Privacy Policy

When you create a Welp account, we collect: email address, display name, and an encrypted (bcrypt-hashed) password. If you sign in with Google, we receive your basic Google profile.

We also collect your mobile phone number, SMS verification information (one-time codes and delivery status), and your verification status. Phone verification is required for every account.

When you submit a review, response, or story, we store the content along with the time it was submitted and the account that submitted it. We never share your identity with the public — only the reviewer and the reviewed person know who wrote which review.

We also collect anonymous traffic data: page paths visited, referrer, and a salted hash of your IP + user agent (truncated, non-reversible). We use this only to count visitors and improve the Service.

Your phone number is used for:

• Identity verification (one-time SMS verification codes)
• Account security (password reset codes)
• Review and response notifications
• Fraud prevention (one verified number per account)

Phone numbers are never publicly displayed. Phone numbers are never sold. Phone numbers are only shared with trusted service providers necessary to operate Welp (see Third-Party Services below). Numbers are stored securely alongside your account data.

• To operate, maintain, and improve the Service
• To compute the Statistics & Skinny summary on each profile
• To send transactional text messages (verification codes, review notifications, password reset codes) and, where necessary, transactional emails
• To enforce our community guidelines (AI moderation, ding system)
• To detect abuse and protect the Service

Written submissions may be processed using third-party artificial intelligence services for moderation, safety review, and summarization. Text is sent to the AI provider solely for these purposes. Refer to the provider's own privacy policy for its data handling practices.

• We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information — including your phone number.
• We do not show your identity or phone number to the public — reviews are anonymous to other users.
• We do not independently verify the factual accuracy of user-submitted content.
• We do not track you across other websites.
• We do not send marketing text messages or marketing emails.

Welp uses a session cookie (or a JWT in browser local storage) so we can keep you signed in. We also store a small visitor hash (as described above) to count site traffic. We do not use third-party advertising cookies.

Welp communicates with members primarily by text message (SMS): verification codes, password reset codes, review notifications, responses, and claim updates. Message and data rates may apply. We do not send marketing texts.

Limited transactional email may be used where SMS is unavailable (for example, contacting a non-member who used the contact form). Emails are sent from whatsup@welp3x3.com; replies go to Welp3x3@gmail.com.

User-generated reviews may be retained when necessary for platform integrity, safety, dispute resolution, or legal compliance. Account data is retained while your account is active. Password-reset codes expire after 15 minutes. Visitor traffic logs are retained for analytics for up to 24 months.

If you live in the European Economic Area, the UK, or California, you have the right to access, correct, or delete the personal information we hold about you, and to object to certain uses. To exercise these rights, email Welp3x3@gmail.com. Reviews you have submitted may be retained when necessary for platform integrity, safety, dispute resolution, or legal compliance — see the Review Disputes & Appeals section of our Terms.

Welp is not intended for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from minors.

Passwords are stored as bcrypt hashes. Communication with the Service uses HTTPS. We follow industry-standard practices, but no system is perfectly secure — please use a strong unique password.

We use the following providers to operate the Service. Each processes data according to its own privacy policy:

• MongoDB Atlas — primary data storage
• Textbelt — SMS delivery for verification codes and text notifications (processes your phone number and message content)
• Resend — transactional email delivery
• Third-party artificial intelligence services — content moderation, safety review, and summarization
• Stripe — payment processing for paid features (we never see or store your card number)
• ipwho.is — anonymous IP geolocation for traffic analytics

We may update this Privacy Policy at any time. Continued use of the Service after changes means you accept the updated policy.

Questions about this Privacy Policy can be sent to Welp3x3@gmail.com.