At 4Drive Albania (operating through 4drivealbania.com), we take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you use our car hire services in Albania. By making a booking or using our website, you agree to the practices described in this policy.
1. Who We Are
4Drive Albania is a direct car rental provider operating in Albania. We offer no-deposit, no-credit-card car hire services with pickup available at Tirana International Airport (Rinas, Mother Teresa Airport, TIA), in Tirana city centre, and across major Albanian cities including Durres, Vlore, Saranda, Shkoder, Berat, and Gjirokaster.
When you rent a car through 4Drive Albania, you enter into a rental agreement directly with us. We are the data controller responsible for your personal information collected through our website and booking process.
2. What Information We Collect
We collect personal data necessary to process your car rental booking, deliver the vehicle, and provide customer support. The information we collect includes:
2.1 Booking Information
- Full name and date of birth
- Email address and telephone number
- Pickup and drop-off locations in Albania (Tirana airport, city address, hotel)
- Rental dates and duration
- Vehicle category selected (economy, compact, sedan, SUV, etc.)
- Optional extras (child seat, GPS, additional driver)
2.2 Driver Documentation
- Driving licence number, issue date, expiry date, and issuing country
- Passport or national ID number for identity verification
- International Driving Permit (IDP) details if required for non-EU drivers
- Age verification (minimum 21 years for economy cars, 23+ for SUV and premium vehicles)
2.3 Payment Information
4Drive Albania accepts payment by debit card, credit card (Visa, Mastercard), and cash at pickup. When you pay online or provide card details for reservation:
- Card type, last four digits, and expiry date (full card numbers are processed securely by our payment gateway and never stored on our servers)
- Billing address
- Transaction reference and payment confirmation
We do not require a deposit or credit card security hold. Payment can be completed by debit card or in cash (Albanian Lek or Euro) when you collect the vehicle.
2.4 Technical and Usage Data
When you visit 4drivealbania.com, we automatically collect certain technical information:
- IP address and geolocation (country and city level)
- Browser type, operating system, and device information
- Pages viewed, time spent on site, and referral source
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Cookies section below)
2.5 Communication Records
- Email correspondence, live chat messages, and phone call notes
- Customer service requests and feedback
- Reviews and testimonials you choose to submit
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
3.1 Processing Your Rental Booking
- Confirming your reservation and sending booking confirmation by email
- Arranging vehicle pickup at your chosen location (Tirana airport terminal, hotel, city office)
- Verifying your driving licence and age eligibility
- Processing payment by debit card, credit card, or cash
- Preparing the rental agreement and insurance documentation
3.2 Providing Rental Services
- Delivering the vehicle to your pickup point in Albania
- Providing full insurance coverage (CDW, third-party liability, theft protection) included in every rental
- Offering roadside assistance and customer support during your rental period
- Managing vehicle returns, fuel charges, and any additional services requested
3.3 Customer Support and Communication
- Responding to enquiries via email, phone, or live chat
- Sending booking reminders, pickup instructions, and important updates
- Handling changes to your reservation, cancellations, and refund requests
- Resolving any issues during or after your rental period
3.4 Legal and Safety Obligations
- Complying with Albanian traffic laws and car rental regulations
- Reporting accidents, traffic violations, or insurance claims
- Cooperating with law enforcement and legal authorities when required
- Maintaining records as required by Albanian tax and business legislation
3.5 Marketing and Promotional Communications (Optional)
If you opt in, we may send you:
- Special offers and discounts on car hire in Albania
- Seasonal promotions for travel to Tirana, the Albanian Riviera, Saranda, and other destinations
- Updates about new vehicle models and service improvements
You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link or contacting us directly. This will not affect essential booking communications.
4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Compliance)
We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Albanian data protection law:
- Contract Performance: Processing is necessary to fulfil the car rental contract between you and 4Drive Albania.
- Legal Obligation: We must process certain data to comply with Albanian law, tax regulations, and traffic legislation.
- Legitimate Interests: We process data to improve our services, prevent fraud, and ensure the safety of our vehicles and customers.
- Consent: For marketing communications, we rely on your explicit opt-in consent, which you can withdraw at any time.
5. How We Share Your Information
4Drive Albania does not sell or rent your personal data to third parties. We may share your information with the following entities only when necessary to provide our services:
5.1 Service Providers
- Payment processors: Secure payment gateways that handle debit and credit card transactions (PCI-DSS compliant).
