Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy is applicable to any person ("User") who purchases, intends to purchase, or inquires about any product(s) or service(s) made available by Shivam Travels Varanasi through any of its customer interface channels including its website, mobile site, mobile app, and offline channels including call centers and offices (collectively referred to as "software development").

For the purpose of this Privacy Policy, wherever the context so requires "you" or "your" shall mean the User, and the term "we", "us", "our" shall mean Shivam Travels Varanasi.

By using or accessing the Website or other software development, the User hereby agrees with the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you disagree with this Privacy Policy, please do not use or access our Website or other software development.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to any website(s) or mobile apps of third parties, even if their websites/products are linked to our Website. We recommend you review the privacy statements of any such third parties with whom you interact.

This Privacy Policy is an integral part of your User Agreement with Shivam Travels Varanasi.

Data shared with Shivam Travels Varanasi shall be primarily processed in India and in such other jurisdictions where a third party engaged by us may process data on our behalf. By agreeing to this policy, you provide us with your explicit consent to process your personal information for the purpose(s) defined herein.

If you wish to withdraw your consent, you may do so by writing to: shivamtravels12@gmail.com. However, withdrawal of consent may inhibit our ability to service your booking, and we may have to refuse or cancel the booking accordingly.

A withdrawal of consent may:

• Severely inhibit our ability to serve you properly, and we may have to refuse the booking altogether; or
• Unreasonably restrict us from servicing your booking (if already made), which may further affect your trip or compel us to cancel your booking.

The information below is collected to provide the services chosen by you and to fulfill our legal obligations as per our User Agreement.

Registration on the Website

Information provided while subscribing or registering, including but not limited to: name, gender, marital status, age, profile picture, email address, postal address, telephone/fax numbers, banking details (credit/debit card), billing information, and payment history (as shared by you).

Other Information

• Transactional history (other than banking details) about your e-commerce activities and buying behavior.
• Usernames, passwords, email addresses and security-related information used in relation to our Services.
• Data created by you or a third party that you wish to store on our servers (image files, documents, etc.).
• Data from public domain or third parties including social media channels (name, email, friend lists, profile pictures, or other permitted information).
• Information pertaining to other traveler(s) for whom you make a booking — you must confirm that such traveler(s) have agreed to share their information with us and our service providers.
• For visa-related services: copies of passport, bank statements, filled application forms, photographs, and any other information required by the respective embassy.
• For international bookings: PAN card details or passport number in compliance with the Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS) of RBI or any other applicable law.
• For contactless hotel check-in: government identification (Aadhaar, driving license, election card, etc.), self-declaration, date of birth, and destination/origin of travel.
• Covid-19 Vaccination status and certificate where required for availing a specific service. We will never process the beneficiary ID or other ID details in the vaccination certificate.

Shivam Travels Varanasi will always redact all sensitive and confidential information contained in vaccination certificates, passbooks, bank statements, or any identity card submitted for services. We will never share PAN card details, vaccination certificates, passport details, or Aadhaar card details without prior consent, unless required by law enforcement, court order, or legal process.

While Making a Booking

We may use your Personal Information including payment details (cardholder name, credit/debit card number in encrypted form, expiration date, banking details, wallet details) as shared and stored by you. We also use the traveler list linked to your account to expedite your booking process.

We may also use your Personal Information to:

• Confirm your reservations with the respective service providers;
• Keep you informed of the transaction status;
• Send booking confirmations via SMS, WhatsApp, or any other messaging service;
• Send updates or changes to your booking(s);
• Allow our customer service to contact you, if necessary;
• Customize the content of our website and mobile app;
• Request reviews of products or services;
• Send verification messages or emails;
• Validate/authenticate your account and prevent misuse or abuse;
• Contact you on your birthday/anniversary to offer a special gift or offer.

Surveys

We frequently conduct surveys, both online and offline. Participation is entirely optional. Information received is aggregated and used to improve our Website, software development, and services. The identity of survey participants remains anonymous unless otherwise stated.

Marketing Promotions, Research and Programs

Shivam Travels Varanasi may sponsor promotions allowing Users the opportunity to win travel-related prizes. We use collected Personal Information to notify contest winners and to develop promotions and product improvements. As a registered User, you may occasionally receive updates about fare sales, special offers, new services, and marketing programs.

We may also launch reward programs by which users may win travel-related rewards. You may opt out of such programs by writing to us. For fraud detection purposes, we may verify certain customer information, including credit information, on a selective basis.

Shivam Travels Varanasi will retain your Personal Information on its servers for as long as is reasonably necessary for the purposes listed in this policy. In some circumstances, we may retain your Personal Information for longer periods as required by legal, regulatory, tax, or accounting requirements.

Where your personal data is no longer required, we will ensure it is either securely deleted or stored in a way that means it will no longer be used by our business.

To delete your account, please contact us at shivamtravels12@gmail.com.

