Privacy policy

Garika (garika.co.ke) is a free car marketplace in Kenya. This policy explains what personal data we collect, why, and the choices you have. We process personal data in line with Kenya's Data Protection Act, 2019.

What we collect

• Account details: your name, email address, phone number and password (stored as a secure hash). If you sign in with Google, we receive your name and email address from Google.
• Listings: the car details, price, location, description and photos you post. Photos are resized and hidden data such as GPS location is removed when you upload them.
• Dealer profiles: business name, address, opening hours, website and logo, if you create a showroom.
• Messages and offers you send to other users through Garika.
• Saved searches, saved cars, wanted ads and alert preferences.
• Usage information: listing views, phone-number reveals, WhatsApp taps and similar counts shown to sellers as statistics, plus standard server logs.
• Notification subscriptions if you turn on push notifications.

How we use it

• To run your account, publish your listings and let buyers contact you.
• To send emails and notifications you ask for: alerts, price drops, messages, offers, renewal reminders and password resets.
• To calculate Price Check ratings, valuations and market statistics (using listing data, not your identity).
• To keep Garika safe: reviewing reports, preventing fraud and enforcing our terms.

What other people can see

When you list a car, your first name (or dealer name), your town and the listing details are public. Your phone number is shown to buyers when they tap “Show phone number” or WhatsApp. Your email address is never shown publicly.

Sharing

We don't sell your personal data. We use service providers to run Garika — web hosting in Kenya and abroad, email delivery, Google (for “Continue with Google” and search services) and browser push services — only as needed to provide the service. We may disclose data if required by law.

Cookies and local storage

We use essential cookies only: one keeps you signed in, one remembers your browser so we can warn you by email if your account is accessed from a new device, and one lets people vote on a shared shortlist without an account. Your browser also stores your recently viewed cars and comparison list on your own device. We don't use advertising cookies or third-party trackers.

Visit statistics

We count page visits to understand which pages are useful. This is done without cookies: each visit is recorded with the page, the website you came from and whether you use a phone, plus a code made from your IP address and browser that changes every day, so we can't follow you from one day to the next. We also record searches (without who made them) to see which cars are in demand. Visit records are deleted after about 13 months. Failed login attempts are kept for 30 days to protect accounts from password guessing.

How long we keep data

We keep your account while it is active. Listings are hidden after 75 days without confirmation, and 6 months after a car is sold or hidden we delete all but its cover photo. You can delete listings at any time.

Your rights

You can access, correct or delete your personal data, object to processing, or ask for a copy of it. Email contact@garika.co.ke and we will respond within a reasonable time. You may also complain to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC).

Contact

Garika — contact@garika.co.ke