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Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 20 July 2026

1. Introduction

Carters Clear Car ("we," "our," "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use our website (cartersclearcar.com) and related services (collectively, the "Service").

This Privacy Policy complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our Service, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

2. Data Controller

For the purposes of UK data protection legislation, the data controller is:

Carters Clear Car Moor Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. DE14 3SZ United Kingdom Email: privacy@cartersclearcar.com Data Protection Officer: dpo@cartersclearcar.com

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you use the Service, including:

Vehicle Lookups:

  • Vehicle registration numbers (VRMs) you enter
  • Search queries and lifestyle-matching preferences

AI Car Expert:

  • The messages and questions you send to our AI car expert

Purchases:

  • Billing details required to complete a payment (processed by our payment processor; we do not store full card details)
  • Email address, where you provide one to receive a report or receipt
  • Transaction history

Communications:

  • Support inquiries and correspondence
  • Feedback you choose to send us

We do not currently require you to create an account to use the Service.

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use our Service, we automatically collect:

Device Information:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system
  • Device type

Usage Data:

  • Pages visited
  • Time and date of visits
  • Time spent on pages
  • Referring website
  • Features used and searches performed

Cookies and Similar Technologies:

  • Session cookies
  • Persistent cookies
  • Local storage

See our Cookie Policy for detailed information.

3.3 Information from Third Parties

We receive information from:

Third-Party Data Providers:

  • UK DVLA (vehicle registration data, MOT history, tax status)
  • Authorized vehicle history databases (finance, write-off/salvage, mileage records)

Payment Processor:

  • Stripe (transaction verification and status data)

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

4.1 Service Delivery

  • Process vehicle lookups and generate reports
  • Provide AI car expert responses
  • Process payments for reports
  • Deliver reports and receipts
  • Provide customer support

4.2 Improvement and Analytics

  • Analyze usage patterns
  • Monitor Service performance
  • Improve features and functionality
  • Develop new products and services

4.3 Legal and Security

  • Comply with legal obligations
  • Enforce our Terms and Conditions and Acceptable Use Policy
  • Detect and prevent fraud
  • Protect against security threats
  • Resolve disputes

4.4 Communication

  • Respond to your inquiries and support requests
  • Send transactional messages relating to your purchases (e.g., receipts, report delivery)

We only send marketing communications where you have given consent, and you may withdraw that consent at any time.

5. Legal Basis for Processing (UK GDPR)

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

Contract: Processing is necessary to provide a report or other feature you have requested.

Consent: You have given consent for specific purposes (e.g., non-essential cookies, any marketing emails).

Legal Obligation: We must process data to comply with legal requirements (e.g., tax records, fraud prevention).

Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests (e.g., improving and securing the Service), provided these interests do not override your rights.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We share your information only in the following circumstances:

6.1 Service Providers

We share data with trusted third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf:

Data Providers:

  • UK DVLA and authorized vehicle data partners

Technology Providers:

  • Cloud hosting and database services
  • AI model provider (Google) for the AI car expert
  • Image API providers for vehicle photography

Payment Processing:

  • Stripe

We do not currently share data with website analytics providers (e.g. Google Analytics). If that changes, we will update this policy and our Cookie Policy.

All service providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the specified purposes.

6.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to:

  • Court orders or legal processes
  • Law enforcement requests
  • Protection of our rights or property
  • Investigation of fraud or security issues

6.3 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or similar transaction, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any change in ownership or use of your personal information.

6.4 With Your Consent

We may share your information for any other purpose with your explicit consent.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to:

  • Provide the Service
  • Comply with legal obligations
  • Resolve disputes
  • Enforce our agreements

Specific Retention Periods:

  • Transaction Records: Retained for 7 years for tax and accounting purposes
  • Report and Lookup Records: Retained for up to 2 years
  • AI Car Expert Conversations: Retained only as needed to provide and improve the feature, then deleted or anonymized
  • Support Communications: Retained for 3 years
  • Marketing Consent Records: Retained for 3 years after consent withdrawal
  • Cookies: See our Cookie Policy for specific durations

After the retention period, we securely delete or anonymize your data.

8. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

8.1 Right of Access

You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

8.2 Right to Rectification

You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

8.3 Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten")

You have the right to request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances.

8.4 Right to Restriction of Processing

You have the right to request that we limit processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.

8.5 Right to Data Portability

You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.

8.6 Right to Object

You have the right to object to processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes (absolute right) or where we rely on legitimate interests.

8.7 Rights Related to Automated Decision-Making

You have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing which produce legal effects or similarly significantly affect you. We do not make such decisions about you.

8.8 Right to Withdraw Consent

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

8.9 Right to Lodge a Complaint

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: https://ico.org.uk

9. Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of your rights, please contact us at:

Email: privacy@cartersclearcar.com
Subject: Data Protection Request

We will respond to your request within one month. If your request is complex or we receive multiple requests, we may extend this period by two months and will notify you. We may request identification to verify your identity before processing your request.

10. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including:

Technical Measures:

  • Encryption in transit (SSL/TLS)
  • Secure handling of payment data via our PCI-compliant payment processor
  • Regular security reviews
  • Secure API communications

Organizational Measures:

  • Access controls and authentication
  • Incident response procedures
  • Vendor security requirements

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. International Data Transfers

Your data is primarily processed within the United Kingdom. However, some of our service providers (including our AI and payment providers) may process data outside the UK/EEA.

When we transfer data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards, such as:

  • UK International Data Transfer Agreements or Standard Contractual Clauses
  • Adequacy decisions by the UK government
  • Other legally approved transfer mechanisms

12. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 18, please contact us at privacy@cartersclearcar.com.

13. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies. For detailed information, please see our Cookie Policy.

Key Points:

  • We use essential cookies (report sessions, Stripe checkout) and first-party browser storage for product features
  • We do not currently use advertising or Google Analytics cookies
  • You can manage preferences via Cookie settings in the footer or your browser
  • Some features may not function properly if you disable essential cookies

14. Third-Party Links

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

15. Marketing Communications

We only send marketing communications where you have opted in. You can opt out at any time by:

Even if you opt out of marketing, we will still send essential service-related communications (e.g., report delivery, receipts).

16. Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers have a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature. Our Service does not currently respond to DNT signals, as there is no industry-wide standard for DNT implementation.

17. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will:

  • Notify the UK ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware
  • Notify affected individuals without undue delay
  • Provide information about the breach and steps you can take
  • Take immediate action to mitigate harm

18. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. For material changes, we will provide additional notice on our website.

19. Contact Information

For any privacy-related questions, concerns, or requests, please contact us:

Privacy Inquiries:
Email: privacy@cartersclearcar.com

Data Protection Officer:
Email: dpo@cartersclearcar.com

General Contact:
Carters Clear Car Moor Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. DE14 3SZ United Kingdom Website: https://cartersclearcar.com

Version: 1.1
Effective Date: 17 July 2026
Last Reviewed: 20 July 2026
Next Review: 20 July 2027