Privacy Policy

GroomMates (“we”, “us”) operates the GroomMates iOS app, the website at groommates.app, and the back-end services that power them. This policy explains what personal information we handle and how.

We only collect data that the product genuinely needs to work:

• Account basics — name, email, phone number, profile photo, and the role(s) you sign up for (client, provider, supplier).
• Booking data — services you request, addresses, scheduled times, messages with your pro, reviews, and the dispute history if anything goes wrong.
• Location — your approximate location to power the map and provider search, and live GPS pings only for an active booking, only while the booking is en route or in progress, and only with your explicit when-in-use permission. We don't track you outside of an active job.
• Payment data — handled by Stripe, our payment processor. We see the last four digits and the network of saved cards; we never see or store your full card number, CVV, or bank credentials.
• Device + diagnostic data — crash logs, performance metrics, and an opaque device ID for push notifications. We use this to fix bugs, not to identify you off-platform.
• Content you create — photos uploaded to portfolios or stories, messages, reviews, and tips. You own this content; we license it only to operate and display the service to other users.

• To match clients with vetted pros, accept bookings, and run the marketplace.
• To process payments, deposits, refunds, and pay providers and suppliers.
• To deliver booking and order updates via push and email.
• To enforce safety, prevent fraud, and resolve disputes.
• To improve product quality through aggregated, de-identified analytics.

We share only what each partner needs to do their job, and never for advertising:

• Stripe — to process payments, deposits, payouts, and identity verification for providers and suppliers.
• Apple Push Notifications — to deliver push alerts you opt into.
• Supabase — our hosted database and storage provider; data lives encrypted at rest in their US-region infrastructure.
• Mixpanel — for de-identified product analytics. You can opt out of analytics from the iOS app's privacy settings at any time.
• The pro you book — they see the contact info and address you choose to share for the appointment. We don't share your data with pros you haven't booked.
• Law enforcement — only when legally compelled by valid US legal process, and we push back on overbroad requests.

We do not sell your data, rent your data, or share it with advertising networks.

You can, at any time:

• Access a copy of the personal data we hold on you — email privacy@groommates.app and we respond within 30 days.
• Delete your account from inside the iOS app: Profile → Delete account. Anonymizes your profile, scrubs personal fields, and removes your auth record. Booking and message history stays as anonymized record for the counterparty.
• Opt out of marketing push and email at any time from the iOS app's Notifications screen.
• Restrict location from iOS Settings → GroomMates → Location. The app degrades gracefully — bookings still work, you just lose live ETA.

California residents have additional rights under the CCPA, and EU residents have rights under the GDPR (access, portability, erasure, objection, automated-decision-making). Contact privacy@groommates.app and we'll honor those requests.

We keep account data while your account is active. After deletion, we retain the minimum required to comply with tax and dispute obligations (typically 7 years for financial records). Anonymized analytics may persist indefinitely.

GroomMates is not intended for children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 16. If we learn that we've collected data from a child, we delete it.

When we make material changes, we update the effective date at the top of this page and notify active users in-app and by email. Your continued use of GroomMates after the new policy takes effect constitutes acceptance.

Privacy questions, data-rights requests, or concerns: email privacy@groommates.app. General support: support@groommates.app.