Privacy Policy

Effective Date April 1, 2026

1. Scope

This Policy applies to all use of GearFocus.com and related services, including our website, mobile applications, and APIs (collectively, the "Services"). It covers registered users ("Members") and visitors who browse the platform ("Guests").

2. Children Under the Age of 18

Our Services are intended for individuals aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 18. If we learn of such collection, we will delete the data promptly.

3. Information We Collect

We collect personal information to provide and improve our Services, including:

A. Information You Provide Directly
  • Personal Details: Name, email, phone number, and shipping address.
  • Account Information: Username, password, and preferences.
  • Payment Details: Billing address and payment methods through secure third-party processors.
  • Seller Details: Taxpayer information, business registration, and payout preferences.
  • Support Interactions: Communications with customer service.
B. Information We Collect Automatically
  • Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers.
  • Usage Data: Pages visited, clicks, time spent, and search history.
  • Cookies & Tracking: Data from cookies and similar technologies (see Section 9).
C. Information from Third Parties
  • Payment Providers: Transaction details and billing addresses.
  • Marketing Partners: Insights from advertising interactions.
D. Information from Non-Account Holders (Gear Match)

When you use our Gear Match compatibility tool, we may collect the following information even if you do not have a GearFocus account:

  • Equipment Information: The camera body or lens model you select to find compatible gear listings.
  • Email Address (optional): If you choose to receive notifications when compatible gear becomes available, we collect the email address you provide.
  • Technical Information: Your IP address, browser type, and device identifiers collected automatically when you use the tool (as described in Section 3B above).

How we use this information:

  • To display compatible gear listings that match the equipment you selected.
  • If you provide your email address and consent to notifications, to send you email alerts when new compatible listings become available. These emails are delivered through Omnisend, our email marketing platform.
  • In aggregate, anonymized form, to understand which camera systems our visitors use and to improve our marketplace inventory.

How long we keep this information:

  • If you do not provide an email address or do not consent to marketing notifications, your equipment selection data is retained for 90 days and then permanently deleted.
  • If you consent to notifications, your equipment and email data is retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion, whichever comes first.

Who receives this information:

  • Omnisend (email delivery platform) — receives your email address and equipment preferences only if you opt in to notifications.
  • Google Analytics (GA4) — receives anonymized event data about Gear Match usage (camera model selected, whether a notification was requested). This data is not linked to your email address.
  • No other third parties receive your Gear Match data.

Your rights:

  • You may request deletion of your Gear Match data at any time by emailing support@gearfocus.com with the subject line "Gear Match Data Deletion Request."
  • California residents: This data is not sold or shared for cross-context behavioral advertising. See the California and Québec Privacy Rights Addendum below for your full California privacy rights.
  • Canadian residents: Your email address will only be used for marketing notifications if you provide express consent by checking the notification opt-in box. You may withdraw consent at any time by unsubscribing. Unsubscribe requests will be honored within 10 business days.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

  • Facilitate transactions and manage your account.
  • Provide personalized services and recommendations.
  • Improve our platform and develop new features.
  • Communicate service-related messages (e.g., order updates).
  • Ensure security and prevent fraud.
  • Comply with legal and regulatory obligations.

5. Sharing Your Information

We only share personal data when necessary:

  • Service Providers: Payment processors, shipping carriers, and marketing platforms.
  • Legal Compliance: In response to legal obligations, investigations, or law enforcement requests.
  • Business Transfers: If we merge or are acquired, data may be transferred as part of the transaction.

6. Your Choices & Rights

Manage Your Data
  • Account Settings: Update or delete your personal details through your account dashboard.
  • Marketing Preferences: Opt out of promotional emails via the unsubscribe link.
  • Cookies: Adjust cookie settings through your browser at any time.
International Users

If you live outside the U.S., you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your data. Contact support@gearfocus.com to exercise these rights.

7. Data Security

We use encryption, firewalls, and secure data storage to protect your information. However, no system can guarantee complete security. Use strong passwords and maintain account security.

8. Data Retention

We keep your data as long as needed for business, legal, or compliance reasons. After account closure, we securely delete or anonymize your information based on applicable laws.

9. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies to:

  • Recognize returning visitors.
  • Save your preferences and personalize services.
  • Improve site performance and marketing efforts.

When you use our Services, we may use automatic data collection technologies to deliver a better experience. For more details, see our Cookies Policy.

10. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to servers outside your country, including the U.S. We use safeguards like contractual agreements to ensure your data stays protected.

11. Policy Updates

We may update this Policy periodically. Major changes will be communicated through notifications on our platform or via email.

12. Contact Us

For privacy-related inquiries, contact:

Email: support@gearfocus.com

Mailing Address: GearFocus, 10903 Cade Cir, Austin, TX 78726

California and Québec Privacy Rights Addendum

Effective Date: April 1, 2026

Section A: Your California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have the right to request that GearFocus disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources from which that information was collected, the business or commercial purposes for collecting, using, disclosing, or sharing that information, and the categories of third parties to whom we disclose that information. You also have the right to request deletion of personal information we collected from you, subject to exceptions, and the right to request correction of inaccurate personal information.

