Privacy Policy

Osta Finder (“Osta Finder,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information Osta Finder collects, how we use it, when information may be shared with service providers or other services, how long information may be retained, and the choices available to you.

Osta Finder is a mobile application that helps users discover automotive workshops and towing services, view nearby businesses, save favourites, read and submit reviews, and access related automotive services.

This Privacy Policy also applies to the Osta Finder website at https://ostafinder.com, including its forms for listing a workshop and for advertising enquiries. Where a section applies only to the app or only to the website, it says so.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, you can contact us at:
support@ostafinder.com
Website: https://ostafinder.com

1. Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an Osta Finder account, we may collect information such as:

your name;
your email address;
your password when using email and password registration;
your Osta Finder account identifier;
your profile photo, if you choose to upload one;
account creation information; and
your saved or favourite workshops.

Passwords are handled through our authentication provider and are not stored directly by the Osta Finder application on your device.

Sign-In Information

Osta Finder currently supports email-and-password authentication and Google Sign-In.

When you use Google Sign-In, authentication information is processed through Google and Appwrite in order to create or access your Osta Finder account.

Osta Finder also intends to support Sign in with Apple before public release. When available, Apple may provide information such as an Apple account identifier, your email address or an Apple private relay email address, and your name where Apple makes that information available.

The exact Sign in with Apple data flow will be reviewed again once the final implementation is complete.

Location Information

With your permission, Osta Finder accesses your device's location while you are using the app.

Location is used to:

show workshops and towing services near you;
calculate or display distance;
sort nearby results;
apply distance or radius filters; and
determine a general area name for display in the app.

Your location may be transmitted to Appwrite as part of a nearby-services search query and to your device platform's geocoding service, such as Apple on iOS or Google on Android, to convert coordinates into an area name.

Osta Finder does not store your precise location in its database or save it permanently on your device. Location is temporarily held in memory while needed for the relevant feature.

Location access is optional. If you deny location permission, Osta Finder remains usable and may use a default location for nearby results.

Reviews and Other User Content

If you submit a review, we may collect:

your star rating;
your written review;
review tags or categories;
an optional review photo;
your account name; and
your profile photo, if you have one.

Reviews are public.

When you publish a review, your real Osta Finder account name and profile photo may be displayed publicly together with your rating, written review, tags, and any review photo you upload.

Please do not include personal, confidential, or sensitive information in a public review unless you intend for that information to be visible to others.

Profile and Review Photos

If you choose to upload a profile photo or review photo, Osta Finder accesses the photo you select from your device's photo library and uploads it to our storage provider.

Osta Finder does not use your device camera to take photos.

Profile photos and review photos associated with public reviews may be publicly accessible.

Favourites and Preferences

If you save a workshop as a favourite, the workshop identifier is stored with your Osta Finder account so that your favourites remain available when you sign in.

Osta Finder may also store certain preferences locally on your device, such as:

language;
theme preferences; and
whether you have completed onboarding.

These preferences are used to personalize how the app is displayed to you.

Local Profile Cache

Osta Finder may store a cached copy of basic profile information locally on your device, such as your account identifier, name, email address, and profile photo information.

This cache is used to support normal app functionality and is cleared when you log out.

Osta Finder does not store your password in this local profile cache.

Review Reports

If you report a review, we may collect:

the review being reported;
the relevant workshop;
your Osta Finder user identifier; and
the reason or explanation you provide.

Review reports are not publicly visible.

Report information may also be sent to our support mailbox so that we can review the report and take appropriate action.

Device and Technical Information

Osta Finder may use limited device information required for normal app functionality, such as:

your device language;
network connectivity status;
app version; and
IP address information that may be received automatically by our infrastructure or service providers when your device communicates with their servers.

Osta Finder does not currently use advertising identifiers or other device identifiers for advertising or tracking.

Website Enquiry Forms

The Osta Finder website has two forms: one for workshop owners who want their workshop or towing service listed on Osta Finder, and one for car businesses that want to advertise with Osta Finder. You do not need an Osta Finder account to use them.

If you submit the workshop form, we collect:

the workshop name;
your name;
your phone or WhatsApp number;
your email address;
the workshop's city or area;
a Google Maps link to the workshop, if you provide one;
the services the workshop offers;
the workshop's opening days and hours; and
any message you choose to include.

