Privacy Policy (POPIA)

1. Who we are

MainBay (Pty) Ltd (“MainBay”, “we”, “us”) operates the website mainbay.co.za (the “Platform”). We provide a booking platform that connects vehicle owners with independent service centres. We are not the service centre and do not perform vehicle work.

2. What this policy covers

This policy explains how we collect, use, share and protect personal information when you use the Platform, make a booking, or communicate with us. It applies alongside our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy.

3. The information we collect

Information you provide

Contact details (name, email, phone).

Booking details (city, chosen service, preferred date/time).

Vehicle details (make/model/year/engine, registration/VIN if you choose to provide it).

Messages, reviews and ratings you submit.

Payment-related details necessary to process the booking/assessment fee (we don’t store full card data on our servers).

Information we collect automatically

Device and usage data (IP address, browser, pages viewed).

Cookies and similar technologies (see Cookie Policy).

Information from third parties

Payment providers (payment status, fraud screening signals).

Analytics/advertising partners (aggregated performance data).

Service centres (booking confirmation, completion status).

4. Why we use your information (POPIA purposes & grounds)

We process personal information to:

Provide the service: create/manage bookings, send confirmations and reminders. (contract / your request)

Share booking details with the service centre so they can contact you and do the work. (contract / legitimate interests)

Process the booking/assessment fee and handle support queries or disputes. (contract / legal obligation)

Communicate about your booking, account, or changes to our terms. (contract / legal obligation)

Improve and secure the Platform (analytics, debugging, fraud prevention). (legitimate interests)

Send optional marketing (only with consent and with opt-out at any time). (consent)

5. Who we share it with

Service centres (independent businesses) to fulfil your booking. They are responsible for their own POPIA compliance.

Service providers acting on our instructions (hosting/Shopify, email/SMS, payments, analytics, customer support tools).

Authorities where required by law, to protect rights, or to detect/prevent fraud.

6. Cross-border transfers

Our providers may process data outside South Africa (e.g., in the EU/UK/US/Canada). We use reputable vendors and contractual safeguards appropriate to POPIA for such transfers.

7. How long we keep your data

We keep information only as long as necessary for the purposes above, including:

Bookings and transactional records: typically 5 years from your last interaction or as required by tax/accounting law.

Reviews and support tickets: for as long as they remain published or needed for record-keeping.

We then delete or de-identify the data.

8. Your rights under POPIA

You can access, correct, delete, or object to certain processing of your personal information. You can withdraw consent where processing is based on consent (e.g., marketing).

Contact: admin@mainbay.co.za.

If we can’t resolve your concern, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa) (see inforegulator.org.za).

9. Marketing

We’ll only send marketing if allowed by law and you can opt out at any time (unsubscribe link or email us). Service and transactional messages will still be sent.

10. Cookies & similar tech

We use cookies and similar technologies for core functionality, analytics and (where enabled) ads. See our Cookie Policy for details and choices.

11. Security

We use administrative, technical and organisational measures appropriate to the risk (encryption in transit, access controls, logging). No system is 100% secure; please use a strong, unique password and keep it confidential.

12. Children

The Platform is intended for persons 18+. We do not knowingly collect personal information of minors without appropriate consent.

13. Third-party sites and tools

The Platform may link to or embed third-party tools (e.g., maps, chat, analytics). Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The version posted on the Platform is current and applies to future use and bookings.

15. Contact

Questions or requests about privacy: admin@mainbay.co.za.