Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Thrifts (Pty) Ltd ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform.

We comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA") and are committed to processing your personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

2. Responsible Party

For purposes of POPIA, Thrifts (Pty) Ltd is the "responsible party" for processing your personal information. Our Information Officer can be contacted at:

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide

• Account information: name, email address, username, password
• Profile information: photo, bio, location
• Contact information: phone number, delivery address
• Seller verification: date of birth, billing address, bank details
• Payment information: processed securely by Yoco (we do not store card details)
• Communications: messages to other users, support requests
• Content: listing photos, descriptions, reviews

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device information: device type, operating system, browser type
• Log data: IP address, access times, pages viewed
• Usage data: features used, search queries, browsing patterns
• Location data: approximate location based on IP address
• Cookies and similar technologies (see Section 9)

3.3 Information from Third Parties

• Social login data: if you sign in with Google or Apple
• Payment verification: fraud prevention data from payment processors

4. Purpose of Processing

We process your personal information for the following purposes:

• To provide our services: Create accounts, process transactions, facilitate communication
• To process payments: Complete purchases, manage seller payouts
• To communicate with you: Order updates, notifications, support responses
• To improve our platform: Analyse usage patterns, fix bugs, develop new features
• To ensure safety: Prevent fraud, enforce our Terms, protect users
• To comply with law: Meet legal obligations, respond to lawful requests
• For marketing: Send promotional communications (with your consent)

5. Legal Basis for Processing

Under POPIA, we process your information based on:

• Consent: For marketing emails, optional profile features
• Contract: To fulfil our service agreement with you
• Legal obligation: To comply with tax, anti-fraud, and other laws
• Legitimate interest: To improve security, prevent abuse, enhance services

6. Information Sharing

We may share your information with:

6.1 Other Users

• Buyers can see seller username, location, ratings, and listed items
• Sellers receive buyer's name and delivery address to fulfil orders
• Messages between users are visible to both parties

6.2 Service Providers

• Payment processing: Yoco for secure payments
• Cloud hosting: Vercel for website hosting
• Image storage: Cloudinary for listing photos
• Email services: For transactional and marketing emails
• Analytics: To understand platform usage

6.3 Legal & Safety

• Law enforcement when required by valid legal process
• To protect rights, safety, or property of Thrifts or users
• In connection with legal proceedings or disputes

We do not sell your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Encryption of sensitive data at rest
• Secure password hashing
• Access controls and authentication
• Regular security assessments
• Employee confidentiality agreements

While we take security seriously, no system is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

8. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to:

• Provide our services while your account is active
• Comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax records for 5 years)
• Resolve disputes and enforce agreements
• Prevent fraud and abuse

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymise your personal information within 90 days, except where retention is required by law.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Essential cookies: Keep you logged in, remember preferences
• Analytics cookies: Understand how users interact with our platform
• Preference cookies: Remember your settings (theme, language)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect platform functionality.

10. Your Rights Under POPIA

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal information we hold
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your information (subject to legal requirements)
• Object: Object to processing for direct marketing purposes
• Restrict: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
• Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Withdraw consent: Withdraw consent for processing based on consent
• Lodge a complaint: Complain to the Information Regulator

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@thrifts.co.za. We will respond within 30 days.

11. Children's Privacy

Thrifts is not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately so we can delete it. POPIA provides special protections for children's personal information.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside South Africa (e.g., for cloud hosting services). When we transfer data internationally, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place as required by POPIA, including ensuring the recipient country has adequate data protection laws or using contractual protections.

13. Third-Party Links

Our platform may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or through the Platform. The updated policy will be effective when posted. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

15. Information Regulator

If you are not satisfied with how we handle your personal information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator:

16. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights: