Plain English privacy policy for UK tradespeople. What data we collect, why we collect it, and how we protect it - explained clearly and honestly.
This privacy policy explains what personal information we collect from UK tradespeople and their customers, why we collect it, and how we protect it. We've written it in plain English because your privacy matters and you deserve to understand how your data is handled.
Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, business address, trade type, and service areas.
Business Information: Trade qualifications, insurance details, years in business, and work examples (if you choose to provide them).
Payment Information: Bank details for billing (only collected once you decide to start paying for the service).
Contact Details: Name, email, phone number, and property address (for local service matching).
Job Information: Description of work needed, timeline, and any specific requirements.
Communication: Messages exchanged between customers and tradespeople through our platform.
Usage Information: How you use the website, pages visited, and time spent (to improve the service).
Technical Data: IP address, browser type, and device information (for security and technical support).
We use your data to create your local trade page, match you with relevant customer enquiries, and facilitate communication between you and potential customers.
Customer data helps us send enquiries to the right tradespeople in the right areas for the right type of work.
Your contact details let us send you customer enquiries and communicate about your account. Customer details help us match them with suitable tradespeople in their area.
We facilitate the initial contact, then step back to let you and the customer communicate directly.
We monitor communications to ensure professional standards, prevent fraud, and resolve any disputes that might arise.
This protects both tradespeople and customers, maintaining the reputation and safety of the platform.
Sometimes we're legally required to use or share data - for example, to comply with tax obligations or respond to legitimate law enforcement requests.
We only do this when legally required, and we'll notify you if possible and permitted by law.
Your personal information is never sold to third parties. We don't sell email lists, contact details, or any other personal data to marketers or other companies.
Your data is only used to provide the GopherPad service you signed up for.
We work with trusted companies to deliver our service - payment processors for billing, email services for communications, and hosting providers for our website.
These partners only get the data they need to provide their specific service, and they're contractually required to protect it.
When a customer submits an enquiry, we share their contact details and job requirements with the matched tradesperson. This is essential for the service to work.
Similarly, customers receive the tradesperson's contact details so they can communicate directly about the work.
All data is encrypted when stored and when transmitted. Our servers are secure and regularly updated with the latest security patches.
Access to your data is strictly limited to authorized staff who need it to provide the service.
We regularly review and update our security measures.
Your data is stored securely in the UK with reputable hosting providers who meet strict security standards.
We keep backups to prevent data loss, but these are also encrypted and securely stored.
Data is only kept as long as necessary to provide the service.
Under UK data protection law, you have rights over your personal data. We make it easy to exercise these rights - just contact us and we'll help.
Right to Access: See what personal data we hold about you
Right to Correction: Update incorrect or incomplete information
Right to Deletion: Request deletion of your data (where legally possible)
Right to Portability: Get a copy of your data in a standard format
✓ We comply with UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018
✓ Personal data is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently
✓ Data is only used for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes
✓ We maintain appropriate technical and organisational measures
✓ You can withdraw consent or object to processing where applicable
"We take data protection seriously and will update this policy as needed to maintain full legal compliance."
We keep your data only as long as necessary to provide the service or as required by law. Active accounts are maintained while you're using GopherPad.
If you cancel your account, we'll delete your personal data within 30 days, except where we're legally required to keep records (such as for tax purposes).
Customer enquiry data is kept for 12 months to help resolve any disputes, then securely deleted.
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We'll email you about any significant changes at least 30 days before they take effect.
The current version will always be available on our website with the date it was last updated.
If you don't agree with changes to the policy, you can cancel your account before they take effect.
If you have questions about how we handle your personal data, want to exercise your data rights, or have privacy concerns, contact us directly.
Email: privacy@gopherpad.co.uk
We'll respond within 48 hours
For formal complaints or complex data matters
Available if needed as we grow
We're happy to explain how we protect your data
What we collect: Contact details, business info, job enquiries - only what's needed for the service.
Why we collect it: To match tradespeople with customers and deliver the service you signed up for.
Who sees it: Only you, relevant customers, and essential service providers. Never sold to anyone.
Your control: Access your data anytime, correct mistakes, request deletion when you leave.
Privacy Concerns?
Contact us and we'll address any data protection questions
"Privacy shouldn't be complicated. We collect only what we need, use it only for the service, and never sell it to anyone."
"Your data is yours. We're just looking after it while we help connect you with customers who need your services."
Transparent privacy practices you can trust.
Available to answer any privacy questions
Now you know exactly how we protect your data, apply with confidence.