Last updated: August 19, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Car Boots UK (“Car Boots UK”, “we”, “us” or “our”) collects, uses, stores and protects personal information when you visit or use carbootsuk.com, contact us, submit information to us or otherwise interact with our services.

We are committed to respecting your privacy and handling personal information responsibly and in accordance with applicable UK data protection law.

1. Who We Are

Car Boots UK operates an online directory and information service relating to car boot sales, markets, events, venues and related activities throughout the United Kingdom.

For the purposes of applicable data protection legislation, Car Boots UK is the data controller in relation to personal information that we determine how and why to process.

If you have any questions about how we use your personal information, you can contact us through our Contact page.

2. Information We May Collect

We may collect different types of information depending on how you interact with our website.

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you contact us, submit a listing, report an error, request an update or complete a form, we may collect information including:

• Your name;
• Email address;
• Telephone number;
• Business or organisation name;
• Event or car boot sale details;
• Website and social media links;
• Location or venue information;
• Photographs or other content you choose to submit;
• The contents of messages you send to us; and
• Any other information you voluntarily provide.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you access our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically by our website, hosting provider, analytics systems or other technologies.

This may include:

• Your IP address;
• Browser type and version;
• Device type;
• Operating system;
• Approximate geographical location derived from your IP address;
• Pages you visit;
• Date and time of visits;
• How long you spend on particular pages;
• Links or buttons you click;
• Referring website or page;
• Traffic source;
• Screen resolution;
• Cookie identifiers;
• Session information; and
• Other technical information about how you interact with the website.

2.3 Information From Third Parties

We may receive information from publicly available sources or third parties when creating or maintaining our car boot sale directory.

For example, information about an event may be obtained from:

• Official event websites;
• Venue websites;
• Public social media pages;
• Event organisers;
• Business directories;
• Publicly available listings;
• Users submitting updates or corrections; and
• Other publicly available sources.

Where this information includes personal information, we will process it only where we have an appropriate lawful basis for doing so.

3. How We Use Your Information

We may use personal information for purposes including:

• Operating and maintaining the Car Boots UK website;
• Providing our directory and related services;
• Responding to enquiries and messages;
• Processing listing submissions and amendments;
• Verifying information submitted about an event or venue;
• Correcting inaccurate directory information;
• Managing relationships with event organisers and businesses;
• Improving our website and services;
• Understanding how visitors use the website;
• Monitoring website performance;
• Diagnosing technical problems;
• Preventing spam, fraud, abuse and security threats;
• Maintaining records of communications;
• Providing relevant advertising or promotional content where permitted;
• Managing paid or featured listings where applicable;
• Complying with legal and regulatory obligations; and
• Establishing, exercising or defending legal claims.

4. Our Lawful Bases for Processing

Under UK data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

4.1 Consent

We may rely on your consent where you have clearly agreed to a particular use of your information.

For example, consent may be used for certain non-essential cookies, tracking technologies or marketing communications.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time.

4.2 Contract

We may process information where this is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you.

This may apply, for example, where you purchase a paid listing, advertising service or another service from us.

4.3 Legitimate Interests

We may process personal information where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and where those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.

Our legitimate interests may include:

• Operating and improving our directory;
• Keeping event information accurate;
• Responding to enquiries;
• Maintaining website security;
• Preventing fraud and misuse;
• Understanding website usage;
• Developing our services; and
• Promoting and operating our business.

4.4 Legal Obligation

We may process personal information where necessary to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.

4.5 Legal Claims

We may retain or process information where reasonably necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

5. Car Boot Sale and Event Listings

Our directory may display information about car boot sales, event organisers, venues and associated businesses.

This may include publicly available business contact information such as:

• Business or organiser names;
• Telephone numbers;
• Email addresses;
• Website addresses;
• Social media pages;
• Venue addresses; and
• Other event-related information.

Where possible, we aim to use contact information that has been published for business or event-related purposes rather than private personal contact information.

If you are an organiser or individual named in a listing and would like information corrected, updated or removed, please contact us.

6. Contact Forms and Enquiries

If you contact us through a form, email or another communication method, we may retain information including your name, contact details, message and related correspondence.

We use this information to:

• Respond to your enquiry;
• Provide support;
• Process requests;
• Resolve disputes;
• Maintain appropriate business records; and
• Protect against abuse or fraudulent communications.

