GearMates ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use the GearMates mobile application and website (collectively, the "Service"). Please read this policy carefully. If you disagree with any part of it, please do not use the Service.
1. Information We Collect
Information you provide directly
- Waitlist email: If you join our pre-launch waitlist, we collect your email address.
- Account information: When the app launches, we may collect your name and email address to create an account.
- Gear inventory: Item names, descriptions, categories, condition ratings, service history, and any notes or photos you add to your Gear Locker.
- Trip data: Trip names, destinations, dates, packing lists, and packing intent statuses you create or participate in.
- Photos: Photos you upload to document your gear items, stored securely in your account.
Information collected automatically
- Device information: Device model, operating system version, app version, and unique device identifiers.
- Usage data: Features you use, screens you view, actions you take in the app, and crash reports.
- Location data (optional): If you grant location permission, we use your approximate location to power the AI Concierge's mid-trip feature — specifically, to recommend nearby gear shops and repair spots. We do not continuously track your location or store location history beyond what is needed to generate a single recommendation.
Information from third parties
If you sign in using Apple Sign In or another third-party authentication provider, we receive basic profile information (typically name and email) from that provider, subject to their privacy policy. We do not receive data from other third parties about you.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide, operate, and improve the GearMates Service
- Send you app-related communications (account notifications, feature updates, waitlist status)
- Power the AI Concierge — your gear and trip data are processed to generate personalised, proactive suggestions
- Diagnose technical issues, prevent fraud, and ensure security
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not use your information to serve third-party advertising. We do not sell your personal data.
3. AI Concierge and Your Data
The AI Concierge uses your gear condition data and trip information to generate proactive suggestion cards. This processing happens to provide the core feature of the Service. Here is how we handle it:
- Your gear and trip data may be processed by AI infrastructure to generate suggestions. We take care to minimise the data shared and to ensure that any AI processing partners are contractually bound to protect your data.
- We do not use your personal data to train AI models for third parties.
- Location data used for mid-trip shop recommendations is processed transiently and is not stored in a location history log.
4. Shared Trips and Collaborative Features
When you join a shared trip, other participants can see:
- Your display name or the name you have chosen for that trip
- The packing items on the shared trip list and their statuses
- Which items from your Gear Locker you have matched to the trip list
Your full Gear Locker (including all your private items, notes, photos, and service history) remains private and is never visible to other trip participants. Only the items you explicitly add to a shared trip are visible to your collaborators.
5. Data Storage and Security
Your data is stored on secure servers. We use industry-standard encryption for data in transit (TLS) and at rest. We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
6. Data Retention
We retain your account and gear data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will delete your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required by law to retain it longer or where it is needed to resolve disputes or enforce our agreements.
7. Your Rights and Choices
- Access and portability: You can request a copy of the data we hold about you.
- Correction: You can update or correct your information directly in the app, or by contacting us.
- Deletion: You can delete your account and all associated data through the app settings, or by contacting us at privacy@gear-mates.com.
- Location permissions: You can revoke location access at any time through your device's settings. The AI Concierge's mid-trip local recommendations will not work without location access, but all other features remain available.
- Marketing emails: You can unsubscribe from our marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email we send.
8. Children's Privacy
GearMates is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the European Union). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under these ages. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected such information, we will delete it promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us at privacy@gear-mates.com.
9. Third-Party Services
We may use trusted third-party services to operate and improve GearMates, such as cloud infrastructure providers, analytics services, and authentication providers. These third parties process your data only as necessary to provide services to us and are contractually required to keep your data confidential and secure. We do not share your data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
10. International Users
GearMates is operated from the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries. By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries that may have different data protection rules than your country.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you via email or a prominent notice in the app before the change takes effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us:
- Email: privacy@gear-mates.com
- Website: gear-mates.com