If you submit the advertising form, we collect:

the business name and type of business;
your name;
your email address;
your phone number; and
a description of what you would like to advertise.

We also record whether the form was sent from the English or Arabic version of the website, so that we can reply in your language.

If we list your workshop, the business details you provide for the listing, such as the workshop's name, location, phone or WhatsApp number, opening hours, and services, may be shown publicly in the app so that drivers can find and contact the workshop. You can ask us to correct or remove a listing at any time.

Form submissions are sent to Osta Finder by email and are not stored in a website database. The email address you enter is set as the reply address, so that our reply reaches you directly.

Instead of using a form, you can also email us directly at the address shown on each form page. In that case we receive whatever you choose to include in your email.

Website Language Preference

The website shows English or Arabic. On your first visit, it uses the language preference your browser or device sends with each request to choose which language to show. This preference is not stored.

If you choose a language using the website's language switch, the website stores a single cookie named “lang” in your browser, containing only “en” or “ar”, so that the website opens in your chosen language next time. It expires after one year. This cookie is not used for advertising, analytics, or tracking.

Website Technical Information

When you visit the website, our hosting provider may automatically receive technical information that browsers send with every request, such as your IP address, browser type, the page requested, and the date and time of the request.

2. How We Use Information

We use information collected through Osta Finder to:

create and maintain user accounts;
authenticate users;
provide nearby workshop and towing-service results;
calculate distance and location-based results;
allow users to save favourite workshops;
allow users to create and display reviews;
display profile information associated with reviews;
store and display user-uploaded photos;
investigate reports about reviews or other content;
provide customer support;
respond to workshop listing and advertising enquiries sent through the website;
show the website in your preferred language;
operate and maintain the app and the website;
protect the service and respond to misuse; and
provide the features users request.

We do not currently use personal information for targeted advertising or behavioral profiling.

3. Public Information

Some information you provide to Osta Finder is intentionally public.

In particular, when you publish a review, other users or visitors may be able to see:

your real Osta Finder account name;
your profile photo, if available;
your rating;
your review text;
review tags; and
any review photo you choose to upload.

You should consider this before publishing a review.

If you delete your account, Osta Finder's account-deletion process removes reviews associated with your account along with other account-related data described below.

Osta Finder does not sell your personal information.

Osta Finder does not currently use your information for cross-app or cross-website advertising tracking.

We may provide information to service providers where necessary to operate Osta Finder.

Appwrite

Osta Finder uses Appwrite Cloud for services including:

user authentication;
database storage;
file storage; and
server-side application functions.

Osta Finder's Appwrite Cloud infrastructure is hosted in the Frankfurt, European Union region.

Depending on the feature you use, Appwrite may process information such as your name, email address, account identifier, reviews, photos, favourites, location search parameters, and technical request information.

Google

Google may process information when you:

choose Google Sign-In;
use Android platform geocoding; or
choose to open a workshop location in Google Maps.

When you voluntarily open Google Maps or another Google service, Google's own privacy practices apply to your use of that service.

Apple

On Apple devices, Apple's platform services may process location coordinates when Osta Finder uses the operating system's geocoding functionality.

Osta Finder also intends to support Sign in with Apple before release. The privacy details of that implementation will be reviewed once the final authentication flow is completed.

If you choose to contact a workshop through WhatsApp, Osta Finder opens WhatsApp or the relevant WhatsApp service.

Your interaction with WhatsApp is governed by WhatsApp's own terms and privacy practices.

Osta Finder does not record your WhatsApp conversation.

Namecheap Private Email

Osta Finder uses Namecheap Private Email for certain support and moderation communications.

For example, when you report a review, relevant report information may be emailed to the Osta Finder support mailbox so that we can review the report.

Website enquiry forms are also delivered by email through Namecheap Private Email to the Osta Finder mailbox, and our replies are sent through it.

Vercel

The Osta Finder website is hosted on Vercel. Vercel delivers the website's pages and runs the server functions that send website form submissions by email.

Vercel may process technical request information, such as IP addresses, and the contents of form submissions while delivering them. Vercel may process this information in the United States and other countries.