Service Providers and Suppliers

Your information may be shared with end service providers such as airlines, hotels, bus service providers, cab rental companies, railways, or any other suppliers responsible for fulfilling your booking. By making a booking with Shivam Travels Varanasi, you authorize us to share your information with these providers solely for the purpose of fulfilling the service.

Shivam Travels Varanasi does not sell or rent individual customer names or Personal Information to third parties, except with business/alliance partners or vendors engaged for providing referral services or promotional benefits.

Companies in the Same Group

In the interests of improving personalization and service efficiency, we may share your Personal Information with our affiliate or associate entities under controlled and secure circumstances. This will enable us to provide you with information about products and services that might interest you, or to address your queries related to bookings.

Business Partners and Third-Party Vendors

We may share certain filtered Personal Information with corporate affiliates or business partners who may offer products/services to enhance your travel experience — such as co-branded credit cards, travel insurance, or insurance against loss of sensitive information. If you avail such services, they will be governed by the privacy policy of the respective service provider.

Disclosure of Information

Shivam Travels Varanasi may disclose your Personal Information if required to do so:

• By law, court order, or in reference to any legal process;
• To conduct our business;
• For regulatory, internal compliance, and audit purposes;
• To secure our systems; or
• To enforce or protect the rights or properties of Shivam Travels Varanasi or its affiliates, associates, employees, directors, or officers.

Shivam Travels Varanasi provides an option for users to post their experiences through reviews, ratings, and general poll questions. Customers may also post questions related to our services or answer questions raised by other users. We may engage third parties to gather feedback about your recent booking with us.

Though participation in the feedback process is purely optional, you may receive emails, app notifications, SMS, or WhatsApp messages requesting your review or answers to other users' questions.

The UGC that Shivam Travels Varanasi collects may include:

• Reviews and Ratings
• Questions and Answers
• Crowd-sourced data collection (poll questions)

Each User who posts reviews, Q&A, or photographs will have a profile visible to other Users, which may show the number of trips, reviews written, questions asked and answered, and photographs posted.

You will occasionally receive email updates from us about fare sales, special offers, new Shivam Travels Varanasi services, and other noteworthy items. We hope you will find these updates interesting and informative.

If you wish not to receive them, please click on the "Unsubscribe" link or follow the instructions in each email message.

When the Shivam Travels Varanasi app is installed on your phone or tablet, the following permissions are required for the app to function effectively:

Android Permissions

• Device & App History: To obtain device information (OS name, version, mobile network, hardware model, unique device identifier) and optimize your booking experience.
• Identity: To auto-fill your email ID and provide a seamless in-funnel experience; also to facilitate Facebook and Google login.
• Location: To provide location-specific deals, auto-fill your nearest city/airport, and recommend nearby hotels for last-minute bookings.
• SMS: To auto-fill OTP during transactions and validate your mobile number for a seamless booking experience.
• Phone: To enable direct phone calls to hotels, guides, and our customer support from within the app.
• Contacts: To enable social features like sharing your tour packages with friends or sending referral links.
• Camera: To upload profile pictures, share hotel or temple reviews, record video reviews, and scan QR codes for UPI payments.
• Calendar: To add your travel plan to your personal calendar.

iOS Permissions

• Notifications: To send exclusive deals, promotional offers, and travel updates. If not opted in, updates will be sent via SMS.
• Contacts: To enable social features such as sharing tours with friends and sending referral links.
• Location: To provide location-specific deals and auto-fill your nearest airport or city.
• Camera & Photo Library: To enable uploading or clicking a profile picture.

All payments on the Website are secured. Personal Information you provide is transmitted using TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption — a proven system that lets your browser automatically encrypt data before you send it to us.

Our Website has stringent security measures in place to protect against loss, misuse, and alteration of the information under our control. Whenever you change or access your account information, we offer the use of a secure server. Once your information is in our possession, we adhere to strict security guidelines, protecting it against unauthorized access.

You may withdraw your consent to submit any or all Personal Information or decline to provide any permissions at any time. In such a case, your access to the Website may be limited, or we might not be able to provide certain services to you.

You may withdraw your consent by sending an email to: shivamtravels12@gmail.com

You may access your Personal Information from your user account with Shivam Travels Varanasi. You may also correct your personal information or delete such information (except some mandatory fields) directly from your user account.

If you don't have a user account, please write to us at shivamtravels12@gmail.com.

You must be at least 18 years of age to transact directly with Shivam Travels Varanasi and to consent to the processing of your personal data.

We reserve the right to revise this Privacy Policy from time to time to suit various legal, business, and customer requirements. We will duly notify users as may be necessary.

You may always submit concerns regarding this Privacy Policy via email to us at shivamtravels12@gmail.com. Shivam Travels Varanasi shall endeavor to respond to all reasonable concerns and inquiries.