Privacy Policy

When you use gari_me we collect:

• Account data — name, email, phone, password (hashed), county and town, profile photo.
• Listing data — vehicle details, photos, asking price, location.
• Communication data — messages between buyers and sellers on our platform, contact form submissions.
• Technical data — IP address, browser, device type, referrer, basic usage analytics.
• Payment data — handled by Safaricom Daraja and Paystack. We store transaction references, not card or M-Pesa PINs.

• To operate, secure, and improve the Platform.
• To verify accounts and reduce fraud.
• To send transactional emails (listing approved, new inquiry, password reset).
• To send optional newsletter emails — only if you subscribed. You can unsubscribe any time.
• To respond to support and legal requests.
• To comply with Kenyan law, including the Data Protection Act, 2019.

• HTTPS everywhere — your traffic is always encrypted in transit.
• Passwords are hashed with bcrypt — we never store them in plain text.
• Access to your data inside gari_me is limited to staff who need it to operate the Platform.
• Backups are encrypted at rest.

We share data only when:

• You publish it in a listing or share it with a buyer/seller via our messaging.
• A service provider needs it to operate the Platform (e.g. Brevo for email, Safaricom for M-Pesa, Paystack for cards, MinIO/S3 for image storage). These providers process data on our behalf under data processing agreements.
• Kenyan law or a competent court requires us to.

We do not sell your personal data.

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction — ask us to correct inaccurate data.
• Deletion — close your account and have your data erased (subject to legal retention requirements).
• Portability — receive your data in a structured format.
• Objection — opt out of newsletter or marketing communications.
• Complaint — lodge a complaint with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us.

We retain account data for as long as your account is active, plus a reasonable period after closure for tax, fraud-prevention, and legal obligations. Sold and archived listings are retained for historical reference but removed from public view.

We use a small number of cookies to keep you signed in, remember your theme preference, and measure site usage. We do not use third-party advertising cookies. By using gari_me you consent to our cookies; you can clear them from your browser at any time.

gari_me is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18.

We may update this Privacy Policy. Material changes will be announced on the Platform or by email.

Questions about your privacy? Get in touch.