Privacy & Data Export

RTC Collector provides privacy controls and data portability to give you full control over your personal information. You can control who sees your data, manage your account security, and export or delete your information at any time.

Privacy Settings

Profile Visibility

Control who can view your profile information.

Options:

• Public - Anyone can view your profile, including visitors not logged in
• Friends Only - Only users you've added as friends can see your profile
• Private - Only you can see your profile details

What Profile Visibility Affects:

• Basic information (name, username, join date)
• Bio and profile photo
• Ratings and reviews
• Activity history
• Friend list

Setting Profile Visibility:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security
2. Find Profile Visibility
3. Select desired setting
4. Changes save automatically

Collection Visibility

Control who can view your collection items.

Options:

• Public - Anyone can browse your collection
• Friends Only - Only your friends can see your items
• Private - Only you can access your collection

What Collection Visibility Affects:

• Collection item list
• Item details and photos
• Item values (if displayed)
• Collection statistics

Setting Collection Visibility:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security
2. Find Collection Visibility
3. Select desired setting
4. Changes save automatically

Note: Marketplace listings are always public regardless of collection visibility. If you list a collection item for sale, anyone can see that listing.

Email Display

Control whether your email address appears on your profile.

Options:

• Show Email - Email visible to users who can view your profile (based on profile visibility setting)
• Hide Email - Email never shown to other users

Why Hide Email:

• Prevent spam
• Limit communication to platform messages only
• Maintain privacy

Setting Email Display:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security
2. Toggle Show Email Address
3. Saves automatically

Phone Number Display

Control whether your phone number appears on your profile (if you've added one).

Options:

• Show Phone - Phone visible to users who can view your profile
• Hide Phone - Phone never shown to other users

Why Hide Phone:

• Prevent unwanted calls/texts
• Keep communication on-platform
• Maintain privacy

Setting Phone Display:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security
2. Toggle Show Phone Number
3. Saves automatically

Message Permissions

Control who can send you messages.

Options:

• Allow Messages (enabled) - Any user can start a conversation with you about listings or transactions
• Block Messages (disabled) - Only users in active transactions can message you

What This Affects:

• Pre-purchase inquiry messages
• General user messages
• Friend requests (may still receive)

Does NOT Affect:

• Transaction messages (always allowed)
• Dispute messages (always allowed)
• Admin messages (always allowed)
• Existing conversation threads (can still reply)

Setting Message Permissions:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security
2. Toggle Allow Messages from Other Users
3. Saves automatically

Email Notification Preferences

Control which emails you receive from RTC Collector.

Email Preference Types

Email Notifications (Master Toggle):

• Turns all emails on or off
• When disabled, no emails sent except critical security alerts
• When enabled, individual preferences below apply

Offer Notifications:

• Receive email when someone makes an offer on your listing
• Receive email when seller responds to your offer
• Does not affect in-app notifications

Shipping Updates:

• Tracking updates for purchases
• Delivery confirmations
• Shipping issues

Dispute Notifications:

• New disputes opened
• Dispute status updates
• Admin responses in disputes

Message Notifications:

• New messages in conversations
• Only sends if you haven't read message within 1 hour
• Includes message preview

Item Updates:

• Changes to items you're watching
• Price drops on watched items
• Availability changes

Security Alerts:

• Login from new device
• Password changes
• Two-factor authentication events
• Account security issues
• Cannot be disabled (critical security)

Weekly Digest:

• Summary of weekly activity
• New listings matching your interests
• Collection value changes
• Delivered on Monday mornings

Managing Email Preferences

1. Go to Settings → Notifications
2. Toggle individual preferences on/off
3. Or disable Email Notifications master toggle
4. Changes save automatically

Account Security

Active Sessions

View and manage all devices currently logged into your account.

What You See:

• Device type and browser
• IP address
• Location (approximate)
• Last activity time
• Login time

Managing Sessions:

1. Go to Settings → Security
2. View Active Sessions list
3. Click End Session on unfamiliar devices
4. Current session shows "This Device"

Why Monitor Sessions:

• Detect unauthorized access
• Log out forgotten devices
• Ensure account security
• Review login history

Best Practices:

• Review sessions monthly
• End sessions on public/shared computers
• Log out old sessions from devices you no longer use

Two-Factor Authentication

Add an extra layer of security to your account.

