LEGAL

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 15, 2026 · AutoAscent, operated by Sean Matthee · Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy describes how AutoAscent ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, stores, and protects the personal information you provide when using our website at auto-ascent.us ("the Site") or contacting us for services.

We are committed to complying with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) of South Africa and, where applicable, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for users in the European Union and United Kingdom.

2. Information We Collect

When you submit our contact form, we collect the following personal information:

FieldPurpose
Full nameTo address you personally in communications
Business email addressTo send our reply and schedule your discovery call
Company / business nameTo understand your business context
Tools currently in useTo scope a relevant solution for your stack
Biggest manual time-wasterTo identify automation or website opportunities
Project budgetTo confirm we can serve your project within scope

We do not collect payment information, government ID numbers, or any sensitive personal information as defined under POPIA.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information you provide solely to:

  • Respond to your inquiry via email within 24 hours
  • Prepare for and conduct your free discovery call
  • Scope and quote your project accurately
  • Send follow-up communications related to your project

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

4. How We Store Your Information

Your form submission is processed via Resend (resend.com), a transactional email service, and delivered directly to our business email inbox. We do not use a CRM or store form data in a database beyond the email record itself.

Email records are retained for up to 12 months from the date of submission. After this period, records may be archived or deleted at our discretion.

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss, or destruction.

5. Cookies and Analytics

The Site uses Vercel Analytics to collect anonymised, aggregated usage data (page views, session data). Vercel Analytics does not use cookies and does not collect personally identifiable information. No tracking cookies are set on your device.

We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any other third-party advertising trackers.

6. Your Rights

Under POPIA (South African users), you have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal information we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate personal information
  • Request deletion of your personal information
  • Object to the processing of your personal information
  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

Under GDPR (EU/UK users), you have the right to:

  • Access your personal data
  • Rectify inaccurate data
  • Erasure ("right to be forgotten")
  • Restrict or object to processing
  • Data portability
  • Lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at seanmatthee91@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.

7. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

For users in the EU/UK, our legal basis for processing your personal information is legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR) — specifically, to respond to your business inquiry and scope a service engagement. Where required by law, we will obtain explicit consent before processing.

8. International Data Transfers

AutoAscent is based in South Africa. If you submit information from outside South Africa, your data is transferred to and processed in South Africa. By submitting the form, you consent to this transfer.

For EU/UK users: data is transferred to South Africa, which may not have an adequacy decision from the European Commission. We rely on your explicit consent as the transfer mechanism.

9. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may process your data:

ServicePurposePrivacy Policy
ResendTransactional email deliveryresend.com/privacy
VercelWebsite hosting and analyticsvercel.com/legal/privacy-policy

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

12. Contact Us

For any privacy-related questions, access requests, or complaints:

Email: seanmatthee91@gmail.com
Business: AutoAscent by Sean Matthee
Address: Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa

This policy was last reviewed on [DATE].