- Booking widget provider: Our booking system partner (LocalRent) processes reservation data on our behalf under strict data protection agreements.
- Insurance partners: Insurers providing full coverage (CDW, third-party liability) included in every 4Drive Albania rental.
- Email and communication platforms: Services used to send booking confirmations, reminders, and customer support messages.
5.2 Legal and Regulatory Authorities
We may disclose your data to Albanian law enforcement, courts, tax authorities, or other government bodies when:
- Required by Albanian law or legal process
- Necessary to investigate traffic violations, accidents, or suspected criminal activity
- Needed to comply with court orders or official requests
5.3 Business Transfers
If 4Drive Albania merges with, is acquired by, or transfers assets to another company, your personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction. You will be notified of any such change and your rights under the new entity.
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy:
- Booking and rental records: 7 years from the end of the rental period (as required by Albanian tax and accounting law).
- Payment transaction data: 7 years for financial and audit purposes.
- Marketing consent records: Until you withdraw consent or request deletion.
- Technical and usage logs: Up to 2 years for security and analytics purposes.
After the retention period expires, we securely delete or anonymise your data so it can no longer identify you.
7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
4drivealbania.com uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience and analyse website performance.
7.1 What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help us remember your preferences, track site usage, and deliver personalised content.
7.2 Types of Cookies We Use
- Essential cookies: Required for the booking system and website functionality (e.g. remembering your pickup location and rental dates).
- Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site (e.g. Google Analytics) so we can improve navigation and content.
- Marketing cookies: Used to show relevant ads for 4Drive Albania car hire services across the web.
7.3 Managing Cookies
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies, but doing so may affect the functionality of our booking system. Disabling essential cookies may prevent you from completing a reservation.
To opt out of Google Analytics tracking, visit: Google Analytics Opt-Out
8. Your Rights Under GDPR
If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to Rectification: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention obligations).
- Right to Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
- Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format to transfer to another provider.
- Right to Object: Opt out of marketing communications or data processing based on legitimate interests.
- Right to Withdraw Consent: Revoke consent for marketing or optional data processing at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in the Contact section below. We will respond within 30 days.
9. Data Security
4Drive Albania implements industry-standard security measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure:
- Encryption: All payment card data is transmitted using SSL/TLS encryption and processed by PCI-DSS compliant payment gateways.
- Secure servers: Our systems are hosted on secure servers with restricted access, regular security updates, and monitoring.
- Staff training: Employees handling personal data are trained on data protection best practices and bound by confidentiality agreements.
- Access controls: Only authorised personnel have access to customer data, limited to what is necessary for their role.
While we take all reasonable precautions, no internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but will notify you promptly of any data breach affecting your personal information.
10. International Data Transfers
4Drive Albania operates primarily within Albania and the European Economic Area. If we transfer your data outside the EEA (for example, to a cloud service provider in a third country), we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place:
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
- Data processing agreements with third-party providers ensuring GDPR-level protection
- Transfers only to countries recognised by the EU as providing adequate data protection
11. Children's Privacy
4Drive Albania car rental services are only available to individuals aged 21 years or older (23+ for SUV and premium vehicles). We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18 years of age. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, contact us immediately and we will delete it.
12. Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to external sites such as tourist attractions in Albania (Saranda beaches, Berat UNESCO sites, Shkoder castle, Theth national park) or partner services. This Privacy Policy applies only to 4drivealbania.com. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites. Please review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or service offerings. When we make significant changes, we will:
- Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
- Notify you by email if you have an active booking or account with us
- Display a notice on our homepage for a reasonable period
We encourage you to review this policy periodically, especially before making a new booking.
14. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data protection rights, or need assistance with your booking, please contact 4Drive Albania:
For data protection enquiries or complaints, you may also contact the Albanian Data Protection Authority (Autoriteti për Mbrojtjen e të Dhënave Personale) if you believe your rights have been violated.
15. Your Consent
By using 4drivealbania.com and booking a car hire service with us, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please do not use our website or services.
4Drive Albania is committed to transparency and protecting your personal data throughout your car rental experience in Albania - from Tirana International Airport to the stunning Albanian Riviera, mountain roads to Theth, or coastal drives to Saranda and Ksamil. Your privacy matters to us.