Privacy Policy

Who we are

GroomLocator is run by Amped Design LLC, doing business as GroomLocator, a company based in New York. When this policy says “we” or “us,” that is who it means. This policy covers groomlocator.com and the email we send from it.

We are a directory. We help pet owners find groomers and help groomers show what makes them worth calling. We only collect what that job needs, and this page explains what that is.

What we collect and when

When you browse

You can search, read listings, and read our guides without telling us who you are. To show groomers near you, our host estimates a rough location from your IP address at the network edge. That estimate is used for the search and not stored. Our analytics tools, described below, collect standard usage data such as pages visited, device type, and browser.

When you create an account

Pet owner accounts need an email address. You can also add your name, ZIP code, and phone number, and each of those is optional. We use the ZIP code to center your searches and any alerts you turn on. We store the listings you save as favorites.

When you message a groomer

The “request a visit” form asks for your name, email, phone, the kind of pet you have, and your message. We store that message and email it to the groomer so they can reply to you directly. Once it is sent, the groomer has your contact details and can use them to get back to you.

When you claim a listing

Groomers who claim a listing create an owner account with an email and password. To confirm you are connected to the business, we place an automated phone call to the number on the listing and ask for a code. After that, whatever you add to the listing (photos, services, prices, hours, service area, answers to common questions) is published on your profile page. That is the point of it, so treat the listing as public.

When you apply for verification

Applying for The Mobile Grooming Standard means uploading documents: a certificate of liability insurance, training certificates for the Certified tier, photos of your grooming setup, and a signed background attestation. These files go into private storage. They are read by our reviewers and nobody else. They are never shown on the site and never shared with pet owners. The badge that results is public; the paperwork behind it is not.

When you pay

Payment happens on a Stripe checkout page. Your card number, expiration date, and security code go to Stripe and never reach our servers. We receive a Stripe customer ID, the plan you chose, and whether the subscription is active. Receipts and billing changes go through Stripe's customer portal.

When you contact us

Messages sent through the contact page are emailed to us. They are not stored in our database. We keep the email as long as we need it to help you.

How we use it

• To run the directory: show search results, keep your favorites, deliver your messages to groomers, and publish claimed listings.
• To review verification applications and keep badges accurate.
• To take payment and manage subscriptions.
• To send the email you would expect: sign-in links, receipts, claim confirmations, verification decisions, and renewal notices.
• To send optional alerts (new verified groomers near you, jobs, offers, and our newsletter) only if you turn them on.
• To understand how the site is used and fix what is confusing.
• To prevent abuse, such as fake claims, spam messages, and fraudulent payments.

We do not sell personal information. We do not share it with advertisers. Advertising on GroomLocator, where it exists, is a labeled placement from a grooming franchise and is not targeted with your data.

The services we rely on

We are a small team and we use a handful of well-known providers to run the site. Each one receives only what it needs to do its job, and each is bound by its own privacy terms.

• Vercel. Hosts the site. Uses your IP address at the network edge to estimate a rough location so search can show groomers near you. We do not store the IP.
• Supabase. Runs our database, sign-in system, and file storage. Account data, favorites, listings, messages, and verification documents live here.
• Stripe. Processes payments for verification badges. Card details go straight to Stripe and never touch our servers. We keep a Stripe customer ID and your subscription status.
• Resend. Sends our transactional email: sign-in links, receipts, claim confirmations, visit requests to groomers, and any alerts you turn on.
• Mapbox. Draws maps and turns addresses and ZIP codes into coordinates. Mapbox receives the location you search for and the map tiles your browser requests.
• Google Analytics 4. Tells us which pages get used and how people move through the site, in aggregate.
• Microsoft Clarity. Records anonymized session replays and heatmaps so we can see where the site is confusing. Typed text in form fields is masked.
• Telnyx. Places the automated phone call that verifies a listing claim. Telnyx receives the business phone number on the listing.
• Payload CMS. Manages our articles, guides, and franchise content. It runs inside our own app and does not receive visitor data.

Beyond these, we share information only when the law requires it, when it is needed to protect someone from harm or fraud, or if the business itself changes hands, in which case this policy still applies to the data.

Cookies and analytics

We use a small number of cookies. A sign-in cookie keeps you logged in. Google Analytics 4 and Microsoft Clarity each set their own cookies to tell repeat visits from new ones.

Google Analytics gives us aggregate numbers: which pages get traffic, which searches are common, where people leave. Microsoft Clarity records anonymized session replays and heatmaps so we can watch where the site trips people up. Clarity masks text typed into form fields. Neither tool is used to build an advertising profile of you.

You can block these cookies in your browser without losing anything except the ability to stay signed in. Google offers a browser add-on that opts you out of Analytics everywhere.

How long we keep it

• Accounts and favorites: for as long as your account is open, then removed on deletion as described below.
• Messages to groomers: kept while your account is open so you and the groomer have a record. Messages sent without an account are kept for up to two years so we can investigate abuse, then removed.
• Listing content from claimed listings: kept while the listing is claimed. If an owner deletes their account, the listing goes back to its public, unclaimed state.
• Verification documents: kept while the badge is active and for two years after it ends, so we can answer disputes about what was reviewed. Then deleted.
• Payment records: Stripe keeps transaction records for as long as tax and accounting law require. We keep the customer ID and subscription history for the same period.
• Analytics: Google Analytics data is kept for up to 14 months. Clarity session recordings are kept for 30 days.
• Server logs: a few weeks, for security and debugging.

Your choices

Everything below is available from your account page. You do not have to email anyone or wait for a reply.

• Export. Download a copy of everything we hold on your account as a JSON file. You can request this once a week.
• Delete. Delete your account from your account page. Deletion is immediate and permanent: any paid badge subscription is cancelled, a claimed listing goes back to its public unclaimed state, and your account, favorites and profile are removed. We send one goodbye email to confirm. Records we must keep for legal or accounting reasons, such as payment history, are kept only as long as the law requires.
• Unsubscribe. Turn any alert off from the account page. Every alert email also has an unsubscribe link. Transactional email (receipts, sign-in links, verification decisions) is not optional while you have an account, because you need it.
• Correct. Edit your name, ZIP, and phone from the account page. Groomers edit their listing from the dashboard.

If you are in California, the European Union, the United Kingdom, or another place with its own privacy law, you have the rights those laws give you, including access, correction, deletion, and portability. The tools above cover them. If something is missing, use the contact page and we will sort it out within 30 days.

Groomers who appear in the directory but have not claimed a listing can ask us to correct or remove their listing through the same contact page. The listing content comes from public business information, and we will review any request promptly.

Children

GroomLocator is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them. If you believe a child has given us information, tell us through the contact page and we will delete it.

Security

Data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Sign-in is handled by Supabase Auth with hashed passwords and magic links. Verification documents live in a private storage bucket that only our reviewers can open. Database access is restricted row by row so that account holders can only reach their own data. Card details never touch our servers.

No system is perfect. If we learn of a breach that affects your information, we will tell you and the relevant regulators as the law requires.

Changes to this policy

We will update this page when our practices change. The effective date at the top is always current. If a change materially affects how we use information you have already given us, we will email account holders before it takes effect.

Contact

Questions, requests, and complaints all go through the contact page. It reaches a real person at Amped Design LLC, doing business as GroomLocator, New York.