How we use and protect your information

Who is responsible for your information

CarAppraise operates the appraisal service. The dealership or vehicle buyer that invited you, receives your appraisal or contacts you about it may also be responsible for how it uses your information. Its identity should be shown in your invitation, appraisal or subsequent communications.

Until CarAppraise's formal business particulars are published, please use the contact details provided with your appraisal invitation or the options on our contact page.

Information we collect

• Your name, mobile number, email address and contact preferences.
• Vehicle details including registration, VIN where supplied, make, model, derivative, mileage, ownership and registration history.
• Your appraisal answers about condition, use, service history, finance, accidents, repairs, modifications and reasons for sale.
• Private vehicle photographs and supporting evidence, which may include V5C or service-history images.
• Appraisal progress, declarations, offers and communications or actions associated with the appraisal.
• Limited technical and security information, such as a shortened or protected IP record, browser summary, timestamps and audit events.

Why we use it

We use this information to:

• create, save and resume your appraisal;
• identify the vehicle and assess its condition and history;
• allow an authorised dealership or buyer to review it;
• contact you about the appraisal and, where appropriate, an offer;
• protect appraisal links, accounts and uploaded evidence;
• prevent misuse, investigate faults and maintain audit records; and
• meet legal, regulatory and record-keeping obligations.

Depending on the circumstances, we rely on steps taken at your request before a possible transaction, legitimate interests in operating a secure appraisal service, and compliance with legal obligations. Where consent is specifically requested for an optional use, it can be withdrawn for future processing.

Who receives it

Appraisal information is available to authorised CarAppraise administrators and the dealership or buyer reviewing your vehicle. We also use carefully selected providers for hosting, databases, private object storage, security and vehicle-data lookup. They may process only the information needed to provide their service and are not permitted to make your private appraisal photographs publicly available.

We may disclose information where required by law, to protect legal rights, or to investigate suspected fraud or misuse. We do not sell seller contact details or private appraisal photographs for advertising.

International processing

Some infrastructure providers may process information outside the UK. Where this occurs, CarAppraise requires an applicable lawful transfer mechanism and appropriate contractual and security safeguards.

How long we keep it

Pending uploads that are not successfully verified are ordinarily removed after 24 hours. After an appraisal closes, original uploaded photographs are ordinarily retained for up to 90 days and processed appraisal images for up to 180 days, subject to the configured retention process.

Other appraisal and audit records are retained only for as long as reasonably needed for the appraisal, offers, security, disputes and legal or regulatory obligations. The appropriate period is reviewed according to the appraisal's status and the reason the record is held. Information may be retained longer where a dispute, legal hold or regulatory requirement applies.

Security

Seller access uses private, time-limited or revocable appraisal links. Uploaded images are stored privately and authorised access is required to view processed photographs. Please do not forward your appraisal link to anyone who should not have access.

Valuations and automated processing

Vehicle-data services and calculation tools may assist an authorised administrator. CarAppraise does not use an automated result by itself to create a binding purchase decision. A dealership or buyer reviews the appraisal before deciding whether to make or revise an offer.

Your rights

Depending on the processing and applicable law, you may ask for access to your personal information, correction, erasure, restriction, portability, or object to certain uses. You may also complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.

To exercise a right, use our contact page and include your appraisal reference where possible. We may need to verify your identity before disclosing or changing information.

Cookies

CarAppraise uses storage or cookies that are strictly necessary for security, administrator authentication and seller-session continuity. The current service does not use advertising cookies. If optional analytics or marketing technology is introduced, this notice and the consent controls will be updated before those cookies are enabled.

Changes to this notice

We will update this notice when the service, providers or handling of personal information changes. Material changes will be brought to users' attention where appropriate.