Privacy Policy

Last Updated: April 1, 2026

1. Introduction and Overview

Welcome to Sota Slips & Dock Rentals (“Sota Slips,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). Sota Slips operates a peer-to-peer marketplace that connects dock, slip, and mooring owners with boaters seeking waterfront access across Minnesota lakes and waterways. Our platform is accessible at www.sotaslips.com (the “Platform”).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you visit our Platform, create an account, list a property, make a reservation, or otherwise interact with our services. We are committed to transparency and want you to understand how your data is handled.

By accessing or using the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the practices described here, please do not use our services.

2. Definitions

The following terms are used throughout this Privacy Policy:

• “Company” (also referred to as “we,” “us,” or “our”) means Sota Slips & Dock Rentals, the entity responsible for operating the Platform and processing your data.
• “Platform” refers to the Sota Slips & Dock Rentals website located at www.sotaslips.com, including all associated features, tools, and services.
• “Slip Owner” means any individual or entity that lists a dock, slip, or mooring for rental on the Platform.
• “Boater” means any individual who searches for, books, or rents a dock, slip, or mooring through the Platform.
• “Member” refers to any registered user of the Platform, whether a Slip Owner, a Boater, or both.
• “Personal Data” means any information that identifies, relates to, describes, or is reasonably capable of being associated with a specific individual. This includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, payment details, and similar identifiers.
• “Usage Data” means information collected automatically when you interact with the Platform, such as IP addresses, browser type, pages visited, and session duration.
• “Cookies” are small data files placed on your device by the Platform to store browsing preferences and activity information.
• “Service Provider” means any third-party company or individual that performs services on our behalf, such as payment processing, data analytics, email delivery, or customer support.
• “Account” means the unique profile you create to access and use features of the Platform.

3. Information We Collect

We collect several categories of information to operate the Platform, facilitate transactions between Slip Owners and Boaters, and improve your experience.

3a. Personal Data

When you register for an Account, list a property, or make a booking, we may collect the following Personal Data:

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Mailing address
• Payment and billing information (processed through our third-party payment provider)
• Profile photo (if you choose to upload one)
• Government-issued identification (if required for identity verification)

3b. Listing Data

If you are a Slip Owner, we collect information related to the dock, slip, or mooring you list on the Platform, including:

• Property location and address (lake name, GPS coordinates, or street address)
• Photographs and descriptions of the dock, slip, or mooring
• Availability dates and pricing
• Amenities and features (e.g., electrical hookups, water depth, lift availability)
• Rules and access instructions for guests

3c. Vessel Data

If you are a Boater, we may collect information about the vessel you intend to dock, including:

• Boat type and make/model
• Vessel length, beam, and draft
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) registration number
• Insurance documentation (if required by a Slip Owner)

3d. Usage Data

We automatically collect certain technical information when you access or use the Platform, including:

• Internet Protocol (IP) address
• Browser type and version
• Device type, operating system, and unique device identifiers
• Pages visited on the Platform, referring and exit pages
• Date and time of visits, time spent on each page
• Search queries entered on the Platform
• Click patterns and interaction data

When you access the Platform from a mobile device, we may also collect your mobile device ID, mobile operating system, and mobile browser type.

3e. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, pixels, and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience, remember your preferences, and analyze Platform performance. The types of cookies we use include:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the Platform to function properly, including session management and security features.
• Functional Cookies: Allow us to remember your choices and preferences (e.g., language, region, saved searches).
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with the Platform so we can improve functionality and content.
• Marketing Cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns.

You can configure your browser to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are sent. However, disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of the Platform.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Providing and operating the Platform: To create and manage your Account, process bookings, facilitate communication between Slip Owners and Boaters, and deliver the core services of the marketplace.
• Processing transactions: To handle payments, issue receipts, and manage refunds or disputes related to dock, slip, and mooring rentals.
• Communication: To send you booking confirmations, reminders, updates about your listings or reservations, and responses to your inquiries.
• Improving our services: To analyze how the Platform is used, identify trends, diagnose technical issues, and develop new features.
• Personalization: To customize your experience, including recommending listings that may be relevant to you based on your search history and preferences.
• Safety and trust: To verify Member identities, prevent fraud, enforce our Terms of Service, and maintain a secure environment for all users.
• Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes, including tax reporting obligations.
• Marketing: To send you promotional materials about new features, seasonal offers, and marketplace updates, subject to your communication preferences. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time.

5. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your Personal Data. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• With other Members: When a Boater books a slip, dock, or mooring, certain information (such as name, phone number, and vessel details) is shared with the Slip Owner to facilitate the rental. Similarly, Slip Owners’ listing details and contact information are shared with Boaters who have confirmed reservations.
• With Service Providers: We share information with trusted third-party companies that perform services on our behalf, including payment processing, cloud hosting, email delivery, customer support tools, and analytics providers. These Service Providers are contractually obligated to use your data only for the purposes we specify and to protect it appropriately.
• For legal requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request. This includes responding to subpoenas, court orders, or requests from law enforcement agencies.
• To protect rights and safety: We may share information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Sota Slips, our Members, or the public.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your Personal Data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you before your data becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
• With your consent: We may share your information for purposes not described in this Privacy Policy if we obtain your explicit consent.

6. Data Retention

We retain your Personal Data for as long as your Account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. After you close your Account, we may retain certain information for a reasonable period to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, and fulfill legitimate business purposes.

