Privacy Policy

This policy explains what information char collects through planwithchar.netlify.app and the weekly email, how we use it, and the choices you have. The short version: we collect only what we need to send you projects and run the service, and we never sell your information.

1. What we collect

When you sign up, you give us your name, company, email address, phone number (optional), trade, the cities you work in, and how you heard about char (optional).

When you share a bid result, you give us the type of work, city, bid month, job size, your bid, the winning bid, the number of bidders, whether you won, and any notes you add. Please don’t put names or personal details in your notes.

When you email us, we get your email address and whatever you write.

Automatically:

• Our website host, Netlify, keeps standard server logs, such as IP address, browser type and the pages requested, to run and protect the site.
• The site loads its fonts from Google Fonts, which means your browser connects to Google’s servers.
• The “Follow” button and the bid calculator save your followed projects and the numbers you enter in your own browser (local storage). They stay on your device and are never sent to us. Clearing your browser data removes them.

char doesn’t use advertising trackers or sell ads, and doesn’t build profiles of visitors.

2. Information about people in public records

The projects on char come from public government records. char shows company names from those records, such as developers, owners, engineers and attorneys, and is designed to leave out private individuals’ names and personal contact details. If you’re named in a record shown on char and want us to review it, email us and we’ll respond promptly.

3. How we use your information

• To send your weekly email for your trade and cities, and to manage your account and billing.
• To answer your questions and contact you about your free month and subscription.
• To build the anonymous bid history from shared results. Shared results are only ever shown in summary or anonymous form, never with your name or company.
• To keep the service working, secure and free of abuse, and to improve it.
• To follow the law.

4. Who we share it with

We don’t sell or rent your personal information, and we don’t share it for others’ advertising. We share it only with:

• Service providers who help run char, only as needed for that: Netlify (website hosting and form submissions), Google (Gmail, to send and receive email, and Google Fonts), and GitHub (where our software runs the weekly update). If you pay us, our payment processor handles your payment details. We don’t store card numbers.
• The law, if we’re required to by law, subpoena or court order, or to protect char, our users or others from fraud or harm.
• A buyer or successor, if char is sold or reorganized. This policy would continue to apply to your information.

5. How long we keep it

We keep your sign-up details while you’re a subscriber, and for up to 2 years after you cancel, in case you come back or for our records. Billing records are kept as long as tax law requires. Shared bid results are kept in anonymous form as part of the bid history. You can ask us to delete your information sooner (section 7).

6. Security

We use reasonable measures to protect your information, such as encrypted (HTTPS) connections and limited access to subscriber records. No system is perfectly secure, so we can’t guarantee absolute security. If a breach affects your personal information, we’ll notify you as the law requires.

7. Your choices and rights

• Unsubscribe from the weekly email by replying “unsubscribe” to any email.
• See, correct or delete your information by emailing us. We’ll respond within 30 days.
• Depending on where you live (for example California and other states with privacy laws), you may have more rights, such as knowing what we collect and asking us to delete it. Email us to use them, and we won’t treat you differently for doing so.

8. Children

char is a business service for adults. We don’t knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we’ll delete it.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. We’ll change the date at the top, and for important changes we’ll email subscribers before they take effect.

10. Contact

Privacy questions or requests: planwithcharapp@gmail.com
By mail: char, 7350 State Ave, Kansas City, KS 66112

See also our Terms of Service.