Privacy Policy
Last updated: 21 October 2026
1. Who We Are
This Privacy Policy explains how Flopless ("Flopless", "we", "us" or "our") collects, uses, shares and protects personal information when you use the Flopless website, mobile applications and related services (the "Platform"). We are the "responsible party" for your personal information under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 ("POPIA").
By using the Platform you acknowledge that your information will be processed as described in this Policy. Please also read our Terms of Service.
2. Information We Collect
Information you give us
- Account information: name, email address, phone number, password (stored in hashed form) and account type
- Addresses and location: saved service addresses and, for Professionals, the areas they serve
- Professional profile: business or trading name, company details, qualifications, experience, professions, services, pricing, photos and portfolio
- Verification information: South African identity number or passport number, nationality, identity documents, work permits, certifications, trade registrations, supporting documents and evidence that Professionals upload. Identity and passport numbers are stored encrypted.
- Bookings: service requests, descriptions, photos, quotes, schedules, booking status and cancellation reasons
- Payments: booking fees, transaction references, payment status, EFT proof of payment and account credits. Card details are entered directly with our payment providers; we do not receive or store your full card number.
- Content and communications: ratings, reviews, messages, support tickets, content reports, blocks and any other correspondence with us or other Users
- AI and search queries: what you type into search and AI-assisted features
Information collected automatically
- Device and log data: IP address, browser and device type, operating system, app version, pages viewed, referring pages, dates and times, and error logs
- Location: with your permission, your device's approximate or precise location to show nearby Professionals. You can turn this off in your device or browser settings.
- Usage and activity: logins, features used, points earned and similar activity on the Platform
- Cookies and local storage: as described in the Cookies section below
Information from third parties
- Payment confirmations and fraud signals from our payment providers
- Contact details you submit through our advertising lead forms (for example, on Google)
- Information other Users provide about you, such as reviews or reports
- Information from public sources or registries used to verify Professionals
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Create and manage your account and provide, maintain and improve our services
- Match Customers with suitable Professionals, including by location and service
- Process bookings and transactions, and send related confirmations and notices
- Verify the identity and credentials of Professionals
- Send technical notices, security alerts, support messages and service updates
- Respond to your comments, questions and support requests
- Operate ratings, reviews, points and levels
- Moderate content, investigate reports, and enforce our Terms of Service
- Detect, prevent and investigate fraud, abuse, security incidents and illegal activity
- Monitor and analyse trends, usage and performance
- Send marketing, where permitted (see Direct Marketing below)
- Comply with legal, tax, accounting and regulatory obligations, and establish, exercise or defend legal claims
4. Lawful Grounds for Processing
Under section 11 of POPIA, we process personal information because:
- it is necessary to conclude or perform our agreement with you (for example, to run your account and bookings);
- it is required to comply with an obligation imposed by law;
- it protects your legitimate interests or our legitimate interests or those of a third party (for example, fraud prevention, platform safety and improving our services); or
- you have given consent, for example for device location or marketing messages.
Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time. This does not affect processing that took place before withdrawal.
6. Information Visible to Other Users
Professional profiles are public. This includes the Professional's name or business name, profile photo, professions, services, prices, service areas, portfolio photos, verification status, points level, and ratings and reviews. Identity and passport numbers and uploaded verification documents are never made public.
Ratings and reviews you leave are visible to other Users along with your display name. Please do not include personal information in public content.
7. Cross-Border Transfers
Some of our service providers store or process information outside South Africa (for example, in the European Union or the United States). When this happens, we take steps required by section 72 of POPIA to ensure your information is protected by laws, binding corporate rules or binding agreements that provide an adequate level of protection, or we rely on another ground permitted by POPIA (such as the transfer being necessary to perform our agreement with you). By using the Platform you consent to these transfers.
9. Direct Marketing and Communications
We will only send you direct marketing by electronic communication if you have consented or, if you are an existing user, about similar services and with an opportunity to opt out each time, as permitted by section 69 of POPIA. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails or by contacting us.
Service messages, such as booking confirmations, security alerts and changes to our terms, are not marketing and will still be sent while you have an account.
10. Automated Processing and AI
We use automated tools, including AI services provided by third parties, to interpret search queries, suggest relevant services, and help detect prohibited content and fraud. Please do not include sensitive personal information in search or AI queries.
We do not make decisions that have legal consequences for you, or that affect you to a substantial degree, based solely on automated processing. Content reports and account suspensions are reviewed by a person, and you may ask us to explain or review any decision affecting your account.
11. Children and Special Personal Information
The Platform is intended for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
We do not ask for special personal information (such as health, religious beliefs, race, biometric information or criminal behaviour) and ask that you do not provide it in your profile, requests, reviews or messages. If you choose to include it, you consent to us processing it as part of that content.
12. Data Retention
We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, unless a longer period is required or permitted by law. In general:
- account and profile information is kept while your account is active;
- transaction and payment records are kept for at least five years, as required by tax and accounting laws;
- records of reports, suspensions and fraud investigations may be kept for as long as needed to protect Users and prevent repeat abuse; and
- server logs and backups are kept for a limited period and then overwritten or deleted.
When information is no longer needed, we delete or de-identify it. We may keep de-identified or aggregated information that can no longer identify you.
13. Data Security
We take appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from loss, theft, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These include encryption in transit, encryption of identity and passport numbers at rest, hashed passwords, and restricted staff access.
No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we have reasonable grounds to believe your personal information has been accessed or acquired by an unauthorised person, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by section 22 of POPIA.
You are responsible for keeping your password confidential and for signing out of shared devices.
14. Your Rights
Subject to POPIA and the Promotion of Access to Information Act, you have the right to:
- be told whether we hold personal information about you and to access it;
- ask us to correct, update or delete inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out of date, incomplete, misleading or unlawfully obtained information;
- object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to direct marketing;
- withdraw consent where we rely on it;
- not be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing; and
- lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa) at inforegulator.org.za.
You can update most of your information in your account settings. For other requests, contact us at help@upnet.co.za. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request, and we will respond within a reasonable time and in any event within the periods required by law. We may decline a request where the law allows us to, and will tell you why.
15. Deleting Your Account
You can request deletion of your account from your account settings in the app or on the website, or by emailing help@upnet.co.za. When your account is deleted, your profile is removed from the Platform. We may retain certain information after deletion where we are required or permitted to do so, such as transaction records, information needed to resolve disputes or enforce our Terms, and records needed to prevent fraud or repeat abuse. Reviews you have left for others may remain in de-identified form.
16. Your Responsibility for Other Users’ Information
If you receive another User's personal information through the Platform (for example, a Customer's address or a Professional's phone number), you may use it only to arrange and complete the relevant service. You must keep it secure, must not use it for marketing or share it with others, and must delete it when it is no longer needed. You are responsible for your own compliance with POPIA in respect of that information.
17. Third-Party Sites and Services
The Platform may contain links to, or integrations with, third-party websites and services, such as payment pages, maps and social networks. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, and we are not responsible for them.
18. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated Policy on the Platform with a new "Last updated" date and, if the changes are material, notify you by email or in-app notice before they take effect.
19. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact our Information Officer at help@upnet.co.za.