Privacy Policy

Last updated: 1 June 2025

1. Introduction and Scope

Podgorica Cars ("we", "us", "our") operates the car hire booking platform accessible at podgoricacars.com. Our registered place of business is located in Podgorica, Podgorica Municipality, Montenegro. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, process, store, and share your personal data when you use our website, make a reservation, or communicate with us regarding car hire services in Podgorica and the wider Montenegro region.

This policy applies to all visitors, customers, and prospective customers who interact with our platform, whether you are browsing vehicle options, completing a booking for airport pickup at Podgorica Golubovci Airport, or requesting hotel delivery anywhere within the city. By using our services, you confirm that you have read and understood the practices described here.

We are committed to complying with the Law on Personal Data Protection of Montenegro ("ZZPL"), which closely mirrors the principles established by the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Where applicable, we also respect obligations under the EU GDPR as it applies to data subjects who are residents of EU member states.

2. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal information is:

Podgorica Cars
Podgorica, Podgorica Municipality, Montenegro
Email: info@podgoricacars.com
Phone: +1 (832) 404-7179

If you have any questions about how your data is handled, or if you wish to exercise any of your rights described below, please contact us using the details above.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Personal Identification Data

When you create a booking or make an enquiry about car hire in Podgorica, we collect personal identification details including your full legal name, email address, telephone number, and date of birth. Where required by rental partners - particularly for verification of driving eligibility - we may also collect your driving licence number, issuing country, and licence expiry date. This information is necessary to process your reservation and comply with vehicle hire regulations in Montenegro.

3.2 Booking and Transaction Data

We collect data relating directly to your hire, including your chosen pick-up and drop-off locations (such as Podgorica International Airport, the city centre near Trg Republike, or hotel delivery addresses), rental dates, vehicle category preferences, optional add-ons such as child seats or GPS navigation units, and any special instructions you provide. We also retain records of past bookings, cancellations, and modifications associated with your account or email address.

3.3 Payment Information

We do not store full payment card details on our own servers. All payment transactions are processed through certified third-party payment processors who comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). We may retain non-sensitive transaction references, booking confirmation numbers, and invoicing data for accounting and legal compliance purposes.

3.4 Browsing and Technical Data

When you visit podgoricacars.com, we automatically collect certain technical information through cookies and similar technologies. This includes your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, pages viewed, time spent on the site, and device identifiers. This data helps us understand how visitors navigate the site, which vehicle categories attract the most interest, and where technical improvements may be needed.

3.5 Location Data

If you grant permission through your browser or device, we may collect approximate location data to pre-fill pick-up location fields or suggest nearby vehicle availability within Podgorica. You can withdraw this permission at any time through your browser or device settings. We do not track your location continuously or after your session has ended.

3.6 Communications Data

If you contact us by email at info@podgoricacars.com, through an enquiry form, or via telephone, we retain records of that correspondence. This includes the content of your messages, timestamps, and any attachments you send. We use this information to respond to your enquiries, resolve disputes, and improve our customer support processes.

4. How We Use Your Data

4.1 Processing Your Car Hire Reservation

The primary purpose for which we collect your data is to fulfil your booking. This includes confirming vehicle availability, communicating reservation details, coordinating airport pickup or hotel delivery logistics, and issuing hire confirmations and invoices. Without this data, we cannot complete your reservation.

4.2 Customer Support and Service Delivery

We use your contact and booking data to provide assistance before, during, and after your hire period. This covers responding to queries about your vehicle, managing changes or cancellations, and addressing any issues that arise during your trip through Podgorica, along the coast, or up into the Montenegrin highlands.

4.3 Improving Our Platform and Services

Aggregated and anonymised browsing data allows us to analyse which pages, vehicle categories, and booking flows perform well and where user experience can be improved. This helps us refine the platform so that future customers searching for affordable car hire in Podgorica find what they need quickly and easily.

4.4 Marketing Communications

With your explicit consent, we may send you promotional emails about seasonal offers, weekly car hire deals in Podgorica, or new vehicle additions to our fleet. You may withdraw consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email or by contacting us directly. Withdrawing consent will not affect any hire already in progress.

