Privacy Policy
Effective:
June 28, 2026
Ngwaahia ("we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you use our mobile app, website, and related services (collectively, the "Services"). By using the Services you agree to the practices described below.
Information We Collect
Account Information. When you register, we collect your name, email address, phone number, and a password. If you sign up with Google, we receive your name and email from Google. You may later add a bio, profile photo, cover photo, and work experience.
Shop & Product Information. If you create a shop, we collect your shop name, description, categories, location, contact information (phone, email, website, social links), and payment details (bank account information for Nigerian shops; bank, Venmo, or Zelle details for US shops). Product listings include descriptions, photos, prices, stock quantities, and delivery/payment options.
Transaction & Order Data. When you place or receive an order, we collect delivery addresses, payment timing preferences, order status history, dispute details, and payment proof images uploaded by buyers and sellers.
Address Book. Delivery addresses you provide are saved to your address book for future orders. You can add, edit, or delete addresses at any time.
Reviews & Ratings. Shop and product reviews you write, including star ratings, text, tags, and any uploaded photos or videos, are collected and displayed publicly (unless you toggle them to hidden). Seller-submitted buyer ratings are stored privately by default.
Media. Photos and videos you upload — including product images, profile and cover photos, review media, and payment proof images — are stored in our cloud infrastructure.
Device & Usage Data. We collect device identifiers, IP addresses, operating system and browser information, and general usage analytics to improve the Services. If you enable push notifications, we store your device push token.
How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
Provide, operate, and improve the marketplace Services.
Facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers, including order creation, status updates, payment confirmation, pickup verification, and dispute resolution.
Send you notifications about your account, orders, and platform activity via push notifications, email, and SMS (see Section 5).
Enable communication between buyers and sellers through WhatsApp and SMS links displayed in order details (subject to seller contact preferences).
Enforce our Terms of Service, prevent fraud, and maintain platform safety — including verifying pickup handovers via one-time passcodes (OTPs) and reviewing payment proof images.
Calculate and display aggregate ratings, review counts, and seller statistics.
Comply with legal obligations.
Sharing Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:
With other users as necessary to facilitate transactions. For example, a buyer can see a shop's public contact details, and a seller can see a buyer's delivery address for an order. Your public profile is visible to other users, subject to your privacy settings (show/hide email, phone, location).
With service providers who help us operate the Services (see Section 4).
When required by law - to comply with legal processes, enforce our Terms, or protect the rights, safety, or property of Ngwaahia or others.
Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services to operate the platform:
Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3 — cloud storage for product images, profile photos, cover photos, review media, and payment proof images.
Railway — server hosting and database infrastructure.
MongoDB Atlas — database services.
Twilio — SMS notifications delivery.
Amazon SES — transactional and notification emails.
Expo Push Notification Service — mobile push notification delivery.
PostHog — product analytics, usage tracking, and feature flagging across the mobile app, website, and backend.
Sentry — error monitoring and crash reporting (no personal data is intentionally sent; technical diagnostics only).
Google OAuth — optional sign-in with Google.
Each provider processes data in accordance with their own privacy policies. We do not share more data with these providers than is necessary to deliver the Services.
Notifications & Communications
We may send you notifications through the following channels:
Push notifications — order updates, payment status changes, new orders (for sellers), stock alerts, disputes, and account activity. Delivered via the Expo push notification service.
Email — welcome emails, order confirmations, and account-related communications. Delivered via Amazon SES.
SMS — order and payment notifications when enabled. Delivered via Twilio.
SMS Consent & Opt-Out. By creating an account and providing your phone number, you consent to receive transactional SMS messages related to your orders and account activity. SMS is an optional notification channel that you can enable or disable at any time through your Notification Settings in the app. You may also opt out of SMS by replying STOP to any message. Standard message and data rates may apply. SMS frequency depends on your order activity.
Managing Preferences. You can control which notification types you receive and which channels are active (push, email, SMS) in the Notification Settings screen within the app. You may also disable push notifications entirely through your device settings.
Data Security
We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS), secure server hosting, hashed passwords, and scoped access controls for cloud storage. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Retention & Deletion
We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
Account data — retained until you request deletion. Upon deletion, your profile, shop, and products are removed. Some data (e.g., order history, reviews) may be retained in anonymized form for legal and operational purposes.
Media — product images, review media, and payment proof images associated with completed orders may be retained for dispute resolution and compliance purposes.
Transaction records — order and payment records are retained for a minimum of five (5) years for legal and regulatory compliance.
You can delete your account directly from the app through Account Settings. You may also contact us at [email protected] to request deletion.
Privacy Settings
You have control over what personal information is visible on your public profile. In Account Settings you can toggle the visibility of your:
Email address
Phone number
Location
These settings control what other users can see on your profile. Ngwaahia staff may still access this information for support and safety purposes.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
Access, update, or correct your personal information through the app or by contacting us.
Delete your account through the app or request deletion by contacting us (subject to retention requirements in Section 7).
Opt out of non-essential communications and marketing.
Control your notification preferences and privacy settings.
Depending on your location, you may have additional rights under applicable data protection laws (such as the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation or US state privacy laws). To exercise any rights, contact us at [email protected].
Children's Privacy
The Services are not intended for anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 18. If we learn that we have collected data from a minor, we will take steps to delete it promptly.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes through the app or by email. Your continued use of the Services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: [email protected]
Ngwaahia (“we”, “our”, “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use our mobile app and services.