Privacy Illustration

Trade Buddy Privacy Notice

 

Last updated: 13/04/2026

1. Introduction

Trade Buddy ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and personal data. This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our platform to connect with tradespeople for DIY advice and support.

2. Data Controller

Trade Buddy is the data controller responsible for your personal information. You can contact us at:

3. Information We Collect

Account Information

 

Booking & Communication Data

 

Payment Information

 

Technical & Usage Data

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data to operate the Trade Buddy platform and provide the services you request. This includes creating and managing your account, verifying eligibility, connecting you with tradespeople, facilitating bookings, calls, messaging, and uploads, and sharing relevant project details with your chosen tradesperson so they can provide guidance.

We also use your information to process payments, maintain transaction records, provide customer support, protect accounts, detect fraud, monitor platform security, review recordings and other service data for safety, quality assurance, training, and dispute resolution, improve the platform, fix bugs, develop new features, and comply with legal and regulatory obligations.

Where required, we rely on your consent for optional marketing communications and optional non-essential analytics and advertising technologies. You can withdraw that consent at any time.

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal bases:

Contract Performance: To create and manage your account, connect you with tradespeople, facilitate bookings, calls, messaging, uploads, payments, and customer support, and provide the services you have requested.

Legal Obligation: To comply with UK legal and regulatory requirements, including tax, accounting, fraud prevention, and other statutory obligations.

Legitimate Interests: To protect the platform and its users, prevent fraud, monitor security, improve our services, fix bugs, develop features, maintain service quality, and review call recordings and related service data for safety, quality assurance, training, and dispute resolution.

Consent: For optional marketing communications and optional non-essential analytics and advertising technologies where consent is required by law.

6. Data Sharing

We share your information only when necessary:

 

With Tradespeople

 

When you book a call, we share relevant project details (description, photos) with your chosen tradesperson to provide assistance.

 

Service Providers

 

Legal Requirements

 

We may disclose data to comply with legal obligations, court orders, or to protect our rights and safety.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

 

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, comply with legal obligations, prevent fraud, resolve disputes, and enforce our terms. We apply different retention periods based on the type of data and its purpose.

 

Specific Retention Periods

Automated Data Deletion

When retention periods expire, we automatically delete personal data or convert it to anonymised statistical data that cannot be linked back to you. Our automated data retention system runs daily to ensure compliance with these periods. All deletions are logged for compliance auditing purposes.

Legal Compliance

These retention periods are based on UK legal requirements, industry standards, and our legitimate business interests. Where we retain data for compliance purposes (e.g., 7 years for completed bookings), this is required by UK tax law and HMRC guidance. Data involved in ongoing investigations, disputes, or legal proceedings may be retained longer until resolution.

Your Rights

You can request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us at privacy@tradebuddy.uk or using the account deletion feature in your settings. You may also request a copy of your data before deletion. Note that we may need to retain certain data for legal compliance even after deletion requests (e.g., financial records for tax purposes as required by HMRC).

9. Your Privacy Rights (GDPR/UK GDPR)

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@tradebuddy.uk or use the data export feature in your account settings.

 

9.1 Camera & Microphone Access

We only access your camera and microphone when you're on a call. We never listen, record, or access your device in the background. Your photos are only accessed when you explicitly choose to upload them.

10. International Transfers

Your data is primarily stored and processed in the UK and EU. If we transfer data internationally, we ensure adequate safeguards are in place (e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses) to protect your information.

11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for users under 18. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child, we will delete it promptly.

12. Changes to This Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice periodically. Material changes will be notified via email or in-app notification. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated notice.

13. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your data, please contact us first at privacy@tradebuddy.uk. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

 

14. Contact Information

For privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights:

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