Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They allow websites to:

Remember information about your visit

Maintain your login session

Understand how you use the site

Improve your experience

There are different types of cookies based on their purpose and duration:

Session Cookies: Temporary cookies that are deleted when you close your browser

Persistent Cookies: Cookies that remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them

Cookies We Use

1. Essential Cookies (No Consent Required)

These cookies are necessary for the Service to function and do not require your consent:

#### Next.js Session Cookies

Purpose: Maintaining your login state and session information

Duration: Session (deleted when you close your browser)

Necessary: Yes - required for account functionality

#### Security Cookies

Purpose: Preventing fraud and protecting account security

Duration: Session or persistent (varies)

Necessary: Yes - required for protection

#### User Preference Cookies

Purpose: Remembering your site preferences and settings

Duration: Persistent (up to 2 years)

Necessary: Yes - required for user experience

2. Analytics Cookies (Consent-Based)

These cookies help us understand how you use the Service and improve it:

#### Custom DataLayer Tracking

Purpose: Tracking page views, user interactions, and site navigation

Duration: Session

Data Collected: Page paths, events, site name

Data Retention: Data aggregated after 12 months; personal identifiers removed

Can You Opt Out? You can disable in your browser; see controls below

#### Vercel Speed Insights

Purpose: Monitoring website performance and identifying speed issues

Duration: Varies (typically short-lived)

Data Collected: Page load times, performance metrics, device information

Third Party: Vercel (USA)

Privacy Policy: https://vercel.com/legal/privacy

Can You Opt Out? These cannot be disabled as they're essential for site reliability

#### Future: Google Analytics (Placeholder)

Purpose: Advanced analytics on user behavior and traffic patterns

Status: Not currently active; will require consent if implemented

Third Party: Google (USA)

3. Advertising Cookies (Future - Consent-Based)

#### Google Adsense (Placeholder)

Purpose: Serving targeted advertisements

Status: Not currently active; will require consent if implemented

Third Party: Google (USA)

Third-Party Cookies

Vercel

Rondebosch Local is hosted on Vercel. Vercel may place cookies for:

Performance monitoring

Analytics tracking

Security purposes

Vercel Privacy Policy: https://vercel.com/legal/privacy

AWS S3

Image and media content is served from AWS S3. AWS may place cookies for:

Content delivery

Access logging

AWS Privacy Policy: https://aws.amazon.com/privacy/

Supabase

User data and listings are stored on Supabase (PostgreSQL). Supabase may place cookies for:

Session management

Security

Supabase Privacy Policy: https://supabase.com/privacy

How to Control Cookies

Browser Settings

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:

View all cookies

Block all cookies

Block third-party cookies only

Delete cookies when you close your browser

Set exceptions for specific websites

Chrome:

1. Click Menu (three dots) > Settings

2. Click "Privacy and security" > Cookies and other site data

3. Choose your preference

Firefox:

1. Click Menu (three lines) > Settings

2. Click "Privacy & Security"

3. Under "Cookies and Site Data," adjust your settings

Safari:

1. Click Safari > Preferences

2. Click "Privacy"

3. Under "Cookies and website data," choose your preference

Edge:

1. Click Menu (three dots) > Settings

2. Click "Privacy, search, and services"

3. Under "Cookies and other site data," choose your preference

Third-Party Cookie Opt-Out

#### Google Analytics Opt-Out

If/when we implement Google Analytics, you can opt out using the official browser extension:

Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on

#### Google Adsense Opt-Out

If/when we implement Google Adsense, you can opt out of personalized advertising:

Google Ad Settings

Do Not Track (DNT)

If your browser supports Do Not Track, we respect this preference. However, some analytics services may not honor this signal.

Impact of Disabling Cookies

If you disable essential cookies:

You may not be able to log in to your account

Some features may not work properly

Your experience may be degraded

If you disable analytics cookies:

We cannot understand how you use the Service

We cannot improve our platform based on your behavior

Your privacy is enhanced

We recommend keeping essential cookies enabled while having the option to disable analytics cookies.

Cookie Duration Reference

| Cookie Type | Duration | Examples |

|-------------|----------|----------|

| Session Cookies | Until you close your browser | Next.js session, security tokens |

| Short-term Persistent | 1-7 days | User preferences, analytics tracking |

| Medium-term Persistent | 1-12 months | Analytics data, performance monitoring |

| Long-term Persistent | Up to 2 years | User preferences, login persistence |

POPIA and South African Privacy Law

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), cookies that collect personal information require:

Transparency about collection and use

Lawful basis for processing

User control and opt-out options (for non-essential cookies)

Essential cookies are exempt from consent requirements. Analytics and advertising cookies require your consent, which we provide through:

This Cookie Policy

Browser-level controls

Opt-out mechanisms for third-party services

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy as we add new services or features. Changes will be communicated via:

Updated "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy

Email notification for material changes

Notice on our website

Your continued use of the Service constitutes acceptance of the updated Cookie Policy.

Contact Us

For questions about our use of cookies or to exercise your choices, please contact us:

Email: hi@skewtree.com

Alternative: Submit a request via our contact form at rondeboschlocal.co.za/contact

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For more information about how we use all personal information (not just cookies), please see our Privacy Policy.