Privacy policy
Last updated: [DATE]
This policy explains what personal information the PartsPick SA app and website collect, why, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and your rights under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA).
1. Who we are
PartsPick SA is operated by [OWNER FULL NAME / COMPANY NAME AND REGISTRATION NUMBER], [PHYSICAL ADDRESS], South Africa ("we", "us").
Our Information Officer is [NAME]. You can contact us about privacy at [email protected].
2. What we collect, and why
| Information | Who | Why we need it |
|---|---|---|
| Name and email address from your Google account (when you choose "Continue with Google") | Everyone who logs in | To create and secure your account. We do not receive your Google password. |
| Cellphone number, verified with an SMS code | Sellers | Buyers use this number to contact you, so we check that it is really yours. |
| Business or seller name, contact person, WhatsApp number, town and province | Sellers | To show where a part is and to let buyers contact you after they unlock your details. |
| Second-hand goods dealer registration number and a photo of the certificate, with its expiry date | Business sellers who want the "Registered dealer" badge | To check the registration before showing the badge. The certificate photo is private: only you and our administrators can see it. |
| Listings: car, part, condition, notes, price, photos, and (for businesses) the yard area | Sellers | To show your parts to buyers. The yard area is only visible to you. |
| Wanted requests: car, part, description, optional photo and your province | Buyers who post a request | So sellers can see what you need. Sellers never see your name, email or number. |
| Which seller contacts you unlocked, and when | Buyers | To count your free contacts and to keep unlocked contacts available to you. |
| A notification token for your phone | Users who allow notifications | To send notifications about your own Wanted requests. No advertising notifications. |
| Reports you make about listings, and our decisions about them | Anyone who reports a listing | To keep the app safe and to keep a record of what was decided. |
3. Photos and the AI part check
When you use "Take a photo and we'll suggest the part" (sellers) or "Don't know what it's called? Take a photo" (buyers), the photo is sent to an artificial-intelligence service that suggests which part it shows and checks that the photo is suitable. Buyers' search photos are not stored by us. Sellers' photos are stored only when they are added to a listing.
4. Who we share information with
Other users. Buyers see a listing's town and province. A seller's name and phone numbers are only shown to a buyer who unlocks that contact. Sellers see Wanted requests without the buyer's name or contact details.
Service providers that run parts of the app for us, under contract and only for that purpose:
| Provider | What they do | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Database, file storage, login and server functions | Data centre in France (European Union) |
| Google (Sign-In, Firebase Cloud Messaging, Gemini AI) | Login with Google, notifications, AI part suggestions | Global, including the USA |
| Groq | AI part suggestions | USA |
| WinSMS | Sending SMS verification codes to sellers | South Africa |
| Resend | Sending emails from the app | USA |
Some of these providers process information outside South Africa. We only use providers that are bound by data protection laws or agreements that give protection comparable to POPIA (section 72).
The law. We may share information when the law requires it, for example with the police when a listing involves stolen goods or illegal content.
We do not sell your personal information.
5. How long we keep it
- Photos of sold parts: deleted 30 days after the sale. The listing details (without photos) are kept as a record.
- Wanted requests: close after 90 days; you can delete them earlier.
- Listings removed for breaking the rules, reports and our decisions: kept as a record for as long as needed for safety and legal reasons.
- Your account: until you ask us to delete it (see Delete your account).
6. Security
Information is sent over encrypted connections. Access is controlled by security rules in our database, so each user can only see and change what they are allowed to. Certificate photos are stored privately.
7. Your rights
Under POPIA you may ask us to: tell you what information we hold about you; correct or delete it; and stop processing it in certain cases. Email [email protected].
If you are not happy with our answer, you may complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa): www.inforegulator.org.za, [email protected], 0800 017 160.
8. Children
PartsPick SA is meant for adults. Do not use the app if you are under 18.
9. Changes
We may update this policy. The date at the top shows the latest version. Important changes will also be shown in the app.