7. Listing Submissions and Corrections

If you submit a new car boot sale, event or correction to an existing listing, we may retain your contact information together with the information you submitted.

We may contact you where necessary to verify the submission or request further information.

Information intended for publication may be displayed publicly on the website.

You should not submit private or sensitive personal information for publication unless you have the authority and a valid reason to do so.

8. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the website, remember preferences, understand website usage, improve performance and, where applicable, support advertising.

A cookie is a small file or piece of information stored on or accessed from your device when you visit a website.

Similar technologies may include:

• Tracking pixels;
• Scripts and tags;
• Local storage;
• Session storage;
• Device identifiers; and
• Other technologies that store or access information on your device.

9. Types of Cookies We May Use

9.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are required for essential website functionality, security or services requested by you.

They may be used for purposes such as:

• Maintaining website sessions;
• Security;
• Preventing fraudulent activity;
• Remembering privacy choices; and
• Providing functionality that you have specifically requested.

9.2 Analytics and Performance Cookies

With any consent required by applicable law, we may use analytics technologies to understand how users interact with our website.

These may collect information about page views, traffic sources, sessions, device types and interactions with the website.

9.3 Functionality Cookies

These technologies may remember choices or preferences to provide enhanced website functionality.

9.4 Advertising and Marketing Technologies

Where applicable and subject to the consent requirements of applicable law, we may use advertising or marketing technologies to:

• Measure advertising performance;
• Understand whether advertisements resulted in visits or other actions;
• Limit how frequently certain advertisements are displayed;
• Create advertising audiences; and
• Display more relevant advertising.

10. Cookie Consent

Where consent is legally required, non-essential cookies and similar technologies will only be used after you have provided the required consent.

You may be able to accept, reject or manage non-essential cookies through the cookie controls made available on our website.

You can also change cookie settings through your browser, although disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

You may withdraw consent for non-essential cookies where a withdrawal mechanism is available.

11. Analytics Services

We may use third-party analytics providers to help us understand website traffic and usage.

Analytics providers may process information such as:

• IP addresses;
• Device and browser information;
• Pages viewed;
• Website interactions;
• Approximate location;
• Traffic sources; and
• Session information.

Where analytics technologies require consent under applicable law, we will seek appropriate consent before using them.

12. Advertising

We may display advertising or sponsored content on Car Boots UK.

Advertising providers may use cookies or similar technologies where permitted and where the appropriate consent has been obtained.

Advertising providers may process information to measure advertising performance, detect fraud and provide relevant advertising.

13. Social Media and External Services

Our website may contain links to social media platforms and other third-party services, including Facebook, Instagram, Google Maps and organisers' websites.

Clicking a third-party link may result in that third party collecting information about you according to its own privacy policy.

We do not control how independent third-party websites process your information.

14. Google Maps and Mapping Services

Our website may use third-party mapping services to display locations, maps or directions.

When you interact with embedded maps or mapping services, the relevant provider may receive technical information including your IP address and information about your device or interaction.

Your use of those services may also be subject to the relevant provider's privacy policy and terms.

15. Who We May Share Your Information With

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share personal information with trusted third parties where reasonably necessary to operate our website or services.

These third parties may include:

• Website hosting providers;
• Cloud infrastructure providers;
• Email providers;
• Website developers and technical support providers;
• Analytics providers;
• Security and fraud-prevention providers;
• Payment processors, where applicable;
• Advertising providers, where applicable;
• Professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers;
• Government bodies, regulators or law-enforcement authorities where legally required; and
• Potential purchasers or advisers involved in a sale, merger or restructuring of our business.

Where third parties process personal information on our behalf, we take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate data-protection arrangements are in place.

16. Payment Information

If we offer paid listings, advertising or other paid services, payments may be processed by an independent payment provider.

We may receive information relating to the transaction, such as:

• Your name;
• Contact information;
• Transaction reference;
• Amount paid;
• Payment status; and
• Limited billing information.

Where payment card details are entered directly into a third-party payment provider's systems, we do not necessarily receive or store your complete payment card details.

17. International Transfers

Some of our service providers may process or store information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards required by applicable UK data protection law are used.

These safeguards may include an adequacy decision or approved contractual protections where appropriate.

18. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, security or reporting requirements.