Enabling 2FA:

1. Go to Settings → Security
2. Click Enable Two-Factor Authentication
3. Scan QR code with authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy, etc.)
4. Enter 6-digit code to verify
5. Save backup codes (important!)

Using 2FA:

• Enter password when logging in
• Enter 6-digit code from authenticator app
• Or use backup code if app unavailable

Backup Codes:

• Generated when enabling 2FA
• Use if you lose access to authenticator app
• Each code works once
• Store securely offline

Disabling 2FA:

1. Go to Settings → Security
2. Click Disable Two-Factor Authentication
3. Enter current 2FA code
4. Confirm disable

Password Management

Change your password for security.

Changing Password:

1. Go to Settings → Security
2. Click Change Password
3. Enter current password
4. Enter new password
5. Confirm new password
6. Save changes

Password Requirements:

• Minimum 8 characters
• At least one uppercase letter
• At least one number
• Special characters recommended

Best Practices:

• Use unique password (not used elsewhere)
• Change periodically (every 6-12 months)
• Use password manager
• Never share password

Username Changes

Update your username with limitations.

Username Rules:

• 3-30 characters
• Letters, numbers, underscore, hyphen only
• Must be unique
• Case-insensitive
• Cannot be all numbers
• Maximum 2 consecutive hyphens or underscores

Change Cooldown:

• Can change once per 30 days
• Prevents username hopping/abuse
• Countdown shows in settings

Changing Username:

1. Go to Settings → Account
2. Click Change Username
3. Enter new username
4. Check availability
5. Confirm change

Effects of Username Change:

• Old username immediately available for others
• All your content keeps your new username
• Friends notified of change
• Profile URL updates

Data Export

Export your data for backup, analysis, or transfer.

Collection Data Export

Export your collection items in multiple formats.

CSV Export:

1. Go to Items page
2. Click Export button
3. Select CSV format
4. Download file

What's Included (CSV):

• Item name and category
• Manufacturer and model
• Condition and ownership status
• Purchase information
• Current value
• Storage location
• Custom fields

JSON Export:

1. Go to Items page
2. Click Export button
3. Select JSON format
4. Download file

What's Included (JSON):

• All CSV data plus:
• Item relationships
• Tags and metadata
• Full activity history
• Media URLs
• Custom field details

Use Cases:

• Backup collection data
• Import into spreadsheets
• Analysis and reporting
• Transfer to other software
• Insurance documentation

Message Export

Export message conversations.

Not Currently Available: Platform doesn't currently support automatic message export. Contact support if you need message history for legal or dispute purposes.

Alternative:

• Take screenshots of important conversations
• Copy/paste critical messages to notes
• Messages remain accessible in platform indefinitely

Transaction History Export

Export your marketplace transaction records.

Not Currently Available: Direct transaction export not available. You can:

• View all transactions in Transactions page
• Filter by date range
• Take screenshots for records
• Request transaction data from support if needed for taxes/accounting

Account Deletion

Permanently delete your account and associated data.

Before You Delete

Consider:

• Account deletion is permanent and irreversible
• All data will be deleted within 30 days
• Active transactions must complete or cancel first
• Marketplace balance must be $0 (withdraw or spend)
• Outstanding disputes must resolve

What Gets Deleted:

• Your profile and account
• Collection items and images
• Messages (conversations anonymize, not delete)
• Activity history
• Session data
• Email preferences

What Remains:

• Marketplace listings (become anonymous)
• Transaction history (anonymizes your identity)
• Public reviews/ratings (become anonymous)
• Dispute records (for legal compliance)

Retention Reasons:

• Legal requirements (financial records, disputes)
• Platform integrity (reviews, ratings, transaction history)
• Other users' records (they keep their transaction data)

Deletion Process

Requirements:

• Know your current password
• No active transactions in progress
• Resolve or close all disputes
• Withdraw marketplace balance
• Cancel any active subscriptions

Deleting Your Account:

1. Go to Settings → Account
2. Scroll to Danger Zone
3. Click Delete Account
4. Read warnings carefully
5. Enter your password
6. Type DELETE (exactly, all caps)
7. Click Confirm Delete

Immediate Effects:

• Logged out immediately
• Can't log in again
• Profile becomes inaccessible
• Collection hidden
• Marketplace listings delisted

30-Day Process:

• Data marked for deletion
• Backup systems purged
• Images deleted from storage
• Account records removed
• Cannot be undone after 24 hours

Canceling Deletion

Within 24 Hours: Contact support immediately to request cancellation. May be possible if deletion hasn't propagated through all systems.

