Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

• Account data — name, email address, and password (or OAuth token when you sign in with Google or Facebook).
• Profile data — profile photo, biography, home-environment description, and service preferences.
• Pet data — species, breed, name, photos, vaccination records, behavioral history, medical notes, and emergency-contact information.
• Booking data — dates, service type, credit amounts, messages exchanged between members, and signed waiver records.
• Payment data — when you purchase credits, payment is processed by our third-party payment processor. We store only a transaction reference and the credit amount; we do not store full card numbers.
• Location data — your approximate location (ZIP code or city) used to surface nearby sitters. Precise device location is only accessed on the mobile app when you grant permission.
• Communications — messages you send to our support team.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage data — pages visited, features used, search queries, and session duration.
• Device data — IP address, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers.
• Cookies and similar technologies — see Section 5.
• Analytics — we use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) with the Measurement Protocol to understand how the Platform is used. GA4 data is pseudonymous and does not include your name or email.

1.3 Information From Third Parties

If you sign in with Google or Facebook we receive your name, email address, and profile photo from that provider. We do not receive your password or payment information from social login providers.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account and member profile.
• Facilitate bookings, credit escrow, and the completion of pet sitting services.
• Display your public profile (name, photo, pet types, location area) to other members searching for sitters.
• Process credit purchases and maintain your credit balance.
• Send transactional emails — booking confirmations, status updates, and receipts.
• Send service-related notifications (push notifications on mobile, if permitted).
• Send occasional promotional emails about new features or offers. You may opt out at any time.
• Enforce our Terms of Service and investigate potential violations or fraudulent activity.
• Improve and personalize the Platform using aggregated and anonymized analytics.
• Comply with applicable law, legal process, or government requests.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as described below.

3.1 With Other Members

Your public profile — name, photo, location area, pet types, and average rating — is visible to other registered members. Pet details and vaccination records you add to a booking are shared with the other party to that booking. Message content is shared only between the two parties to a conversation.

3.2 With Service Providers

We share data with trusted vendors who help us operate the Platform, including cloud hosting, payment processing, email delivery, push notification delivery, and analytics. These providers may only process your data on our behalf under confidentiality obligations.

3.3 For Legal Reasons

We may disclose your information if we believe in good faith that disclosure is required by law, to protect the rights, property, or safety of BuddySit, our members, or the public, or in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our business (in which case we will notify you).

4. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it by law (for example, financial transaction records, which we retain for seven years) or where retention is necessary to resolve disputes or enforce our agreements.

Signed waiver records are retained for five years after the related booking to support potential dispute resolution.

5. Cookies and Tracking

We use the following types of cookies and similar technologies:

• Essential cookies — required for authentication and security. Cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies — set by Google Analytics to measure traffic and usage patterns. You may opt out by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. Disabling essential cookies will prevent you from logging in.

6. Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your data, including TLS encryption in transit, encrypted storage for credentials, and access controls limiting who within our organization can access personal data. No system is perfectly secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at support@buddyexchange.com.

7. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

8. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on where you live, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction — request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information. Most profile information can be corrected directly in your account settings.
• Deletion — request that we delete your personal information, subject to retention requirements described in Section 4.
• Portability — request a machine-readable export of your data.
• Opt out of marketing emails — click the "Unsubscribe" link in any marketing email or contact us.
• California residents (CCPA) — you have the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to delete it, and the right to opt out of its sale. We do not sell personal information.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at support@buddyexchange.com or, to request deletion specifically, use our Data Deletion Request form. We will respond within 30 days.

9. International Users

BuddySit is operated from the United States. If you access the Platform from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. By using the Platform, you consent to this transfer.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email or in-app notification. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

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

BuddySit
Email: support@buddyexchange.com