1. Introduction

Welcome to The Garage ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website the-garage-auto.vercel.app and use our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Register for an account
• Make a purchase
• List items for sale
• Contact us for support
• Subscribe to our newsletter

This information may include:

• Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Shipping address
• Payment information (processed securely through Stripe)

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information about your device, including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited and time spent
• Referring website
• Device identifiers

2.3 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Keep you logged in
• Remember your preferences
• Analyze website traffic and usage
• Display personalized advertisements

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Process and fulfill your orders
• Manage your account
• Communicate with you about your orders and account
• Send promotional emails (with your consent)
• Improve our website and services
• Prevent fraud and ensure security
• Comply with legal obligations
• Display relevant advertisements

4. Payment Processing

All payment transactions are processed through Stripe, a secure third-party payment processor. We do not store your complete credit card information on our servers. Stripe is PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant, ensuring the highest level of payment security.

We only retain the last 4 digits of your card number and the card brand for order reference purposes.

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share your information with:

5.1 Service Providers

• Stripe - Payment processing
• Vercel - Website hosting
• Google AdSense - Advertising services

5.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities.

5.3 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

6. Third-Party Advertising

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our website. Google may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our website or other websites. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google's Ads Settings.

7. Data Security

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

• SSL/TLS encryption (HTTPS)
• Secure data storage
• Regular security audits
• Access controls and authentication
• PCI-DSS compliance for payment data

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

• Account information: Until you delete your account
• Order history: 7 years (for tax and legal purposes)
• Marketing data: Until you unsubscribe

9. Your Privacy Rights

You have the right to:

• Access - Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction - Update or correct your information
• Deletion - Request deletion of your account and data
• Opt-out - Unsubscribe from marketing emails
• Data Portability - Receive your data in a portable format
• Object - Object to processing of your data

To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@the-garage-auto.vercel.app

10. Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information.

12. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information is collected
• Right to know if personal information is sold or disclosed
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information
• Right to deletion
• Right to non-discrimination

13. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the rights listed in Section 9 above.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by:

• Posting the new Privacy Policy on this page
• Updating the "Last Updated" date
• Sending an email notification (for significant changes)

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

16. Consent

By using our website, you consent to our Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.