PrivacyPolicy.

TradeCore SOS is a UK-wide trade-industry assistance network. We connect people who need trade help with verified local providers.

For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, TradeCore SOS is the data controller for the personal information described in this policy.

Information you give us. When you create an account, submit an SOS request, apply to become a provider or contact us, we collect details such as your name, email address, telephone number, business name, trade or service category, service area and the description of the assistance you need.

Information created through use. When you send an SOS request we record the details of that request, your approximate location (so that we can match you with nearby providers), the providers matched to you, and the progress and outcome of the job.

Information about providers. For provider accounts we additionally hold the information supplied during verification — such as business details, insurance documentation and trade credentials — and performance information generated by completed requests.

Technical information. We collect limited technical data needed to operate the service securely, such as device type, browser, and general region.

Location is central to how SOS matching works, so we want to be specific about it.

We use your location only to match your request with providers who can realistically reach you, and to show a provider the approximate area of the job. We do not publish your location, we do not show your exact position to the wider network, and we do not sell or share location data for advertising.

You control location sharing through your device settings and within the app. If you decline location access, matching becomes less accurate and you may need to enter your area manually.

We use personal information to: create and manage your account; match SOS requests with suitable providers; allow you and a provider to communicate about a job; track a request from activation to completion; verify provider applications; maintain response reputation information; take payments where applicable; provide support; keep the network safe and prevent misuse; and meet our legal and regulatory obligations.

Our lawful bases. We rely on performance of a contract where we are providing the service you have requested, on legitimate interests for operating, securing and improving the network, on consent where you have given it (for example for optional communications), and on legal obligation where we must retain or disclose information by law.

Providers you are matched with. When you send an SOS request, the providers matched to you receive the information needed to assess and respond to the job — typically your first name, the nature of the problem, the approximate area, and your contact route once you accept an offer.

Service providers who work for us. We use trusted third parties for hosting, communications and payment processing. They act under contract and may only process your information on our instructions.

Legal and safety disclosures. We may disclose information where we are required to by law, or where it is necessary to protect the safety of a person, to investigate fraud or misuse, or to enforce our terms.

We do not sell your personal information.

We keep personal information only as long as we need it for the purposes described in this policy. Account information is kept while your account is open. Job and transaction records are kept for a period afterwards so we can resolve disputes, maintain accurate reputation information and meet accounting and legal requirements. Provider verification records are retained for as long as the provider remains part of the network and for a reasonable period after.

When information is no longer needed, we delete it or anonymise it.

Under UK GDPR you have the right to be informed about how your information is used, to access a copy of it, to have inaccurate information corrected, to have it erased in certain circumstances, to restrict or object to certain processing, and to receive information you provided in a portable format.

Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect processing carried out before you withdrew it.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you are unhappy with how we have handled your information.

We use technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information — including encryption in transit, access controls so that staff and systems only reach the information they need, and monitoring for misuse.

No online service can guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights, we will notify you and the ICO as required.

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies that are necessary for the site to function and to keep it secure. Where we use anything beyond the strictly necessary, we will ask for your consent first.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking strictly necessary cookies may prevent parts of the site from working correctly.

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in the service or in the law. Where a change is significant we will make that clear on the site or contact you directly. The date below shows when this policy was last reviewed.