Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This is the privacy policy of Sanmaru LLC (a California limited liability company — "Sanmaru", "we", "us", "our") covering https://sanmaru.co and related services (the "Site").

Sanmaru is a local discovery service. Neighbors recommend local makers and small businesses they trust, and those recommendations become findable by others nearby. We are not a marketplace — we do not process payments or bookings.

This policy describes what information we collect, how we use it, and what choices you have. By using the Site, you consent to the practices described here. This policy is incorporated into our Terms and Conditions.

You must be 18 or older to use Sanmaru. See Section 8.

2. Information You Give Us

When you create an account:

• Your email address
• Your first name (shown publicly alongside things you post)
• Optionally, your ZIP code, which we use to determine your neighborhood

When you use the Site:

• Makers you recommend, and the information you provide about them
• Requests you post and answers you give
• Makers you save or like

If you are a maker claiming a listing:

• Business name and description
• Category and what you offer
• Service area — ZIP code and how far you serve
• Contact links (booking page, website, social media)
• Contact email and phone number
• Optionally, a license or permit number
• A photo

When you contact us: whatever you include in your message.

3. Information Collected Automatically

When you use the Site we may automatically collect standard technical information including your IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, and time of access. This is collected through our hosting and analytics providers.

Activity on Sanmaru. We keep our own record of how the Site is used: searches you type (with the number of results and your neighborhood), which maker pages are viewed, and which maker links are followed. When a visit arrives from another website, we record that website's domain, not the specific page. If you are signed in, these records are linked to your account; if not, they are linked to a random identifier stored in your browser. We use them to find searches that come back empty and to understand whether Sanmaru actually sends people to makers.

Cookies and browser storage. We use cookies necessary for the Site to function, primarily to keep you signed in, and we store the random identifier described above in your browser. We do not use advertising cookies. You can block cookies or clear your browser's site data, but sign-in will not work without cookies.

Do Not Track. Some browsers can send a "Do Not Track" signal. Sanmaru doesn't track you across other websites, and we don't currently change how the Site works in response to that signal.

4. Information About People Who Aren't Users

This section is specific to how Sanmaru works. Please read it.

Sanmaru allows neighbors to recommend local makers. This means we may hold information about a maker who has not created an account and did not ask to be recommended.

What we may hold about a recommended maker:

• Business name and a description of what they do
• Category and general service area
• Publicly available links (their website, booking page, or social media)
• Contact details the neighbor gave us (an email, phone number, or social handle) and, optionally, the maker's first name, which we use only to invite the maker to claim their listing
• The neighbor's recommendation

Unclaimed listings are not public. We keep them private while we invite the maker to claim. A listing appears on the Site only after the maker claims it and we have reviewed it. Contact details are never shown publicly, and we do not publish home addresses.

If you are a maker and don't want to be listed or contacted: email hello@sanmaru.co. We will delete your listing and the recommendations attached to it within 7 days. You do not need an account, and you do not need to give a reason.

You may also claim your listing, which lets you correct the information, add your own links, or remove it yourself.

5. How We Use Information

We use information to:

• Operate the Site and show you relevant local makers
• Sign you in and keep you signed in
• Show your first name alongside recommendations you make and requests you post
• Determine your neighborhood so we can show makers near you
• Send you service-related emails (sign-in links, notices about your account or listing)
• Respond to your questions
• Understand how the Site is used so we can improve it
• Detect and prevent abuse, spam, and fraud
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share it with advertisers. We do not send marketing emails unless you have asked us to.

6. Who We Share Information With

We share information only with service providers who help us run the Site, and only as much as they need to do their job. We do not sell your information, and we do not share it with advertisers.

The categories of provider we use:

Category	What they handle
Database and authentication	Your account and the content you post
Hosting and site analytics	Delivering the Site, plus technical logs
Email delivery	Email addresses and the contents of messages we send you
Business email	Correspondence you send us directly

These providers process information on our behalf and are not permitted to use it for their own purposes. The specific companies we use may change over time; if you want to know who they are at any given moment, email hello@sanmaru.co and we'll tell you.

We may also disclose information if required by law, subpoena, or legal process; to protect our rights, safety, or property, or those of our users; or in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets — in which case we will notify you.

7. What's Public

Some information is public by design:

• Your first name, shown alongside makers you recommend, requests you post, and answers you give
• Your recommendations, including what you wrote about the maker
• Your neighborhood or city may be shown alongside a request you post
• Maker listings, including business name, description, service area, and links

Not public: your email address, your exact ZIP code, your phone number, and any maker contact details you provide that we use only for outreach.

Removing your name. You may withdraw a recommendation through your account, which removes your name from it. If you have trouble doing so, email hello@sanmaru.co and we will remove it within 7 days.

8. Age Requirements

Sanmaru is for people 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has given us information, email hello@sanmaru.co and we will delete it.

9. How We Protect Information

We use industry-standard measures to protect information, including encrypted connections, database-level access controls, and passwordless sign-in.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and you provide information at your own risk.

If we become aware of a breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you as required by law.

10. Your Privacy Rights

California residents. Under California law, you may have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose
• Request a copy of your personal information
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Correct inaccurate personal information
• Not be discriminated against for exercising these rights

We do not sell personal information and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Everyone. Regardless of where you live, you may:

• Access the information on your account through your profile
• Correct it yourself in your profile
• Withdraw a recommendation you made
• Delete your account by emailing hello@sanmaru.co

To exercise any of these rights, email hello@sanmaru.co. We will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

11. Data Retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active.

When you delete your account, we delete your personal information, the requests and answers you posted, the makers you saved, and the recommendations you made, along with your name. Records of how the Site was used, such as searches and pages viewed, may be kept without anything that identifies you.

We may retain limited information where required by law, or as necessary to resolve disputes and enforce our agreements.

12. Third-Party Links

The Site links out to makers' own websites, booking pages, and social media. Once you follow a link, you are on someone else's site governed by their privacy practices. We are not responsible for them, and we encourage you to read their policies.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. If we do, we will post the updated version on the Site and update the "Last Updated" date. Material changes will be communicated more prominently. Continued use after changes take effect means you accept them.

14. Contact Us

Questions, requests, or concerns about privacy:

Email: hello@sanmaru.co

Sanmaru LLC · California, USA