Last updated: 24 July 2026
This policy explains what information Stellar Local collects, why, and what we do with it. Stellar Local is a service that manages a retailer's Google Business Profile on their behalf. It is operated by Useful for Humans Ltd ("we", "us"), the data controller, under the Stellar Local brand for the Tarkett retailer network.
With a retailer's permission, Stellar Local connects to their Google Business Profile and helps keep it active: publishing posts, replying to reviews, adding profile information, and reading back performance figures. The retailer connects their Google account using Google's OAuth sign-in and grants the Google Business Profile management scope (https://www.googleapis.com/auth/business.manage). That permission lets us act on the listings the retailer manages. The retailer stays the owner and can remove our access at any time from their Google account.
| Data | Why we hold it |
|---|---|
| Business name, contact name, contact email, and phone number | To set up and run the retailer's account and to contact them about the service. |
| A Google authorisation token (OAuth refresh token) | To act on the retailer's Google Business Profile on their behalf. It travels over encrypted connections and is held in an access-controlled database, and is never shown to anyone. Encryption at rest is being rolled out. |
| Profile content from Google (business details, posts, reviews, photos) | To audit the listing, generate posts and replies, and show the retailer what has been done. |
| Performance metrics from Google (how often the profile was found, calls, direction requests, review counts) | To report results to the retailer and to Tarkett at network level in aggregate. |
| Customer names, email addresses, and phone numbers that the retailer provides, where the retailer uses our review-request feature | Only to send a review request to that customer on the retailer's behalf. See "Customer data" below. |
If a retailer asks us to invite their customers to leave a review, the retailer provides the customer's contact details. We use those details only to send the request and a single gentle reminder, and to record whether a request was sent, opened, or led to a review. We do not sell this data, we do not use it to advertise, and we do not pass a retailer's customer details to Tarkett. Customers can opt out at any time, and any SMS includes a STOP option. Reviews are always requested, never incentivised, in line with Google's policies.
For retailer account data and acting on the Google profile, our legal basis is the performance of our contract with the retailer (and Tarkett as the funder of the service). For customer review requests, we act as a processor on the retailer's instructions; the retailer is responsible for having a lawful basis to share those contact details with us. For service and security communications, our basis is our legitimate interest in running the service safely.
We use a small number of trusted providers to run the service. They process data on our instructions:
| Provider | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Google (Business Profile APIs) | The listing we manage and the source of profile and performance data. |
| Supabase | Database and storage for account and profile data. |
| Netlify | Application hosting and content delivery. |
| Resend | Sending service and report emails. |
| Twilio | Sending SMS messages, including review requests where used. |
| Anthropic (Claude) | Generating draft posts and review replies from the profile's own information. Drafts are produced for the retailer; customer contact details are not sent for this purpose. |
Stellar Local's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs to any other app will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. We use Google user data solely to provide and improve the Business Profile management service the retailer has asked for. We do not use it for advertising, we do not sell it, and we do not allow humans to read it except where needed to run the service, with the retailer's permission, or as required by law.
We keep account and profile data for as long as the retailer uses the service. If a retailer disconnects or asks us to close their account, we remove our Google access and delete their account data within 30 days, except where we must keep limited records to meet a legal obligation. Customer contact details used for review requests are kept only as long as needed to run that request and are then removed.
Retailers, and customers whose details a retailer has shared with us, have the right to access their data, to have it corrected or deleted, to restrict or object to processing, and to data portability. To exercise any of these, email privacy@stellarlocal.co.uk. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk, though we would like the chance to help first.
If we change this policy we will update the date at the top of this page and, for material changes, let retailers know by email.