1. Who We Are
LocalHire ("we", "our", "us") operates the platform at localhire.me — a marketplace connecting homeowners with local tradespeople in the UK. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our platform.
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@localhire.me.
2. Information We Collect
We collect the following types of information:
- Account information: Your name, email address, and the type of account (homeowner or tradesperson) when you register.
- Profile information: For tradespeople, this includes your trade categories, service description, profile photo, and bank account details for fee payments.
- Job and quote data: Details of jobs posted, quotes submitted, and messages exchanged between users.
- Identity verification: We may collect identity documents submitted for ID verification purposes.
- Location data: Postcode or location information attached to job listings, and optionally your GPS coordinates to enable distance-based filtering.
- Payment information: Platform fees are processed via Stripe. We do not store full card details — Stripe handles payment data securely.
- Usage data: Pages visited, actions taken, and device/browser information to help us improve the platform.
3. How We Use Your Information
- To provide and operate the LocalHire platform.
- To match homeowners with relevant tradespeople.
- To send notifications about new jobs, quotes, and messages.
- To process platform fee payments.
- To verify user identities and maintain platform trust and safety.
- To respond to support requests and resolve disputes.
- To improve our services through anonymised analytics.
- To comply with legal obligations.
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal data. We may share information in these circumstances:
- Between users: When a quote is accepted, the homeowner's contact details are shared with the tradesperson to facilitate the job.
- Service providers: We use trusted third parties including Stripe (payments) and email delivery services. These providers process data only as instructed by us.
- Legal requirements: We may disclose data if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of our users.
5. Data Retention
We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services. If you delete your account, we will remove your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or financial reasons (e.g. payment records are kept for 7 years in line with UK tax law).
6. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Delete your data ("right to be forgotten"), subject to legal retention requirements.
- Object to certain uses of your data.
- Data portability — receive a copy of your data in a machine-readable format.
- Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at info@localhire.me. We will respond within 30 days.
7. Cookies
We use essential cookies to keep you logged in and maintain your session. We may also use analytics cookies to understand how the platform is used. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though this may affect platform functionality.
8. Security
We take the security of your data seriously. Our platform uses encryption in transit (HTTPS) and access controls to protect your information. However, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Third-Party Links
Our platform may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to read their privacy policies.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by email or via an in-app notification. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact:
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.