At FormalEra, privacy isn't a legal checkbox — it's a design principle. Keeping buyers and sellers safe from each other (and from the internet at large) is one of the core reasons we exist. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and how we protect it.
1. Information We Collect
Account Information
When you create an account, we collect your email address and, optionally, your full name. We do not require a phone number, date of birth, or social media handle to register.
Listing & Transaction Information
Sellers provide item descriptions, photos, size, brand, color, condition notes, and a desired price. Buyers provide a shipping address and payment details at checkout. We collect order records necessary to fulfill and track transactions.
Shipping Information
We collect your mailing address to ship items to buyers and to return unsold items to sellers. This address is used only for logistics and is never shared with the other party in a transaction.
Payment Information
FormalEra uses a third-party payment processor to handle all financial transactions. We do not store full credit card numbers, CVV codes, or bank account numbers on our servers. Our payment processor is PCI-DSS compliant.
Automatically Collected Data
When you use our site, we may automatically collect your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, and session duration. This is standard web analytics data used to improve the platform and diagnose technical issues.
2. How We Use Your Information
- To operate the platform — process listings, manage consignment inventory, fulfill orders, and coordinate returns.
- To communicate with you — send shipping updates, listing status notifications, payout confirmations, and support responses.
- To protect our community — detect fraud, investigate disputes, enforce our Terms of Service, and prevent misuse.
- To improve FormalEra — analyze usage patterns (in aggregate, not individually) to build better features.
- To comply with the law — meet legal obligations such as tax reporting, fraud prevention, or court orders.
We do not sell your personal information to advertisers or data brokers. Ever.
3. Buyer & Seller Anonymity
This is the one we're most proud of. Buyers and sellers on FormalEra never receive each other's personal information. Sellers ship to FormalEra's facility, not to the buyer. FormalEra ships to the buyer from our facility. No party in a transaction ever sees the other's name, address, or contact details. This applies even after a sale is complete.
4. Information Sharing
We share information only in the following limited circumstances:
- Service providers — we work with trusted vendors (database hosting, email delivery, payment processing, shipping carriers) who process data on our behalf under strict data agreements.
- Legal compliance — we may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, or governmental authority, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of FormalEra or our users.
- Business transfer — if FormalEra is acquired or merges with another company, your information may transfer as part of that transaction. We will notify you before your information is subject to a different privacy policy.
5. Data Storage & Security
Your data is stored on Supabase, a SOC 2 Type II certified cloud database provider. All data is encrypted at rest and in transit (TLS 1.2+). Authentication uses industry-standard secure token flows. We review our security practices regularly and patch vulnerabilities promptly.
No system is perfectly secure. In the unlikely event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify affected users within 72 hours of becoming aware of the incident, consistent with applicable law.
6. Cookies & Tracking
We use session cookies required for authentication — these are essential and cannot be opted out of while using the platform. We do not use third-party advertising cookies or cross-site tracking pixels. We may use first-party analytics to understand how pages are used; this data is not linked to your identity.
7. Children's Privacy
Our platform is intended for users aged 13 and older. We recognize that many of our users are minors (13–17). We are especially mindful of this: we collect only the minimum information necessary to operate the service, we do not run behavioral advertising, and we never share minors' information beyond what is required for fulfillment. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided information without consent may contact us at privacy@formalera.com to request removal.
8. Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate information
- Delete your account and associated personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)
- Object to processing in certain circumstances
- Port your data in a machine-readable format
To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@formalera.com. We will respond within 30 days.
9. Data Retention
We retain account information for as long as your account is active. Transaction records (orders, payouts, listings) are retained for a minimum of 7 years for tax and legal compliance purposes, even after account deletion. Shipping addresses are deleted 90 days after the last associated transaction is resolved.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes by email and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of FormalEra after changes are posted constitutes acceptance.
11. Contact
Privacy questions, data requests, or concerns: privacy@formalera.com. We take every message seriously.