Privacy Policy

TradeLink (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a UK-based platform that connects customers with local tradespeople. We are the data controller for the personal information described in this policy. You can contact us at privacy@tradelink.co.uk.

We collect and process the following categories of personal data:

• Account information: Name, email address, and password when you create a tradesperson account.
• Profile information: Business name, phone number, biography, trade type, location area, postcode prefix, service radius, and profile/gallery images uploaded by tradespeople.
• Job request information: Name, email, phone number, location, postcode, and job description provided by customers when requesting quotes.
• Chat transcripts: Conversations with our AI assistant during the job request process.
• Usage data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, and interaction data collected automatically when you use our platform.
• Reviews: Customer name, rating, and comments left on tradesperson profiles.

We process your data for the following purposes, each with a lawful basis under UK GDPR:

• Matching customers with tradespeople (legitimate interest) — to provide our core service.
• Creating and managing accounts (contract) — to fulfil our service agreement with tradespeople.
• Sending transactional emails (contract/legitimate interest) — job confirmations, match notifications, and account updates.
• Improving our platform (legitimate interest) — analytics, error tracking, and performance monitoring.
• Preventing abuse (legitimate interest) — rate limiting, fraud detection, and security monitoring.

We do not sell your personal data. We share information only in these circumstances:

• With matched tradespeople: When you submit a job request, we share your job details and location with matched tradespeople so they can assess the work. We do not share your email or phone number without your permission.
• Service providers: We use Supabase (database and authentication), OpenAI (AI chat), Resend (email delivery), Upstash (rate limiting), and Sentry (error tracking). These providers process data on our behalf under data processing agreements.
• Legal requirements: If required by law, regulation, or legal process.

We retain your data for as long as necessary to provide our services. Tradesperson accounts and profiles are kept while the account is active. Job requests and match records are retained for 24 months after completion. You may request deletion at any time.

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Rectify inaccurate personal data
• Erase your personal data (“right to be forgotten”)
• Restrict or object to processing
• Data portability
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@tradelink.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days.

We use essential cookies for authentication and session management. We do not use third-party advertising cookies. If we implement analytics cookies in the future, we will update this policy and provide opt-out options.

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit (TLS), secure authentication, row-level security policies on our database, and regular security reviews. All image uploads are scanned and sanitised before storage.

Some of our service providers may process data outside the UK. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses or UK adequacy decisions.

We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of significant changes by email. The “last updated” date at the top indicates when the policy was last revised.

If you have questions about this policy or wish to make a complaint, contact us at privacy@tradelink.co.uk. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.