Privacy Policy
Last updated: April 18, 2026 · Effective: April 18, 2026
1. Who We Are
JeepModels.com ("we", "us", "our") is an independent enthusiast website operated at jeepmodels.com. We are not affiliated with Jeep®, Stellantis, or any vehicle manufacturer. For privacy enquiries, contact us at privacy@jeepmodels.com.
2. Information We Collect
Information you provide directly
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Account registrationUsername, email address, and password (stored as a one-way bcrypt hash — we never store your plain-text password).
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Profile informationOptional: display name, bio, location, website URL, and profile photo.
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Vehicle informationYear, model, trim, colour, mileage, VIN, and photos you add to your garage.
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Classified listingsTitle, description, price, contact details, photos, and location you provide when posting an ad.
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Forum posts and messagesContent of forum threads, replies, and private messages.
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Payment informationWe do not store your card details. Payments are processed by Stripe and PayPal — refer to their privacy policies for how they handle payment data.
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Directory listingsBusiness name, address, phone, website, and description for directory entries.
Information collected automatically
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Log dataIP address, browser type and version, pages visited, referral URL, and date/time of requests. Stored in server logs for up to 30 days.
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CookiesSession cookie (required for login), remember-me cookie (if you choose to stay signed in), and cookie consent preference.
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Device dataBrowser type, operating system, screen resolution, and language preference — used to improve the site experience.
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Usage dataPages visited, features used, and interaction patterns — used in aggregate, non-personally-identifiable form to improve the site.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Create and manage your account
- Display your garage, photos, classifieds, and forum posts
- Process payments for featured listings and premium directory entries
- Send transactional emails (account verification, password reset, message notifications, ad expiry warnings)
- Prevent fraud, spam, and abuse
- Respond to support requests
- Improve the site based on aggregate usage patterns
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not use your data for advertising profiling, sell it to third parties, or share it with any party not listed in this policy.
4. Cookies
We use the following cookies:
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| jm_session | Maintains your login session | Session (expires on browser close) |
| remember_token | Keeps you signed in if you choose "Remember me" | 30 days |
| jm_cookie_consent | Remembers your cookie consent choice | 1 year (localStorage) |
We do not use third-party tracking or advertising cookies. If you sign in via Google or Facebook, those providers may set their own cookies — refer to their respective privacy policies.
5. Third-Party Services
| Service | Purpose | Their Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Payment processing | stripe.com/privacy |
| PayPal | Payment processing | paypal.com/privacy |
| Google OAuth | Optional social login | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Facebook OAuth | Optional social login | facebook.com/policy |
| Amazon Associates | Affiliate product links | amazon.com/privacy |
| OpenStreetMap / Nominatim | Maps and geocoding for directory | osmfoundation.org |
| Google Fonts | Typography (Barlow font family) | policies.google.com/privacy |
6. Data Retention
We retain your data for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account:
- Your profile, garage vehicles, forum posts, and images are permanently deleted within 30 days
- Active classified ads are removed immediately
- Messages are deleted, but copies held by your conversation partners may remain visible to them
- Payment transaction records are retained for 7 years as required by financial regulations
- Server log entries containing your IP address are purged after 30 days
7. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Rectification — correct inaccurate data via your account settings
- Erasure — delete your account and all associated data from your account settings
- Portability — request your data in a machine-readable format
- Objection — object to certain types of processing
- Restriction — request that we limit processing of your data in certain circumstances
To exercise these rights, visit your Account Settings or contact privacy@jeepmodels.com. We will respond within 30 days.
8. Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including:
- HTTPS encryption for all data in transit (TLS 1.2+)
- Passwords hashed with bcrypt (cost factor 12)
- CSRF protection on all forms
- Rate limiting on login and submission endpoints
- SQL injection prevention via PDO prepared statements
- EXIF data stripped from uploaded images
No system is 100% secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, change your password immediately and contact us.
9. Children
JeepModels.com is not directed at children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected such data, we will delete it promptly.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify registered users by email. Your continued use of the site after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.