Privacy Policy

Introduction

This Privacy Policy describes how Indihive and its affiliates (together, “TripByBid”, “we”, “our”, “us”) collect, use, share, protect and otherwise process your information and personal data through our website www.tripbybid.com, its mobile site and any mobile application (the “Platform”). You can browse some sections of the Platform, such as the home page, pricing and holiday packages, without registering.

We do not offer any product or service under this Platform outside India. By visiting the Platform, providing your information or using any product or service on it, you expressly agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy, our Terms of Service and the applicable service terms, and to be governed by the laws of India, including the laws on data protection and privacy. If you do not agree, please do not use or access the Platform.

1. What we collect

We collect your personal data when you use the Platform or otherwise interact with us during our relationship. It includes, but is not limited to:

• Account details: your name, email address, mobile number and password when you sign up, and your profile details.
• Trip details: the routes, dates, preferences and budget in your requests, and the names, ages and other details of the travellers a booking is for, which agents need to issue tickets.
• Travel agents: business details, licences, identity and address proofs and other verification documents, and the bank details needed to pay out earnings.
• Transactions: the bookings, payments, refunds and payouts made through the Platform. Card, UPI and net-banking details are entered on our payment partner Cashfree Payments’ secure checkout and are not stored by us.
• Communications: your messages with agents or travelers on the Platform, the documents you upload (such as tickets and vouchers) and your messages to our support team.
• Technical data: your device, browser, IP address and how you use the Platform, which we compile and analyse on an aggregated basis.

You can always choose not to provide information by not using a particular service or feature. When a third-party business partner collects personal data directly from you, their privacy policy governs it; we are not responsible for their practices, so please read their policy before sharing your information.

Beware of fraud: if you receive an email or call from a person or organisation claiming to be TripByBid and asking for personal data such as your card PIN, OTP, net-banking or mobile banking password, never provide it. If you have already shared such information, report it immediately to an appropriate law enforcement agency and to us.

2. How we use it

We use personal data to provide the Services you request, and to:

• share your request with travel agents and let them bid on it, and fulfil the booking you choose;
• process payments, cancellations, refunds and agent payouts;
• verify travel agents and keep the marketplace safe;
• send booking updates, notifications and support replies;
• resolve disputes, troubleshoot problems and enhance your experience;
• detect and protect against error, fraud and other criminal activity, and enforce our Terms;
• tell you about offers, products, services and updates, and conduct research, analysis and surveys.

Where we use your personal data for marketing, you can opt out at any time. If you do not give us a permission we ask for, your access to some features may be affected.

3. Who we share it with

• Travel agents: agents see your request so they can bid; the agent whose bid you accept receives the traveller details they need to book your trip.
• Service providers: companies that run parts of the Platform for us, such as payment processing (Cashfree Payments), hosting and databases, real-time messaging and email delivery, each bound to use the data only to provide their service to us.
• Our group entities and affiliates, to provide you with the services they offer. They may market to you as a result unless you opt out.
• Authorities: government agencies or authorised law enforcement agencies, where the law requires it or where we believe in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to respond to subpoenas, court orders or other legal process; and law enforcement offices, third-party rights owners or others where we believe in good faith that it is reasonably necessary to enforce our Terms or this Privacy Policy, respond to claims that content violates a third party’s rights, or protect the rights, property or personal safety of our users or the public.

We do not sell or rent your personal data to anyone.

4. Where it is stored

Your personal data is primarily stored and processed in India. Some of our service providers may process it on servers outside India; where they do, we use providers with security standards comparable to ours.

5. Cookies

We use essential cookies to keep you signed in and secure your session, and your browser’s storage to remember preferences such as light or dark mode. We do not use advertising cookies.

6. Security precautions

To protect your personal data from unauthorised access or disclosure, loss or misuse, we adopt reasonable security practices and procedures. Data travels over encrypted (HTTPS) connections, and access to it is limited to the people and systems that need it. However, transmission over the internet is never completely secure for reasons beyond our control. By using the Platform, you accept the security implications of data transmission over the internet, which cannot always be guaranteed as completely secure. You are responsible for protecting the login and password of your account.

7. Data deletion and retention

You can delete your account from Settings on the Platform; you will then lose access to the account and all information related to it. You can also write to us at the contact details below for help. We may refuse or delay deletion while a grievance, claim, booking, refund or payout is pending.

We retain personal data no longer than the purpose for which it was collected requires, or as long as applicable law requires, for example tax and accounting records of transactions. We may retain data related to you where we believe it is necessary to prevent fraud or future abuse, or for other legitimate purposes, and we may keep it in anonymised form for analytics and research.

8. Your rights

You can access, correct and update your personal data directly through the Platform’s profile and settings pages. For anything you cannot change there, write to us.

9. Consent

By visiting the Platform or providing your information, you consent to the collection, use, storage, disclosure and other processing of your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you disclose personal data relating to other people, such as fellow travellers, you represent that you have the authority to do so and permit us to use it in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

You consent to us, our affiliates and our business partners contacting you through SMS, instant messaging apps, calls and/or email for the purposes in this Privacy Policy. You can withdraw a consent you have given by writing to the Grievance Officer below with the subject line “Withdrawal of consent for processing personal data”. We may verify such requests before acting on them. A withdrawal is not retrospective and is subject to our Terms, this Privacy Policy and applicable law; if you withdraw consent, we may restrict or stop the Services for which we consider the information necessary.

10. Children

The Platform is meant for users aged 18 and over. Bookings for minors must be made by a parent, guardian or other adult traveling with them, who provides the minor’s details with their consent.

11. Changes to this Privacy Policy

Please check this Privacy Policy periodically for changes. We may update it to reflect changes to our information practices, and we will notify you of significant changes in the manner applicable law requires.

12. Grievance Officer

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the rules made under it, the Grievance Officer for the Platform is:

Contact us

For any question, concern or communication about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us. We reply on working days, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 IST.