This Privacy Policy explains how Jwsoat Limited (“we”, “us”) collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal information when you use Tradie Finder(the “Service”). We are the agency responsible for your personal information under the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020. Where the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies because you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we act as the controller of your personal data.
By using the Service you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.
1. What information we collect
We collect personal information in three ways:
- Information you give us directly when you submit an enquiry (name, email, phone, project details, message), claim or manage a business listing (your name, email, the business you represent), sign in (email address), submit a review (your name, the review content, optionally a photo), or contact us (whatever you tell us in the message).
- Information collected automatically when you visit the Service: IP address, approximate location derived from IP, device and browser type, pages viewed, referring URL, and interaction events. This is used to operate the Service, debug problems, detect abuse, and produce aggregate analytics.
- Information from third parties: business profile data (name, address, phone, opening hours, photos, reviews) sourced from Google's Places API for businesses we list. This is public business information; we do not import personal information about consumers from third parties.
2. Why we collect it
We use personal information to:
- deliver your enquiry to the relevant business and let the business reply to you;
- provide you with an account and let you manage business listings you have claimed;
- display reviews you submit, attributed to the name you provide;
- detect and prevent fraud, spam, listing abuse, and breaches of our Terms;
- measure how the Service is used in aggregate, so we can improve it;
- comply with our legal and tax obligations.
Under GDPR, the legal bases we rely on are: performance of a contract (delivering the Service you asked for), legitimate interests (running and improving the Service, preventing abuse), consent (where we ask for it, such as non-essential cookies), and legal obligation.
3. Who we share it with
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with the parties below, and only to the extent needed for them to do their job for us:
- The business you enquired with. When you submit an enquiry, the business receives your name, contact details, and message so they can quote and reply. Their own privacy practices apply once they have your information.
- Hosting and infrastructure: Vercel Inc. (web hosting, US/EU), our managed PostgreSQL database provider, and an email-sending provider used for transactional emails such as enquiry replies and sign-in links.
- Payments: Stripe, Inc. processes paid subscriptions for business owners. We do not store full card numbers; Stripe handles that directly.
- Analytics: Google Analytics (via gtag), Vercel Analytics and Speed Insights, Meta Pixel, and (in some regions) Microsoft Clarity. These services receive event data, IP-derived location, and device information. Where required, we ask for consent before loading non-essential analytics.
- Advertising networks: In the future we may serve ads via Google AdSense or comparable networks. AdSense sets cookies to measure ad performance and may use prior visits to this and other sites to show personalised ads, in line with Google's advertising privacy policy. You can opt out of personalised advertising at google.com/settings/ads.
- Authorities, if we are legally compelled (court order, regulator request) or where disclosure is necessary to protect rights, property, or safety.
Some of these providers are based outside New Zealand. When personal information is transferred overseas, we rely on the recipient's own privacy framework (such as the EU's Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent) and on their published privacy commitments.
4. Cookies and similar technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember your preferences, measure how the Service is used, and (in some cases) personalise ads. The categories we use are:
- Essential — required to operate the Service, including sign-in sessions and security.
- Analytics — Google Analytics, Vercel Analytics, Meta Pixel, Microsoft Clarity. Used to understand usage in aggregate.
- Advertising — set by ad networks (Google AdSense, etc.) once integrated. Used to measure ad delivery and frequency, and to support personalisation if you have consented to it.
You can clear or block cookies in your browser. Doing so may prevent some parts of the Service (such as staying signed in) from working.
5. How long we keep information
We keep enquiries, reviews, and account information for as long as your account is active, and for a reasonable period after closure so we can handle disputes, complaints, and legal obligations. Aggregated analytics data may be kept indefinitely because it no longer identifies you.
6. Your rights
You have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you;
- Correct information that is inaccurate or out of date;
- Delete your account and associated personal information, subject to records we must retain for legal reasons;
- Withdraw consent to non-essential analytics or advertising cookies at any time;
- Complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (New Zealand) or, if you are in the EEA or UK, to your local data protection authority.
To exercise any of these rights, email hello@findacontractor.co.nz. We will respond within 20 working days, or sooner where law requires.
7. Security
We use industry-standard measures to protect personal information: encryption in transit (HTTPS), encrypted database storage, access controls limiting which staff can see which records, and short-lived one-time sign-in links instead of stored passwords. No system is perfectly secure; we will notify affected users and the regulator if a breach occurs that meets the notification threshold under the Privacy Act 2020.
8. Children
Tradie Finder is intended for users aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe we have collected information about your child, contact us and we will delete it.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page shows when the current version took effect. Material changes will be highlighted on the Service. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
10. Contact
Privacy questions or requests should be sent to hello@findacontractor.co.nz. You can also reach us via our contact page.
Operator: Jwsoat Limited, a company registered in New Zealand. See also our Terms & Conditions.