Auto Car Finder Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Auto Car Finder collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal information when you use our website, vehicle marketplace, dealer tools, lead features, contact forms, and related services.
1. Introduction
Auto Car Finder respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through our website, listing platform, dealer tools, enquiry forms, account registration, advertising services, and related features.
By using Auto Car Finder, you acknowledge that your personal information may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law, including the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 ("POPIA"), where applicable.
2. Information we collect
We may collect and process the following categories of information:
- Identity information such as your name, surname, dealership name, or company details.
- Contact information such as your email address, phone number, physical address, and business address.
- Account information such as login details, profile information, account preferences, and support history.
- Listing information such as vehicle details, photos, descriptions, stock numbers, VIN-related information, and pricing.
- Transaction or billing information where you purchase advertising products, packages, boosts, or related services.
- Enquiry and communication data such as messages, lead forms, and communication records made through the platform.
- Technical information such as IP address, browser type, device identifiers, pages viewed, referring URLs, and usage patterns.
- Cookie and analytics data to understand platform use and improve performance.
3. How we collect information
We collect information in several ways, including when you:
- create an account or profile;
- submit, edit, or manage a vehicle listing;
- contact us or submit an enquiry;
- subscribe to marketing or updates;
- buy advertising or listing products;
- use the platform, browse pages, or interact with site features;
- communicate with us by phone, email, form, or other channels.
We may also receive information from service providers, business partners, payment providers, analytics tools, moderation tools, and fraud-prevention systems.
4. How we use information
We may use personal information to:
- provide and operate the Auto Car Finder platform and services;
- create, publish, moderate, and manage listings and dealer profiles;
- process enquiries, leads, support requests, and user communications;
- process billing, subscriptions, and advertising purchases;
- detect duplicate listings, fraud indicators, abuse, and policy breaches;
- improve platform performance, user experience, and service delivery;
- send platform notices, service messages, and transactional communications;
- send marketing communications where permitted by law or where consent has been given;
- comply with legal, regulatory, security, and operational requirements.
5. Legal grounds for processing
Depending on the circumstances, we may process personal information on one or more of the following grounds:
- your consent;
- performance of a contract or service requested by you;
- compliance with legal or regulatory obligations;
- our legitimate interests in operating, securing, improving, and protecting the platform, provided those interests do not override your rights.
6. Sharing information
We may share personal information with:
- dealers, sellers, buyers, or users where necessary to facilitate enquiries or platform functionality;
- service providers that support hosting, analytics, communications, security, payments, or platform operations;
- professional advisers, auditors, insurers, or legal representatives where reasonably necessary;
- regulators, law enforcement, or other authorities where required by law or to protect rights and safety;
- an acquiring entity in connection with a merger, sale, restructuring, or similar transaction.
7. Cookies and analytics
Auto Car Finder may use cookies, pixels, analytics tools, and similar technologies to recognise users, remember preferences, improve performance, understand traffic patterns, measure advertising effectiveness, and support security.
You can usually control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect site functionality.
8. Marketing communications
We may send you marketing, promotional, or newsletter communications where permitted by law or where you have opted in. You may unsubscribe at any time by using the unsubscribe link in the communication or by contacting us directly.
Even if you opt out of marketing, we may still send important service, billing, account, legal, or security communications where necessary.
9. Data retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, including operational needs, account management, fraud prevention, dispute handling, legal compliance, record-keeping, and enforcement of our rights.
Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data, the service used, and applicable legal obligations.
10. Security
We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
While we take reasonable steps to secure the platform, no internet-based service can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
11. Your rights
Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:
- request access to personal information we hold about you;
- request correction or updating of inaccurate information;
- request deletion of information where lawful and appropriate;
- object to or restrict certain processing;
- withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
- lodge a complaint with a relevant regulator, including the South African Information Regulator where applicable.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below. We may require reasonable proof of identity before actioning certain requests.
12. Cross-border transfers
Some of our service providers or technical systems may process or store information outside South Africa. Where cross-border transfers occur, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information remains appropriately protected in accordance with applicable law.
13. Children's privacy
Auto Car Finder is not intended for use by children without appropriate legal capacity. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children in a manner that would be unlawful. If you believe a child has improperly provided personal information to us, please contact us so we can investigate.
14. Third-party links and services
Our platform may contain links to third-party websites, services, finance providers, payment providers, maps, dealer tools, and other integrations. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party services. You should review their privacy notices separately.
15. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted on the website with a revised effective or last updated date. Your continued use of the platform after an update indicates acceptance of the revised policy.
16. Contact details
Auto Car Finder (Pty) Ltd (2026/281296/07)
087-822-1096
130 St Georges Road, Observatory, Johannesburg
info@autocarfinder.co.za