Privacy Policy

Effective: May 13, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Scrapyards.io ("Scrapyards.io", "we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and shares information when you visit scrapyards.io and any related subdomains (the "Site"). By using the Site you agree to the practices described here.

1. Information we collect

We collect the following categories of information:

• Server logs (essential). Standard web-server logs containing your IP address, browser user agent, requested URL, referring URL, and timestamp. We use these to operate the Site, prevent abuse, and diagnose errors. Logs are retained for up to 90 days.
• Region detection (essential). Your IP address is checked against a third-party geolocation lookup (api.country.is) on first visit to determine which consent UX to show (US-style notice vs. EU/UK/Brazil opt-in modal). The result is cached in a first-party cookie (sy_region, 1-hour TTL) so the lookup is not repeated on every page. The geolocation provider does not store IP addresses per its public statement; we do not store the IP either.
• Information you submit. When you submit a price report, contact us by email, or use interactive features (such as the Garage Calculator), we collect the information you provide: the metal, price, ZIP code, optional notes, and your email address if you choose to send one.
• Analytics data (with consent or in opt-out regions). Google Analytics collects aggregate page-view and traffic information. We have IP-anonymization enabled, so the last octet of your IP address is truncated before storage.
• Advertising data (with consent or in opt-out regions). Google AdSense may set cookies and use device identifiers to serve and measure ads. AdSense may use cookies to personalize ads based on your prior visits to this and other sites. See Google's policies below.
• Calculator inputs. ZIP codes and item selections you enter into the Garage Calculator are sent to our server only to look up nearby yards and current prices; we do not store them in a user-identified record.

We do not knowingly collect Social Security numbers, government IDs, payment-card data, or precise geolocation. We do not sell personal information for money.

2. Cookies and similar technologies

We use the following first-party cookies. None are used for cross-site tracking on their own.

• sy_consent (1 year) — your consent choice (all or essential).
• sy_region (1 hour) — cached result of the region lookup so we don't re-detect on every request.
• sy_consent_seen (1 year) — set after you dismiss the US-style notice so it doesn't reappear.
• sy_pv (session) — short-term pageview counter used by the EU consent UX.

Additional third-party cookies (e.g., _ga, _ga_*, __gads) are set by Google Analytics and Google AdSense when those services load — that is, when you consent in opt-in regions, or by default in opt-out regions. See the providers' privacy policies linked in Section 4.

These cookies are essential for the Site's operation and your privacy choices. They do not require consent.

3. How consent works by region

Because privacy laws differ by jurisdiction, we use different default behavior depending on the approximate country we detect from your IP address:

• EEA, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Brazil ("opt-in" regions): Google Analytics and Google AdSense are blocked by default. We show a consent banner that escalates to a modal after a few pageviews. Tracking begins only after you click "Accept all".
• United States and all other regions ("opt-out" regions): Analytics and AdSense load by default. We show a small footer notice with links to manage your preferences and to "Do Not Sell or Share My Information". You can opt out at any time on the opt-out page.
• Global Privacy Control: regardless of region, if your browser sends the Sec-GPC: 1 header, we honor it as a request to opt out — no analytics or advertising scripts load.
• Do Not Track (DNT): we do not act on the deprecated Do Not Track (DNT) header, which is no longer recognized as a privacy standard. To opt out, use GPC or the controls on the Do Not Sell or Share page.
• Crawlers: we never load tracking or advertising scripts for known search-engine and social-media crawlers (Googlebot, Bingbot, Yandex, Applebot, etc.).

4. Third-party services

We use the following third parties. Each has its own privacy policy that governs how it processes data:

• api.country.is — IP-to-country geolocation used to determine which consent UX to show. Per the provider's public statement, IP addresses are not logged.
• Google Analytics 4 — aggregate traffic measurement. Google Privacy Policy · Browser opt-out add-on.
• Google AdSense — display advertising. Google and its partners may use cookies to serve ads based on prior visits to this Site and other sites. You can opt out of personalized advertising at Google Ads Settings or via the industry opt-outs at aboutads.info (US) and youronlinechoices.eu (EU).
• Mapbox — interactive map tiles on yard, city, and state pages. Mapbox receives your IP address and the bounding box of the map tiles requested. Mapbox Privacy Policy.

5. How we use information

• To operate, maintain, and improve the Site;
• To respond to your inquiries and process price reports you submit;
• To measure traffic and understand which content is useful;
• To serve and measure advertisements;
• To detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, security, or technical issues;
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Use.

6. How we share information

• Service providers who host the Site, deliver maps, perform geolocation, and provide analytics or advertising as listed above. They process data on our behalf under their own terms.
• Legal requests. We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, or other valid legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Scrapyards.io, our users, or the public.
• Business transfers. If Scrapyards.io is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user information may be transferred as part of that transaction; we will notify you via a prominent notice on the Site.

We do not sell personal information for money. We may "share" personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, as defined by California law, by allowing Google AdSense to operate on the Site. You can opt out at any time on the Do Not Sell or Share page or by sending the Global Privacy Control signal from your browser.

7. Your rights — US residents in states with comprehensive privacy laws

Depending on your state of residence, you may have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect, use, and share;
• Access or receive a copy of that information;
• Request correction of inaccurate information;
• Request deletion of your personal information;
• Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising — see Do Not Sell or Share My Information;
• Designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf;
• Be free from retaliation or discrimination for exercising any of these rights.

To exercise any of these rights other than opt-out (which works on the page above), email hello@scrapyards.io. We will respond to requests under California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Virginia, Texas, Oregon, and other comprehensive US state privacy laws within 45 days (extendable by an additional 45 days where permitted by law, with notice to you). We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling the request. An authorized agent must provide written authorization signed by you, and we may verify the agent's identity. We may also contact you directly to confirm any agent-submitted request.

8. Your rights — EEA, United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Brazil

Under the GDPR, UK GDPR, Swiss FADP, and Brazilian LGPD you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we process about you;
• Request rectification of inaccurate data;
• Request erasure ("right to be forgotten");
• Restrict or object to processing;
• Withdraw consent at any time (does not affect processing already performed);
• Data portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format;
• Lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

Our legal bases for processing are: (a) consent for analytics and advertising cookies; (b) legitimate interests for server logs, abuse prevention, and region detection (necessary to deliver the appropriate consent UX); and (c) contract / pre-contract for handling information you submit through the Site. To exercise any right, email hello@scrapyards.io. We will respond to GDPR/UK GDPR/LGPD requests within one month (extendable by two additional months for complex requests, with notice of the extension).

9. Data retention

Server logs are retained up to 90 days. User-submitted price reports are retained indefinitely as anonymous market data unless you ask us to delete an entry tied to your email. Analytics and advertising data are retained according to Google's policies (typically 14 months for Google Analytics).

10. Security

We use TLS encryption for all traffic to and from the Site, restrict database access to authorized personnel, and follow industry-standard practices for hosting and patching. No system is perfectly secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of any information transmitted to or stored on the Site.

11. Children's privacy

The Site is not directed to children under 16. We do not knowingly collect or share personal information from minors under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

12. International data transfers

The Site is operated from the United States. If you access the Site from outside the US, your information will be processed in the US, where data-protection laws may differ from those in your country. For transfers from the EEA, UK, Switzerland, and Brazil, we rely on Google's and Mapbox's Standard Contractual Clauses and similar safeguards.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the "Effective" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, by a notice on the Site. Your continued use of the Site after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact

Questions or requests about this policy: hello@scrapyards.io or via our contact page.