Privacy Policy

About this policy

Call The Carpenter is a home carpentry repair service. The Call The Carpenter mobile app and the website callthecarpenter.in (together, the "Service") are operated by Bheeshma ("we", "us", "our").

This policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, which device permissions the app asks for, who can see your data, how long we keep it, how we protect it and the choices and rights you have. It applies to customers who request repairs, to staff who carry out repairs, and to administrators who manage the Service.

We follow the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (India) and the Information Technology Act, 2000 and its rules. By using the Service you agree to the processing described here. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

The short version

• We only collect what is needed to arrange and carry out your repair.
• You do not need an account. The app gives your phone a random ID so you can see your own requests.
• Location and photos are optional and are used only for your repair.
• We never sell your data, never show ads and do not use tracking or analytics tools.
• Your data is stored securely on Google Firebase servers in Mumbai, India.
• You can ask us to see, correct or delete your data at any time.

Information we collect from customers

When you send a repair request we collect:

• Your name and mobile number, so we can contact you.
• Your house address or landmark, so the carpenter can reach you.
• Your current location (latitude and longitude), only if you tap "Share my current location". It is taken once, at that moment, and never in the background.
• A description of the problem and up to 3 photos you choose to add.
• The days you are available, if you choose any.
• Details of the job: request number (for example C0101), status, visit date and time, staff assigned, estimated price and notes from the carpenter.
• If codes are used for your job: the entry code and the happy customer code. Only you and the administrators can see these codes.

We also collect some data automatically:

• A random app ID created when you first open the app (Firebase anonymous sign-in). It is not linked to your name, email or phone account and lets the app show you only your own requests.
• A notification token from Google, so we can send you updates about your request (app only).
• Where the request was sent from: the Android app, the iPhone app or our website, and the app version. This helps the owner know how to reach you, for example to call website customers who do not get notifications.
• If you book on our website: the type of device and browser you used (for example "iPhone · Safari" or "Windows · Chrome"), read from your browser. We do not collect your device's unique identifiers.
• Technical data that our service provider (Google) processes to deliver and protect the Service, such as IP address, device type, operating system and app version. We do not use this data to identify or track you.

Booking and tracking on our website

You can book a repair at callthecarpenter.in/book without the app. We collect the same details as in the app (see above). Your browser keeps a random sign-in ID (stored by Firebase in your browser's local storage) so the booking page can show your requests when you open it again in the same browser. We do not use cookies for advertising or tracking.

Website bookings do not get phone notifications. You can check your request at callthecarpenter.in/track by entering your request number and the mobile number used for it. We use these two only to find your request and do not store them. For your safety, the tracking page never shows your entry or happy customer codes.

Our web pages load fonts from Google Fonts. When they do, your browser contacts Google, which can see your IP address.

Information we collect from staff

• Name, mobile number and an optional photo, added by the administrator so customers know who is coming.
• A login for the staff app: your mobile number and a 6-digit PIN. The PIN is stored by Firebase Authentication in an encrypted (hashed) form. Nobody, including us, can read it.
• Job records: which jobs you were assigned, when work started and finished, and any reason you gave for continuing without a customer code.
• A notification token, so we can tell you about new jobs.

Information we collect from administrators

• Email address and login details (email and password, or Google sign-in).
• Settings you save, such as WhatsApp numbers for alerts and the UPI ID used for payment QR codes.
• A notification token, so we can alert you about new requests and issues.

Information you send through "Raise an issue"

If you raise an issue we collect your name, mobile number, the type of issue, your message and, if you give it, the related request number. We use this only to look into and resolve your issue.

What we do NOT collect

• Your contacts, call logs, SMS messages or files on your phone.
• Your location in the background or at any time other than when you tap "Share my current location".
• Bank, card or UPI details or PINs. Payments happen inside your own UPI app.
• Advertising IDs. The app has no ads and no analytics, tracking or advertising tools.

App permissions and why we ask for them

The app asks for a permission only when you use the feature that needs it. You can say no and still use the rest of the app, and you can change your choice at any time in your phone's Settings → Apps → Call The Carpenter → Permissions.

• Camera: to take photos of the damaged woodwork (customers) or a profile photo (staff), only when you tap "Camera".
• Photos / media: to choose existing photos from your gallery, only when you tap "Gallery". Only the photos you pick are used.
• Location (precise, only while using the app): to attach your current location to a repair request, only when you tap "Share my current location". Never used in the background.
• Notifications: to tell you when your request is accepted, a carpenter is assigned, the visit time changes or the work is done (customers); about new jobs (staff); and about new requests and issues (administrators).
• Internet: to send and receive request details. This permission does not show a prompt.

