Privacy Policy for BoatMechanic.ai

Last Updated: 30 July 2025

BoatMechanic.ai (“we”, “our”, “us”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our website, platform, and services.

We operate in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.


1. Who We Are

BoatMechanic.ai is operated by Boat Mechanic Technologies Ltd, a UK-based company providing AI-powered diagnostic tools and boat maintenance support.

📍 Registered in the United Kingdom
📧 Contact: contact@boatmechanic.ai
🌐 Website: https://boatmechanic.ai


2. What Data We Collect

We collect the following types of personal and technical data:

a) Information You Provide:

  • Name and email address (when signing up or contacting us)

  • Boat make, model, year, engine details

  • Uploaded files (images, audio, videos)

  • Chat inputs and feedback

  • Subscription and billing data (via secure third-party payment processors)

b) Information We Automatically Collect:

  • IP address and approximate location

  • Device type, browser, and operating system

  • Usage logs and chat history

  • Cookies and tracking data (see Section 9)


3. How We Use Your Data

We use your data to:

  • Provide and improve our Services

  • Deliver AI-powered diagnostics and advice

  • Customise recommendations for your vessel

  • Send service-related notifications and reminders

  • Monitor usage and ensure system integrity

  • Comply with legal obligations

  • Respond to enquiries and support requests

We do not use your data for automated decision-making that has legal or similarly significant effects.


4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your data under one or more of the following legal bases:

  • Contractual necessity: To provide the services you have requested

  • Legitimate interests: To operate and improve our Services, prevent fraud, and ensure security

  • Consent: For certain optional features (e.g., email marketing, cookies)

  • Legal obligation: To comply with applicable laws and regulations


5. How We Share Your Data

We do not sell your personal data.

We may share data with trusted third parties who help us deliver our Services:

  • OpenAI and other AI providers: for generating diagnostics and responses

  • Payment processors: to manage subscriptions and billing (we do not store card data)

  • Cloud storage and analytics tools: for infrastructure and performance

  • BrightData or other data scraping tools: when conducting research on boat listings or manuals

  • Legal or regulatory bodies: if required to comply with the law

All third parties are subject to contractual obligations under UK GDPR.


6. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred outside the UK (e.g., to the US or EU) if we use global service providers (e.g., OpenAI, AWS, Stripe). In such cases, we ensure that adequate safeguards are in place, such as:

  • UK adequacy regulations

  • Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)

  • Additional technical or contractual protections


7. Data Retention

We retain your data only for as long as necessary for the purposes outlined above:

  • Chat logs and uploaded data: up to 12 months (unless extended by the user)

  • Account and billing data: retained as long as your account is active and for up to 6 years for tax/legal compliance

  • Deleted chat data: summaries and anonymised feedback may be retained for system learning and analytics

You may request deletion at any time (see Section 8).


8. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights:

  • Right to access – Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you

  • Right to rectification – Correct any inaccurate or incomplete data

  • Right to erasure – Request deletion of your data (also known as “the right to be forgotten”)

  • Right to restrict processing – Limit how we use your data

  • Right to data portability – Request your data in a machine-readable format

  • Right to object – Object to our processing of your data where we rely on legitimate interests

  • Right to withdraw consent – Where processing is based on consent (e.g., cookies or marketing)

📧 To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@boatmechanic.ai.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk.


9. Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies for:

  • Remembering user sessions and preferences

  • Improving site performance

  • Analytics and usage tracking

You may choose to accept or reject cookies when you first visit the site. You can also change your preferences in your browser settings.


10. Data Security

We take your data security seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational safeguards, including:

  • HTTPS encryption

  • Access controls and authentication

  • Regular backups and secure hosting

  • Anonymisation or pseudonymisation where possible

However, no system is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute protection from cyber threats.


11. Children’s Privacy

BoatMechanic.ai is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect data from children.


12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal obligations. We will post updates on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically.


13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact:

Boat Mechanic Technologies Ltd
📧 contact@boatmechanic.ai
📍 United Kingdom