Listing Data and transaction records may be retained for up to seven (7) years following the last transaction to satisfy tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements.

Usage Data is generally retained for shorter periods unless it is necessary for security, fraud prevention, or Platform improvement, or we are legally required to keep it longer.

When your data is no longer needed for the purposes outlined above, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

7. Data Security

We take the security of your Personal Data seriously and implement commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect it. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit using TLS/SSL protocols
• Encryption of sensitive data at rest
• Role-based access controls limiting employee access to Personal Data
• Regular security assessments and vulnerability testing
• Secure cloud infrastructure with reputable hosting providers

Despite our efforts, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to promptly addressing any security incidents and notifying affected Members as required by applicable law.

8. Payment Processing

Sota Slips uses Stripe as our third-party payment processor to handle all financial transactions on the Platform. When you make or receive a payment, your payment card details are provided directly to Stripe and are not stored on our servers.

Stripe adheres to PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards), which are established by the PCI Security Standards Council to ensure the secure handling of payment information. For more information about how Stripe handles your data, please review Stripe’s Privacy Policy at https://stripe.com/privacy.

We may receive limited transaction data from Stripe, such as the last four digits of your card, transaction amounts, and confirmation statuses, which we use to display transaction history in your Account and to resolve any payment-related issues.

9. Analytics

We use third-party analytics services to help us understand how Members use the Platform. These services may collect information about your activity on the Platform, including pages visited, time spent, and navigation paths.

Analytics providers process this data on our behalf and are contractually restricted from using it for their own purposes. The insights we gain help us improve Platform performance, identify popular features, and optimize the user experience.

Where analytics tools use cookies or similar tracking technologies, the information collected is governed by the Cookies and Tracking Technologies section of this Privacy Policy.

10. Email Communications and Marketing

We may send you emails related to your Account activity, including booking confirmations, payment receipts, listing inquiries, and important service announcements. These transactional emails are necessary for the operation of the Platform and cannot be opted out of while your Account is active.

We may also send you promotional emails about new features, seasonal opportunities, marketplace news, and tips for Slip Owners and Boaters. You can opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any promotional email or by updating your communication preferences in your Account settings.

We may use third-party email marketing platforms to manage and send email communications. These providers are contractually obligated to handle your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

11. Children’s Privacy

The Platform is not intended for individuals under the age of eighteen (18). We do not knowingly collect Personal Data from children under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with Personal Data, please contact us at privacy@sotaslips.com, and we will take steps to delete that information from our systems.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected Personal Data from a child under 18 without verified parental consent, we will promptly delete that data.

12. Links to Third-Party Websites

The Platform may contain links to websites, applications, or services operated by third parties. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party website you visit after following a link from our Platform.

The presence of a link on the Platform does not imply our endorsement of the linked website or any association with its operators.

13. Your Rights and Choices

We respect your ability to control your Personal Data. Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the following rights:

• Access: You may request a copy of the Personal Data we hold about you.
• Correction: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete Personal Data.
• Deletion: You may request that we delete your Personal Data, subject to certain legal exceptions (e.g., data we are required to retain for tax or compliance purposes).
• Opt-out of marketing: You may unsubscribe from promotional emails at any time using the link provided in each email or by adjusting your Account settings.
• Data portability: Where technically feasible, you may request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• Withdraw consent: Where we rely on your consent to process data, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing conducted before you withdrew consent.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@sotaslips.com. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe, and no later than required by applicable law.

Note regarding Minnesota law: Minnesota has enacted consumer data privacy legislation that may afford Minnesota residents additional rights with respect to their personal data. We are committed to complying with the Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act and any other applicable state data privacy requirements. If you are a Minnesota resident and wish to exercise rights under state law, please contact us at the email address above.

14. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Rights

Although Sota Slips & Dock Rentals is a Minnesota-based company, we recognize the privacy rights of California residents under the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”).

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

• Know: Request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of Personal Data we have collected about you, the categories of sources from which it was collected, the business purposes for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom it has been shared.
• Delete: Request that we delete the Personal Data we have collected about you, subject to certain legal exceptions.
• Opt out of sale: We do not sell your Personal Data as defined by the CCPA. If our practices change in the future, we will update this policy and provide a clear opt-out mechanism.
• Non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights. You will not receive different pricing, a different quality of service, or be denied access to the Platform for making a privacy request.

To submit a CCPA request, please email us at info@sotaslips.com. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request. California residents may also designate an authorized agent to make requests on their behalf.

Under California Civil Code Section 1798.83 (the “Shine The Light” law), California residents may request information about any disclosure of Personal Data to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, contact us at info@sotaslips.com.

15. Do Not Track

Some web browsers include a “Do Not Track” (DNT) feature that signals to websites that you do not wish to be tracked. There is currently no uniform standard for how companies should respond to DNT signals. At this time, Sota Slips does not respond to DNT signals. If a standard is adopted in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy to reflect our practices.

16. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page and post the updated policy on the Platform.

If we make material changes that significantly affect how we handle your Personal Data, we will provide prominent notice on the Platform or send you a direct notification prior to the changes taking effect. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about our data practices.

Your continued use of the Platform after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

17. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Sota Slips & Dock Rentals

Email: info@sotaslips.com

Website: www.sotaslips.com

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within thirty (30) days of receipt.

Governing Law: This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.