1. Who We Are

TowingIreland.ie ("we", "us", "our") is a vehicle recovery comparison platform operated in Ireland. We act as a data controller under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Irish Data Protection Acts 1988–2018.

Contact: comparemytow@gmail.com

2. What Data We Collect

When you submit a tow request:

• Full name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Vehicle type, make and model
• Pickup and drop-off location
• Preferred pickup time and reason for tow
• Any additional notes you choose to provide

When you create an account:

• Google account name, email address and profile photo (provided by Google Sign-In)
• A unique user ID assigned by Firebase Authentication

Automatically collected:

• Basic session data necessary for Firebase to function (no advertising or tracking cookies)
• Message content exchanged between you and tow companies via our platform

3. How We Use Your Data

• To connect you with tow companies — your job details (excluding your personal contact information) are emailed to recovery operators in your region
• To facilitate chat — messages between you and tow companies are stored in our database to display your inbox
• To send notifications — we email you when a tow company replies to your request
• To maintain your account — your job history is stored so you can access previous requests
• Your contact details are only shared with a tow company after you explicitly accept their quote

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following GDPR legal bases:

• Contract performance (Article 6(1)(b)) — processing is necessary to provide the comparison service you have requested
• Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) — for platform security, fraud prevention and service improvement
• Consent (Article 6(1)(a)) — for non-essential communications and cookies, where you have given explicit consent

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal data. We share data only in the following circumstances:

• With tow companies: Job details (vehicle type, locations, timing) are shared with recovery operators in your region. Your name, phone and email are only shared after you accept a quote.
• With service providers: We use Firebase (Google LLC) for data storage and authentication, and EmailJS for email delivery. These are data processors acting under our instruction.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose data if required by Irish law, court order or to protect the safety of any person.

6. International Data Transfers

Firebase (Google LLC) stores data on servers which may be located outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Google LLC participates in and complies with the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and provides Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for data transfers. For more information see Firebase's Privacy Information.

7. Data Retention

• Active job requests and messages are retained for 12 months from the date of submission
• Accepted/completed job records are retained for 3 years for legitimate business and legal purposes
• Account data is retained until you delete your account
• You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Your Rights below)

8. Cookies

We use only essential cookies necessary for the platform to function. Specifically:

• Firebase Authentication session cookies — to keep you logged in
• LocalStorage consent flag — to remember that you've accepted this cookie notice

We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or third-party analytics. Google Analytics has been disabled on this platform.

9. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a data subject in the EU/EEA, you have the following rights:

• Right of access — request a copy of the data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure — request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restriction — request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format
• Right to object — object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to withdraw consent — at any time, without affecting prior processing

To exercise any of these rights, email us at comparemytow@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (DPC) at dataprotection.ie.

10. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including encrypted data transmission (HTTPS), Firebase security rules restricting data access, and limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis. However, no internet transmission is 100% secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Children's Data

Our services are not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes by email and update the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact Us

For any privacy-related queries, requests or complaints: