1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains how Sawtry Media Limited (trading as "MOTChecker.co.uk"), Company Number 05080337, collects, uses, stores and protects your personal information when you use our website at motchecker.co.uk (the "Service").
We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
2. Data Controller
The data controller is Sawtry Media Limited, Eco Innovation Centre, Peterscourt, City Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE1 1SA. You can contact us at hello@motchecker.co.uk.
3. Information We Collect
3.1 Free Checks (No Account Needed)
When you use our free MOT and tax check, tyre size check or MOT station finder, we record the registration number or location you searched, the date and time, your IP address and your browser user agent. We use this to provide the check, to apply the free daily allowance and to protect the Service from automated abuse.
If you are not signed in, we assign a temporary guest reference to your browser session. It is not stored in a persistent cookie and ends when your session ends. If you create an account or sign in during the same session, searches made under that guest reference are linked to your account.
3.2 Account Information
An account is optional for free checks and required to buy a valuation or use the Garage. When you create an account, we collect your email address, first name, last name, a securely hashed password, and optionally your company name and mobile phone number.
3.3 Valuations and Payments
When you buy a valuation, we record the registration number, the mileage you entered, the amount paid, the payment status and the valuation figures provided to you. These are linked to your account so that only you can view your valuations.
Payments are taken on a secure checkout page hosted by our payment processor, Stripe. We never see or store your full card details. We keep the payment reference, amount and status for our financial records.
3.4 Garage and Reminder Data
If you save vehicles to your Garage and turn on tax or MOT reminders, we store the vehicles you have saved, your reminder preferences and a record of the reminders sent. If you turn on SMS reminders, we verify your mobile number with a one-time code and use it to send reminder messages.
3.5 Partner Links
Some pages show links to partner websites, such as tyre retailers. When you click one of these links, we record the click, the date and time, your IP address and your browser user agent so we can measure how the links are used. We do not pass your registration number, name or contact details to partners. Once you leave our site, the partner's own privacy policy applies.
3.6 Technical Data
Our web servers automatically log IP addresses, browser type, pages requested and referring pages for security, troubleshooting and service improvement.
4. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal data to:
- Provide the free MOT and tax check, tyre size check and MOT station finder
- Provide valuations you have paid for and show them only to you
- Manage your account and your Garage
- Send tax and MOT expiry reminders by email and/or SMS where you have opted in
- Process payments, handle refunds and prevent fraud
- Send essential service messages (for example password resets and verification codes)
- Apply usage limits and protect the Service from automated or abusive use
- Monitor and improve the security and performance of the Service
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not use your data for marketing emails and we do not sell it.
5. Legal Basis for Processing
- Contract: To provide your account, the valuations you buy and the features you choose to use
- Consent: Where you opt in to email or SMS reminders. You can withdraw consent at any time by turning reminders off
- Legitimate interests: Providing the free checks, security, fraud and abuse prevention, measuring partner link use and improving the Service
- Legal obligation: Where required by law (for example keeping financial records)
6. Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal data. We share data only where needed to run the Service:
- Vehicle data sources: Registration numbers (and, for valuations, the mileage you enter) are sent to official government sources and trusted industry data providers to retrieve vehicle, MOT, tax, tyre and valuation information. Your name and contact details are not sent with these requests
- Stripe: To take payments and handle refunds
- SMS provider: To deliver SMS reminders and verification codes to your mobile number
- Email provider: To deliver service emails and reminders
- Hosting provider: Which hosts our servers and databases
We may also disclose data where required by law or to protect our rights.
7. Data Retention
- Account data is kept while your account is active and for up to 12 months after it is closed
- Vehicle check records and search logs are kept for up to 12 months
- Partner link click records are kept for up to 12 months
- Valuation purchase and payment records are kept for 7 years, as required for HMRC
8. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Rectify inaccurate data
- Erase your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
- Restrict processing
- Data portability
- Object to processing
- Withdraw consent at any time (for example by turning reminders off)
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@motchecker.co.uk.
9. Security
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including encrypted connections (TLS), secure password hashing, encrypted links for viewing your valuations, and restricted access to our systems. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.
10. Children
The Service is not intended for anyone under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last Updated" date on this page will be revised when we do.
12. Contact
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to make a complaint, please contact us at hello@motchecker.co.uk or write to Sawtry Media Limited, Eco Innovation Centre, Peterscourt, City Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE1 1SA.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.