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Privacy Policy

Last updated: 25 June 2026

1. Who We Are

GarageBuddy UAE (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates the website garagebuddyuae.com; an online marketplace connecting vehicle owners with automotive service providers across the United Arab Emirates. Our contact email is our contact page.

2. Legal Basis

We process personal data in compliance with the UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data (PDPL) and any implementing regulations. Where services are accessed by users in other jurisdictions, we also apply reasonable standards consistent with applicable international data protection frameworks.

3. Data We Collect

Information you provide: name, email address, phone number, vehicle details, and any content submitted via forms, bookings, the AI Diagnosis tool, or the Quote Checker tool (including any photos, PDFs, or text of repair quotes you submit for analysis).

Information collected automatically: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, pages visited, referring URLs, and session duration via cookies and analytics tools.

Information from third parties: Google Places data for workshop listings (publicly available business information).

4. How We Use Your Data

  • To provide, operate, and improve the GarageBuddy UAE platform.
  • To connect you with automotive service providers.
  • To send booking confirmations, service updates, and transactional messages.
  • To respond to enquiries submitted through our contact forms or AI tool.
  • To display relevant advertising via Google AdSense and similar networks.
  • To analyse site usage and improve user experience through aggregated analytics.
  • To comply with applicable UAE law and respond to lawful requests from authorities.

5. AI Tools and Third-Party Processing

GarageBuddy UAE offers AI-powered tools including Otto AI Diagnosis and the Quote Checker. These tools are powered by Anthropic’s Claude AI. When you use these tools:

  • What is transmitted: Any text you enter, and any photo or PDF you upload, is sent over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection to Anthropic’s API servers for AI analysis.
  • What we store: GarageBuddy’s servers store only the result of the analysis (verdict, price figures, and a flag indicating “[photo upload]” or “[PDF upload]”). The actual image or PDF bytes are not written to disk and are not retained by GarageBuddy.
  • Anthropic’s processing: Anthropic may temporarily process and retain API inputs for up to 30 days for safety and trust-and-safety purposes, in accordance with their Privacy Policy and API usage terms.
  • Your responsibility: If a quote photo or PDF contains personal information (such as your name, vehicle registration, or address), you should be aware that this information will be transmitted to Anthropic’s servers for processing. You should only submit documents you are comfortable sharing for this purpose.
  • No training use: Under Anthropic’s API terms, data submitted via API calls (including ours) is not used to train their AI models.

6. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies. See our Cookie Policy for full details. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.

7. Advertising

We partner with Google AdSense and may work with other advertising partners. These services may use cookies to serve ads based on your browsing history. You can opt out of personalised advertising via Google’s Ad Settings or aboutads.info.

8. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We share data only with:

  • Service providers who help us operate the platform (hosting, analytics, payment processors), bound by confidentiality obligations.
  • Anthropic (AI provider), solely to process inputs to the AI Diagnosis and Quote Checker tools as described in Section 5 above.
  • Workshop partners you choose to contact or book through the platform, limited to the information necessary to fulfil your request.
  • Advertising partners (e.g. Google) as described in Section 7.
  • Legal authorities when required by UAE law or a valid court order.

9. Data Retention

We retain personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by UAE law. Account data is retained for the duration of your account and up to 3 years thereafter. Analytics data is retained in aggregated, anonymised form.

10. Your Rights

Under the UAE PDPL you have the right to: access your personal data; correct inaccurate data; request deletion in certain circumstances; withdraw consent where processing is consent-based; and lodge a complaint with the UAE competent authority. To exercise any right, email our contact page.

11. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure. No internet transmission is 100% secure; you use the platform at your own risk.

12. Children

Our services are not directed to persons under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be notified by posting the updated policy on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.

14. Contact

For any privacy-related questions: our contact page