Account & Data Deletion

Overview

Bid-A-Lot is committed to protecting your privacy and giving you control over your personal data. This page explains how you can request the deletion of your account and associated data from our platform.

How to Request Account Deletion

You can request the deletion of your Bid-A-Lot account and associated data through the following methods:

Method 1: In-App Deletion (Recommended)

1. Open the Bid-A-Lot app on your mobile device
2. Navigate to your Profile by tapping your profile avatar
3. Tap on Settings
4. Scroll down to Account Management
5. Tap Delete Account
6. Review the information about what will be deleted
7. Confirm your deletion request
8. You will receive a confirmation email at your registered email address

Method 2: Email Request

If you cannot access the app or prefer to request deletion via email:

1. Send an email from your registered email address to: data-deletion@goharles.com
2. Use the subject line: "Account Deletion Request - Bid-A-Lot"
3. Include the following information in your email:
   • Your full name
   • Your registered email address
   • Your phone number (if different from email)
   • Reason for deletion (optional)
4. We will verify your identity and process your request

Processing Timeline

We aim to process all account deletion requests within 30 days of receiving your request. You will receive email confirmation at each stage:

• Immediate: Confirmation that we received your request
• Within 7 days: Verification of your identity and eligibility
• Within 30 days: Completion of data deletion and final confirmation

What Data Will Be Deleted

Upon account deletion, the following data will be permanently removed from our systems:

User Profile Data

• Full name and display name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Profile picture and bio
• Location information
• Account preferences and settings

Auction & Bidding Data

• Active auction listings you created
• Draft auctions
• Saved/watched auctions
• Bid history on ongoing auctions
• Auction images and descriptions you uploaded

Communication Data

• In-app messages and conversations
• Notifications preferences
• Email communication history (marketing emails)

App Usage Data

• App activity logs
• Search history
• Device information
• Analytics data linked to your account

What Data Will Be Retained

In compliance with Ghana's Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) and business/legal requirements, certain data must be retained for specified periods:

Financial & Transaction Records (7 years)

• Completed transaction records (for tax and audit purposes)
• Payment history and receipts
• Subscription purchase records
• Credit purchase and usage logs
• Refund and dispute records

Retention Period: 7 years from transaction date (as required by Ghanaian tax law)

Legal & Compliance Records (5 years)

• Content moderation logs and decisions
• Reported violations and enforcement actions
• Suspended or banned account records
• Fraud prevention and security incident logs
• Legal hold data (if subject to ongoing legal proceedings)

Retention Period: 5 years from incident date (for legal compliance and dispute resolution)

Anonymized Data (Indefinite)

• Aggregated analytics and statistics (no personal identifiers)
• Platform usage trends and metrics
• Research and improvement data

This data cannot be linked back to you and is used for platform improvement

Effects of Account Deletion

Once your account is deleted:

• You will no longer be able to log in to Bid-A-Lot
• Your profile will be removed from the platform
• Other users will not be able to view your profile or contact you
• You will lose access to any unused credits or subscription benefits
• Your auction history and bid records will be permanently deleted
• You will not receive any further communications from us (except legally required notices)

Alternative: Account Deactivation

If you're not ready for permanent deletion, you can temporarily deactivate your account instead:

• Your profile will be hidden from other users
• You won't receive notifications
• Your data will be preserved
• You can reactivate anytime by logging back in

To deactivate: Go to Settings → Account Management → Deactivate Account

Data Protection Rights

Under Ghana's Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), you have the following rights:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data (as described above)
• Right to Object: Object to certain types of data processing
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a portable format

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@goharles.com

Questions or Concerns?

If you have any questions about account deletion or data retention policies, please contact us: