Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains what information Z2Deal collects, why we collect it, how it's stored, and what control you have over it. We've tried to write it in plain language rather than dense legal phrasing, though it will still need formal legal review before being relied on as your actual published policy.

Information we collect

When you create an account, we collect your email address and a display name. As you use the Platform, we accumulate order and transaction history, messages sent through our chat and support ticket systems, listings you create if you become a seller, and reviews you leave or receive. If you apply for seller verification or trigger our identity-check process for a withdrawal, we collect the identity document you submit (typically a government-issued ID) along with whatever metadata is necessary to confirm it matches your account. We also automatically collect basic technical information when you use the site - IP address, browser type, and general location derived from that IP, mainly used for fraud prevention and to default your language/currency display.

How identity documents are handled

Documents submitted for seller verification or withdrawal-related KYC checks are stored on a private file system, never placed on the public web root where they could be accidentally exposed through a misconfigured link. Access is restricted to platform administrators actively reviewing a verification request, and access to these records is logged. We do not use identity documents for any purpose beyond verifying who you are and meeting our anti-money-laundering obligations - they're not shared with marketing partners, not used to build advertising profiles, and not retained longer than necessary for the verification and compliance purpose they were collected for.

How we use your information

We use account and transaction data to operate the marketplace itself - processing orders, holding and releasing escrow, calculating seller payouts and commissions, resolving disputes, and detecting fraud or abuse patterns across accounts. We use your email to send transactional notifications (order updates, security alerts, support replies) and, where you haven't opted out, occasional platform announcements. We use chat and support ticket content to actually resolve the issue you're raising, and where a dispute escalates, to give an admin the full context needed to decide it fairly. We do not sell your personal information to third parties, and we don't use your data to serve you third-party advertising.

Who can see what

Other users see what you choose to make public: your display name, your storefront if you're a seller, your reviews, and messages you send them directly through the platform's chat. Your email address, identity documents, full transaction history, and IP address are never shown to other users - only to platform staff with a legitimate reason to access them, such as resolving a dispute or reviewing a verification request. Admin staff reviewing a buyer-seller conversation for moderation purposes can see the conversation, but this doesn't affect your own read/unread status on those messages, and is logged for accountability.

Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies for session management (keeping you logged in), remembering your language and currency preference, and basic analytics about how the site is used. See our separate Cookie Policy for the full breakdown of what's used and how to control it.

Data retention

We retain account and transaction data for as long as your account is active and for a reasonable period after closure to meet legal, accounting, and dispute-resolution obligations - financial and order records in particular often need to be kept longer than a typical account-deletion request would otherwise suggest, due to anti-money-laundering and tax record requirements. Identity verification documents are retained only as long as necessary for the compliance purpose they were collected for, then deleted or anonymized.

Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal data, to object to certain processing, or to receive a copy of your data in a portable format. You can update your account details (display name, avatar, country, language, and currency preference) directly from your account settings at any time. To exercise rights that aren't self-service - like requesting a copy of your data or asking about deletion of an account with completed order history - contact us through the channel described in our Contact page. See our GDPR page if you're located somewhere those specific rights apply.

Data security

Passwords are hashed, not stored in plain text. Sensitive fields like delivery credentials exchanged between buyers and sellers are encrypted at rest. We support two-factor authentication on every account and strongly recommend enabling it, particularly for sellers holding a balance. No system is perfectly secure, and if we ever become aware of a breach affecting your personal information, we'll notify affected users in line with applicable law.

International transfers

Depending on where our infrastructure and service providers are located, your data may be processed in a country other than where you live. Where required by law, we take steps to ensure an adequate level of protection applies to any such transfer.

Marketing communications and opting out

We may occasionally send platform announcements - new features, category additions, policy changes that affect you - via email or in-app notification. Transactional messages (order updates, security alerts, dispute notifications) aren't optional, since they're necessary to actually use the platform, but promotional or announcement-style messages can typically be turned off from your notification settings without affecting your ability to buy or sell. We don't share your contact details with outside marketing partners under any circumstance.

Children's privacy

This Platform is not directed at children and we don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone below the minimum age required to form a binding contract in their jurisdiction. If we become aware that an account belongs to someone below that age, we'll take steps to close it and remove the associated personal data, consistent with our other legal obligations around transaction records.

How disputes affect what's visible to staff

When a dispute is opened, the evidence both parties submit is visible to admin staff handling that specific dispute, even though buyer and seller can't see each other's submitted evidence directly. This is intentional - it lets a neutral reviewer compare both sides fairly without either party tailoring their evidence in response to seeing the other's first. Evidence submitted to a dispute is retained as part of that dispute's record for as long as we retain order history generally.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as the Platform evolves. We'll post material changes here with an updated date below, and where a change is significant enough to affect how your existing data is used, we'll make a reasonable effort to notify you directly.

Last updated: July 2026