BikeBuy (Pty) Ltd ("BikeBuy", "we", "us" or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, secure and retain your personal information when you use bike-buy.co.za and our Services, and the rights you have under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 ("POPIA").
1. Who is responsible for your information
BikeBuy (Pty) Ltd (registration number [company registration number]), of [registered office address], South Africa, is the responsible party (data controller) for the personal information processed through the Website. Our Information Officer can be contacted at [email protected].
2. Who this policy applies to
This policy applies to visitors to the Website, registered account holders, buyers and sellers in the marketplace, shops and suppliers, and anyone who otherwise interacts with us. By using the Website you confirm that you have read and understood this policy.
3. What personal information we collect
We collect the following categories of personal information:
- Account information — your name, email address, password (stored in hashed form), and optionally a phone number, location and profile details;
- Listing and transaction information — the content of Listings you create, items in your bike garage, your watchlist, and messages or enquiries you exchange with other users;
- Business information — for shops and suppliers, your business name, contact details, address, product catalogue and billing details;
- Payment information — where you purchase paid Services, billing details processed by our payment providers (we do not store full card numbers);
- Communications — newsletter subscriptions, support enquiries, push-notification preferences, and your interactions with us;
- Technical and usage information — collected automatically, such as your IP address, device and browser type, pages viewed, referring pages, and activity on the Website, gathered using cookies and similar technologies.
We collect this information directly from you, automatically as you use the Website, and occasionally from third parties (such as payment providers or social-login services where you choose to use them). You are not obliged to provide personal information, but some Services cannot be provided without it.
4. How we use your information
We process personal information to:
- create and manage your Account and provide the Services you request;
- publish your Listings and enable communication between buyers and sellers;
- operate the shop directory, events, news, garage and advertising features;
- process payments for paid Services and prevent fraud and abuse;
- send you service messages, and — where you have opted in or are otherwise permitted by law — newsletters, deal alerts and event updates;
- personalise content and improve the Website's performance and security; and
- comply with our legal obligations and enforce our terms.
We rely on lawful bases including the performance of our contract with you, your consent (which you may withdraw), our legitimate interests in operating and securing the platform, and compliance with the law.
5. Cookies and similar technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies (such as local storage, web beacons and log files) to keep you signed in, remember your preferences, measure how the Website is used, and support advertising. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling some cookies may affect how the Website works.
6. When we share your information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share it with:
- Other users — limited profile and Listing information is visible to other users so that buyers and sellers can transact; you control much of what you publish;
- Service providers (operators) — hosting, payment processing, email, analytics, customer support and similar providers who process information on our behalf under appropriate contracts;
- Businesses you interact with — for example a shop or supplier you contact, advertise with or buy from;
- Authorities and advisers — regulators, law enforcement, courts or professional advisers where required by law or to protect our rights, users or the public; and
- Successors — a buyer or successor of our business, subject to this policy.
7. Security
We take appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, damage and unauthorised access — including encryption in transit, secured hosting, access controls and restricting employee access on a need-to-know basis. No system is perfectly secure; you also have a role to play, as described in our Security Policy.
8. Keeping information accurate
You can review and update most of your information through your account settings, or by contacting us. Please help us keep your information accurate, complete and up to date.
9. How long we keep information
We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy, or for as long as required or permitted by law (for example, tax and accounting records). When no longer required, we delete or de-identify it.
10. Cross-border transfers
Some of our service providers may process information in countries outside South Africa. Where we transfer personal information across borders, we take steps to ensure it receives a level of protection consistent with POPIA, for example through contractual safeguards or by transferring only to recipients subject to comparable protections.
11. Direct marketing
We will only send you electronic marketing where you have consented or where the law otherwise permits it. Every marketing message includes a way to opt out, and you can unsubscribe at any time or by emailing [email protected].
12. Your rights under POPIA
Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:
- be told what personal information we hold about you and request access to it;
- request that we correct or update inaccurate or incomplete information;
- request that we delete or destroy information we are no longer entitled to keep ("right to be forgotten");
- object to the processing of your information in certain circumstances, including for direct marketing;
- request that we restrict processing while a query is resolved;
- request a copy of certain information in a portable format; and
- withdraw any consent you have given, without affecting prior lawful processing.
To exercise these rights, contact [email protected]. We may need to verify your identity, and some requests are subject to legal exceptions. If you are not satisfied with how we handle your information, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa) at inforegulator.org.za or [email protected].
13. Children
The Website is intended for users aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without the consent of a competent person. If you believe we have done so, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps.
14. Data breaches
If a security compromise affects your personal information, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by POPIA, and take reasonable steps to address the compromise and mitigate its effects.
15. Third-party links
The Website links to third-party sites and services that we do not control. This policy does not apply to them; please review their privacy policies before providing your information.
16. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the updated version on this page and, where appropriate, notify you. Continued use of the Website after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
17. Contact us
For any privacy question or request, contact our Information Officer at [email protected], or write to BikeBuy (Pty) Ltd, [registered office address], South Africa.