Privacy Policy

01 Information We Collect

We collect information that you provide directly to us, as well as information generated automatically when you interact with the Service.

Account Information: When you create an Aucty account, we collect your name, email address, phone number, and profile photo. If you register using Sign in with Apple, we receive a unique identifier and, if you choose to share it, your name and email.

Shipping Address: If you purchase or sell items through an auction, we collect shipping addresses necessary to fulfill deliveries.

Payment Information: Payment processing is handled by Stripe. We do not store your full credit card number, CVV, or bank account details. We retain only the last four digits of your card number and the card brand for display in your account.

Profile Data: This includes your username, bio, profile image, and any other information you choose to add to your public seller or buyer profile.

Auction Activity: We record your bids, purchases, sales, listing details, auction participation history, 1-on-1 call bookings, and associated transaction data.

Communications: When you contact us for support, submit a ticket, or engage in live chat, we retain the content of those communications to resolve your inquiry and improve our service.

Device and Usage Data: We automatically collect device type, operating system, browser type, IP address, app version, pages viewed, actions taken, session duration, and crash reports to improve performance and diagnose issues.

02 How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Process Transactions: To facilitate auction bids, purchases, sales, payouts to creators (at the 51/49 revenue split), and 1-on-1 call bookings.
• Facilitate Auctions: To display listings, manage live auction sessions, notify bidders of auction status, and connect buyers with sellers for shipping.
• Verify Identity: To confirm that users are real people and prevent fraudulent activity, including the use of a $1 card authorization hold during buyer verification (this hold is voided immediately and is never captured).
• Prevent Fraud: To detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent transactions, abuse, and other harmful activity on the platform.
• Send Notifications: To send you push notifications, emails, or in-app messages about auction updates, outbid alerts, shipping confirmations, and account activity.
• Improve the Platform: To analyze usage patterns, troubleshoot bugs, conduct internal research, and develop new features.
• Communicate About Orders and Account: To send transactional emails regarding your orders, sales, payouts, account changes, and policy updates.

03 Information Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Stripe: We share payment-related information with Stripe, our payment processor, to facilitate transactions, payouts, and fraud prevention. Stripe's use of your data is governed by their own privacy policy.
• Supabase: Our backend infrastructure is hosted on Supabase. Data stored in our databases is subject to Supabase's security and privacy practices.
• Shipping Carriers: When a physical item is purchased, we share the buyer's shipping address and the seller's return address with the relevant shipping carrier to fulfill delivery.
• Law Enforcement: We may disclose your information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or other legal process, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

04 Payment Information

All payment processing on Aucty is handled securely by Stripe. When you add a payment method, your card details are transmitted directly to Stripe using their secure, PCI-compliant infrastructure. Aucty never receives, processes, or stores your full card number.

For display purposes in your account settings, we store only the last four digits of your card number and the card brand (e.g., Visa, Mastercard).

To verify that buyers have a valid payment method before participating in auctions, we place a $1 authorization hold on the card. This hold is voided immediately and is never captured as an actual charge. It may appear as a pending transaction on your bank statement but will be released automatically by your bank, typically within a few business days.

05 Data Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect it.

• Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using TLS (Transport Layer Security).
• Encryption at Rest: Personal data stored in our databases is encrypted at rest.
• Secure Authentication: We support secure login methods including email/password authentication and Sign in with Apple. Passwords are hashed and salted; we never store plaintext passwords.
• Access Controls: Access to user data within our organization is restricted to authorized personnel who require it to operate and maintain the Service.

While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

06 Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete information in your profile.
• Deletion: You may request that we delete your account and associated personal data. Upon deletion, we will remove your profile, listings, and personal identifiers. However, we are required to retain certain transaction records, payout history, and related financial data as mandated by applicable law.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support@aucty.app. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

07 Cookies & Local Storage

Aucty uses a minimal set of browser-based storage mechanisms to provide core functionality. We do not use third-party tracking cookies or advertising pixels.

• Session Authentication Tokens: We store a secure authentication token in local storage to keep you signed in across sessions.
• Dark Mode Preference: Your display theme preference (light or dark mode) is stored locally so the app remembers your choice.
• Session Count: We track the number of app sessions locally to tailor onboarding and informational prompts for new users.

Because we do not use third-party tracking cookies, there is no need for a cookie consent banner. The data stored locally is strictly necessary for the operation of the Service.

08 Children's Privacy

Aucty is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@aucty.app and we will promptly delete that information from our systems.

All users must be at least 18 years of age to create an account, participate in auctions, or make purchases on the platform.

09 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will notify you by:

• Sending an email to the address associated with your account
• Displaying a prominent in-app notification
• Updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

10 Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please reach out to us:

• Email: support@aucty.app
• Website: aucty.io

We will do our best to respond to all inquiries within a reasonable timeframe.