How we use your information

• To receive, plan and carry out your repair: contacting you, confirming a visit date and time, assigning staff and guiding them to your home.
• To show you the status and history of your requests in the app.
• To send you notifications about your request.
• To verify that work has started and finished, using the entry and happy customer codes when they are switched on.
• To show a UPI payment QR code for the job amount.
• To answer issues you raise and improve our service.
• To keep basic business records, such as jobs completed and amounts, and to see simple statistics. We work these out from our own records; no third-party analytics.
• To prevent misuse and keep the Service secure, and to meet legal obligations.

Who can see your information

Inside the Service:

• Administrators (the carpenter and the business owner) can see all requests and issues so they can manage the work.
• Staff can see only the jobs assigned to them: your name, phone number, address, location, problem description, photos and visit time. Staff cannot see your codes.
• As a customer, you can see the name, photo and phone number of the staff sent to your home.

Service providers who process data for us:

• Google LLC / Google Cloud (Firebase Authentication, Cloud Firestore database, Cloud Functions, Firebase Cloud Messaging and Firebase Hosting). Data is stored in Google's Mumbai, India region (asia-south1). Google processes data under its own security and privacy terms.
• Google Fonts, which provides the text font used in the app and website.

Apps you choose to open: when you tap Call, WhatsApp, Directions or pay by UPI, your phone opens that app (phone dialer, WhatsApp, Google Maps or your UPI app). What you do there is covered by that app's own privacy policy.

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal data, and we do not share it for advertising. We may disclose data if the law requires it, for example in response to a valid order from a court or government authority, or to protect the safety of our customers and staff.

Payments

When a job is finished the staff member may show a UPI QR code with the amount. You pay in your own UPI app (such as Google Pay, PhonePe or Paytm). We never see or store your bank account, card or UPI PIN. We may record the job amount in our records.

Where your data is stored and how we protect it

• All data is stored on Google Cloud servers in Mumbai, India.
• Data is encrypted while it travels between your phone and our servers (HTTPS / TLS) and while it is stored.
• Database security rules let customers see only their own requests and staff only the jobs given to them. Customer codes are kept separately where staff cannot read them.
• Staff PINs and administrator passwords are stored by Firebase Authentication in hashed form.
• Only a small number of administrators can access all data.
• No system is completely secure. If a personal data breach happens, we will inform affected users and the authorities as required by law.

How long we keep your data

• Repair requests, including photos, are kept for up to 3 years after the job is completed or cancelled, for service history and business records. After that they are deleted.
• Issues you raise are kept for up to 2 years after they are resolved.
• Staff details are kept while the person works with us. When an administrator removes a staff member, their login is deleted immediately; their name may remain on past job records.
• Notification tokens are deleted when they stop working or when you log out.
• You can ask us to delete your data sooner (see below).

Your rights and choices

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 you can:

• Ask for a summary of the personal data we hold about you.
• Ask us to correct or update inaccurate data.
• Ask us to delete your data (we may keep what the law requires us to keep).
• Withdraw your consent at any time. This may stop us from completing a repair already in progress.
• Nominate another person to exercise these rights for you in case of death or incapacity.
• Raise a grievance with us, and if you are not satisfied, with the Data Protection Board of India.

To use these rights, use "Raise an issue" and choose "Privacy / data request", or contact us by phone. Please include your name, mobile number and request number(s) so we can find your data. We will respond within 30 days.

Deleting the app or clearing its data removes the app's link to your requests on that phone, but it does not delete the requests from our records. To delete them, send us a request as described above.

You can also turn off notifications or permissions at any time in your phone's settings.

Children

The Service is meant for adults (18 years or older) arranging repairs for their homes. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has given us personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when the Service changes or the law requires it. We will change the "Last updated" date at the top and, for important changes, tell you in the app before they take effect.

Contact us and grievance officer

Data fiduciary: Bheeshma, operator of Call The Carpenter.

Grievance officer: Bheeshma. You can reach us through:

• Raise an issue: https://callthecarpenter.in/issue (also in the app, at the bottom of the home screen)
• Phone / WhatsApp: +91 90488 78566

We aim to acknowledge grievances within 48 hours and resolve them within 30 days.

Have a question or a problem?