Privacy Policy
Last updated October 16, 2026 · Version 2.0
BuildrBay ("we", "us") is operated from Missouri, United States. This policy explains what we collect when you use the BuildrBay website at https://buildrbay.com and the BuildrBay iPhone app (together, the "Service"), what we do with it, and the choices you have. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not show ads or track you across other companies' apps and websites.
Questions or requests: contact@buildrbay.com.
1. Information you give us
| What | Why we need it |
|---|
| Account: username, email address, password (stored only as a one-way hash) | To create and secure your account and send sign-in codes and account notices |
| Profile (all optional): first and last name, bio, company, job title, address, birthday, phone number, social links, profile photo | To show the profile you choose to build. Each item has its own switch for who may see it, and they start hidden |
| Your builds: cars (year, make, model, VIN, budget), parts, labor, maintenance, inspections, mileage, notes, and car photos | To run the Service. This is the core of what BuildrBay stores |
| Social content: friend requests, private messages and reactions, feed comments, forum posts, photos and mentions | So you can talk to other builders |
| Support messages: tickets and messages you send us, including through "Contact us" | To answer you |
| Payments: for paid plans, your payment is handled by Stripe (see section 4). We receive your plan status and the card brand and last four digits, never the full card number | To provide paid plans |
Photos you upload have location, camera and other hidden metadata removed before we store them. Please don't put passwords or sensitive personal information in notes, posts or messages.
2. Information collected automatically
- Sign-in and security data: your IP address and device or browser type when you sign in. We keep the IP address and browser details for 90 days, then blank them.
- Device name (app): the name of your phone, such as "Alex's iPhone", is sent when you sign in so you can recognise the session. It is not used for anything else.
- Sign-in tokens (app): the app keeps your sign-in in the iPhone's secure Keychain. Deleting the app or signing out removes it.
- Cookies (website): we use essential cookies to keep you signed in and secure, and cookies to remember your choices. We do not use advertising cookies.
- Diagnostics: our servers log requests (time, address, status) to keep the Service running and secure.
3. How we use it
To provide and secure the Service; to verify your email and protect against bots and abuse; to let you share builds and talk to others; to run paid plans; to answer support requests; to review reports and enforce our Terms of Use; to meet legal duties; and to improve the Service. We will email you about your account and security. We only send marketing email if you ask for it, and you can stop it at any time.
4. Who sees your information
- Other users. What other people see depends on your settings. Profile details are hidden until you turn them on. A build is visible only to people you share it with, or to everyone who is signed in if you publish it. Anyone with a build's share code or link can open it. Messages are private between the people in the conversation. Forum posts, feed comments and published builds are visible to other users.
- Staff. BuildrBay staff can see account and support information needed to run the Service. Staff can read a private message only when someone reports it, and then only that message and a few around it; each such view is recorded. Staff actions are written to an audit log.
- Service providers that help us run BuildrBay, under their own privacy terms:
- Stripe processes payments for paid plans.
- Cloudflare (Turnstile) checks that sign-ups come from people, not bots, and may receive your IP address and browser signals for that.
- Hosting and email delivery: our servers and our own mail server.
- Apple: if you turn on push notifications in the app, we will use Apple's push service to deliver them.
- Legal and safety. We may disclose information if the law requires it, to protect people from harm, or to protect our rights. If BuildrBay is sold or merged, your information may transfer, and we will tell you first.
We do not sell personal information and do not share it for advertising.
5. How long we keep it
- Your account data: until you delete your account.
- Accounts that never verify their email: deleted after 48 hours.
- IP address and browser details from sign-ins: 90 days.
- After you delete your account: we remove your account and content right away. Files and backups are cleared within 30 days. Your forum posts are removed. Reports you filed or that were filed about you stay, with your name replaced by an anonymous one, so safety reviews are not lost. Records we must keep for billing and legal reasons are kept only as long as needed.
6. Your choices and rights
- See and change your information: in the app (Profile > Edit profile) or on the website (Manage).
- Control who sees what: every profile item has its own switch, and each build has its own sharing settings.
- Delete your account: in the app, Profile > Delete account; or on the website. This is permanent.
- Turn off permissions: camera (scanning QR codes), photos (picking and saving pictures) and Face ID can be turned off in iPhone Settings.
- Block and report: you can block people and report people or content in the app and on the website.
- Ask us: email contact@buildrbay.com to request a copy of your information or help with any of the above.
- California and other US state residents: you may have the right to know, correct, delete and receive a copy of your personal information, and to not be discriminated against for using these rights. We don't sell or share personal information for advertising. Use the options above or email us.
- Outside the United States: the Service is operated from the United States and your information is processed there.
7. Security
We protect your information with encrypted connections, hashed passwords, limits on repeated sign-in attempts, short-lived sign-in tokens, and staff access controls. No system is perfectly secure, so please use a strong, unique password.
8. Children
BuildrBay is not for anyone under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you think a child has given us information, email us and we will delete it.
9. Links and other services
The Service may link to other sites (for example a store where you bought a part). We don't control them or their privacy practices.
10. Changes
If we change this policy in a way that matters, we will tell you in the app or by email before it takes effect, and update the date above.
11. Contact
BuildrBay · contact@buildrbay.com · https://buildrbay.com