5. Analytics, Advertising, and Tracking

Osta Finder does not currently use:

advertising SDKs;
targeted advertising systems;
cross-app or cross-website tracking;
advertising identifiers;
analytics SDKs;
crash-reporting SDKs; or
profiling systems.

This applies to both the app and the website. The website does not use analytics, advertising, or tracking cookies, and does not load third-party tracking scripts. The only cookie it sets is the language cookie described in Section 1.

If these practices change in the future, this Privacy Policy will be updated before the relevant functionality is introduced.

6. Data Storage

Osta Finder primarily stores account and application data through Appwrite Cloud.

Depending on the type of information, data may be stored:

in your Appwrite account;
in Osta Finder database records;
in Appwrite file storage;
temporarily in application memory;
locally on your device; or
in the Osta Finder support mailbox where a support or moderation email has been generated, or where a website enquiry form has been submitted.

Location information used for nearby searches is not permanently stored by Osta Finder.

7. Data Retention

We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary to provide Osta Finder and for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

In general:

account information is retained while your Osta Finder account remains active;
saved workshops and other account preferences are retained while associated with your account;
reviews and review photos remain available until they are deleted or your account is deleted;
profile photos remain associated with your account until they are replaced, removed, or your account is deleted; and
location information used for nearby results is processed temporarily and is not permanently stored by Osta Finder.

Support and moderation communications, and website enquiry form submissions, may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to the request, review a workshop listing or advertising enquiry, investigate misuse, protect the service, resolve disputes, or meet applicable legal obligations.

The website's language cookie remains in your browser for up to one year, or until you clear it.

Some limited information may remain for a period of time in service-provider logs, infrastructure records, backups, or previously delivered emails even after information is removed from Osta Finder's active systems.

We do not currently use a single fixed retention period for every category of information.

8. Account Deletion

You may permanently delete your Osta Finder account from within the app.

The deletion process is designed to remove:

your Osta Finder account;
your account name and email;
your saved or favourite workshops;
your profile photo;
reviews created by you;
photos attached to those reviews;
review reports submitted by you; and
active account sessions.

Account deletion cannot be undone.

Some information outside Osta Finder's active account system may not disappear at the exact same time. For example, previously delivered moderation or support emails and certain service-provider logs may remain for limited periods.

You may also find information about account deletion at:
https://ostafinder.com/delete-account

9. Your Choices

You can control certain information through the app.

You may:

deny or revoke location permission through your device settings;
choose whether to upload a profile photo;
choose whether to upload photos with reviews;
remove or replace your profile photo;
manage your favourite workshops;
delete your own account;
choose the website's language, and clear or block its language cookie through your browser settings;
ask us to delete a website enquiry you have submitted; and
contact us with privacy or support questions.

Remember that information you intentionally publish in a review is public until the review or associated account data is removed.

10. Security

Osta Finder uses reasonable technical measures designed to protect information handled through the service.

Network communications used by the application are transmitted over HTTPS. The website, including its enquiry forms, is also served over HTTPS.

Website forms use automated checks to filter out spam. These checks do not collect additional personal information.

Account authentication and backend access are handled through Appwrite, and access controls are used for application records and stored files.

Passwords are handled by the authentication service and are not stored directly by Osta Finder on your device.

No method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Children's Privacy

Osta Finder is a general-audience automotive-services application and is not specifically directed to children.

Osta Finder does not currently ask users to provide their age.

If you believe that personal information has been provided to Osta Finder inappropriately, please contact us at support@ostafinder.com.

12. Third-Party Services and Links

Osta Finder may allow you to open or interact with third-party services, such as:

Google;
Apple;
Google Maps;
WhatsApp;
the App Store and Google Play, when you follow a link to download the app from the website;
your own email app, when you use an email link on the website; and
other services used to provide app or website functionality.

When you leave Osta Finder or interact directly with a third-party service, that third party's own privacy policy and terms apply.

Osta Finder is not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services that you choose to access.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

changes to Osta Finder's features;
changes to how information is processed;
new service providers;
changes to applicable requirements; or
improvements to our privacy practices.

When we make material changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, your information, or Osta Finder's privacy practices, contact us at:

Osta Finder
Email: support@ostafinder.com
Website: https://ostafinder.com