Privacy Policy

At LocalFreebies.co.uk, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your data when you use our free community marketplace platform.

By using our service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. We will not use or share your information with anyone except as described in this Privacy Policy.

Personal Information

• Account Information: Name, email address, and profile information
• Contact Details: Location data for local matching and postcode verification
• Communication Data: Messages sent through our platform between users
• Listing Information: Details about items you post or request

Technical Information

• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent, and interactions with our service
• Location Data: Approximate location for local matching (with your consent)
• Cookies: Small files stored on your device to improve your experience

Under GDPR, we process your data based on the following lawful bases:

• Contract (Article 6(1)(b)): To provide our free community marketplace service and facilitate transactions between users
• Legitimate Interest (Article 6(1)(f)): To prevent fraud, moderate content, ensure community safety, and improve our platform
• Consent (Article 6(1)(a)): For marketing emails and non-essential cookies (withdraw consent anytime)
• Legal Obligation (Article 6(1)(c)): To comply with UK laws and regulations

We use your information to:

• Provide and maintain our free community marketplace service
• Match you with local users and relevant listings
• Facilitate communication between users
• Verify user accounts and prevent fraud
• Send important service updates and notifications
• Improve our platform and develop new features
• Ensure community safety and moderate content
• Comply with legal obligations

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal information:

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit and at rest
• Access Controls: Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Regular Audits: Ongoing security assessments and updates
• Secure Infrastructure: Industry-standard hosting and security practices
• Data Minimization: We only collect information necessary for our service

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access: Download a copy of all your personal data through your account settings
• Rectification: Update your profile information at any time
• Erasure: Permanently delete your account and all associated data through your account settings
• Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Objection: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time
• Restriction: Limit how we process your data by contacting us

To exercise these rights, please contact us at [email protected]

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services:

• Active Accounts: Your data is retained while your account is active
• Account Deletion: When you delete your account, all personal data is permanently removed immediately
• Message History: Messages may be retained with anonymized sender/receiver for other users to view their conversation history
• Audit Logs: Minimal anonymous audit records may be kept for legal compliance and security purposes
• Reports: Submitted reports are anonymized (user references removed) but retained for community safety
• Backup Data: Deleted data may remain in system backups for up to 90 days for disaster recovery purposes

When you delete your account, we permanently remove your email, password, name, username, image, listings, notifications, favorites, and awards. We do not retain your personal information beyond anonymous audit logs that contain no identifiable data.

You can delete your account at any time through your Account Settings by clicking "Delete My Account" (password required for verification).

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, analyze usage, and provide personalized content. You can control cookie settings through your browser.

Essential Cookies: Required for basic site functionality

Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with our platform

Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences

We may use trusted third-party services for:

• Email Services: SMTP2GO for sending notifications
• Authentication: Google OAuth for secure login
• Analytics: Anonymous usage statistics
• Hosting: Secure cloud infrastructure

These services have their own privacy policies and we ensure they meet our security standards.

In the unlikely event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) within 72 hours of becoming aware of it.

If the breach is likely to result in a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will also notify you directly without undue delay, providing:

• A description of the nature of the breach
• The categories and approximate number of individuals concerned
• The contact details of our data protection officer
• A description of the likely consequences of the breach
• Measures taken or proposed to address the breach

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: