Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

RecommendUsUK is operated by Simon Powell, a sole trader based in the United Kingdom, trading as RecommendUsUK. We are the data controller for the personal information described in this policy.

You can reach us at any time through our contact page.

2. What we collect

We only collect what the service actually needs:

• Account details — your name, email address, and whether you use the site as a customer or a professional. If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address and profile picture from Google. If you sign up with a password, that password is stored only in an encrypted (hashed) form that we cannot read.
• Profile information — anything you choose to add, such as a photo, biography, skills, hourly rate, general location, and any photos or videos you upload to your portfolio.
• Jobs and proposals — the jobs you post, including descriptions, budgets and locations, and the proposals and prices professionals submit in response.
• Messages and reviews — messages you send to other users through the site, and any ratings or reviews you leave.
• Payment records — when you buy credits we keep a record of the purchase, the credits added, and a reference to the Stripe payment. We never see or store your card number — that goes directly to Stripe.
• Contact messages — the name, email address and message you send us through the contact form.

We do not use advertising trackers, analytics services, or third-party cookies, and we do not build advertising profiles about you.

3. Why we use it, and our legal basis

• To provide the service — running your account, showing jobs to professionals, delivering proposals and messages, and processing credit purchases. Legal basis: performance of a contract with you.
• To keep the marketplace working properly — preventing fraud and abuse, and fixing problems. Legal basis: our legitimate interests in running a safe service.
• To send service emails — sign-in codes, password resets, and notifications about proposals, messages and payments. Legal basis: performance of a contract.
• To keep financial records — as required for tax and accounting. Legal basis: legal obligation.

We do not send marketing emails, and we do not sell your personal information to anyone.

4. What other users can see

Some information is deliberately visible to other people so the marketplace can work. Your public profile shows your name, photo, biography, skills, general location, hourly rate and any reviews you have received. Your email address is never shown on your public profile.

When you post a job, the details are visible to professionals on the site. When you submit a proposal, the customer sees it along with your profile. Reviews you leave are public.

5. Who we share it with

We use a small number of service providers who process data on our behalf, under contract:

• Convex — our database and file storage.
• Stripe — payment processing. Stripe handles your card details directly under its own privacy policy.
• Resend — sending our service emails.
• Google — only if you choose to sign in with Google.
• Hostinger — hosting for the website itself.

We may also disclose information if we are legally required to, or to protect our rights or the safety of our users.

6. Transfers outside the UK

Some of our providers store or process data outside the United Kingdom, including in the United States and the European Union. Where that happens, the transfer is covered by appropriate safeguards recognised under UK data protection law, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or the UK extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework.

7. How long we keep it

• Account and profile information — while your account is open, and for a short period afterwards in case you return.
• Jobs, proposals, messages and reviews — while your account is open, so both sides keep a record of what was agreed.
• Payment and credit records — six years, as required for UK tax purposes.
• Contact form messages — up to two years.

8. Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

• Ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Ask us to correct anything that is wrong
• Ask us to delete your information, where we are not required to keep it
• Ask us to restrict how we use it, or object to our using it
• Ask for your information in a portable format

To exercise any of these, message us through the contact page. We will respond within one month.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk, or on 0303 123 1113. We would appreciate the chance to put things right first.

9. Cookies

We use only the cookies needed to keep you signed in and to keep the site secure. We do not use advertising or analytics cookies, so there is no cookie banner to dismiss. You can clear cookies in your browser settings, but you will be signed out if you do.

10. Children

RecommendUsUK is not intended for anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect information about children. If you believe a child has given us their information, please tell us and we will delete it.

11. Changes to this policy

If we change how we handle your information we will update this page and change the date at the top. If the change is significant, we will tell you by email.