Privacy Policy

MARVIN LUMIC LIMITED (“we”, “us”, “our”) is the data controller for personal data collected through AGarageNearMe.co.uk. We are committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and your rights in relation to it.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of UK GDPR, MARVIN LUMIC LIMITED is the Data Controller. If you have any questions about how we use your personal data, please contact us at contact@garageguy.co.uk.

2. Personal Data We Collect

2.1 Account Information

• Email address (required for account creation and communication)
• Password (stored as a secure hash — we never see your plain-text password)
• Display name (collected voluntarily during use of the Service)
• Profile photo (if you choose to upload one)

2.2 Vehicle Information

• Vehicle registration number (UK format)
• Vehicle details: make, model, year, fuel type, engine size, colour, transmission
• Mileage (provided by you)
• DVLA data retrieved on your behalf using the registration you provide
• MOT expiry information
• Photographs of your vehicle that you choose to upload

2.3 Usage and Conversation Data

• Chat messages you send and responses generated by our automated system
• Case histories and diagnostic records you create
• Credits consumed per interaction

2.4 Payment Information

• Payment amount and status (processed by Stripe — we do not store card details)
• Transaction records for credit purchases

2.5 Technical Data

• IP address (for security and fraud prevention)
• Browser and device type (via user-agent string)
• Session identifiers (authentication cookies)
• Log data and error reports

2.6 Consent Records

• Records of when, how, and which policies you accepted
• Cookie consent preferences

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We process your personal data for the following purposes and under the following lawful bases:

4. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We share your personal data only where necessary and only with:

• Stripe, Inc.: Payment processing. Stripe processes your card details directly and is itself a data controller. See Stripe's privacy policy at stripe.com.
• OpenAI, LLC: Our automated information system uses OpenAI's API to generate responses. Messages you send (and vehicle context) are sent to OpenAI for processing. OpenAI processes this data in accordance with its privacy policy and our data processing agreement.
• DVLA / GOV.UK: When you provide a vehicle registration, we query the DVLA API to retrieve publicly available vehicle data.
• Cloud storage providers: We use secure cloud storage for uploaded images.
• Legal authorities: We may disclose data if required by law, court order, or regulatory authority.

We do not sell your personal data. We do not share it with advertisers or for marketing purposes.

5. International Transfers

Some of our service providers (including OpenAI) are based in the United States. Where we transfer personal data outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (such as standard contractual clauses approved by the UK ICO or adequacy decisions).

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:

• Account data: For the lifetime of your account plus 7 years after closure (for legal compliance).
• Payment records: 7 years (UK tax law requirements).
• Conversation and case data: For the lifetime of your account.
• Vehicle photographs: Deleted from our systems within 30 days of soft-deletion.
• Policy acceptance records: For the lifetime of your account plus 7 years (legal compliance).
• Log and security data: 90 days.

7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access: Request a copy of your personal data.
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data.
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”), subject to legal obligations.
• Right to restriction: Request we limit how we use your data.
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Rights relating to automated decision-making: We do not make solely automated decisions that significantly affect you.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contact@garageguy.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113.

8. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies. For detailed information, please see our Cookie Policy.

9. Security

We use industry-standard security measures including:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/HTTPS)
• Encrypted password storage (bcrypt hashing)
• HTTP-only authentication cookies
• Rate limiting to prevent brute-force attacks
• Restricted administrative access

No system is completely secure. If you become aware of any security concern, please contact us immediately at contact@garageguy.co.uk.

10. Children

AGarageNearMe.co.uk is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or an in-app notice at least 14 days before the changes take effect. The updated policy will display the revised version number and effective date.

12. Contact Us

For privacy-related enquiries: