasonably necessary will be deleted, anonymized, or securely retained where required by law.
10. Your Privacy Rights and Choices
Depending on where you live and applicable privacy laws, you may have the right to:
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Request access to personal information we maintain about you
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Request corrections to inaccurate information
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Request deletion of certain personal information
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Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
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Opt out of certain marketing communications
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Exercise other privacy rights available under applicable law
To submit a privacy-related request, please contact us using the email address below.
We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests. Some information may need to be retained for legal, financial, or legitimate business purposes.
11. Marketing Communications
If you subscribe to our newsletter or promotional communications, we may use your email address to share travel inspiration, business updates, special offers, and related content.
You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions included in those communications or contacting us directly.
Unsubscribing from marketing communications will not prevent us from sending necessary transactional or service-related emails.
12. Children's Privacy
The Away Message's website and services are intended for adults and are not directed toward children under the age of 13.
We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13.
If we learn that we have collected such information without appropriate authorization, we will take steps to delete it as required by applicable law.
13. International Visitors and Data Processing
Our website may be accessible to visitors outside the United States.
Personal information may be processed or stored in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate.
Where applicable, we will comply with relevant legal requirements governing international transfers and processing of personal information.
14. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our services, technology, business practices, or legal obligations.
When changes are made, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We will provide additional notice when required by applicable law.
We encourage visitors to review this policy periodically.
15. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact:
The Away Message
Email: [Insert Business Email Address]
Website: [Insert Website URL]
We will make reasonable efforts to respond to privacy-related inquiries in a timely manner.