Afrihelps LLC, a Georgia limited liability company. This Privacy Policy describes how Afrihelps LLC (“Afrihelps,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, discloses, and protects personal information when Users access or use the Afrihelps website, mobile application, and related services (collectively, the “Marketplace”). By using the Marketplace, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, you may not use the Marketplace.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide Directly
- Account information: name, email address, telephone number, password, and profile details.
- Service Provider listing information: business name, service category, description of services, photographs, service area, availability, and pricing information.
- Government-issued identification: Service Providers must submit a valid government-issued ID (for example, a driver’s licence, passport, or national ID) for identity verification. See Section 3.
- Communications: messages, inquiries, feedback, reviews, and other content submitted through the Marketplace.
- Support requests: information provided when contacting Afrihelps for support.
1.2 Automatically Collected Information
- Device information (browser type, operating system, device identifiers, app version)
- IP address
- Log data (pages viewed, time spent, access times)
- Cookies and similar technologies
- Crash and error diagnostics from the mobile application, collected in released versions only and not linked to your account
1.3 Location Information
You can search the Marketplace by typing a city or ZIP code, and that is the default. You do not have to share device location to use Afrihelps.
If you tap a “use my location” control — on the website, where it appears on search, on sign-up and on a quote request, or in the mobile application — your browser or device asks your permission and, if you allow it, sends those coordinates to Afrihelps once, solely to determine which city or ZIP code you are in. Afrihelps does not track your location in the background, does not store a location history, and does not use location for advertising. You can refuse or withdraw the location permission at any time in your browser or device settings.
1.4 Information from Third Parties
- Business information from publicly available sources
- Analytics data from Google Analytics
2. How We Use Your Information
- Create and manage User accounts
- Publish and display Service Provider listings
- Enable Consumers to find and contact Service Providers
- Verify Service Provider identity and prevent fraud and impersonation
- Respond to inquiries and provide support
- Send administrative, security, and service messages
- Send updates and notices about changes to terms or policies
- Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and misuse of the Marketplace
- Enforce our Terms of Service and related policies
- Improve functionality, user experience, and performance
- Comply with legal obligations
If Afrihelps introduces new features such as background checks, booking tools, payment processing, or fee-based services, we may use personal information to support those features. Users will be notified before such changes take effect.
3. Government-Issued Identification
Identification documents submitted by Service Providers are used solely to verify that the person behind a listing is a real, identifiable individual.
Identification documents:
- Are never displayed publicly on the Marketplace
- Are never shared with Consumers or other Service Providers
- Are accessible only to authorised Afrihelps personnel and to verification vendors acting on our behalf
- Are stored using access controls and encryption in transit and at rest
- Are retained while the Provider’s account is active and deleted within thirty (30) days of account closure, unless a longer period is required by law or to resolve a dispute
4. Background Checks
4.1 No Background Checks at This Time
Afrihelps does not currently conduct criminal background checks, professional background checks, employment or education verification, or licence or certification verification.
4.2 Reservation of Rights
Afrihelps may introduce background checks or additional verification in the future. If implemented, Users will receive at least thirty (30) days’ advance notice, updated terms will be posted, and continued use will constitute acceptance. Any such checks would be conducted in accordance with applicable law, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act where it applies.
5. How We Share Information
5.1 Publicly Visible Information
Service Provider listings, including business name, service category, description, photographs, service area, and reviews, are visible to visitors of the Marketplace.
Service Provider telephone numbers and messaging contacts are not displayed publicly.
5.2 Contact Details and Connection Requests
A Service Provider’s contact details are shared with a Consumer only when that Consumer has registered an account and has requested to connect with that Provider through the Marketplace.
Afrihelps records each disclosure, including which Consumer received the details, which Provider they relate to, and the date and time. We use these records to show Providers who has contacted them, to detect abuse, and to enforce our Terms.
When a Consumer sends an inquiry, the information in that inquiry, which may include the Consumer’s name, contact details, and description of the service required, is shared with the relevant Service Provider.
Users may not scrape, harvest, resell, or use contact details obtained through the Marketplace for unsolicited marketing or bulk outreach. Afrihelps may limit the number of disclosures per account.
5.3 Reviews
Reviews submitted by Consumers are displayed publicly alongside the relevant Service Provider’s listing, together with the reviewer’s display name. Do not include information in a review that you do not wish to be public.
5.4 Vendors and Service Providers to Afrihelps
We may share information with third-party vendors who assist with hosting, identity verification, email delivery, push notification delivery, crash and error reporting, customer support, and security. These vendors act on our behalf, are required to protect the information, and may use it only to provide those services to us.
Crash and error reports from the mobile application are processed by Firebase Crashlytics (Google) and are not linked to your account.
Afrihelps does not use advertising or analytics tracking software in the mobile application.
5.5 Legal Reasons
We may disclose information to comply with laws, regulations, or legal requests; to protect the rights, property, or safety of Afrihelps, our Users, or the public; and to enforce our Terms of Service.
5.6 Business Transfers
If Afrihelps undergoes a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
5.7 No Sale of Personal Information
Afrihelps does not sell personal information, and does not share personal information with third parties for their own independent marketing purposes.
6. Communications and Messaging Consent
By providing your email address or telephone number, you agree that Afrihelps may contact you about your account, inquiries you send or receive, and Marketplace updates, by email, SMS, push notification through the mobile application, or messaging applications such as WhatsApp. Message and data rates may apply.
You may disable push notifications at any time in your device settings.
Messages sent between Consumers and Service Providers through the Marketplace are transmitted and stored on Afrihelps systems. When you receive a message, a preview of its content may appear in a push notification on your device, and an excerpt may be included in a notification email sent through our email delivery provider. If you do not want message content in notification emails, turn off email notifications in your account settings.
You may opt out of promotional messages at any time by replying STOP or emailing hello@afrihelps.com. We may still send essential account, security, and transactional messages.
7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to improve user experience, analyse usage patterns, remember preferences, and provide relevant content. Users may disable cookies through browser settings, though some features may not function properly.
8. Data Security
We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information, including encrypted transmission, access controls, and restricted internal access to identification documents. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute protection.
Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their account credentials. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact hello@afrihelps.com immediately.
9. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as necessary to provide the Marketplace, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Identification documents are retained as described in Section 3.
Users may request deletion of their account and associated personal information from within the mobile application, from account settings on the website, or by emailing hello@afrihelps.com. We will action such requests promptly, subject to legal or operational retention requirements. Reviews may remain visible in anonymised form after account deletion.
10. Children’s Privacy
The Marketplace is not intended for individuals under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If we learn that information has been collected from a minor, we will delete it promptly.
11. Your Rights and Choices
Depending on your location, you may have rights to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Update or correct your information
- Request deletion of your information, including from within the mobile application
- Opt out of promotional communications
- Disable cookies
- Request information about how your data has been shared
Requests may be submitted to hello@afrihelps.com. We will respond within the period required by applicable law.
12. Third-Party Links
The Marketplace may contain links to third-party websites or services. Afrihelps is not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
Afrihelps may update this Privacy Policy at any time. Material changes will be communicated through the Marketplace or by email. Continued use of the Marketplace after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
14. Contact Information
Afrihelps LLC 1870 The Exchange SE, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30339 hello@afrihelps.com | (404) 620-7545