Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Trade Pilot is a UK-based SaaS platform that connects homeowners with vetted local tradespeople. Trade Pilot is currently provided as an independent software service and is not operated through a registered company. For the purposes of UK data protection law, the data controller responsible for your personal data is the operator of Trade Pilot, contactable at ben@hellotradepilot.io.

We handle your data in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 regardless of our corporate form. If our operating entity changes — for example, if the service is later incorporated as a company — we will update this policy with the new controller details, including any company registration and Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) registration number.

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, contact us at ben@hellotradepilot.io.

2. The data we collect

We collect and process the following categories of personal data, depending on how you use the Platform:

Account and identity data

• Your name, email address and password (stored in encrypted form).
• Account type (homeowner or tradesperson) and account status.
• Profile photo, if you choose to upload one.

Tradesperson business data

• Business name, business type, years of experience, trade specialty and service description.
• Verification documents you upload, such as public liability insurance certificates, Gas Safe registration, electrical certification, CIS registration and identity or DBS checks.
• Whether you hold insurance and relevant licences.

Location data

• Your postcode, approximate coordinates and chosen service radius, used to match tradespeople with nearby jobs. We do not track your precise real-time location in the background.

Job, bid and marketplace data

• Job requests, quotes, bids, messages, credits spent and job history.
• Reviews, ratings and feedback you submit or receive.

Payment data

• Records of credit purchases and transactions (amount, currency, date, status and the last four digits and card brand for reference).
• We use Stripe to process payments. Your full card details are entered directly with Stripe and are never stored on our servers. Stripe processes this data as an independent controller under its own privacy policy.

Technical and usage data

• Device information, IP address, browser type, pages visited and interactions with the Platform.
• Cookies and similar technologies (see section 8).

3. How and why we use your data

We only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so. The table below sets out our purposes and the corresponding lawful bases under Article 6 of the UK GDPR:

4. How we share your data

We share personal data only where necessary, with:

• Other users of the Platform. When a homeowner accepts a bid, relevant contact and job details are shared between the homeowner and the tradesperson so the work can proceed.
• Service providers (processors) who act on our instructions, including our cloud hosting and storage provider (Amazon Web Services), our payment processor (Stripe), and email delivery providers. These providers are bound by contract to protect your data.
• Professional advisers and authorities where required by law, regulation, legal process or to protect our rights, users or the public.
• A successor entity in the event of a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, subject to this policy.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

5. International transfers

We aim to store personal data within the UK or European Economic Area (EEA). Some of our service providers, such as Stripe, may process data outside the UK or EEA. Where they do, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, or an adequacy decision, so that your data receives an equivalent level of protection.

6. How long we keep your data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy:

• Account data — for as long as your account is active, and for a reasonable period afterwards to handle disputes and comply with our obligations.
• Transaction and financial records — retained for at least six years to meet UK tax and accounting requirements.
• Verification documents — retained while you operate as a tradesperson on the Platform and for a limited period afterwards.

When data is no longer required, we securely delete or anonymise it.

7. Your rights

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

• be informed about how your data is used;
• access a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
• request erasure of your data (the “right to be forgotten”), where applicable;
• restrict or object to certain processing;
• request portability of the data you provided to us;
• withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent; and
• lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

To exercise any of these rights, email us at ben@hellotradepilot.io. We will respond within one month. You can also contact the ICO at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

8. Cookies and analytics

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Platform, remember your preferences and understand how the Platform is used. Some cookies are strictly necessary; others (such as analytics and marketing cookies delivered via Google Tag Manager) are only set with your consent. You can control cookies through your browser settings and, where offered, our cookie banner. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

9. How we protect your data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including encryption of data in transit (TLS), encrypted password storage, access controls, and secure cloud infrastructure. Payment card data is handled by Stripe, a PCI-DSS Level 1 certified provider. While we work hard to protect your data, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure.

10. Deleting your account and data

You can request deletion of your account and associated personal data at any time by emailing ben@hellotradepilot.io from the email address linked to your account, or by using the account deletion option within the app where available. On receiving your request we will delete or anonymise your personal data, except where we are required to retain certain records (for example, transaction records for tax purposes) or need to retain data to resolve disputes or enforce our agreements.

11. Children

The Platform is intended for users aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us so we can remove it.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date and, where appropriate, notify you. Your continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact us

For any questions, requests or complaints about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, contact us at ben@hellotradepilot.io.