Piston & Polish is an independent car-care guide for owners around the world. We don’t sell anything and we don’t endorse brands, and we try to collect as little personal data as we can. This policy explains in plain English what we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it and what rights you have.
Last updated: 9 October 2026
Who we are
The data controller responsible for this website is:
- Name / organisation: [Complete: legal name of the site owner or company]
- Postal address: [Complete: postal address of the site owner]
- Email: hello@voxevanloi.net
- EU/UK representative (if required): [Complete: name and contact details of representative, or remove this line if not applicable]
If you have any question about this policy or about your data, write to hello@voxevanloi.net and we’ll do our best to help.
What data we collect
1. Comments
If you leave a comment on one of our guides, we collect:
- the name you enter (it can be a nickname);
- your email address (never shown publicly);
- a website address, if you choose to give one;
- the text of your comment;
- your IP address and browser user-agent string, which help us detect spam;
- the date and time of your comment.
Your name, any website you give and your comment are shown publicly next to the article. Please don’t include sensitive personal details, such as your number plate, home address or health information, in a comment.
2. Analytics and cookies
We use an analytics service to see how the site is used, for example which tyre or detailing guides people read most and which pages need improving. The analytics provider is [Complete: name of analytics provider and whether IP anonymisation or a cookieless setup is used].
Depending on your choices, this may collect:
- pages visited, time on page and how you reached the site;
- approximate location (country or region), derived from a shortened or anonymised IP address;
- device type, browser and screen size;
- a randomly generated identifier stored in a cookie or similar technology.
We also use a small number of strictly necessary cookies that make the site work, for example to remember your cookie choices or the comment details you have asked us to remember. For full details of each cookie, see our Cookie Policy.
3. Emails you send us
If you write to hello@voxevanloi.net, we receive your email address, your name if you give it, and whatever you put in your message.
4. Server logs
Like almost every website, our hosting provider keeps basic technical logs (IP address, date and time, page requested and browser type) to keep the site secure and running smoothly.
Why we use your data and our legal basis
Under the UK GDPR and the EU General Data Protection Regulation, we must have a legal basis for each use of your personal data. Here’s how that works on this site:
| Purpose | Data used | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Publishing and moderating comments | Name, email, website, comment, IP address | Consent, which you give when you submit a comment, and our legitimate interest in keeping discussions useful and spam-free |
| Preventing spam and abuse | IP address, user-agent, comment content | Legitimate interests (protecting the site and its readers) |
| Understanding how the site is used (analytics) | Usage data, device data, cookie identifiers | Consent, given through our cookie banner (you can withdraw it at any time) |
| Strictly necessary cookies | Cookie preferences, session data | Legitimate interests / exemption for strictly necessary storage |
| Replying to your messages | Email address, name, message content | Legitimate interests (answering your questions) |
| Security and site maintenance | Server logs | Legitimate interests (keeping the site safe and available) |
| Meeting legal obligations | Any relevant data | Legal obligation |
We never sell your personal data, and we don’t use it for profiling or automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you.
How long we keep your data
| Data | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Published comments and the details attached to them | [Complete: e.g. for as long as the article is online, or until you ask us to remove them] |
| Comments marked as spam or rejected | [Complete: retention period] |
| Analytics data | [Complete: retention period set in the analytics provider] |
| Cookies | See the Cookie Policy for each cookie’s lifespan |
| Emails you send us | [Complete: retention period] |
| Server logs | [Complete: retention period set by hosting provider] |
When a retention period ends, we delete the data or anonymise it so it can no longer identify you.
Who we share data with
We share personal data only with service providers that help us run the site. They act on our instructions and must protect your data:
- Web hosting: [Complete: name of hosting provider and country]
- Analytics: [Complete: name of analytics provider and country]
- Spam filtering for comments: [Complete: name of anti-spam service, or remove if none is used]
- Email: [Complete: name of email provider]
We may also disclose data if the law requires it, for example in response to a valid request from a court or public authority.
International transfers
Some of these providers may process data outside the UK or the European Economic Area. Where that happens, we make sure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as an adequacy decision or Standard Contractual Clauses. [Complete: list any countries data is transferred to and the safeguard used for each.]
Your rights
Depending on where you live, data protection law gives you the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you and get a copy of it;
- Rectify data that is inaccurate or incomplete;
- Erase your data, for example by asking us to delete a comment;
- Restrict how we use your data in certain circumstances;
- Object to processing based on our legitimate interests;
- Data portability, meaning you can receive data you gave us in a commonly used, machine-readable format;
- Withdraw consent at any time, for example by changing your cookie settings. This doesn’t affect anything we did lawfully before you withdrew it.
To use any of these rights, email hello@voxevanloi.net. We may need to ask a few questions to confirm your identity. We’ll reply within one month, and using your rights is free in most cases.
Complaints to a supervisory authority
If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your data, please contact us first so we can try to put it right. You also have the right to complain to a data protection supervisory authority, in particular in the country where you live, work or think the problem happened.
- In the UK, this is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
- In the European Union, each member state has its own national data protection authority, and the European Data Protection Board publishes a list of them.
- Our lead supervisory authority is: [Complete: name and contact details of the relevant supervisory authority for the site owner].
Keeping your data safe
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including encrypted (HTTPS) connections, restricted access to the site’s admin area and keeping our software up to date. No website can be completely secure, but we work to keep the risks low.
Children
Piston & Polish is written for adult car owners. We don’t knowingly collect personal data from children. If you think a child has given us personal data, please contact us and we’ll delete it.
Links to other websites
Our guides sometimes link to other websites, such as official safety or vehicle information sources. We aren’t responsible for how those sites handle your data, so please read their own privacy policies.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time, for example if we change analytics provider or add a new feature. When we do, we’ll change the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. If a change is significant, we’ll make it clear on the site.
Contact us
If you have questions, requests or concerns about your privacy, email hello@voxevanloi.net. For details about cookies and how to manage them, see our Cookie Policy.