Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Auction Studio ("we", "us") runs auctionstudio.app, a web app that helps auction houses photograph lots, write catalog titles and descriptions, and export catalogs. This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use and share it, and the choices you have. Questions: [email protected].

2. Information we collect

Information you give us:

• Account details: your name, email address, password (stored only as a secure hash, never in plain text), phone number, company name, mailing address and profile picture.
• If you sign in with Google: your name, email address and Google account ID, as shared by Google.
• Your work in the app: auctions, lots, photos, titles, descriptions, condition notes, prices, barcodes, settings and catalog files.
• Team details: the email addresses you invite and the permissions you give them.
• Messages you send to support, and reviews you choose to submit.
• Billing: your plan, payments, invoices and lot credits. Card details are entered on Stripe's secure page and are never sent to or stored by us.

Information collected automatically:

• Sign-in and device information needed to keep your account secure and in sync, such as a random device ID, session tokens, the time you last used the app and your browser type.
• If you accept cookies: website and app usage measured with Google Analytics and Google Ads tags and, when enabled, the Meta Pixel. This includes pages viewed, sign-ups, checkouts and purchases. See "Cookies, analytics and advertising" below.

3. How we use your information

• To provide the app: storing your auctions and photos, syncing them across your devices, building your catalog files and running team access.
• To write titles and descriptions with AI when you ask for it (see the next section).
• To create and secure your account: verifying your email, resetting your password and allowing one signed-in device at a time.
• To bill you, track your monthly lot allowance or credits, and send receipts.
• To answer support messages and send service emails, such as verification codes, password resets, team invites and billing notices.
• With your consent, or where the law allows: to send product news and offers (you can unsubscribe at any time), and to measure and improve our ads.
• To keep the service safe, prevent abuse, and meet legal and tax obligations.

4. AI features

When you tap Identify (AI), or turn on AI Automation, up to three photos of the lot and the text you've entered are sent to an AI provider to write a title and description. Depending on your settings and availability, this may be Google (Gemini), Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI, Groq or Mistral. They process the data to return the result, under their own terms and privacy policies. We do not use your photos to train AI models. AI text can be wrong: please check it before you publish.

Translation of the app's interface may also use these AI providers. The Google Lens button uploads one copy of a photo to a private link that expires after 2 hours, so that Google Lens can search for it.

5. Who we share information with

We don't sell your personal information. We share it only as needed to run the service:

• Cloudflare: hosting, database and photo storage.
• Stripe: payments, subscriptions and invoices.
• Google: Google sign-in, Google Analytics and Google Ads (with your consent), Gemini AI and Google Lens.
• Meta: the Meta Pixel, only if you accept cookies and it is enabled.
• Brevo and Amazon Web Services (Amazon SES): sending email.
• AI providers listed above, when you use AI features.
• People you invite to your team, who can see the auctions you share with them, and the team owner, if you join someone's team.
• Authorities or others when the law requires it, to protect rights and safety, or as part of a sale or merger of our business.

These providers may store or process data in Canada, the United States and other countries. Their privacy protections may differ from those where you live, and authorities in those countries may be able to access the data under local law.

6. Cookies, analytics and advertising

The site asks for your consent before loading analytics and advertising tags. If you decline, they don't load, and the app still works fully. You can change your choice at any time by clearing the site's data in your browser.

With consent, Google and Meta may use cookies and similar technology to measure visits and conversions, and to show you Auction Studio ads on their platforms. We may also upload hashed (encrypted) email addresses of customers to Meta or Google, to reach people similar to our customers or to avoid showing ads to existing customers. You can opt out of this at any time by emailing us.

The app also stores data on your device that it needs to work, such as your sign-in, settings and photos waiting to upload. These are not used for advertising.

7. How long we keep it

We keep your account and content while your account is open. If you delete photos, lots or auctions, we remove them from storage. When you close your account, we delete your personal information and content within 30 days, except billing records we must keep for tax and accounting purposes, which are kept for as long as the law requires. Removed copies may stay in backups for a short time before being overwritten.

8. How we protect it

We use encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, email verification, single-device sign-in and limited admin access. No system is perfectly secure, so please use a strong password and keep it private.

9. Your rights and choices

• Access and download: you can download your photos and catalog files at any time, and ask us for a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct: update your details in My Profile, or ask us to fix them.
• Delete: ask us to close your account and delete your information.
• Withdraw consent: decline cookies, unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in any email, or ask us to stop using your data for ads.
• Depending on where you live (for example Canada under PIPEDA, the European Union and United Kingdom under the GDPR, or California under the CCPA), you may have further rights, including the right to complain to your data protection authority.

To make a request, email [email protected] from the address on your account. We'll reply within 30 days.

10. Children

Auction Studio is a business tool for adults. It isn't meant for anyone under 18, and we don't knowingly collect information from children.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the app changes. We'll post the new version here with a new date and, for important changes, tell you by email or in the app.

12. Contact us

Auction Studio, PO Box 384 Stn Main, Winnipeg, MB R3C 2E6, Canada. Email: [email protected].