The appropriate retention period may depend on:

• The type of information;
• Why the information was collected;
• Whether we have an ongoing relationship with you;
• Whether the information remains necessary for our directory;
• Legal or regulatory requirements;
• Security considerations; and
• The need to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Information that is no longer required may be deleted, anonymised or securely archived where appropriate.

19. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information from:

• Unauthorised access;
• Accidental loss;
• Misuse;
• Disclosure;
• Alteration; and
• Destruction.

Security measures may include access controls, secure hosting, software updates, backups, encryption where appropriate and measures designed to prevent unauthorised access.

However, no internet transmission or computer system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

20. Data Breaches

If we become aware of a personal data breach, we will assess the nature and potential impact of the breach and take appropriate action in accordance with applicable data protection law.

Where legally required, we may notify the Information Commissioner's Office and affected individuals.

21. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis we rely upon, you may have rights under UK data protection law regarding your personal information.

These may include:

21.1 Right to Be Informed

You have the right to receive clear information about how your personal information is collected and used.

21.2 Right of Access

You may request confirmation of whether we process your personal information and request a copy of information we hold about you.

21.3 Right to Rectification

You may ask us to correct personal information that is inaccurate or complete information that is incomplete.

21.4 Right to Erasure

In certain circumstances, you may ask us to delete personal information we hold about you.

This right is not absolute and we may need to retain information where we have a lawful reason to do so.

21.5 Right to Restrict Processing

In certain circumstances, you may request that we limit the way in which we process your personal information.

21.6 Right to Data Portability

Where applicable, you may have the right to receive certain personal information in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format or request that it is transferred to another organisation.

21.7 Right to Object

You may have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests in certain circumstances.

You also have the right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.

21.8 Rights Relating to Automated Decision-Making

You may have rights relating to decisions based solely on automated processing where those decisions produce legal or similarly significant effects.

We do not currently intend to make significant decisions about users solely through automated decision-making unless otherwise explained at the relevant time.

21.9 Right to Withdraw Consent

Where we rely upon your consent to process personal information, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before you withdrew consent.

22. Exercising Your Rights

If you would like to exercise any applicable data-protection rights, please contact us.

To protect personal information, we may ask you to provide sufficient information to confirm your identity before fulfilling certain requests.

We may also ask you to provide details that help us locate the information concerned.

We will respond to valid requests within the time periods required by applicable law.

23. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact us first so that we can investigate the matter.

You also have the right to raise a complaint with the UK's data-protection regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Further information about your rights and how to make a complaint is available from the Information Commissioner's Office.

24. Marketing Communications

Where we send direct marketing communications, we will do so in accordance with applicable data-protection and electronic-marketing requirements.

Where consent is required, we will request appropriate consent before sending marketing communications.

You can unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time using the unsubscribe option provided in the communication or by contacting us.

We may retain limited information about an unsubscribe request where necessary to ensure that we respect your preferences in the future.

25. Children's Privacy

Car Boots UK is a general information and directory website and is not specifically directed at children.

We do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children where it is unnecessary to provide our services.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information to us inappropriately, please contact us so that we can review and, where appropriate, delete the information.

26. Sensitive Personal Information

We generally do not need to collect special category personal information, such as information relating to health, religion, ethnicity, political opinions, sexual orientation or biometric information.

Please avoid submitting sensitive personal information unless it is genuinely necessary and appropriate.

27. Publicly Available Information

Because Car Boots UK operates a public directory, certain information submitted to us may be intended for public display.

For example, an event organiser may provide a public telephone number, business email address, event location or social media profile for publication.

You should not submit another person's private personal information for publication unless you have their authority to do so.

28. Links to Other Websites

Our website contains links to third-party websites and services.

This Privacy Policy applies only to Car Boots UK.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of independent third-party websites, and we recommend reviewing their privacy policies before providing personal information to them.

29. Changes to This Privacy Policy

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

• Changes to our services;
• Changes to the technologies we use;
• Changes to legal or regulatory requirements; or
• Changes to how we process personal information.

Any updated Privacy Policy will be published on this page and the “Last updated” date will be changed accordingly.

We encourage you to review this page periodically.

30. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the way we process personal information, please contact us.

When contacting us about a privacy matter, please provide enough information for us to understand and respond to your request without including unnecessary sensitive information.