Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

ThingShare is a peer-to-peer rental marketplace operated as a personal project based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We connect people who have items to lend with people who need them temporarily.

You can reach us at: hello@thingshare.ca

2. Information we collect

We collect information in two ways — what you give us directly, and what we collect automatically.

Information you provide:

• Your name and email address when you reserve a founding lister spot or create an account
• Your item listings, including descriptions, photos, and pricing
• Messages sent between users through our platform
• Identity verification documents (when required at account creation)
• Payment information — processed securely by our payment provider; we do not store card details directly

Information collected automatically:

• Browser type, device, and operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on the site
• General location (city/region level, not precise GPS)
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 6)

3. How we use your information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate the ThingShare platform and facilitate rentals between users
• Send you updates about your account, bookings, and the platform launch
• Process payments and payouts (via Stripe, our planned payment processor)
• Verify user identities to maintain a safe community
• Improve our service through usage analytics
• Respond to your questions or support requests
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

4. Sharing your information

We only share your information in limited circumstances:

• With other users: Your public profile, listing details, and reviews are visible to other ThingShare users. Your contact details are shared only when a rental is confirmed.
• With service providers: We work with trusted third parties to operate our platform, including Stripe for payment processing. These providers are contractually required to protect your data.
• For legal compliance: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of our users.

5. Data retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. If you close your account, we will delete or anonymize your data within 90 days, except where we are legally required to retain it (for example, transaction records for tax purposes).

6. Cookies

We use cookies to keep you signed in, remember your preferences, and understand how people use our site. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though some features may not work properly as a result.

We do not use third-party advertising cookies.

7. Your rights under PIPEDA

As a Canadian resident, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information we hold about you
• Request a copy of your data
• Correct inaccurate information
• Withdraw consent for non-essential uses of your data
• Request deletion of your account and associated data

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@thingshare.ca. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your information from unauthorized access, including using encrypted connections (HTTPS) across the platform. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email. Continued use of ThingShare after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact us:

ThingShare
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
hello@thingshare.ca