Privacy Policy

This policy explains what personal data Autotrader Africa ("we", "us") collects when you use our website and mobile apps, how we use and protect it, and the rights you have under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDPA) and, where applicable, the GDPR.

1. Who we are

Autotrader Africa operates an online marketplace for buying and selling vehicles in Nigeria, across the website, mobile web app and iOS app. We are the data controller for the personal data described below. For any privacy request, contact privacy@autotraderafrica.ng.

2. Information we collect

• Account data: your name (or dealership name) and email address. Your password is never stored in readable form — it is salted and hashed by our authentication provider.
• Listing data: details of cars you post (make, model, year, price, mileage, location, description, optional VIN), the photos you upload, and the contact phone number and email you provide for buyers to reach you.
• Messages: the content of chats you send to other users about a listing.
• Reviews: the star rating and comment you leave on a listing, shown with your name.
• On-device storage: your saved cars and your light/dark theme choice are kept in your browser's local storage on your device. We do not use third-party advertising or tracking cookies.

3. How we use your data

• To create and run your account and keep you signed in.
• To publish your listings and let buyers and sellers contact each other.
• To deliver chat messages and show ratings and reviews.
• To provide valuations and improve search and browsing.
• To keep the service secure and prevent abuse.

4. Legal basis

We process your data on the basis of: performance of a contract (running your account and listings), your consent (where you choose to publish a listing and the contact details on it), and our legitimate interests in operating a safe, useful marketplace.

5. Who can see your data, and sharing

• Listings are public. The car details, photos, your seller/dealer name and the listing location are visible to anyone browsing the marketplace.
• Your contact details are protected. A seller's phone number and email are not shown to anonymous visitors and are not included in our public listing data. They are revealed only to users who are signed in, to reduce bulk harvesting of contact information.
• Messages are visible only to you and the person you are chatting with.
• Processors: we use Supabase (database, authentication and file storage) and Cloudflare (hosting and content delivery) to run the service. They process data on our behalf under their own security and privacy terms. We do not sell your personal data.

6. Data retention

We keep your account and listing data for as long as your account is active. You can delete a listing or ask us to delete your account, after which we remove your personal data except where we must retain it to comply with the law or resolve disputes.

7. Your rights

Under the NDPA (and GDPR where it applies) you have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to the processing of your personal data, and to data portability. You can also withdraw consent at any time. To exercise any of these, email privacy@autotraderafrica.ng. You may also lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

8. How we protect your data

• All traffic is encrypted in transit (HTTPS).
• Database access is governed by row-level security so users can only read and change data they are entitled to.
• Seller contact details are withheld from anonymous requests and require sign-in.
• Passwords are hashed; uploaded files are restricted to images with a size limit.

9. Children

The service is intended for users aged 18 and over and is not directed at children.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the new version here and update the date above.

11. Contact

Questions about this policy or your data? Email privacy@autotraderafrica.ng.