Privacy policy

Who to contact

Contact Hometowner Limited at hello@hometown-nailsea.co.uk with questions about your information or to exercise your privacy rights. Include enough detail to help us find your account or booking, but do not send passwords, alarm codes or copies of identity documents unless we specifically arrange a secure way to receive them.

Information we collect

Account information includes your email address, sign in records and account identifier. Helper applications include your name, contact details, local area, personal introduction, photo, chosen services, availability, age eligibility and review records. We ask about your transport, driving licence and car access, DBS readiness, ability to supply two references, tax registration / UTR status, insurance status. We record status and willingness, not UTR numbers, certificate copies or criminal record details in this application form. We also keep the agreement version and text, acceptance time, account identity and commission accepted when an application is submitted.

Booking information includes the customer’s name, email, telephone number, property address, requested service, visit times, instructions, booking status and messages. We keep prices, the agreed commission, payment records and administrative changes needed to manage jobs and resolve questions. Customers pay providers directly; our booking platform does not collect payment card numbers or access either person’s bank account.

Support cases record your account identifier, email address, category, optional booking reference and the messages you send to Hometown support. Authorised staff keep assignment, status, private notes and resolution records. Cases are not automatically shared with the other party to a booking. Current authorised members of a Hometowner account can access cases raised through that profile. Support emails contain a reference and a sign-in link to the case, not the message text or staff notes.

Technical information may include IP addresses, browser and device information, access logs, sign in events, email delivery results and security check information. We collect information you submit, information generated by using the service, and information supplied by the other party to a booking or an authorised person arranging help for you.

Why we use information

We use account and booking details to provide the service you request, arrange and manage visits, support communication and administer the relevant agreements. This processing is necessary to perform a contract or take steps you request before entering one.

We review provider applications, protect accounts, prevent misuse, investigate concerns and maintain operational records for our legitimate interests in running a safe and reliable local service. We consider the effect on your privacy and use information proportionately.

We retain financial and other records where necessary to meet legal obligations. If an activity requires consent, we will ask separately and explain how to withdraw it. Signing up does not subscribe you to marketing messages.

Public profiles and booking access

An approved helper’s name, photo, introduction, services and local area are public and may appear in search engines. Helper email addresses, telephone numbers, application answers, review notes and financial records are not displayed on public profiles. Customers sign in, select services and available times, and request bookings. Their chosen Hometowners and authorised Hometown administrators receive the details needed to manage those visits. Previous callback requests remain recorded for service administration.

Customers and their assigned providers can access the booking details and messages needed for their visits. Authorised Hometown administrators can access applications, bookings, payment records and messages to manage the service and deal with problems. Providers must use customer information only for the agreed service and related record keeping, not for unrelated marketing.

Account conversations are shared between the customer, the assigned Hometowner and any authorised person managing that Hometowner’s account. Authorised Hometown administrators can review conversations to support the service and deal with problems. We record which messages have been read to manage unread indicators and send an email alert after messages remain unread for one minute. Consecutive unread messages are grouped into one alert; the email links to your account and does not include the message text.

Visit safety checks and contacts

We record the time a Hometowner checks in and out of a visit. We do not collect GPS location for these checks. If check-in is missing five minutes after the scheduled start, we email the Hometown administrators. If checkout is missing fifteen minutes after the scheduled end, we email the administrators and the Hometowner’s chosen safety contacts. Alerts include the Hometowner’s name, phone number, scheduled visit times and booking address. We send an update when a late check is recorded.

Hometowners must obtain agreement from a safety contact before adding their name and email address. Contacts are private to the Hometowner and authorised administrators. Removing a contact stops new alerts to that contact; messages already sent cannot be withdrawn. We use safety records to follow up missed checks and investigate concerns. These records are reviewed with other operational records and are not used for marketing.

The installed Hometown app stores a general offline page. It does not save booking pages or job locations for offline access. An internet connection is required to record arrival or departure.

Customer reviews

After a completed booking, the customer can choose to publish a rating and review. Their first name, rating, review and publication date appear on the helper’s public profile. Booking addresses and contact details are not shown with reviews. We use these reviews to help customers choose a helper, based on our legitimate interest in providing trustworthy feedback. Customers can edit or delete their own reviews from the completed visit in My calendar. Test bookings cannot receive public reviews.

Service companies we use

We use Vercel to host the website, Supabase for account authentication and database storage, Resend to deliver account, booking and safety emails, and Cloudflare Turnstile to check forms for automated abuse. Our domain and inbound email forwarding are provided through Namecheap; messages to our business inbox are delivered to the administrators’ email service. These services receive the information required for their role.

