Privacy Policy

1. Scope of this Privacy Policy

This policy applies to personal information processed through the MELUSEA website and related website-based communications. It covers information submitted through our contact and RFQ forms, information contained in files uploaded with an RFQ, direct email communications initiated through the website, and limited technical information generated when the website is accessed.

MELUSEA provides marine supply, ship chandling, sourcing and procurement coordination. Because commercial vessel inquiries often contain operational and technical details, the information you submit may relate to your company, vessel, port call, purchasing department, crew contact or technical requirement.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly

Depending on the inquiry, we may collect:

• Your name, company name, business email address and telephone or WhatsApp number.
• Vessel name, IMO number, port or delivery location, ETA, ETD and delivery deadline.
• RFQ descriptions, quantities, product preferences, specifications and commercial requirements.
• Technical information such as maker, model, serial number, part number, dimensions, drawings, photographs, certificates, SDS documents or equipment nameplates.
• Files attached to an RFQ, including PDF, spreadsheet, image, document, CSV or text files.
• Any other information you choose to include in a message or email.

Information collected automatically

Our hosting environment and security systems may generate standard technical logs, including IP address, browser type, operating system, request time, referring page, requested URL, server response status and similar diagnostic information. This information is normally used for website operation, security, troubleshooting and abuse prevention.

3. How We Use Information

We may use information submitted through the website to:

• Review, clarify and respond to vessel RFQs and marine procurement inquiries.
• Identify suitable local, regional or international sourcing channels.
• Request quotations or technical clarification from relevant suppliers, service providers, logistics partners or port-related parties where necessary to process your inquiry.
• Evaluate product availability, specification compatibility, documentation, lead time and delivery feasibility.
• Communicate with you about an inquiry, quotation, order, delivery, technical issue or follow-up request.
• Protect the website against spam, fraud, malicious uploads, unauthorized access and other misuse.
• Maintain business records relating to quotations, transactions, disputes, compliance or accounting where applicable.
• Improve website functionality, RFQ handling and operational processes.

4. Legal Bases for Processing

The legal basis for processing depends on the circumstances and the law that applies to the relevant person or transaction. Processing may be necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, to perform or administer a contract, to comply with a legal obligation, or for legitimate business interests such as responding to commercial inquiries, maintaining security, preventing abuse and managing supplier or customer relationships.

Where consent is required by applicable law for a specific activity, we will rely on consent for that activity and you may withdraw that consent subject to applicable legal limitations.

5. Sharing Information with Suppliers and Service Providers

Marine procurement often requires information to be shared with third parties so that an inquiry can be priced, checked or delivered. We may therefore share only the information reasonably necessary for the task with relevant suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, service companies, logistics providers, vessel agents, port-service providers, hosting providers, email providers, IT/security providers or professional advisers.

For example, a technical RFQ may require maker, model, part number, photograph, quantity, vessel location and delivery deadline to be shared with a supplier in order to identify the correct item and confirm availability.

We do not sell personal information to advertisers.

6. International Data Transfers

MELUSEA operates in an international maritime environment. A vessel RFQ may involve suppliers, service providers or logistics partners located in a country different from the person submitting the inquiry. As a result, information may be processed or transferred internationally when this is reasonably necessary to investigate, quote or coordinate a requirement.

Where applicable data-protection law requires safeguards for an international transfer, appropriate contractual, organizational or other lawful safeguards should be used as required by that law.

7. Data Retention

Information is retained for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and for legitimate operational, contractual, accounting, dispute-resolution, security or legal-record purposes. Retention periods may differ depending on whether an inquiry results in a quotation, order, delivery or continuing commercial relationship.

Unsuccessful or incomplete RFQs may be retained for a shorter period, while transaction-related records may need to be retained longer where required for legal, accounting or compliance purposes.

8. Information Security

Reasonable technical and organizational measures are used to reduce the risk of unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss or misuse. The RFQ form includes measures such as request validation, anti-spam controls, file-type checks and upload-size limits.

No internet transmission, email system, hosting environment or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You should avoid submitting passwords, payment-card credentials or unrelated highly sensitive personal information through the RFQ form.

9. Cookies, Server Logs and Similar Technologies

The website may use strictly necessary or functional technologies required for security, session handling, form protection and normal website operation. The RFQ form may use a session cookie so that security tokens and anti-spam protections can work correctly.

If analytics, advertising, embedded media or other non-essential tracking technologies are added in the future, this policy may be updated and additional consent controls may be implemented where required by applicable law.

10. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location and the law applicable to the processing, you may have rights to request access to personal information, correction of inaccurate information, deletion, restriction of processing, objection to certain processing, portability of certain data, or withdrawal of consent where processing is based on consent.

These rights are not absolute and may be limited where information must be retained for contractual, legal, security, dispute-resolution or other legitimate reasons.

11. Children

This website is intended for business-to-business maritime and procurement activities and is not directed to children. We do not knowingly seek personal information from children through the RFQ process.

12. Changes to this Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated to reflect changes in website functionality, business processes, legal requirements or service providers. The effective date shown at the top of this page indicates the current version.

13. Privacy Contact