After 24 Hours: Cannot be canceled. Deletion is irreversible.

Privacy Best Practices

For Collection Privacy

Valuable Collections:

• Set collection visibility to Private or Friends Only
• Don't share full collection value publicly
• Limit item photos that show your home
• Avoid posting exact purchase dates/locations

Public Collections:

• Great for community engagement
• Helps other collectors
• May attract marketplace buyers
• Consider privacy trade-offs

For Personal Privacy

Limit Personal Information:

• Don't use real photo as profile picture if privacy-concerned
• Use username, not real name (optional)
• Hide email and phone number
• Limit profile visibility

Safe Communication:

• Keep all communication on platform
• Don't share personal contact information
• Report suspicious messages
• Block problematic users

For Marketplace Privacy

When Buying:

• Shipping address must be real (for delivery)
• Consider using package forwarding service if very privacy-conscious
• Use platform messages, not external email/phone
• Payment through platform protects financial information

When Selling:

• Return address required on packages
• Consider PO box or business address
• Don't include personal notes in packages
• Use platform messaging only

GDPR and Data Rights

RTC Collector complies with GDPR and similar privacy regulations.

Your Rights

Right to Access:

• View all personal data we hold
• Access through account settings
• Export data via export features
• Request full data report from support

Right to Rectification:

• Correct inaccurate personal data
• Update profile information anytime
• Request corrections via support if needed

Right to Erasure:

• Request account deletion
• Data removed within 30 days
• Some data retained for legal compliance
• Cannot delete dispute/transaction records (legal requirement)

Right to Restrict Processing:

• Limit how your data is used
• Contact support to restrict processing
• May affect platform functionality

Right to Data Portability:

• Export your data in machine-readable formats
• CSV and JSON exports available
• Transfer data to other services

Right to Object:

• Object to data processing for marketing
• Disable email notifications
• Set privacy settings restrictively
• Contact support for specific objections

Data We Collect

Account Data:

• Name, email, password (encrypted)
• Username, profile information
• Subscription tier and payment history

Collection Data:

• Item details you enter
• Photos you upload
• Activity logs (views, edits, adds)

Marketplace Data:

• Listings, transactions, offers
• Messages between users (encrypted)
• Ratings and reviews
• Shipping addresses (for active transactions only)

Usage Data:

• Pages you visit
• Features you use
• Device and browser information
• IP address and location (approximate)

Why We Collect:

• Provide platform functionality
• Process transactions
• Improve user experience
• Prevent fraud and abuse
• Comply with legal requirements

Data Sharing

We Never Sell Your Data

We Share With:

• Payment processors (Stripe) for transactions
• Shipping carriers (Shippo) for labels and tracking
• Email service (for notifications)
• Cloud storage providers (for backups)

Legal Requirements:

• May disclose if required by law
• Respond to valid legal requests
• Protect rights and safety
• Enforce terms of service

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide my collection value from others?

Yes. Set collection visibility to Private or Friends Only. Value calculations only visible to you in private mode.

Do marketplace buyers see my personal information?

No. Buyers only see your username and ratings. Shipping address provided only after purchase for delivery purposes.

Can I export messages for legal purposes?

Message export not automated. Contact support with legal request for specific conversations. May require valid court order.

How long until deleted account is fully removed?

30 days for complete removal. Within 24 hours account is inaccessible, but full purge from backups takes 30 days.

Can I reuse my username after deleting account?

Yes, but you must create new account. Old username becomes available immediately after deletion. No reservation.

Do collection exports include item photos?

JSON export includes photo URLs. Actual image files not included in export. Download images separately before export if needed.

Can I temporarily deactivate my account?

No. Account remains active until deleted. You can log out and stop using the platform, but account stays active.

What if someone else requests my data?

We only provide your data to you (verified account owner) or as required by law. Other users can't request your personal data.

Are my messages truly private?

Messages encrypted at rest using AES-256-GCM. Only you, recipient, and admins (for disputes/moderation) can read them.

Can I recover a deleted account?

No. Deletion is permanent after 24-hour grace period. Cannot be recovered.

Do privacy settings affect marketplace listings?

No. Listings are always public. If you list a collection item for sale, anyone can see it regardless of collection visibility settings.

How do I report a privacy concern?

Contact support via Help page → Contact Support → Privacy Concern. Provide details of the issue. Response within 24-48 hours.