Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to CarLinkers ("we," "our," or "us"). We operate the CarLinkers.com website and mobile application (collectively, the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you use our Service.

By using CarLinkers, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, do not use our Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

We collect information that you directly provide to us:

• Account Information: Name, email address, password, phone number
• Profile Information: Buyer or dealer profile details, preferences
• Dealership Information (Dealers): Business name, address, license number, verification documents
• Vehicle Request Information (Buyers): Year, make, model, budget, location, photos
• Response Information (Dealers): Price estimates, messages, timeline
• Payment Information: Processed securely by Stripe (we do not store full credit card details)

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you use our Service, we automatically collect:

• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers
• Usage Information: Pages viewed, features used, time spent, search queries
• Location Information: Approximate location based on IP address or ZIP code
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: Session management, authentication, preferences

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information from third-party services:

• Google Maps: Address validation, geocoding, distance calculations
• Yelp: Dealership verification, ratings, reviews
• Stripe: Payment processing, subscription status
• Firebase: Push notifications, authentication (if applicable)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our Service
• Match buyers with appropriate dealers based on location and preferences
• Process payments and manage subscriptions
• Send transactional emails (account creation, password reset, notifications)
• Send marketing communications (with your consent, you may opt out anytime)
• Verify dealer identities and prevent fraud
• Analyze usage patterns and improve user experience
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service
• Respond to customer support inquiries

4. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

4.1 With Dealers (for Buyers)

When you create a vehicle request, we share your request details (vehicle information, budget, location, contact information) with verified dealers who match your criteria. This is necessary to provide our Service.

4.2 With Buyers (for Dealers)

When you respond to a vehicle request, we share your dealership information (name, location, rating, contact details) with the buyer.

4.3 Service Providers

We share information with third-party service providers:

• Stripe: Payment processing and subscription management
• Resend: Email delivery
• DigitalOcean: Cloud hosting and file storage
• Google Maps: Geocoding and map services
• Firebase: Push notifications and analytics
• Yelp: Dealer verification

4.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government request, or to protect our rights, property, or safety.

4.5 Business Transfers

If CarLinkers is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information:

• HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
• Encrypted password storage using bcrypt
• Secure database with access controls
• Regular security audits and updates
• Stripe PCI-DSS compliant payment processing

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

6.1 Access and Portability

You can access and download your personal information from your account settings.

6.2 Correction

You can update your profile information at any time through your account settings.

6.3 Deletion

You can request deletion of your account and associated data through the "Delete Account" feature in account settings. This action is permanent and cannot be undone.

6.4 Opt-Out of Marketing

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails using the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email. Note that transactional emails (account notifications, receipts) cannot be opted out of.

6.5 Do Not Track

We do not currently respond to Do Not Track (DNT) browser signals.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our Service and comply with legal obligations. Specifically:

• Active accounts: Data retained while account is active
• Closed accounts: Most data deleted immediately; some retained for legal compliance (7 years)
• Payment records: Retained per financial regulations (typically 7 years)
• Anonymized analytics: May be retained indefinitely

8. Children's Privacy

CarLinkers is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. By using our Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries that may have different data protection laws than your country of residence.

10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, please contact us at the email address below.

11. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right of access to your personal data
• Right to rectification of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restriction of processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object to processing
• Right to withdraw consent

To exercise these rights, please contact us at the email address below.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us: