Privacy Policy for CarBayt

At CarBayt (carbayt.com), available to car buyers and sellers across Qatar, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your details when you visit our website, research new and used car prices, contact private sellers or main dealerships in Doha, or post a car listing. By accessing or using CarBayt, you agree to the practices described in this policy, which is governed in accordance with the applicable laws of the State of Qatar.

1. Information We Collect

We collect various types of information to provide you with an efficient, reliable car research and trading platform tailored to the Qatari automotive market. This includes:

Personal Identification Information: When you register an account, post a car advertisement, or submit an inquiry to a seller or dealer, we may collect your name, email address (such as [email protected]), mobile phone number, and location (for example, Lusail, Al Wakrah, or West Bay).
Vehicle Information: If you list a car for sale, we collect vehicle details such as make, model, trim, year, mileage, GCC specification status, service history, price in Qatari Riyal (QAR), and uploaded photographs.
Technical and Usage Data: We automatically gather information when you browse our website. This includes your Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed (such as specific car price pages or showroom directories), and the duration of your visit.
Communication Records: We maintain logs of messages, emails, or feedback sent through our site to assist with customer support, prevent fraud, and verify listings.

2. How We Use Your Information

We process your data to deliver a smooth car-buying and selling experience across Qatar. Specifically, your information is used to:

Publish and manage your vehicle advertisements on CarBayt so potential buyers in Doha, Al Khor, and across the country can reach you.
Connect prospective buyers directly with vehicle owners, certified pre-owned outlets, or official brand showrooms.
Improve website performance, layout, and search filters so users can easily compare GCC spec cars, trim levels, and local market prices.
Send transactional updates, security alerts, and administrative messages related to your listings or user account.
Deliver optional newsletter communications regarding local car market trends, price drops, and automotive news in Qatar, provided you have opted in.
Maintain platform safety, prevent fraudulent vehicle postings, and enforce our terms of service.

3. Legal Basis and Compliance with Qatari Law

Our data collection and processing activities are conducted in compliance with the laws of the State of Qatar, including Law No. 13 of 2016 concerning the Protection of Personal Data Privacy (the Qatari Personal Data Privacy Law). We process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:

Consent: Where you have explicitly granted permission, such as creating a user profile, listing a car, or subscribing to market updates.
Contractual Necessity: To fulfill our obligation in delivering the services requested by you, such as connecting buyers and sellers.
Legitimate Interests: To protect our platform against misuse, enhance our digital services, and ensure transparent car pricing for buyers in Qatar.
Legal Obligation: When compliance is required under Qatari statutory regulations or by valid requests from Qatari judicial and governmental authorities.

4. How We Share Your Information

CarBayt does not sell, rent, or trade your personal contact details to third-party marketers. However, to operate an active automotive portal, we share information in the following limited circumstances:

Public Vehicle Listings: When you post a vehicle for sale, the car details, photos, selling price, district location, and preferred contact phone number will be publicly visible to website visitors to facilitate inquiries.
Authorized Automotive Partners: If you request a quote, test drive, or finance detail for a vehicle listed by an official dealership or showroom partner in Qatar, we forward your contact details to that specific vendor to fulfill your request.
Service Providers: We engage trusted third-party technology providers for web hosting, data storage, website analytics, and automated messaging services. These providers work under strict confidentiality agreements and may only access your data to perform specific tasks on our behalf.
Legal and Regulatory Disclosure: We may disclose personal data if required by Qatari law enforcement, regulatory bodies, or legal processes to protect our rights, defend safety, or investigate suspected platform abuse.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

CarBayt uses cookies and similar tracking tools to enhance your online experience. Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help our website recognize your browser and remember your preferences.

Essential Cookies: Required for the core operation of our platform, enabling secure login and search navigation.
Performance and Analytics Cookies: Allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure how users move around CarBayt, helping us refine our vehicle comparison tools and content.
Functional Cookies: Remember your choices, such as currency settings (QAR) or preferred region within Qatar, to offer a personalized experience.

You can adjust your web browser settings to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. Please note that disabling essential cookies may impact the functionality of certain sections of our portal.

6. Data Security and Storage

We prioritize the security of your personal data. CarBayt employs appropriate technical, administrative, and physical safeguards designed to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of your information. Data is stored on secure servers utilizing industry-standard encryption protocols. While we take every reasonable precaution suited to modern online standards, no internet transmission or electronic storage method can guaranteed complete security, and users transmit data at their own risk.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, including fulfilling car listing durations, resolving disputes, and complying with legal, tax, or reporting obligations under Qatari regulations. Active user account data is maintained until account closure is requested, while inactive listing logs and analytical records may be archived or anonymized after a standard operational period.

8. Your Rights as a User

Under Qatari personal data protection legislation, you hold specific rights regarding your personal information managed by CarBayt. These include:

Right to Access: You may request confirmation of whether we hold your personal data and ask for a copy of the information we maintain.
Right to Rectification: You can request that we correct incomplete, inaccurate, or outdated personal details or vehicle listing information.
Right to Erasure: You may request the deletion of your account and personal data, subject to any legal obligations requiring us to retain specific records.
Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing relies on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time for future processing activities, such as marketing emails.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our team directly at [email protected].

9. Third-Party Websites

CarBayt may contain references or links to external websites, such as car insurance providers, automotive finance institutions, or third-party auto services operating in Qatar. We do not control and are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or data protection policies of these independent websites. We encourage you to review the privacy notices of any third-party portal you visit.

10. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our operational practices, technological updates, or local legislative amendments in Qatar. When revisions occur, the updated date at the top of this page will be revised accordingly. We encourage users to check this page periodically to stay informed about how we safeguard personal data.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled on CarBayt, please reach out to our team at:

CarBayt Data Protection Office
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://carbayt.com
Doha, State of Qatar