Privacy Policy

1. Overview

This Privacy Policy explains how AuctionCalc ("AuctionCalc," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects information when you visit auctioncalc.co or use our salvage auction bid calculator (the "Service"). We built AuctionCalc to work primarily inside your own browser, and we try to collect as little as possible. Please read this policy carefully to understand our practices.

2. Information We Collect

a. Calculator Data Stays in Your Browser

The core calculator — vehicle details, parts, labor estimates, fee breakdowns, and your saved calculation history — is stored using your browser's local storage. This data is never transmitted to our servers and is not visible to us. Clearing your browser data or using a different device or browser will remove it.

b. Information You Provide Directly

If you contact us, sign up for an account, subscribe to a paid plan, or purchase a Manual VIN Lookup package, we (or our payment processor) collect information such as your name, email address, and billing details necessary to provide that service.

c. Information Collected Automatically

Like most websites, our hosting and analytics tools automatically collect standard technical information when you visit — such as your IP address, browser type, device type, pages viewed, and referring URLs — through server logs and cookies.

3. How We Use Information

• To provide, maintain, and improve the Service;
• To process subscriptions, trials, and one-time purchases, and to communicate about your account or order;
• To respond to support requests sent through our Contact Us page or email;
• To understand aggregate usage trends and improve site performance;
• To detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, or security issues.

4. Cookies & Analytics

We use essential cookies required for the site to function, and may use standard analytics cookies (such as those provided by our hosting platform) to understand aggregate traffic patterns. We do not use cookies to build advertising profiles about you. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, though some site features may not work as intended if you do.

5. Third-Party Services

AuctionCalc relies on a small number of third-party services to operate:

• NHTSA vPIC API — our VIN decode feature calls the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's free public API (vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov) directly from your browser. The VIN you enter is sent to this US government service to retrieve year, make, model, and trim; we do not store or see this data ourselves.
• Payment processing — when subscription billing and Manual VIN Lookup checkout are live, payments are handled by a PCI-compliant third-party payment processor (such as Stripe). AuctionCalc does not store your full card number.
• Website hosting — auctioncalc.co is hosted on WordPress.com infrastructure, which processes standard server logs and technical data as part of delivering the site.

6. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We only share information with the third-party service providers described above (to the extent necessary for them to perform their function), or where required to comply with law, enforce our Terms of Service, or protect the rights, property, or safety of AuctionCalc, our users, or the public.

7. Data Retention

Calculator data stored locally in your browser remains until you clear it yourself. Account and billing information is retained for as long as your account is active, plus a reasonable period afterward to comply with tax, accounting, and legal obligations.

8. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal information we hold about you, or to object to or restrict certain processing.

• California residents (CCPA/CPRA) — you have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion, and to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information.
• Canadian residents (PIPEDA) — you have the right to access personal information we hold about you and to request correction of inaccuracies.
• EU/UK visitors (GDPR) — if applicable to you, you have rights to access, rectify, erase, restrict, or port your personal data, and to object to certain processing.

To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@auctioncalc.co. Because most calculator data lives only in your own browser, you can also simply clear your browser's local storage to remove it yourself at any time.

9. Children's Privacy

AuctionCalc is intended for business and professional use by adults and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will remove it.

10. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information we process. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. International Data Transfers

AuctionCalc serves buyers in both the United States and Canada, and our service providers may process data in either country. By using the Service, you understand that information may be transferred to and processed in a country other than your own.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page with a new "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

13. Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy or your data? Email privacy@auctioncalc.co or visit our Contact Us page.