Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to TradeChat.

TradeChat is a WhatsApp-first, AI-powered service marketplace operated by PLAYMATCH NETWORK LTD, a company registered in England and Wales.

TradeChat helps people find, connect with and arrange services from independent service providers through WhatsApp, without requiring a separate marketplace app or customer account.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and protect personal information when you interact with TradeChat through WhatsApp, visit our website or use our related services.

For personal information that we collect and determine how to use in operating TradeChat, PLAYMATCH NETWORK LTD is the data controller.

By using TradeChat, you acknowledge this Privacy Policy. Where consent is legally required for particular processing activities, we will seek it separately.

2. How TradeChat Works

TradeChat operates primarily through WhatsApp.

Customers can describe a service they need, provide relevant details and ask TradeChat to find suitable providers.

Service providers can describe their businesses, services, availability, locations, indicative prices and other information through WhatsApp.

Our AI technology helps interpret these conversations, organise service enquiries, identify potential matches and facilitate communication.

TradeChat may also support quotations, bookings, service updates, reviews and other marketplace functions.

TradeChat is an independent service and is not owned, operated or endorsed by WhatsApp or Meta.

3. Information We Collect

Depending on how you use TradeChat, we may collect:

Contact and identity information

• WhatsApp phone number and WhatsApp profile information made available to us.
• Name, business name and contact details voluntarily provided.
• Your role as a customer, service provider or both.

Customer enquiry information

• The service you are looking for.
• Relevant town, city, service area or location details.
• Project descriptions, preferences, requirements and budgets.
• Enquiry references, quotes, booking details and service outcomes.
• Feedback, ratings and reviews.

Provider information

• Business and professional descriptions.
• Services offered and geographical coverage.
• Service catalogues, indicative prices, qualifications and experience.
• Business photographs, portfolio materials and availability.
• Information supplied for verification or business administration, where applicable.

WhatsApp messages and media

• Messages you send to TradeChat.
• Photos, documents, voice notes and other supported media.
• Transcripts generated from voice notes.
• Conversation history and relevant contextual summaries needed to continue an enquiry or service interaction.

Voice notes may be processed by AI transcription technology so that TradeChat can understand and respond to spoken requests.

Technical and operational information

• Message identifiers, timestamps and delivery status.
• System events, errors and security records.
• Website usage and device information where collected.
• Records needed to prevent duplicate messages, detect misuse and maintain platform reliability.

We ask users not to submit unnecessary sensitive information, including passwords, financial credentials, medical records or identity documents, unless specifically required through an appropriate secure process.

4. How We Use Personal Information

We use personal information to:

1. Understand and respond to customer service enquiries.
2. Register and manage service provider profiles and catalogues.
3. Identify potentially suitable service providers.
4. Facilitate introductions and communication between customers and providers.
5. Support quotations, bookings, completion updates and reviews.
6. Maintain conversation context and avoid requiring users to repeat information.
7. Transcribe voice notes and process other submitted media.
8. Provide customer support and resolve disputes.
9. Protect users, investigate misuse and prevent fraud.
10. Maintain, troubleshoot and improve TradeChat's functionality.
11. Meet applicable legal, regulatory and accounting obligations.
12. Send service-related communications and, where legally permitted, marketing communications.

We do not sell personal information to advertisers.

5. Our Lawful Bases for Processing

Under applicable UK data protection law, we rely on appropriate lawful bases depending on the purpose.

Contract or steps before entering a contract: To respond to requests, provide marketplace functionality and manage the service relationship with users.

Legitimate interests: To operate a reliable marketplace, maintain security, prevent abuse, improve service quality, investigate problems and administer our business, where those interests are not overridden by individuals' rights and freedoms.

Legal obligation: To comply with applicable laws, lawful requests and record-keeping requirements.

Consent: Where required for particular activities, such as certain marketing communications or optional processing. Consent may be withdrawn where applicable.

Where we process special-category personal information, we will identify an additional lawful condition where required. Users should avoid sharing such information unless necessary.

6. Artificial Intelligence and Automated Processing

TradeChat uses AI systems, including Google Cloud AI services, to interpret messages, transcribe audio, organise enquiries, support provider matching and generate conversational responses.

AI-generated responses can sometimes be inaccurate, incomplete or based on misunderstood information.

We use operational safeguards and, where appropriate, human review to help manage these risks.

Our AI may use relevant conversation history, service requirements, provider profiles and catalogue information to generate responses.

TradeChat does not intend to make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals without the safeguards required by applicable law.

Users may contact us to raise concerns about AI-generated information or request human assistance where available.

7. Sharing Information With Service Providers

TradeChat may share relevant enquiry information with potentially suitable providers to help them assess whether they can offer a requested service.

We aim to limit sharing to information reasonably necessary for the enquiry.

Where our matching process requires permission before sharing or establishing a direct connection, we will seek the relevant user's agreement.

Depending on the interaction, information shared may include:

• Service requirements.
• General service location.
• Relevant project or job details.
• Images or other supporting information authorised for sharing.
• Contact information when a direct introduction has been agreed.

