Who We Are
Localscavengerhunts (“we”, “us”, “our”) runs the scavenger hunts and website at https://localscavengerhunts.com (the “Services”). This policy explains what information we collect when you play, why we collect it, and the choices you have.
Information We Collect
We collect only what we need to run the hunts.
- Account information: your username, email address, and password. Your password is stored in scrambled form, so we cannot read it.
- Hunt activity: which hunts you join, the stops you complete and when, your answers and guesses, bonus clues you unlock, mystery-picture guesses, and your results and finish times.
- Agreement records: when you accept our Hunt Participation Agreement and Risk Waiver, we record your username, the hunt you joined, the version of the agreement, and the date and time.
- Map pins (GPS hunts): the places on the map where you drop a pin to guess, along with the time of each guess and how close it was. Only we can see how close it was.
- Technical information: your IP address, browser type, and device type. Our web host and the outside services listed below receive these automatically whenever a page loads.
- Messages: anything you send us by email.
We do not ask for your real name, and players cannot upload photos, videos, or messages.
Location Data
GPS hunts do not use your device’s location. You choose a spot on the map yourself.
Some QR hunts check that you are near a code before it counts. In those hunts, your browser asks for permission, and we read your location only at the moment you scan, to confirm you are close enough. We do not save it.
You can say no, or turn location off at any time, in your browser or device settings. In a hunt that requires the check, you will not be able to scan codes without it.
What Other Players Can See
Your username and your progress are public. Leaderboards, live progress panels, results pages, and lists of who solved a bonus puzzle show usernames, stops completed, rankings, and finish times.
Anyone can see these pages, including people who are not logged in, and they may stay up after a hunt ends. Choose a username that does not reveal your real name. We never show your email address or password. If you delete your account, your username on past results is replaced with “Deleted player.”
How We Use Your Information
We use your information to run the hunts and keep them fair.
- Provide and operate the Services, including saving your progress and showing rankings
- Create and secure your account, and send account emails such as password resets
- Announce winners, with their permission, and deliver prizes
- Prevent cheating, fraud, and abuse, for example by limiting guesses
- Fix problems and improve the hunts
We do not use your information for advertising, and we do not run analytics or tracking tools on the site. We send only account and hunt-related emails. We will not send newsletters or promotions unless you ask us to.
Sharing and Outside Services
We do not sell or rent your personal information, and we do not share it with sponsors or other third parties for marketing.
We share information only with:
- Our web host and email provider, who store the site’s data and send our emails for us.
- Prize providers, if you win. We may announce your username publicly or share your contact details with whoever delivers the prize, but only after we ask you and you agree.
- Authorities or others, if the law requires it or to protect safety and our rights.
Your browser also connects directly to the outside services below when you use the site. They receive your IP address and browser details, and their own privacy policies apply to what they do with them.
- Google Fonts supplies the site’s text fonts.
- OpenStreetMap supplies the map images in GPS hunts. If you use the map’s address search, the text you type is sent to OpenStreetMap’s search service.
- unpkg supplies the mapping software in GPS hunts.
- jsDelivr supplies the QR code scanner software in QR hunts.
Cookies
We use cookies only to keep you logged in and remember basic settings. We do not use advertising or analytics cookies. You can block cookies in your browser, but you will not be able to log in.
Data Retention
We keep your account and hunt records while your account is open. You can delete your account yourself at any time from your My Hunts page, or email us and we will do it within 45 days. We then delete your account, email address, password, map pins, and saved bonus clues. Your username on past leaderboards and results is replaced with “Deleted player,” and your finish times and ranking stay so results remain accurate. Routine server backups may hold a copy a little longer before they are overwritten.
We may keep limited records where the law requires it or to resolve a dispute.
We keep the record of your agreement to the Hunt Participation Agreement as proof that you accepted it. If you delete your account, that record stays, but it shows only the hunt, the version, and the date, and is no longer linked to you.
Your Rights
You can ask us at any time to:
- Give you a copy of the information we hold about you (you can download it from your My Hunts page; it leaves out how close each guess was to the answer, because that would give away hunt answers)
- Correct information that is wrong
- Delete your account and data (you can also do this yourself on your My Hunts page)
- Stop using your information where we rely on your consent
Email us at the address below. We may ask you to confirm it is really you, and we will reply within 45 days. Depending on where you live, local law may give you additional rights, and we will honor them as required.
Children’s Privacy
You must be 18 or older to create an account. A player under 18 may take part only with a parent or legal guardian who is playing with them, on that adult’s account. Our Services are not meant for children under 13 to use on their own, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. If you think a child has given us information, email us and we will delete it.
Security
We protect your information with encrypted connections (HTTPS), scrambled password storage, and limited access to our admin tools. No website can promise perfect security, so we cannot guarantee it.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time and will change the date at the top when we do. If a change is significant, we will tell you by email or with a notice on the site. Using the Services after an update means you accept the updated policy.
Contact Us
Questions or requests about your privacy? Email us at [email protected].