Privacy Policy for CarVRT

At CarVRT (accessible at carvrt.com), we take the protection of your personal information very seriously. This Privacy Policy details how we gather, use, store, and safeguard your data when you visit our website to check Irish vehicle registration tax (VRT) estimates, calculate motor tax rates, browse local used car listings, or contact us regarding car prices across Ireland. By using our platform, you agree to the collection and handling of information in accordance with this policy, which is governed by the laws of Ireland.

1. Information We Collect

To provide accurate car valuation tools, Irish motor tax band estimations, and car marketplace services, we gather different categories of information from our users:

• Personal Identification Data: When you submit an enquiry, set up an account, save a vehicle listing, or contact our support team at [email protected], you may provide your name, email address, phone number, and location (such as your county or town, whether you are based in Dublin, Cork, or Galway).
• Vehicle Information: When using our VRT calculators or listing a vehicle for sale on our DoneDeal-style marketplace, you may input vehicle registration numbers, vehicle identification numbers (VIN), mileage in kilometres, exact make and model details, engine sizes, fuel types, and import history (including cars brought in from Northern Ireland or Great Britain).
• Technical and Usage Data: We automatically collect data about your device and browsing session. This includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring website addresses, pages viewed on CarVRT, and the specific time and duration of your visit.
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies to remember your preferences, such as saved car searches, preferred county locations, or recently calculated VRT estimates. You can control cookie settings through your internet browser, though disabling them may limit certain website features.

2. How We Use Your Information

We process your personal and vehicle data for clear, specific purposes aimed at enhancing your car research and buying experience in Ireland:

• Delivering Core Services: To process vehicle registration data, calculate expected VRT and NOx levies, determine annual motor tax bands based on CO2 emissions, and display relevant vehicle listings near your location.
• Connecting Buyers and Sellers: If you enquire about a vehicle posted by a main dealer or private seller on CarVRT, we transmit your contact details and message to that dealer or seller so they can respond to your query.
• Platform Improvement: We analyze user interactions to refine our algorithms, update estimated market values for cars on Irish roads, and improve our site navigation for drivers browsing on mobile devices or computers.
• Customer Communications: To respond directly to your emails sent to [email protected], provide customer support, send system notifications, or deliver updates regarding changes to Irish motoring taxes, SEAI grant policies, or our service terms.
• Fraud Prevention and Security: To monitor for suspicious activity, prevent fraudulent vehicle listings, verify import histories, and ensure compliance with our platform safety rules.

3. Legal Basis for Data Processing

We process your personal information under strict compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Irish Data Protection Acts 1988–2018. Our legal grounds for processing include:

• Contractual Performance: Processing is required to deliver the core services you request, such as connecting you with a motor dealer or generating a specific car valuation report.
• Legitimate Interests: Operating and securing our platform, optimizing user experience for Irish motorists, and preventing fraudulent listings serve our legitimate business interests.
• Consent: Where you explicitly opt in to receive marketing communications, direct newsletters, or allow optional analytical cookies on your device. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Legal Obligation: Complying with statutory duties under the laws of Ireland, including requests from statutory enforcement bodies or tax authority audits.

4. Sharing and Disclosure of Data

CarVRT does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third-party data brokers. We only share your information under the following limited circumstances:

• Motor Dealers and Private Sellers: When you express interest in a vehicle or submit a trade-in or PCP finance enquiry through a listing form, your contact details are shared with the relevant motor dealer or seller to fulfill your request.
• Third-Party Service Providers: We engage trusted technical partners who provide cloud hosting, database management, software analytics, and email distribution services. These providers operate under strict confidentiality agreements and process data solely on our behalf.
• Legal and Regulatory Requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by Irish law, court orders, legal proceedings, or requests from An Garda Síochána or Revenue Commissioners.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganisation, or sale of CarVRT assets, user information may be transferred as part of the business assets, subject to the privacy commitments in this policy.

5. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored securely on servers located within the European Economic Area (EEA). We implement standard technical and organisational security measures—including SSL encryption, secure firewall protections, and restricted administrative access controls—to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

While we take every reasonable precaution to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet or secure electronic storage is completely fail-safe. We urge you to take steps to safeguard your account passwords and refrain from sending sensitive payment card details via standard email messages.

6. Data Retention Policies

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was gathered, including satisfying legal, accounting, or reporting requirements:

• Account and Profile Data: Retained for as long as your account remains active on CarVRT. You may request account deletion at any time.
• Vehicle Enquiry Records: Messages sent to sellers or main dealers are retained for up to 24 months to help resolve disputes and manage customer service records.
• Technical Analytics Data: Aggregated, non-identifiable usage logs and server activity files are periodically anonymised or deleted after 12 months.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Under Irish and European data protection laws, you hold specific, enforceable rights regarding the personal information we maintain about you:

• Right of Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data CarVRT holds about you.
• Right to Rectification: You can request that we correct any inaccurate, out-of-date, or incomplete information.
• Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): You may request the deletion of your personal data when it is no longer required for the purposes for which it was collected.
• Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to limit how we use your data under specific conditions, such as while a dispute over data accuracy is being resolved.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format to transfer to another provider.
• Right to Object: You may object at any time to the processing of your data based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing communications.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer by email at [email protected]. We will respond to your request within one calendar month. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission.

8. Third-Party Web Links

Our website may contain links to external third-party sites, such as motor finance providers, insurance intermediaries, official government portals for NCT or VRT checks, and local main dealerships. CarVRT has no control over and assumes no responsibility for the content, privacy practices, or policies of these external websites. We encourage you to read the privacy notice of every website you visit after leaving CarVRT.

9. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in Irish law, updated regulatory guidelines from the Data Protection Commission, or changes to our website features. Any revisions will be published directly on this page with an updated modification date. We encourage users to review this page regularly to stay informed about how we safeguard personal data.

10. Governing Law and Contact Information

This Privacy Policy, its interpretation, and all matters relating to your use of CarVRT are governed exclusively by the laws of Ireland. Any legal claims or disputes arising in connection with this policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ireland.

If you have any queries, feedback, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled on CarVRT, please reach out to us:

CarVRT Privacy Team
Website: carvrt.com
Email: [email protected]