Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026.

Who we are

PetTrader.co.uk is operated by Marine Trader Ltd ("we", "us"). We are the data controller for personal information collected through this website.

Our lawful bases are: contract (running your account, adverts and payments), legal obligation (accounting and fraud records), legitimate interests (site security, abuse prevention, service improvement) and consent (analytics cookies and marketing email, which you can withdraw at any time).

What we collect

• Account data: email address, display name, account type and password (stored hashed by our authentication provider).
• Profile and listing data: location, contact preferences, advert text and photographs you upload.
• Messages: conversations and offers you send to other users through the site.
• Payment data: handled entirely by Stripe. We never see or store your full card details.
• Usage data: pages visited, referring website, approximate device type, used to keep the site working and improve it.

How we use it

• To create your account, publish your adverts and let buyers contact you.
• To take payments and manage subscriptions.
• To detect fraud, prevent abuse and enforce our terms of service.
• To send service emails (receipts, password resets, listing status). Marketing emails only with your consent.

Who we share it with

We share data only with the processors needed to run the service: our hosting and database provider, and Stripe for payments. We do not sell your personal data.

Messages between members

Messages sent through PetTrader are stored so that buyers and sellers have a record of what was agreed. They are scanned automatically for signs of fraud, scam payment requests, abuse and animal welfare offences. This scanning is done by our systems, not by staff reading your chats.

Our team can only open a conversation where there is a member report, a dispute, a safety or fraud concern, or a legal obligation such as a police request. Every time a conversation is opened we record who opened it, when, and why. We rely on our legitimate interests in keeping the site safe and preventing crime, and on legal obligation where the law requires disclosure.

Public information

Anything you publish in a listing or public profile — including photographs, location and any contact details you choose to add — is visible to the public and may be indexed by search engines.

Retention

Account and listing data is kept while your account is active. Transaction records are kept for six years to meet UK accounting requirements. Delete your account and we remove your profile and adverts.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you can request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data, object to processing, and request portability. Email us via the contact page. You may also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).

International transfers

Our hosting, database and email providers may process data outside the UK. Where they do, transfers are covered by the UK International Data Transfer Addendum or an adequacy decision.

Automated decisions

We do not make solely automated decisions with legal effects. Verification badges and advert removals are reviewed by a person, and you can challenge them through our complaints process.

Cookies

We use essential cookies and local storage to keep you signed in and remember drafts. Anonymous page-view analytics only run after you accept them in the cookie banner; you can change your mind at any time by clearing site data. See the cookie policy.

Complaints

Contact us first through the contact page. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.