Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Chauffit is a technology-enabled marketplace platform operating as an E-commerce Operator (ECO). We facilitate connections between customers seeking on-demand driver services for their own vehicles and independent driver partners registered on the platform. References to "Chauffit," "we," "us," or "our" in this Policy refer to the Chauffit platform and its operators.

Our registered contact for data matters: chauffit@gmail.com

2. Data We Collect

2.1 Data You Provide Directly

• Account information: Name, mobile number, email address, and profile photo.
• Vehicle information: Vehicle registration number, make, model, and colour (provided by customers for booking purposes).
• Payment information: Payment method details processed via our secure payment gateway partners. Chauffit does not store full card details.
• Communications: Messages, feedback, and support requests you send to Chauffit.

2.2 Data Collected Automatically

• Location data: Real-time GPS location during active bookings (with your permission).
• Ride data: Pickup and drop locations, ride duration, route, distance, and fare.
• Device data: Device type, operating system, app version, and IP address.
• Usage data: App interaction patterns, booking history, and feature usage.

2.3 Data from Third Parties

• Driver verification: Background check results and VAHAN portal licence verification data for driver partners.
• Payment processors: Transaction status and fraud signals from our payment gateway partners.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

3.1 Service Delivery

• Matching customers with available driver partners.
• Processing bookings, payments, and refunds.
• Displaying driver location, profile, and ETA during an active booking.
• Communicating booking confirmations, receipts, and ride updates.

3.2 Safety and Trust

• Conducting background and licence verification for driver partners.
• Monitoring platform behaviour to detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and safety violations.
• Resolving disputes and incidents.

3.3 Platform Improvement

• Analysing ride behaviour, demand patterns, and driver performance to optimise service quality.
• Conducting pricing intelligence and route optimisation.
• Generating aggregated, anonymised analytics. No personally identifiable data is used in these reports.

3.4 Legal and Compliance

• Complying with applicable Indian laws, court orders, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintaining records as required under GST, IT, and consumer protection regulations.

3.5 Marketing (with consent)

• Sending you promotional offers, new feature announcements, and service updates. Only where you have provided consent. You may withdraw consent at any time.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under the DPDP Act 2023, we process your personal data on the following bases:

• Consent: For data collected at account creation, marketing communications, and location tracking. You provide consent when you register and use the app.
• Contractual necessity: For processing required to fulfil your bookings and process payments.
• Legitimate interests: For fraud prevention, platform safety, and service improvement.
• Legal obligation: For tax records, regulatory compliance, and responding to lawful government requests.

5. Data Sharing

Chauffit does not sell your personally identifiable data to any third party. We share data only in the following circumstances:

5.1 With Driver Partners

When a booking is confirmed, the driver partner will see your name, pickup location, and (during the ride) drop location. Your full contact details are not shared with drivers.

5.2 With Service Providers

We engage trusted third-party service providers for payment processing, SMS/push notification delivery, background verification, cloud infrastructure, and analytics. These providers are contractually bound to process data only as instructed by Chauffit and in compliance with applicable privacy laws.

5.3 With Regulatory and Legal Authorities

We may disclose data to law enforcement, courts, or government authorities where required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, safety, and property of Chauffit, its users, or the public.

5.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to the same privacy protections described in this Policy.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Policy, including:

• Account data: For the duration of your account and up to 3 years after account deletion, as required for legal and audit purposes.
• Ride data: Up to 3 years for dispute resolution, tax compliance, and safety investigations.
• Payment records: As required under applicable GST and financial regulations (typically 7 years).
• Location data: Only for the duration of the active booking. Historical ride routes are retained in anonymised form for analytics.

After the applicable retention period, data is securely deleted or permanently anonymised.

7. Your Rights

Under the DPDP Act 2023, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

• Right to Access: Request a summary of the personal data Chauffit holds about you.
• Right to Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention obligations.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for processing at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing prior to withdrawal.
• Right to Grievance Redressal: Lodge a complaint with our Grievance Officer (see Section 13) or with the Data Protection Board of India.
• Right to Nominate: Nominate another individual to exercise your rights in the event of your death or incapacity.

To exercise any of the above rights, please contact us at chauffit@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days of receipt of your request.

8. Cookies and Tracking

The Chauffit mobile app does not use browser cookies. The Chauffit website may use essential cookies required for basic functionality and analytics cookies (with your consent) to understand site usage. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.

We do not use advertising cookies or allow third-party ad networks to track you through the Chauffit platform.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS) and at rest.
• Restricted access controls. Only authorised personnel with a need-to-know may access personal data.
• Regular security assessments and platform monitoring.
• Secure payment processing via PCI-DSS compliant gateway partners.

No system can guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in harm to you, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by law.

10. Children's Privacy

Chauffit is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, we will take immediate steps to delete such data. If you believe a minor's data has been submitted to our platform, please contact us at chauffit@gmail.com.

11. Cross-Border Data Transfers

We primarily store and process your data in India. Where we engage service providers who may process data outside India, we ensure that appropriate contractual safeguards are in place in accordance with the DPDP Act 2023 and applicable rules notified by the Central Government. We will update this section as regulations on cross-border transfers are finalised under the DPDP Act framework.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you through the app or via your registered email address. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the Chauffit platform after notification of changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy.

13. Grievance Officer

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the DPDP Act, 2023, we have appointed a Grievance Officer to address any privacy concerns or complaints:

• Name: Grievance Officer, Chauffit
• Email: chauffit@gmail.com
• Response time: We will acknowledge your grievance within 48 hours and resolve it within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Board of India once it is operational under the DPDP Act framework.

This Privacy Policy is drafted in compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, and Chauffit's Phase 1 Legal Framework. This document does not constitute legal advice.