Once customers and providers communicate directly, they may independently determine how to use information exchanged between them and may have their own privacy obligations.

Users should exercise care when sharing personal information with other marketplace participants.

8. Third-Party Technology Providers

We use third-party technology and infrastructure providers to operate TradeChat.

These may include:

• Meta and WhatsApp: For WhatsApp messaging, delivery and business communication services.
• Google Cloud and Vertex AI: For AI processing, including language understanding and audio transcription.
• Hosting, database and infrastructure providers: For storing information, operating the marketplace and maintaining security.
• Payment service providers: If and when integrated payments become available.
• Professional advisers and service providers: Where reasonably necessary for legal, accounting, security or operational purposes.

These organisations may process personal information in accordance with their roles, agreements and applicable privacy policies.

WhatsApp and Meta may also process information independently under their own terms and privacy policies.

We do not control WhatsApp's independent data-processing practices.

9. International Data Transfers

TradeChat is designed to support service interactions across different geographical locations.

Some of our technology providers may process or store information outside the United Kingdom.

Where UK data protection law requires safeguards for international transfers, we will use an applicable lawful transfer mechanism, such as UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards.

You may contact privacy@tradechat.io for further information about applicable transfer arrangements.

10. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

Retention depends on factors including:

• Whether an enquiry or service interaction remains active.
• Whether a provider profile remains in use.
• The need to maintain relevant conversation history.
• Security, fraud prevention and dispute-resolution requirements.
• Applicable legal, tax and accounting obligations.

We normally keep information for the following periods:

• Voice notes: TradeChat does not keep a copy of the audio. We download it from WhatsApp, turn it into text and then discard it. Any stored audio is removed within 90 days of receipt.
• WhatsApp messages and voice-note transcripts: 12 months after the last activity in the conversation.
• Cancelled or unmatched enquiries: 12 months after the enquiry is closed.
• Completed jobs, bookings, quotes and related records: up to 6 years, where we need them for legal, accounting or contractual reasons.
• Provider profiles and catalogues: kept while the profile is active. They are normally deleted or anonymised within 30 days after the profile is closed. Published reviews may stay, without contact details.
• System, AI and webhook logs: 90 days.

We may keep information for longer while a dispute is unresolved, while we investigate fraud or misuse, where it is needed for a legal claim, or where the law requires it. We remove it when that reason ends.

Once information is deleted from our active systems, copies may remain in routine system backups until those backups are replaced in the normal course of operation. We do not restore deleted information from backups, except where needed to recover from a system failure. If we do, we delete it again.

11. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information.

These may include access controls, authentication, encrypted communications where supported, database security restrictions, monitoring, audit records and controls against unauthorised access.

No digital communication or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure.

Users should avoid sending passwords, payment-card details or other highly sensitive information through ordinary WhatsApp conversations.

12. Your Data Protection Rights

Subject to applicable law and exceptions, you may have rights to:

• Access personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate information.
• Request deletion of personal information.
• Request restriction of processing.
• Object to certain processing, including direct marketing.
• Request portability of applicable information.
• Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.
• Raise concerns about qualifying automated decisions.

To exercise your rights, email privacy@tradechat.io.

We may request reasonable information to verify your identity before fulfilling a request.

We will respond within the time limits required by applicable law.

You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests and to direct marketing, subject to applicable law.

13. Deleting Your TradeChat Information

You may request deletion of your TradeChat information by emailing:

privacy@tradechat.io

Include your WhatsApp number in international format and explain that you wish to delete your TradeChat data.

We may ask you to verify that you control the relevant WhatsApp number.

After verification, we will assess and process your request in accordance with applicable data protection law.

Some information may need to be retained for legal compliance, security, fraud prevention or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

Deleting TradeChat information does not automatically delete information independently held by WhatsApp, Meta or service providers with whom you have communicated.

14. Marketing and Service Notifications

TradeChat may send messages relating to your enquiries, provider opportunities, bookings, security, support or other service activity.

Marketing communications will be sent only where permitted by applicable law.

Where required, we will obtain consent and provide a means to opt out.

Users may request that marketing communications stop by contacting us.

Opting out of marketing does not necessarily prevent essential service or security messages relating to an ongoing interaction.

15. Children

TradeChat is intended for users aged 18 or over.

We do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children for independent marketplace participation.

If we become aware that a child has provided personal information contrary to our eligibility requirements, we will take appropriate steps in accordance with applicable law.

16. Website Cookies

Our website may use cookies or similar technologies necessary for its operation, security and functionality.

If we introduce optional analytics, advertising or other non-essential technologies requiring consent, we will provide appropriate information and consent controls.

Users can also manage cookies through their browser settings.

17. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as TradeChat develops or legal requirements change.

The current version will be published at:

https://tradechat.io/privacy

Where changes materially affect users, we will provide additional notice where appropriate.

18. Contact and Complaints

For privacy questions, data requests or complaints:

PLAYMATCH NETWORK LTD
Trading as TradeChat
Company No. 16135709
Registered in England and Wales
Email: privacy@tradechat.io
Website: https://tradechat.io

You may also complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/