Privacy policy
Last updated: September 2026
1. Introduction
The Car Hack, a trading name of Karussell Media Ltd ("we", "our", or "us"), is committed to protecting your privacy. Karussell Media Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, is the data controller responsible for your personal information. This Privacy policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform. Please read this policy carefully.
2. Information we collect
We collect information you provide directly to us, including:
- Account information (name, email address, password)
- Consultation briefs and preferences you submit
- Payment information (processed securely by Stripe)
- Communications with us or experts
- Feedback and survey responses
We also automatically collect certain information when you use our platform, including device information, IP address, browser type, and usage data through cookies and similar technologies.
3. How we use your information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide, maintain, and improve our services
- Process bookings and payments
- Match you with appropriate experts
- Communicate with you about your consultations
- Send transactional emails (confirmations, reminders, receipts)
- Respond to your enquiries and support requests
- Analyse usage patterns to improve the platform
- Protect against fraud and abuse
4. Information sharing
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following circumstances:
- With experts: We share relevant brief information with the expert you book to enable your consultation
- Service providers: We use third-party services (Stripe for payments, email providers, and Vercel Web Analytics for website usage measurement) who process data on our behalf
- Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect our rights
- Business transfers: If we are involved in a merger or acquisition, your information may be transferred
5. Data security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. All data is encrypted in transit using TLS and at rest. Payment information is handled by Stripe and never stored on our servers.
6. Data retention
We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services. We may retain certain information for longer periods as required by law or for legitimate business purposes (e.g., financial records for accounting purposes). You can request deletion of your account at any time.
7. Your rights (GDPR)
Under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, you have the following rights:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data
- Restriction: Request limitation of processing of your data
- Portability: Request transfer of your data to another service
- Objection: Object to processing of your data for certain purposes
To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@thecarhack.com
8. Cookies
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activities. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Essential cookies are required for the platform to function. We use Vercel Web Analytics to understand how visitors use our site: it is cookieless, measures only aggregate usage, and stores nothing on your device.
9. Visitor feedback
If you choose to give feedback, we store your answers, any optional comment, the page where the invitation was first shown, your device category and the response date. You can optionally include an email address so our team can reply about your feedback. No account is required. A random identifier kept for your browser tab session lets us count invitation views, opens and responses without connecting them to your account or bookings. After you submit feedback, we save a preference in your browser for 30 days so the invitation does not keep appearing. Feedback is available to our admin team to help improve the service.
10. Children's privacy
Our service is not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us at:
Email: privacy@thecarhack.com