Privacy Policy

My Car Companion ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and website (collectively, the "Service").

By using My Car Companion, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

• Account information: Your name, email address, and password when you create an account.
• Profile information: Optional profile details such as a display name and profile photo.
• Vehicle information: Make, model, year, VIN, mileage, and other details about vehicles you add to your account.
• Maintenance records: Service history, maintenance logs, mileage entries, and related notes you create.
• Mechanic profile (mechanics only): Shop name, location, specialties, contact information, and professional details.
• Messages: Content of messages you send to or receive from other users through the in-app messaging feature.
• Reviews: Ratings and reviews you submit for mechanics.

Information Collected Automatically

• Device tokens: A unique device identifier used to send you push notifications. Collected when you grant notification permission.
• Usage data: Information about how you interact with the app, such as features used and pages visited (aggregated and anonymized).
• Log data: Standard server log information including your IP address, browser type, and access times, collected by our hosting infrastructure.

Information from Third Parties

• Google Sign-In: If you choose to sign in with Google, we receive your name and email address from Google.
• Payment processors: If you subscribe, our payment processor (Stripe) handles your payment information. We receive only a confirmation of your subscription status — we never see or store your full credit card number.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account
• Provide and improve the Service, including vehicle tracking, maintenance reminders, and mechanic discovery features
• Send push notifications for maintenance reminders and in-app activity (only if you grant permission)
• Facilitate messaging between car owners and mechanics
• Process subscription payments
• Respond to your questions and support requests
• Send transactional emails (account confirmations, password resets, subscription receipts)
• Detect and prevent fraud or abuse
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not use your data for advertising, and we do not sell your personal information to any third party.

3. Information Sharing

We share your information only in the following circumstances:

With Other Users (by design)

• When you message a mechanic, that mechanic sees your message and the vehicle information relevant to the conversation.
• When you submit a review for a mechanic, your display name and review are visible on that mechanic's public profile.
• Mechanic profiles (including shop name, specialties, and reviews) are visible to all users of the Service.

With Service Providers

We share data with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Service:

• Supabase — database hosting and authentication (data stored in the United States)
• Stripe — payment processing (your full payment details are handled directly by Stripe)
• Firebase (Google) — push notification delivery via Firebase Cloud Messaging
• Resend — transactional email delivery

All service providers are contractually obligated to use your data only to provide their services to us and not for any other purpose.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or government authority, or if we believe in good faith that such action is necessary to comply with legal obligations or protect the rights, property, or safety of My Car Companion, our users, or others.

Business Transfers

If My Car Companion is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

4. Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored on Supabase-managed infrastructure hosted in the United States. We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using TLS (HTTPS)
• Passwords are hashed using bcrypt — we never store plain-text passwords
• Database access is restricted using row-level security policies
• API endpoints are protected with JWT authentication

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Your Rights & Choices

Access & Correction

You can view and update your account information at any time from the Profile section of the app.

Data Deletion

You can delete your account from Settings → Delete Account in the app. This permanently and irreversibly deletes your account, all vehicles, maintenance records, messages, and associated data. This action cannot be undone.

Push Notifications

You can disable push notifications at any time from your device's notification settings or from Settings → Notifications in the app.

Marketing Emails

We do not currently send marketing emails. If we do in the future, every email will include an unsubscribe link.

Data Portability

To request a copy of your data, contact us at the email address below. We will respond within 30 days.

6. Children's Privacy

My Car Companion is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the European Union). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete it.

7. Third-Party Services

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services (such as the Google Play Store or mechanic review platforms). This Privacy Policy does not apply to those services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you use.

8. Push Notifications

If you grant permission, we use Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) to send push notifications for:

• Upcoming maintenance reminders
• New messages from mechanics or car owners
• Job status updates (mechanics)
• Account activity

Your device token is stored securely and deleted from our servers when you sign out or delete your account. You can revoke notification permission at any time in your device settings.

9. Payments & Billing

Subscription payments are processed by Stripe. When you subscribe, you are entering into a payment relationship directly with Stripe. My Car Companion does not store your credit card number, CVV, or full billing information.

We receive from Stripe: your subscription status, plan type, and renewal dates. This information is used solely to manage your subscription access within the app.

You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time from Settings → Manage Subscription in the app, which opens the Stripe customer portal.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, by sending you a notification via the app or email.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

• Email: paul@thecooconsultant.com
• Website: www.mycarcompanion.org

We will respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.