Last updated October 2, 2026 · Draft v0.3
The short version
What we collect
| Data | Why |
|---|---|
| Name, email, phone | Your account, sign-in, and letting buyers or sellers reach you |
| Listings, photos, VIN | Showing your car and decoding its VIN |
| Messages and attachments | Delivering chat and investigating reported scams |
| Approximate location | Distance in search results |
| Dealer address and website | Shown on your public profile if you choose |
| Device and usage data | Security, fraud prevention and fixing bugs |
Payments
OnlyCars is free and doesn't take payments. We don't collect card or bank details, and payments between buyers and sellers never go through OnlyCars.
What others can see
Your first name, city, listings, reviews and response time are public. Your phone and email are only shown if you turn that on in Settings → Privacy. Dealers can choose to show an exact address.
Who we share with
- Service providers that host, email, send email or decode VINs for us, under contract.
- Law enforcement, when legally required or to protect someone from harm.
- A buyer of OnlyCars, if the company is sold. We would tell you first.
How long we keep it
While your account is open. After you delete it we remove your profile and listings within 30 days, and keep limited records (such as fraud reports) as long as the law requires.
Your choices
You can download or delete your data in Settings, opt out of marketing emails, and ask us to correct anything wrong. Depending on where you live you may have further rights; contact us and we will respond within 30 days.
Cookies
We use essential cookies for sign-in and security and basic analytics to improve the site. No third-party advertising cookies.