Privacy Policy

Stocked Scout (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates stockedscout.com and related services (the “Service”). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.

1. Information we collect

• Account information: email address and a hashed password when you register.
• Account activity: followed lakes, alert preferences, saved searches (Premium), and related settings.
• Community content: catch photos you upload, captions, tagged water names and states, optional location coordinates associated with a post, follows of other Community profiles, comments (when enabled), and reports you submit about posts.
• Usage & technical data: IP address, browser type, device information, pages viewed, approximate location derived from ZIP codes you search, and — if you choose “Use my location” — precise coordinates from your device used to run that search (not stored as a standing profile location).
• Payment data: if you subscribe to Premium, payments are processed by Stripe. We receive subscription status and related billing identifiers; we do not store full card numbers on our servers.
• Communications: verification codes, password-reset messages, stocking alerts, and support emails you send us.

Catch photos may contain embedded metadata (for example EXIF location or device details) if present in the file you upload. Do not upload photos you are uncomfortable sharing publicly with other users.

2. How we use information

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Service (searches, maps, lake details, follows, alerts, and Community features).
• Display Community posts and profile display names to other users of the Service.
• Authenticate accounts and verify email addresses.
• Process Premium subscriptions and manage billing with Stripe.
• Send transactional messages (verification, resets, stocking alerts you enable).
• Moderate Community content, review reports, prevent abuse, and meet legal obligations.

3. Public fishery & map data

Lake locations, stocking schedules, boat access, weather, and water levels come from public sources (including state wildlife agencies, NWS, and USGS) and mapping providers. That data is not personal information about you, but your searches may associate ZIP codes or map views with your account session.

4. How we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:

• Other users: Community display name (derived from your account), catch photos, captions, lake tags, and similar post content are visible to other users while a post is shown in Community. Your email address is not shown as part of a post.
• Service providers who help us operate the Service (for example email delivery, hosting, and Stripe for payments), under appropriate safeguards.
• Legal & safety when required by law or to protect rights, security, and integrity of the Service.
• Business transfers if we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, subject to this Policy’s spirit.

5. Cookies & similar technologies

We use essential cookies and similar technologies for sign-in sessions and security. See our Cookies Policy for details.

6. Data retention

We keep account data while your account is active. Community posts and photos are kept until you delete them, we remove them for moderation or legal reasons, or you ask us to close your account. You may unfollow lakes or close your account by contacting us. We may retain limited records as needed for security, billing disputes, backups, abuse prevention, and legal compliance.

7. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information (including hashed passwords and HTTPS). No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. Community content you choose to post is intentionally shared with other users.

8. Children’s privacy

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

9. Your choices

• Update or delete followed lakes and alert settings from My lakes.
• Disable stocking alerts for individual lakes.
• Delete your own Community posts from the Community feed when that control is available.
• Manage Premium billing through the Stripe customer portal when available.
• Request account deletion or a copy of your account email data by contacting us. Account deletion may remove or anonymize associated Community posts where practical.

10. Changes

We may update this Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when we do. Continued use of the Service after updates means you accept the revised Policy.

11. Contact

For privacy questions, email Stocked Scout <noreply@stockedscout.com>.