Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

At Flow Auctions, we take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform, including our auction house management system, marketplace website, mobile applications, and services (collectively, the "Platform").

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By accessing or using our Platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Platform.

2. Information We Collect

We collect several types of information from and about users of our Platform, including:

Personal Information

Personal information is information that identifies you as an individual. We may collect the following personal information:

• Contact information (such as name, email address, mailing address, and phone number)
• Account credentials (such as username and password)
• Payment information (such as credit card details and billing address)
• Identity verification information (such as government-issued ID for high-value transactions)
• Organization information (for auction houses and dealers)
• Bidding history and preferences
• Auction house settings and configurations
• Communication preferences and marketing opt-ins

Usage Information

We may collect information about how you use our Platform, including:

• Log data (such as IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time spent on our Platform)
• Device information (such as device type, operating system, and unique device identifiers)
• Location information (such as general location based on IP address)
• Auction activity (such as items viewed, bids placed, and purchases made)
• Dashboard usage and settings preferences
• Image uploads and processing data
• Revalidation events and cache updates

3. How We Collect Information

We collect information in the following ways:

• Directly from you: We collect information that you provide directly to us when you create an account, update your profile, manage your auction house settings, place bids, make purchases, contact customer support, or otherwise interact with our Platform.
• Automatically: We automatically collect certain information when you access or use our Platform, such as log data, device information, and location information. We may use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to collect this information.
• From third parties: We may receive information about you from third parties, such as payment processors, identity verification services, auction houses, and marketing partners.

4. How We Use Your Information

We may use the information we collect for various purposes, including:

• Providing, maintaining, and improving our Platform
• Processing transactions and managing your account
• Verifying your identity and preventing fraud
• Managing auction house settings and configurations
• Processing image uploads and optimizations
• Handling revalidation events and cache updates
• Communicating with you about your account, transactions, and our Platform
• Sending you marketing communications (subject to your preferences)
• Personalizing your experience on our Platform
• Analyzing usage patterns and trends to improve our Platform
• Complying with legal obligations and enforcing our terms
• Protecting the security and integrity of our Platform
• Managing dealer and auction house relationships
• Processing invoices and payments
• Maintaining auction statistics and analytics

5. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information with the following categories of recipients:

• Service providers: We may share your information with third-party service providers that perform services on our behalf, such as payment processing, identity verification, image optimization, customer support, and marketing.
• Auction houses and dealers: We may share your information with auction houses and dealers that use our Platform, but only to the extent necessary to facilitate transactions and provide services.
• Legal and regulatory authorities: We may share your information with legal and regulatory authorities if required by law or if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to comply with legal obligations or protect our rights.
• Business partners: We may share your information with business partners for marketing or other purposes, subject to your preferences.
• Affiliated companies: We may share your information with our affiliated companies for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

We may also share aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you with third parties for any purpose.

6. Your Choices

You have certain choices regarding how we use and share your information:

• Account information: You can update your account information and preferences by logging into your account and accessing your profile settings.
• Marketing communications: You can opt out of receiving marketing communications from us by following the unsubscribe instructions in our emails or by contacting us directly.
• Cookies: Most web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. You can usually change your browser settings to remove or reject cookies, but this may affect your ability to use our Platform.
• Do Not Track: Some browsers have a "Do Not Track" feature that signals to websites that you do not want to have your online activities tracked. Our Platform does not currently respond to "Do Not Track" signals.

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of sensitive data in transit and at rest
• Regular security assessments and audits
• Access controls and authentication requirements
• Monitoring for suspicious activities
• Regular backups and disaster recovery procedures

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for any activities that occur under your account. Please notify us immediately if you become aware of any unauthorized use of your account.

8. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. When determining how long to retain information, we consider:

• The amount, nature, and sensitivity of the information
• The potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure
• The purposes for which we process the information
• Applicable legal requirements
• Auction history and transaction records
• Business relationship duration

9. Children's Privacy

Our Platform is not intended for children under the age of 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will promptly delete that information.

10. International Data Transfers

We are based in the United States and process information on servers located in the United States. If you are located outside the United States, please be aware that information we collect may be transferred to and processed in the United States or other countries where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.

By using our Platform or providing us with your information, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other countries where we operate.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will notify you by email or by posting a notice on our Platform prior to the effective date of the changes. Your continued use of our Platform after the effective date of the revised Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.