Privacy Policy

1. Contact Information

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We collect and process the following categories of personal data:

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, profile photo, business details (for traders)
• Job Posts & Requests: Service descriptions, location/postcode, job photos, budget details
• Messages & Communication: Any content you send through TaapCraft's messaging system, feedback forms, or customer support channels
• Payment Information: Billing address, payment method details (processed securely via third-party providers)
• Identity Verification: Proof of qualifications, insurance documents, trade licenses (for traders)

2.2 Information We Collect Automatically

• Device Information: IP address, device type, operating system, browser type
• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on platform, search queries
• Location Data: Approximate location based on IP address or GPS (with your permission)
• Cookies & Tracking: See our Cookie Policy for details on how we use cookies and similar technologies

2.3 Information from Third Parties

• Social Media: If you sign up via Google, Facebook, or Apple, we receive basic profile information (name, email, profile picture)
• Background Checks: For traders, we may receive information from third-party verification providers
• Payment Processors: Transaction status and payment confirmation from Stripe or other payment providers

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We process your personal data for the following purposes, based on the legal grounds indicated:

3.1 To Provide and Improve Our Services (Contract & Legitimate Interest)

• Create and manage your account
• Facilitate job postings, quotes, and bookings
• Enable messaging between customers and traders
• Process payments and issue invoices
• Provide customer support
• Improve platform features and user experience

3.2 To Ensure Safety and Security (Legitimate Interest & Legal Obligation)

• Verify trader qualifications and background
• Monitor for fraudulent activity and abuse
• Enforce our Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy
• Comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests

3.3 To Communicate with You (Contract, Legitimate Interest & Consent)

• Send booking confirmations, job updates, and payment receipts
• Notify you of messages from traders or customers
• Respond to your inquiries and support requests
• Send marketing emails (with your consent - you can opt out anytime)

3.4 For Analytics and Research (Legitimate Interest)

• Analyse platform usage to improve features
• Conduct market research and user surveys
• Generate anonymized statistics and reports

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Contract: To fulfil our contractual obligations to you (e.g., providing services)
• Legitimate Interest: To operate and improve our platform, prevent fraud, and ensure security
• Legal Obligation: To comply with UK laws (e.g., tax, anti-money laundering)
• Consent: For marketing communications and non-essential cookies (you can withdraw consent at any time)

5. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell your personal data. We only share it with trusted third parties for the purposes outlined below:

5.1 Service Providers

• Hosting & Infrastructure: AWS, Supabase (for data storage and hosting)
• Payment Processing: Stripe (to process payments securely)
• Email Services: Resend or similar providers (for transactional and marketing emails)
• Analytics: Google Analytics or similar tools (to understand platform usage)
• Background Checks: Third-party verification providers (for trader vetting)

5.2 Other Platform Users

• When you post a job, traders can see your name, location (postcode area), and job details
• When a trader quotes on your job, you can see their business name, profile, ratings, and contact details

5.3 Legal & Regulatory Authorities

We may disclose your data if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of TaapCraft, our users, or the public.

5.4 Business Transfers

If TaapCraft is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred to the new owner (you will be notified beforehand).

6. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and stored in countries outside the UK/EEA (e.g., USA for cloud hosting). When this happens, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
• Adequacy Decisions: Transferring data to countries deemed to have adequate data protection laws

You have the right to request information about these safeguards by contacting us at legal@taapcraft.com.

7. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy or as required by law:

• Account Data: Until you delete your account, or 12 months after your last login
• Job & Booking Data: 7 years (for tax and legal compliance)
• Payment Records: 7 years (as required by HMRC)
• Marketing Data: Until you unsubscribe, or 2 years of inactivity
• Support & Communication Logs: 3 years (to resolve disputes and improve service)

After these periods, we will securely delete or anonymize your data.

8. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

To exercise any of these rights, email us at legal@taapcraft.com. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies (e.g., pixels, local storage) to improve your experience on TaapCraft. For full details on what cookies we use and how to manage them, see our Cookie Policy.

10. Security Measures

We take data security seriously and implement industry-standard measures to protect your personal data, including:

• Encryption: HTTPS encryption for data in transit; AES-256 encryption for sensitive data at rest
• Access Controls: Limited access to personal data, restricted to authorized personnel only
• Regular Audits: Security reviews and vulnerability testing
• Secure Payment Processing: PCI-DSS compliant payment providers (Stripe)

However, no online platform is 100% secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at legal@taapcraft.com.

11. Children's Privacy

TaapCraft is not intended for users under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that a child has provided us with personal data, we will delete it promptly. If you believe a child has shared data with us, please contact legal@taapcraft.com.

12. Third-Party Links

TaapCraft may contain links to external websites (e.g., trader websites, payment processors). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before sharing any personal data.

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 platform features. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the "Effective from" date at the top of this page
• Notify you via email or in-app notification (for material changes)
• Request your consent if required by law

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us: