We take your privacy seriously. This policy explains how we handle your information transparently.
Chareta Zone ("we", "us", or "our") operates the online auction platform at charetazone.com. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our services.
1. Data We Collect
| Data Type |
Examples |
When Collected |
| Identity Data |
Full name, phone number |
Registration |
| Transaction Data |
Bids placed, auctions won, payments |
Platform usage |
| Financial Data |
Wallet balance, Telebirr number for withdrawals |
Wallet operations |
| Technical Data |
IP address, browser type, session data |
Every page visit |
| Communications |
SMS logs, support messages |
SMS sent to you |
2. How We Use Your Data
- Account Management: To authenticate you and manage your account
- Auction Operations: To process bids, notify you of auction results, and coordinate transactions
- Payments: To process wallet top-ups and withdrawals via Chapa/Telebirr
- SMS Notifications: To send you OTPs, bid alerts, and important updates
- Security: To detect fraud and prevent unauthorized access
- Legal Compliance: To comply with Ethiopian financial and consumer protection laws
3. Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal data. We share data only with:
- Chapa Payment Gateway: For processing payments (they have their own privacy policy)
- SMSEthiopia: For sending SMS notifications (phone number only)
- Legal Authorities: When required by Ethiopian law or court order
- Sellers: Limited contact information shared when you win an auction (name and phone)
4. SMS Communications
By registering, you consent to receive transactional SMS messages from Chareta Zone, including:
- Account verification OTPs
- Password recovery codes
- Auction winner congratulations and checkout notifications (SMS is sent exclusively to auction winners upon completion)
- Payment confirmations
These messages are critical to platform functionality. You may contact us to opt out of non-essential marketing messages, but transactional messages cannot be disabled while your account is active.
5. Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:
- All passwords are hashed using bcrypt (never stored in plain text)
- All data is transmitted over HTTPS/TLS encryption
- Database access is restricted to authorized personnel only
- CSRF protection on all form submissions
- Session security with HTTP-only, secure cookies
Despite our best efforts, no system is 100% secure. In the event of a data breach, we will notify affected users within 72 hours.
6. Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction: Update inaccurate or incomplete data via your profile settings
- Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data (subject to legal retention requirements)
- Portability: Request your data in a machine-readable format
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the email below.
7. Cookies
We use strictly necessary session cookies to maintain your login state. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. Your session cookie expires when you close your browser or log out.
For any privacy concerns or data requests, contact:
Chareta Zone Data Protection
Email: info@charetazone.com
