Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Browse Cars is a trading name of FindPlates Ltd (Company No. 17091909), a company registered in England and Wales. FindPlates Ltd is the data controller for personal data collected through browsecars.co.uk. If you have any question about how we handle your data, email info@browsecars.co.uk.

2. What data we collect

• Account and identity data: your first name, surname, home address (house, street, town, postcode), email address and phone number. We ask for your real name and address so we can support identity verification, which is central to keeping the marketplace free of fake profiles.
• Sign-in data: if you sign in with Google, we receive your name and email address from Google. If you use a passkey, we store the credential identifier your device generates. We do not store passwords.
• Listing data: the vehicle details, description, photographs, asking price and approximate location you add when you advertise a vehicle.
• Messages: the content of messages you send to and receive from other users through the site.
• Location data: we convert your postcode into an approximate latitude and longitude so buyers can search by distance. We do not track your live location.
• Technical data: standard server logs, including IP address, browser type and pages visited.

3. How we use your data

• To create, secure and manage your account
• To publish your listings to buyers and connect you with interested parties
• To deliver messages between buyers and sellers
• To power search and filtering, including distance-based search
• To verify identity and to detect and prevent fraud, fake listings and abuse
• To send service emails — sign-in codes, message notifications and listing expiry reminders
• To comply with our legal obligations
• To understand how the site is used and improve it

We do not sell your personal data to anyone.

4. What other users can see

Your phone number, email address and full home address are never shown to other users. Other users can see only your first name, your approximate area (town), and your active listings. All contact happens through our messaging system.

5. Legal basis for processing

We process your personal data on the basis of: contract — to provide the account and marketplace services you ask for; legitimate interests — to keep the platform safe, prevent fraud and improve the service; consent — where you opt in to non-essential communications; and legal obligation — to comply with applicable law.

6. Third parties who process data for us

We use a small number of providers who process data on our behalf, under contract and on our instructions:

• Hetzner Online GmbH — server hosting (Germany, EU)
• Google Workspace — email delivery
• Google — sign-in, if you choose to log in with Google
• postcodes.io — postcode lookup; we send only the postcode you enter
• Stripe — payment processing, when paid features launch
• Cloudflare — image storage and delivery, when enabled
• A vehicle history data provider — only if you buy a vehicle history check

7. International transfers

Our server is located in the EU. Where a provider processes personal data outside the UK or EEA, that transfer is covered by an appropriate safeguard — a UK adequacy decision or standard contractual clauses.

8. How long we keep your data

• Account data: while your account is open, then deleted or anonymised within 12 months of closure, unless the law requires us to keep it longer.
• Listings: kept while live and for a period after they end so you can relist.
• Messages: retained while your account is open, to support dispute resolution and safety investigations.
• Server logs: typically 90 days.
• Records connected to a payment: 6 years, to meet tax and accounting requirements.

9. Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to access your data, to have it corrected or erased, to restrict or object to processing, to data portability, and to withdraw consent. To exercise any of these, email info@browsecars.co.uk. We will respond within one month. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).

10. Cookies

We use only essential cookies: a session cookie to keep you signed in and a security cookie to protect forms against cross-site request forgery. We do not currently use analytics, advertising or tracking cookies.

11. Security

Sign-in is passwordless — an emailed code, a Google account, or a passkey. All traffic is encrypted in transit with HTTPS, and access to personal data is restricted. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. Children

Browse Cars is intended for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The current version is always on this page. We will tell you about material changes by email or a notice on the site.