Privacy Policy

BookNok does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We collect only what we need to run the app, and we use it only to provide you with the service.

We collect the following when you use BookNok:

• Account information — your name, email address, and general location (city/neighborhood).
• Phone number — optionally provided during account registration or when contacting support. Used to send transactional SMS notifications when you opt in.
• Listings — books you list for sale, including title, author, price, and condition.
• Messages — in-app chat messages between buyers and sellers.
• Usage data — app interactions (screens visited, taps) used only to fix bugs and improve the app. This data is anonymised.
• Device info — device type and OS version, collected automatically for crash reporting.

We do not collect payment information. All transactions are handled directly between users.

• To create and manage your account.
• To show your listings to nearby users.
• To enable buyer–seller messaging.
• To send transactional notifications (e.g., a buyer requested your book) by push notification or SMS, where you have opted in.
• To diagnose crashes and improve app performance.
• To respond to support requests.

We do not use your data for advertising or sell it to data brokers.

BookNok may send you text messages if you provide your phone number and consent to SMS communications. You may opt in at two points:

• During app signup — by checking the SMS opt-in box when creating your account, you consent to receive transactional text messages related to your marketplace activity (e.g., a buyer has requested your book, your purchase is ready for pickup, account security alerts).
• On the support form — by checking the SMS opt-in box when submitting a support request, you consent to receive follow-up text messages related to that request.

In both cases, the following terms apply:

• Message frequency: Varies based on your account activity and support interactions.
• Cost: Message and data rates may apply depending on your carrier plan.
• Opt out: Reply STOP to any message at any time to unsubscribe. You will receive one confirmation and no further texts.
• Help: Reply HELP to any message or email privacy@booknok.com for assistance.

Providing a phone number and consenting to SMS is entirely optional and is never a condition of using BookNok or receiving support. We do not share your phone number with third parties for marketing purposes. Phone numbers are shared only with our SMS delivery provider solely to transmit the messages you requested, and they are bound by confidentiality obligations.

When you list a book, your first name and general area are visible to other users. Your full address, phone number, and email are never shown publicly.

We may share information with:

• Service providers — such as cloud hosting and crash-reporting tools, bound by confidentiality agreements. They process data only on our behalf.
• Law enforcement — only when required by law or to protect the safety of our users.

We keep your account data for as long as your account is active.

When an account is deleted — whether by you or by an administrator — we immediately and irreversibly anonymize all personally identifying fields. No manual step or waiting period is required. The following fields are masked at the moment of deletion:

• Name (first and last) — replaced with a randomly generated identifier that cannot be reversed or linked back to you.
• Phone number — replaced with a randomly generated identifier that cannot be reversed or linked back to you.
• Street address and precise location — the street address is replaced with a randomly generated identifier. GPS coordinates, if stored, are truncated to approximately a 1-mile radius so they can no longer identify a specific property.
• City, state, zip code, and country — retained. These are regional values shared by thousands of people and are not personally identifying on their own.

Any active book listings are de-listed immediately upon account deletion.

An anonymized record — containing none of the personally identifying fields listed above — is kept for internal integrity (for example, to preserve transaction history for other users who interacted with your account). This record cannot be used to identify you.

If your account was in a suspended state at the time of deletion, a one-way cryptographic hash of your original phone number is added to a ban list to prevent re-registration of previously suspended accounts. This hash cannot be reversed to recover your phone number.

We may retain certain records longer if required to do so by applicable law.

You can, at any time:

• Access the data we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate data via your account settings.
• Delete your account and associated data.
• Export your data — contact us and we'll send it within 30 days.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@booknok.com.

BookNok is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

We use industry-standard security measures (encrypted connections, access controls) to protect your data. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you via the app or email before the changes take effect. Continued use of BookNok after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Questions about this policy? Email us at privacy@booknok.com or visit our support page.