Privacy policy

Who to contact

For questions about your information or to exercise your rights, email hello@hometown-nailsea.co.uk. 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. Provider applications include your name, contact details, local area, biography, services, hourly price, availability, age eligibility confirmation and review records. We also keep records of checks and information supplied during the application process; references may supply information about an applicant.

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.

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 provider’s name, biography, services, area and prices are public and may appear in search engines. Published availability shows bookable visit times. Provider email addresses, telephone numbers, review notes and financial records are not displayed on public profiles.

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.

Service companies we use

We use Vercel to host the website, Supabase for account authentication and database storage, Resend to deliver sign-in 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 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 sending-email domain 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. We have not added advertising cookies or marketing analytics to this website. If we introduce optional tracking, we will explain it and request consent where required.

Access to private records is restricted by account and role. We use encrypted connections and server-side checks 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 non-clinical. 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.