We use Sentry to help identify website errors and service outages. Our error reports contain a random diagnostic reference, the broad area of the website affected, the application version and technical code locations. We do not send Sentry your name, contact details, booking instructions, message contents, passwords, session cookies or sign-in links. We do not use session replay or record form entries. This operational monitoring helps us keep the service reliable and secure; it is separate from optional analytics.

We may also share relevant information with professional advisers, insurers or public authorities when necessary to handle a claim, protect someone, comply with the law or exercise legal rights. We do not sell personal information.

Where information is processed

Our application database is hosted in Frankfurt, Germany, and our domain for sending email uses Resend’s Ireland region. Hosting, security, email and support providers can process information in other countries, including the United States. Their processing is subject to their data protection terms. Where UK transfer rules apply, appropriate safeguards or another permitted transfer mechanism are required. Contact us for information about the providers and safeguards relevant to your data.

How long we keep information

We keep account and profile information while the account is in use and for as long afterwards as reasonably needed to resolve outstanding visits, fees, complaints or legal obligations. We assess booking, financial and review records according to their purpose, applicable accounting requirements and the period in which a relevant claim may be made.

Detailed visit instructions and routine messages should not be kept merely because financial records need to be retained. When reviewing a deletion request or closing an account, we assess these records separately and remove or minimise information no longer needed. Information may remain longer where a dispute, investigation or legal requirement applies. Backup copies may remain until the provider’s backup cycle replaces them. Contact us for the retention position for a particular record.

Cookies and security

The service uses necessary account session storage and security technology to keep you signed in and protect forms. Blocking these may stop sign in or booking features from working. Your service basket is saved in your browser’s local storage so it can be restored when you return from signing in. It contains your chosen services, hours, dates and helper selections, not your address or contact details. It is cleared when your order is submitted, or you can remove it using your browser’s site data settings.

If you accept analytics, we use Google Analytics 4 through Google Tag Manager to measure public page visits, service selections, booking steps and successful applications. Google receives a pseudonymous cookie identifier, device and browser information and the actions measured. We do not send your name, email, address, form answers, appointment dates, helper identifiers or private account pages. URL queries and fragments are excluded. We do not use advertising features or Google signals. This optional processing relies on your consent. Google may process information outside the UK under its applicable data protection terms. See Google’s Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy for its processing practices.

Accepting or rejecting analytics is optional and does not affect booking. Use Cookie settings in the footer at any time to change or withdraw your choice. Our hometown-cookie-consent record lasts 180 days. Analytics cookies named _ga and _ga_473JLRDT47 last up to 180 days; withdrawing consent removes them and stops tracking. Google Analytics event and user data retention is set to two months. Aggregated reports may be retained longer. We do not send analytics requests before consent or after rejection.

When you start a helper application before confirming your email, your answers and selected photo are temporarily saved in this browser. The confirmation link returns you to that saved draft under your verified email address so you can read and accept the private Hometowner agreement and submit your application. The draft expires after 24 hours and is removed after successful submission or when an expired draft is next opened. You can also remove it through your browser’s site data settings.

Access to private records is restricted by account and role. We use encrypted connections and checks on the server for sensitive actions. No online service can guarantee complete security. Keep sign in links private and tell us promptly if you suspect someone else has accessed your account.

Sensitive information and young people

The platform is for adults aged 18 or over. A customer arranging help for someone else must have authority to share their details and should make this policy available to them.

Our services are nonclinical. Do not upload medical records, detailed health histories, identity documents, criminal record information, bank credentials, keys or alarm codes to profiles or routine booking messages. Share only the practical information needed for a visit. If additional sensitive information is genuinely necessary, contact us first so its use and a suitable legal basis can be considered.

Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you can ask to access your information, correct inaccuracies, erase information, restrict its use or receive certain information in a portable format. You can object to processing based on legitimate interests and withdraw consent where we rely on it. These rights are subject to legal conditions; some records may need to be retained.

Email hello@hometown-nailsea.co.uk to make a request. We may need to verify your identity. We normally respond within one month, subject to lawful extensions or clarification where appropriate. There is normally no charge.

You can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113. You do not have to contact us first, although we welcome the chance to put things right.

Decisions and policy updates

Provider approval and significant account decisions are reviewed by people. We use automated security checks to identify abusive traffic, but do not use solely automated decisions to decide provider suitability. We update this policy when our service or information practices change and show the revision date above.