Privacy Policy

TryStuffs.com ("TryStuffs," "we," "us," or "our"), operated by Flipvo LLC, is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform.

1. Overview

TryStuffs is a peer-to-peer marketplace that connects item Owners and Sellers with Renters and Buyers. To provide this service, we need to collect and process certain personal information. We are committed to being transparent about the data we collect and how we use it. We do not sell your personal information.

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Account information: Name, email address, password, phone number (required), profile photo (optional), and bio.
• Location information: City, state, and zip code you provide for your profile and listings. We use a self-hosted zip code database to convert zip codes to approximate geographic coordinates — no third-party geocoding APIs are used.
• Listing information: Item descriptions, photos, pricing, condition, and meeting location details.
• Payment and payout information: Card and bank details are collected and processed directly by Stripe. We do not store full card numbers or bank account numbers on our servers. Owners and Sellers who receive payouts onboard through Stripe Connect, which collects identity and verification (KYC) information directly.
• Seller verification data: For high-volume sellers, identity, tax, and bank information required by the federal INFORM Consumers Act, collected and verified through Stripe (see our Terms for details).
• Communications: Messages sent through the platform, support requests, and feedback.
• Reviews: Ratings and comments you leave about other users.

Information Collected Automatically

• Device information: Browser type, operating system, device type, and screen resolution.
• Usage data: Pages visited, features used, search queries, and interaction patterns.
• Browser geolocation: If you grant permission, we may access your browser's geolocation to show nearby listings. This is always opt-in and can be revoked through your browser settings.
• Log data: IP address, access times, and referring URLs.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Platform
• Process transactions, payouts, and refunds, and send related notifications
• Connect Owners and Sellers with Renters and Buyers and facilitate bookings and sales
• Show you relevant listings based on your location
• Send you service-related communications (booking confirmations, reminders, etc.)
• Verify user identity, meet legal obligations (including the INFORM Consumers Act), and prevent fraud and abuse
• Enforce our Terms of Service, including scanning messages as described below
• Respond to support requests
• Generate aggregate, anonymized analytics to improve the Platform

4. AI Photo Analysis

When you use our optional AI listing assistant, the photo you upload is sent to a third-party AI provider (OpenAI) to suggest a title, category, condition, and price for your listing. Only listing photos you choose to analyze are sent, and only for that purpose. OpenAI processes the image under its own terms and privacy policy. If you prefer not to use AI analysis, simply fill in your listing details manually.

5. Message Scanning

To reduce fraud, abuse, and attempts to take transactions off-platform, our systems automatically scan the content of messages — particularly pre-booking messages — and filter out apparent contact information and payment handles (phone numbers, email addresses, social handles, payment app usernames, and similar) before the message is delivered. This scanning is automated and is done within our own systems. Filtering stops between two members once a booking between them is confirmed, since coordinating a confirmed session legitimately requires contact details.

6. Information Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• With other users: Your public profile, listings, and reviews are visible to other users. When you book or buy an item, your name and profile are shared with the other party (and vice versa). Your phone number is shared with the other party once a booking between you is confirmed — and theirs with you — so you can coordinate the handoff; it remains visible to both of you on that booking afterwards, because returns and damage claims happen after the session. Your phone number is never shown on your public profile, in search, or to members you have no confirmed booking with. Certain seller contact details may be shown to buyers where required by the INFORM Consumers Act.
• With service providers: We share information with third-party service providers who help us operate the Platform (see Section 7).
• For legal compliance: We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request.
• For safety: We may share information to protect the rights, safety, or property of TryStuffs, our users, or the public.
• Business transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred.

7. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

Our search, caching, and database systems (Meilisearch, Redis, PostgreSQL) are self-hosted on our own servers, and catalog imagery uses stock photos (Pexels) that do not involve your personal data. Each third-party service above has its own privacy policy governing how it handles your data, and we encourage you to review their policies.

8. Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies for:

• Essential cookies: Required for the Platform to function (session management, CSRF protection, authentication).
• Preference storage: Remembering your settings (such as dark mode and location preferences), which may be stored in cookies or your browser's local storage.

We do not use third-party advertising cookies or tracking pixels. We do not serve targeted advertisements, and we do not share your data with advertising networks.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may prevent some features from working properly.

9. Data Retention & Account Closure

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the service and meet our legal, tax, and safety obligations.

We close accounts; we do not delete them. When you close your account (or we close it), you can no longer sign in, your active listings are archived, and your upcoming bookings are cancelled. To other users, your account appears as a "Closed account" with no name, photo, or profile link. However, because bookings, purchases, reviews, and messages involve other people and legal recordkeeping, those historical records are retained rather than erased — the closed-account stub is shown wherever your identity would otherwise appear.

If you want your personal information anonymized or deleted beyond simply closing your account — for example, under GDPR, CCPA, or a similar law — you can make a separate request by emailing hello@trystuffs.com. We will handle these requests on a case-by-case basis, subject to the legal and tax records we are required to keep.

10. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including:

• Encryption in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
• Secure password hashing
• Regular security updates and patches
• Access controls and authentication for internal systems

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal data.
• Deletion or anonymization: Request deletion or anonymization of your personal data, subject to the legal and tax records we must retain.
• Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Opt-out: Opt out of non-essential data processing.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@trystuffs.com. We will respond within a reasonable time and in accordance with applicable law.

12. California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to Know: You may request details about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you in the past 12 months.
• Right to Delete: You may request deletion of personal information we have collected, subject to legally required retention.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do not sell your personal information. No opt-out is necessary.
• Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.

Categories of personal information collected: Identifiers (name, email), commercial information (transaction history), internet activity (usage data), geolocation data (zip code, browser location), and professional information (listing descriptions).

To make a CCPA request, email hello@trystuffs.com with the subject line "CCPA Request."

13. Children's Privacy

TryStuffs is not intended for use by individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under 18, we will delete it promptly.

14. International Users

TryStuffs is operated in the United States. If you access the Platform from outside the US, your information may be transferred to and processed in the US, where data protection laws may differ from your jurisdiction.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email or through the Platform. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

16. Contact

For questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact us at:

• Email: hello@trystuffs.com
• Website: trystuffs.com