Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 27 June 2026
Effective Date: 23 June 2026

TradesHero ("we," "us," or "our") operates tradeshero.ie (the "Platform"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal data in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Data Controller Information

Data Controller: Syncworx Ltd (trading as TradesHero)
Registered in Ireland
Platform: tradeshero.ie
Contact: info@syncworx.ie

2. What Data We Collect

For Homeowners (Clients):

Name and contact information (email, phone number)
Job description and location (county level)
IP address and browser information
Payment information (processed securely by Stripe)

For Tradespeople (Service Providers):

Business name, trading name, and personal name
Professional credentials and qualifications
Tax clearance certificate and insurance details
Email, phone number, and business address
Payment and billing information
Transaction history and credit balance
Profile information (skills, bio, ratings)

Automatically Collected Data:

Device information and browser type
IP address and approximate location
Usage data and analytics (via cookies)
Session data and performance metrics

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following lawful bases:

Contract Performance: To provide our Platform services and facilitate job matching
Legitimate Interests: For fraud prevention, security, and Platform improvement
Legal Obligation: To comply with Irish tax law, anti-money laundering regulations, and GDPR
Consent: For marketing communications and non-essential cookies

4. How We Use Your Data

To connect homeowners with verified tradespeople
To process payments and manage credit balances
To verify professional credentials and insurance status
To send transactional emails (job alerts, lead notifications)
To prevent fraud and ensure Platform security
To improve our services through analytics
To comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax reporting)
To send marketing communications (with your consent)

5. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We share your data only as necessary:

With Service Providers:

Stripe: Payment processing and identity verification (PCI-DSS compliant)
Neon Database: Secure data hosting (EU servers)
Vercel: Website hosting and CDN (EU region)
Brevo (Sendinblue): Transactional email delivery (app.brevo.com) — only your email address and name are shared for the purpose of sending emails you have requested

With Other Users:

When a tradesperson unlocks a job lead, we share the homeowner's contact information. When homeowners post jobs, we display job details (not personal contact info) to verified tradespeople.

Legal Disclosures:

We may disclose data to law enforcement, regulators, or courts when legally required or to protect our rights and safety.

6. International Data Transfers

Your data is primarily stored on servers within the European Economic Area (EEA). If we transfer data outside the EEA, we ensure adequate safeguards are in place through Standard Contractual Clauses or other GDPR-approved mechanisms.

7. Data Retention

Active Accounts: Data retained while your account is active
Inactive Accounts: Deleted after 3 years of inactivity
Transaction Records: Retained for 7 years (Irish tax law requirement)
Marketing Data: Retained until you withdraw consent
Analytics Data: Anonymized and retained indefinitely

7a. Verification Document Processing

When a tradesperson applies for the “Hero Verified” badge, we collect and process additional data under Article 6(1)(b) GDPR (contract performance — verification is a condition of the Hero Verified badge).

Identity verification (via Stripe Identity):

Government-issued ID (passport or driving licence) — processed directly by Stripe under their own Data Processing Agreement. Syncworx Ltd does not receive or store a copy of your ID document.
Selfie photograph — processed directly by Stripe.
Verification outcome (pass/fail) — stored in our database as a status flag only.
Stripe Identity session reference ID — stored for audit purposes.

Supporting documents (self-submitted):

Insurance certificate: Insurer name and expiry date stored; any PDF files emailed to us are deleted within 30 days of the verification decision.
Tax Clearance reference: Revenue outcome record stored; the raw access number is not retained after verification.
Trade registration number (RECI / RGI / CIRI): stored for the duration of active membership.

Retention periods:

Stripe Identity data: retained by Stripe per their Privacy Policy
Insurance expiry date and trade registration number: retained for the duration of active membership; deleted on account closure
Raw document files (emailed PDFs): deleted within 30 days of verification decision
Verification outcome and status: retained for the duration of active membership

Purpose limitation: Verification data is used solely to confirm eligibility for the Hero Verified badge. It is not used for marketing, profiling, or sharing with third parties. Stripe processes ID documents under their own DPA with Syncworx Ltd.

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have the following rights:

Right to Access: Request a copy of your personal data
Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate data
Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
Right to Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data
Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured format
Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
Right to Withdraw Consent: For marketing and non-essential cookies
Right to Lodge a Complaint: Contact the Data Protection Commission (Ireland)

To exercise your rights, email us at info@syncworx.ie. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience. See our Cookie Policy for details.

10. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including encryption (TLS/SSL), secure hosting, access controls, and regular security audits. However, no system is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Children's Privacy

Our Platform is not intended for users under 18. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such data, contact us immediately.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of material changes via email or Platform notice. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

12a. Data Breach Notifications

In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will:

Notify the Data Protection Commission within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach, in accordance with Article 33 GDPR
Notify affected users without undue delay where the breach is likely to result in a high risk to your rights and freedoms, in accordance with Article 34 GDPR
Notifications will describe the nature of the breach, the likely consequences, and the measures taken or proposed to address it

If you suspect your data has been compromised, contact us immediately at info@syncworx.ie.

13. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions or to exercise your GDPR rights:
Syncworx Ltd (trading as TradesHero)
Email: info@syncworx.ie
Platform: tradeshero.ie

Supervisory Authority:
Data Protection Commission
21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2, D02 RD28, Ireland
Website: dataprotection.ie
Phone: +353 (0)761 104 800