Privacy Policy | Qiaotong-Auto

1. Scope

This Policy applies to visitors, registered buyers, vehicle suppliers and their authorised representatives, and covers browsing, search, favourites, listings, inquiries, support, notifications and transaction matching on Qiaotong-Auto.

Third-party websites and independent WhatsApp, payment, logistics or inspection services process information under their own privacy terms. Please review those terms before leaving our platform.

2. Information we collect

We collect only the minimum information reasonably needed for identified business purposes. You may decline optional information, but some features may then be unavailable.

Account and business details: name, company, role, email, phone or WhatsApp number, country or region, login and account-security data.
Inquiry and transaction details: preferred vehicles, budget, quantity, destination, filters, currency, quotations, order intentions, fulfilment and after-sales communications.
Listings and communications: vehicle or parts information, images, and business conversations through platform support or WhatsApp when you choose to continue there.
Device and usage data: IP address, browser, operating system, device and language data, access times, pages, searches, logs, cookies and local-storage data.

Unless necessary for transaction verification or required by law after specific notice, we do not ask for identity documents, passports or full payment-card numbers. Do not send such information in ordinary chat or public listings.

3. Why and on what basis we process information

To create and administer accounts and provide listing, search, favourite and publishing features.
To answer inquiries, route support and sales requests, facilitate quotations, and coordinate payment, logistics, inspection and order fulfilment.
To verify businesses or transaction parties, prevent fraud and misuse, protect users and the platform, and resolve disputes.
To analyse service use, fix faults, improve features and provide recommendations relevant to current requests.
To send service notices; marketing is sent with consent where required and always includes a way to opt out.
To perform contracts, comply with tax, export, audit, regulatory and other legal duties, and protect lawful interests where permitted.

4. Cookies and similar technologies

We use necessary cookies and local storage for login state, language, country and currency preferences, security and basic browsing state. Where required, we seek consent before using analytics technologies.

You can delete or block cookies in your browser. Disabling necessary cookies may affect login, saved filters, language settings or support features.

5. Sharing, processors and disclosure

We do not sell or rent personal information. We share it only where necessary and require service providers to protect it under appropriate terms:

At your request or with your authorisation, with Qiaotong-Auto sales staff, vehicle suppliers or prospective transaction parties.
With cloud-hosting, support, messaging, analytics, security, payment, inspection and logistics providers to supply their services.
With confidentiality-bound parties in a merger, restructuring or asset transaction, while continuing to protect your rights.
To comply with lawful requests, protect persons or property, or establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

6. International transfers

Because Qiaotong-Auto supports trade between China and Africa, information may be processed by relevant Qiaotong-Auto teams, transaction parties or providers outside your country or region.

Where applicable law requires, we will first identify the overseas recipient, purpose, method, data categories, retention arrangements and rights channel, obtain separate consent or complete another required mechanism, and use safeguards such as encryption, access controls and data-processing agreements.

7. Retention

We retain information only for the shortest period needed for the purposes in this Policy, unless law or the handling of disputes, incidents or legal claims requires longer. We then delete or anonymise it.

Website security and access logs are generally kept for no more than 180 days.
Inquiry and support records are generally kept for no more than 24 months; records linked to a transaction follow the transaction-record period.
Completed-order and necessary commercial records may be retained for up to seven years where legally required.
Account data is kept until account closure or completion of a deletion request; where continued retention is legally required, other processing will be restricted.

8. Security

We use risk-appropriate technical and organisational measures, including HTTPS encryption, access controls, monitoring, backups and provider management. No online service is completely secure; protect your account and WhatsApp credentials and never disclose passwords or verification codes.

If a data incident may affect your rights, we will take prompt remedial action and notify affected people and authorities where required.

9. Your rights and choices

Subject to applicable law, you may ask to access, copy, correct, complete or delete your information; restrict or object to certain processing; withdraw consent; opt out of marketing; or close your account. Withdrawal does not affect processing already lawfully completed.

We may reasonably verify your identity to protect accounts and information.
We generally respond within 30 days after receiving a complete request, unless a different legal period applies.
If we cannot fulfil a request, we will explain why and identify available review or complaint channels.

10. Children

Qiaotong-Auto is a B2B service for business buyers and vehicle traders and is not directed to children. Children must not register or submit personal information. If we learn that information was collected unintentionally, we will delete it or take appropriate action.

11. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy as services, technology or law change and will publish the new version and date here. For material changes that may significantly affect your rights, we will provide an appropriate website, account or other notice and seek renewed consent where required.