The Short Version
- Your Data. We collect your name, contact info, driver license details, insurance information, and payment data to process your rental. That’s it.
- Why We Use It. To process your booking, comply with Massachusetts law, and contact you about your rental. Not for ads. Not for sale.
- Who Sees It. Our staff, payment processors, and Massachusetts authorities when required by law. No one else.
- Your Rights. You can request access to, correction of, or deletion of your data. Email us to exercise those rights.
Who We Are
This Privacy Policy explains how Berkshire Car Rentals, Inc. (“Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and protects information about you when you visit berkshirecarrentals.com or rent a vehicle from us. We are a Massachusetts corporation, operating in western Massachusetts.
What We Collect
We collect the following categories of information:
- Identifiers: your full name, address, email address, phone number, and date of birth;
- Driver and License Information: your driver’s license number, issuing state, and expiration date, as required by Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, § 32C;
- Insurance Information: your insurer’s name, policy number, and coverage expiration date;
- Payment Information: credit or debit card number and expiration, processed through our payment processor and not stored by us;
- Vehicle Use Data: odometer readings, fuel levels, pick-up and return times, and any damage documentation;
- Internet Activity: IP address, browser type, and pages viewed on our Site, collected through standard web server logs and, if applicable, cookies; and
- Communications: records of email or phone exchanges with our staff.
How We Use Information
We use your information for the following purposes:
- Contract Performance: to confirm your reservation, process your rental, verify your eligibility as required by Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, § 32C, charge for services rendered, and manage post-rental damage or billing matters;
- Legal Compliance: to respond to parking violation inquiries from municipalities as required by Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, § 20E, to collect and remit Massachusetts sales tax under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 64H, to collect and remit the municipal surcharge under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, § 20E, and to comply with any other applicable law or regulation;
- Legitimate Business Interests: to maintain vehicle maintenance records, document pre- and post-rental vehicle condition, and protect the Company against fraudulent or unauthorized transactions; and
- Communication: to contact you regarding your reservation, return instructions, or post-rental charges.
We do not use your information for targeted advertising. We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
Who We Share Your Information With
We share your information only in the following circumstances:
- Payment Processors: your payment card data is transmitted to our third-party payment processor solely to complete the transaction. We do not store full card numbers;
- Law Enforcement and Government Agencies: we disclose renter information to municipalities, law enforcement, and government agencies when required by law, including under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, §§ 20E and 32E, and in response to valid legal process;
- Service Providers: we may share information with vendors who provide vehicle inspection, maintenance, or towing services in connection with your rental, limited to what is necessary to perform those services; and
- Business Transfers: in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the same protections described in this Policy.
We do not share your information with marketers, data brokers, or social media platforms.
How Long We Keep Your Information
We retain your rental records, including your name, license information, insurance data, and rental transaction details, for a minimum of 7 years following the rental transaction, consistent with Massachusetts record-keeping requirements and the statute of limitations for contract and tort claims under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, §§ 2 and 2A. Payment records are retained as required by our payment processor’s compliance obligations. Website access logs are retained for 90 days. We delete or anonymize information when retention is no longer necessary for the purposes stated above.
How We Protect Your Information
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the information we hold, including: (a) restricting access to customer records to staff who need them to perform their duties; (b) using encrypted transmission for payment data; (c) maintaining physical security at our business location; and (d) using a third-party payment processor that maintains PCI-DSS compliance. No method of transmission over the internet or storage is completely secure. In the event of a data breach affecting your information, we will notify you as required by Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93H and the Massachusetts Data Security Regulations at 201 CMR 17.00. Notification will occur within a reasonable time, not to exceed 30 days from discovery.
Your Rights
Under Massachusetts law and applicable federal law, you have the following rights with respect to your personal information:
- Access: you may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
- Correction: you may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
- Deletion: you may request deletion of your information, subject to our legal retention obligations described above;
- Portability: you may request that we provide your information in a commonly used, machine-readable format; and
- Opt-Out of Marketing: if we send you any promotional communications, you may opt out at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in those communications or by contacting us directly.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address below. We will respond within 45 days.
Cookies and Web Analytics
Our Site may use cookies and similar technologies to track visits and improve site performance. A cookie is a small file stored on your browser. We use: (a) session cookies to maintain your browsing session (deleted when you close your browser); and (b) analytics tools (if applicable) to measure traffic patterns. We do not use cookies for behavioral advertising or to share data with social media platforms. You may configure your browser to reject cookies; doing so will not prevent you from using the Site or completing a reservation, but some features may not function as intended.
Updates to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated Policy takes effect on the date posted to the Site. Material changes will be noted by updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. If you have a confirmed reservation at the time of an update, the Privacy Policy in effect at the time of your booking confirmation governs your rental transaction.
Contact Us
For questions about this Privacy Policy, to exercise your rights, or to report a concern about how we handle your data, contact:
We will acknowledge your request within 10 business days.