GearFocus does not sell personal information for money. GearFocus may share certain personal information with advertising partners for cross-context behavioral advertising, ad measurement, audience matching, and campaign attribution. California residents have the right to opt out of that sharing.

California residents may submit requests to know, delete, or correct by emailing support@gearfocus.com. California residents may opt out of the sharing of personal information by using the "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link available on our website or by enabling a recognized opt-out preference signal, such as Global Privacy Control, where required by California law.

We will not discriminate against you for exercising your California privacy rights.

A.1 Categories of Personal Information We Collect
  • Identifiers: Name, email, phone, address, IP address, username, device identifiers.
  • Customer Records: Name, address, phone, payment details (collected by Stripe).
  • Commercial Information: Purchase history, products viewed, cart contents, offers made, seller records.
  • Internet/Network Activity: Browsing history, search queries, pages visited, clicks, referral URLs, browser type.
  • Approximate Geolocation: City/state/country derived from IP address, shipping and billing addresses.
  • Account Credentials: Hashed passwords and authentication data.
  • Sensitive Personal Information: Seller tax ID and payout/bank information (used only for seller onboarding, payments, tax reporting, fraud prevention, and legal compliance).
A.2 How We Use Your Information
  • Facilitating transactions between buyers and sellers.
  • Account creation and management.
  • Customer support and communications.
  • Platform improvement and new feature development.
  • Security, fraud prevention, and legal compliance.
  • Advertising and marketing.
A.3 Categories of Third Parties
  • Payment processors and payout providers.
  • Shipping, logistics, and fulfillment providers.
  • Email delivery and marketing providers.
  • Analytics, advertising, and attribution partners.
  • Hosting, search, content, and infrastructure providers.
  • Security and error monitoring providers.
  • Tax compliance providers.
A.4 Categories Shared for Advertising

In the preceding 12 months, GearFocus may have shared identifiers, customer records, commercial information, internet/network activity, and approximate geolocation with advertising partners. GearFocus does not knowingly sell or share personal information of consumers under 16 years of age.

A.5 Right to Opt Out

You may opt out by visiting our Privacy Choices page or by enabling Global Privacy Control (GPC) in your browser. When opted out: Meta pixel tracking is suppressed, TIE/Revenue Roll visitor identification is suppressed, server-side Meta CAPI tags are blocked, and Google Ads Enhanced Conversions user matching is suppressed. Opting out does not affect your ability to use GearFocus, GA4 analytics, transactional emails, or account security.

A.6 Sensitive Personal Information

GearFocus uses sensitive personal information only for permitted purposes (payment processing, tax compliance, fraud prevention, seller onboarding, account security). Because of that, GearFocus does not offer a separate "Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information" mechanism.

A.7 How to Submit a Request

We verify identity before processing requests. We will respond within 45 days (up to 90 days with notice). Authorized agents are accepted with proof of authorization.

A.8 Non-Discrimination

GearFocus will not deny services, charge different prices, or provide different quality of service for exercising your California privacy rights.

Section B: Data Retention
  • Account data: While active, plus 3 years after account closure.
  • Orders and transactions: 7 years.
  • Seller tax information: 7 years.
  • Support communications: 3 years.
  • Marketing data: Until unsubscribe or deletion request.
  • Gear Match guest data (no marketing consent): 90 days.
  • Gear Match consent records: 3 years after last notification sent or unsubscribe.
  • Analytics data: 14 months.
  • Error logs: 90 days.
  • Server/CDN logs: Short period per provider settings.
Section C: Security and Breach Notification

GearFocus uses reasonable safeguards to protect your personal information. If a breach requiring notice occurs, we will provide notice as required by applicable law.

Section D: Global Privacy Control

GearFocus honors Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals where required by applicable law. When a GPC signal is detected, we treat it as a request to opt out of sharing personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Section E: Named Service Providers and Partners
  • Payments and payouts: Stripe, Stripe Connect, Affirm.
  • Shipping and logistics: ShipStation, ShipEngine.
  • Transactional email: SendGrid.
  • Marketing email: Omnisend.
  • Analytics and advertising: Google Analytics, Google Ads, Meta, Microsoft Ads, TIE/Revenue Roll, Stape.
  • Infrastructure: Firebase, Firestore, BunnyCDN, Algolia, Plasmic.
  • Security and monitoring: Sentry.
  • Tax compliance: TaxJar.
Québec Privacy Rights

If you are located in Québec, GearFocus handles your personal information in accordance with applicable Québec privacy law. You may request access to and correction of your personal information, and withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. Questions, requests, or complaints may be directed to the Chief Executive Officer at support@gearfocus.com.

Vos droits en matière de protection des renseignements personnels au Québec

Si vous êtes situé au Québec, GearFocus traite vos renseignements personnels conformément aux lois applicables du Québec en matière de protection de la vie privée. Vous pouvez demander l'accès aux renseignements personnels que nous détenons à votre sujet et demander la rectification de renseignements inexacts, sous réserve des limites prévues par la loi. Vous pouvez également retirer votre consentement lorsque le traitement est fondé sur le consentement, sous réserve des restrictions légales ou contractuelles applicables.

Pour toute question, demande ou plainte concernant les renseignements personnels, vous pouvez communiquer avec le chef de la direction à support@gearfocus.com.