4.5 Legal and Regulatory Compliance

We process personal data where necessary to comply with our legal obligations under Montenegrin law, including tax and accounting requirements, anti-fraud checks, and responding to lawful requests from public authorities. Retention of certain records is mandated by applicable legislation regardless of your preferences.

5. Data Sharing with Third Parties

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We share data only where necessary to deliver the services you have requested or to fulfil legal obligations. The categories of recipients are as follows:

5.1 Rental Fleet Partners

To complete your booking, we share relevant personal and licence details with the vehicle supplier who will provide your hire car. These partners operate under their own privacy policies and are required to handle your data securely in accordance with applicable Montenegrin data protection law.

5.2 Payment Processors

Billing information is transmitted to certified payment processing providers. These processors are contractually bound to use your data solely for transaction purposes and maintain PCI DSS-compliant environments.

5.3 Insurance Providers

Where your hire package includes collision damage waiver or supplemental insurance, relevant booking and driver details may be shared with the insuring party to activate coverage for the duration of your hire period.

5.4 Booking Technology Integrators

Our platform relies on third-party booking engine software and analytics providers. These partners access only the data necessary to perform their specific functions and are bound by data processing agreements that restrict secondary use.

5.5 Legal Authorities

We may disclose personal data to law enforcement, courts, or regulatory bodies in Montenegro and the European Economic Area when required to do so by law, court order, or in connection with the prevention of fraud or other criminal activity.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this policy or as required by Montenegrin and applicable EU law. Booking records, including driver details and transaction data, are retained for a minimum of five years following the hire period to satisfy accounting, tax, and insurance audit obligations. Marketing preferences and consent records are retained until you withdraw consent or request deletion. Technical browsing data collected via cookies is retained for periods set out in our cookie policy, typically ranging from session-only to a maximum of twelve months for analytics cookies.

When data is no longer required, we securely delete or anonymise it so that it can no longer be linked to any individual.

7. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under the Montenegrin Law on Personal Data Protection and, where applicable, the EU GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

7.1 Right of Access

You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, along with information about how it is used and with whom it has been shared.

7.2 Right to Rectification

If any personal data we hold is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request that we correct it without undue delay.

7.3 Right to Erasure

You may request deletion of your personal data where it is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected, where you have withdrawn consent and no other legal basis applies, or where you object to processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds. Please note that some data must be retained for legal reasons and cannot be deleted on request.

7.4 Right to Data Portability

Where processing is based on your consent or on a contract, and is carried out by automated means, you have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to request that we transmit it to another controller where technically feasible.

7.5 Right to Object

You may object at any time to processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes. You may also object to processing based on our legitimate interests, unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests, rights, and freedoms.

7.6 Right to Restrict Processing

In certain circumstances, you may request that we restrict processing of your data - for example, while the accuracy of the data is being contested or while an objection is being assessed.

7.7 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of the rights above, please contact us in writing at info@podgoricacars.com. We will respond within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Agency for Personal Data Protection and Free Access to Information of Montenegro (AZLP), the supervisory authority responsible for data protection in Montenegro.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, disclosure, destruction, or alteration. These measures include encryption of data in transit using industry-standard TLS protocols, restricted access controls limiting data access to authorised personnel only, regular security assessments of our platform infrastructure, and contractual security requirements imposed on all third-party processors.

While we take all reasonable steps to safeguard your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We encourage you to use strong passwords, keep your contact details up to date, and notify us immediately if you suspect any unauthorised use of your booking account.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to support core functionality, remember your preferences, analyse traffic patterns, and enable personalised content. Essential cookies are required for the booking engine to function correctly. Analytics and marketing cookies are only activated with your consent, which you can manage through the cookie consent tool displayed on your first visit to the site. For full details on the cookies we use and how to control them, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

10. International Data Transfers

Your personal data is primarily stored and processed within Montenegro and the European Economic Area. Where data is transferred to countries outside the EEA - for instance, in connection with certain booking technology providers - we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, to provide an equivalent level of data protection.

11. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data processing practices. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify active customers by email. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our platform following any update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

12. Contact Us About Privacy

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data in connection with car hire services in Podgorica, please contact us:

Podgorica Cars
Podgorica, Podgorica Municipality, Montenegro
Email: info@podgoricacars.com
Phone: +1 (832) 404-7179

We aim to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within five working days and to resolve any formal subject access requests within the 30-day statutory period.