Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Personal Information

• Name, email address, and phone number
• Profile photo and bio (optional)
• Address for location-based matching
• Payment information (processed securely through Stripe; card numbers never reach Kofa)
• Identity verification (optional). Stripe handles your ID document and selfie. Kofa receives the result, not the document

Photos You Upload

• Listing photos, profile and cover photos, which are public
• Condition photos at pickup and return, which the other side of that booking and Kofa support can see, and which are kept as a record of a rental

Usage Information

• Items you browse, rent, or list
• Messages between you and other users, which are stored and may be reviewed for safety, fraud or a dispute
• Reviews and ratings you provide or receive
• App and website analytics, and which link or advert brought you to Kofa
• A device token, so bookings and messages can reach your phone as notifications
• Your membership of a community, and bookings credited to an ambassador or community leader, which that person can see as earnings

Text You Give To The AI Writer

• Kofa can suggest wording for a listing or a bio. The text you type for that, and your listing details, are sent to Google's Gemini to produce the suggestion
• Do not put anything private or confidential into it

Location Information

• Your general location to show nearby rentals and services
• Precise location only when you choose to share it
• The location you put on a listing is public, including where it appears on a map

What Is Public

• Your store page, your listings, your store name, photos and reviews are public, can be found by search engines, and can be shown at your own web address if you have one

2. How We Use Your Information

To Provide Our Service

• Connect you with nearby renters and providers
• Process payments and transactions
• Facilitate communication between users
• Verify user identity when requested

To Improve Kofa

• Analyze usage patterns to enhance features
• Provide customer support
• Send important updates about our service
• Prevent fraud and ensure platform safety

Marketing (With Your Consent)

• Send newsletters and promotional content
• Notify you about new features and services
• Share relevant rental opportunities in your area

3. Information Sharing

With Other Users

Your profile information, reviews, and listed items are visible to other Kofa users to facilitate trust and transactions.

With Service Providers

• Stripe: payments, payouts and optional identity verification
• Google Firebase: hosting, database, file storage and notifications
• Google Gemini: only the text you give the AI writer, to produce a suggestion
• SendGrid: account and booking email
• Google Analytics and AppsFlyer: to understand usage and which link brought someone to Kofa

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of our users and platform.

4. Data Security

How We Protect Your Data

• All data transmitted using industry-standard encryption (SSL/TLS)
• Payment information is processed securely through Stripe - we never store credit card details
• ID verification photos are encrypted and stored separately
• Regular security audits and updates
• Limited employee access to personal information

Your Role in Security

• Keep your account password secure and unique
• Report suspicious activity immediately
• Only share personal information necessary for transactions

5. Your Privacy Rights

You Have the Right To

• Access: Request a copy of your personal information
• Correct: Update or fix inaccurate information
• Delete: Request deletion of your account and data
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications
• Portability: Export your data in a standard format

How to Exercise Your Rights

Contact us at privacy@ko-fa.com or through the app settings to exercise any of these rights.

6. Data Retention

• Account Information: Retained while your account is active
• Transaction Records: Kept for 7 years for tax and legal purposes
• Messages: Stored for 2 years for dispute resolution
• Reviews: Kept indefinitely to maintain platform trust
• Analytics Data: Anonymized and retained for service improvement

When you delete your account, we remove personal identifiers but may retain anonymized data for analytics and legal compliance.

7. Children's Privacy

Kofa is intended for users 18 years and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child, we will delete it immediately.

8. Cookies and Analytics

We use cookies and similar technologies on our website and in our app to understand how people find and use Kofa. This helps us see which pages are useful, where visitors come from, and where people get stuck.

What we use:

• Google Analytics on our website, which sets cookies to measure page visits, referring links, approximate location (city level), and general device information such as browser and screen size.
• Firebase Analytics in our mobile apps, which records in-app activity such as screens viewed and features used.
• Essential cookies that keep you signed in and remember settings such as a referral code you arrived with. These are required for the site to work and cannot be turned off.

We do not use cookies to serve advertising, and we do not sell the information they collect.

Your choices: you can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, and you can opt out of Google Analytics entirely using Google's browser opt-out add-on. Blocking essential cookies may stop you from signing in. On mobile, you can limit analytics through your device's advertising and privacy settings.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will:

• Notify you of significant changes via email or app notification
• Post the updated policy on our website
• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top

Your continued use of Kofa after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

10. State-Specific Rights

California Residents (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights including the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to delete personal information, and the right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (which we don't engage in).

European Users (GDPR)

European users have rights under GDPR including data portability, the right to be forgotten, and the right to object to processing for marketing purposes.