Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 27, 2026 Last Updated: May 27, 2026

NearGear LLC ("NearGear," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect information when you use our website at near-gear.com, our mobile-optimized web application, and any related services (collectively, the "Service").

By using the Service, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

1. Who We Are

NearGear LLC is a Texas limited liability company operating a peer-to-peer marketplace for youth sports gear primarily serving the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. We facilitate connections between local families buying and selling sports equipment but are not a party to any transactions between users.

For privacy-related questions, contact us at: support@near-gear.com

2. Age Requirements and Children's Privacy

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account on NearGear.

NearGear is designed for parents and guardians. We do not knowingly allow children under 18 to register accounts, create listings, or transact on the platform.

Information About Children

While we do not allow children to use the Service directly, our platform involves youth sports gear, and adult users may share information about their children (such as ages, sizes, or sports played) when listing items. This information is:

Provided by the adult account holder, not the child
Used solely to facilitate accurate marketplace listings (e.g., "fits ages 8-10")
Never collected directly from children
Never used for marketing to children
Never sold or shared with third parties for marketing purposes

COPPA Compliance

Although NearGear is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children, we comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA):

No direct child accounts. Children cannot create or operate accounts.
Parent-shared data only. Any information about minors comes from their parent or guardian's account.
No targeted advertising to minors. We do not engage in behavioral advertising involving children's information.
Parental control. Account holders may remove any information about their children at any time by editing their profile or contacting support.

If we learn that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will delete it immediately. Contact support@near-gear.com to report a violation.

Photos Showing Children

If photos uploaded to the Service include children, the uploader (parent/guardian) is responsible for ensuring they have appropriate consent. We recommend:

Avoiding clear identifying images of children in listings
Focusing photos on the gear, not the child
Not including children's full names, schools, teams, or other identifying information

We reserve the right to remove any content that appears to compromise child safety.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide

Account Information:

Full name
Email address
Password (encrypted)
Phone number (optional)
City and ZIP code
Profile photo (optional)
Household information (spouse name, children's ages and sports — all optional)

Listing Information:

Photos of sports equipment
Item descriptions, condition, size, age range
Pricing information
Meetup preferences

Transaction Information:

Meetup location selections
Messages between users
Deposit and payment information (processed by Stripe — we do not store full payment card details)
Transaction history

Communications:

Messages with other users
Messages with Ace, our AI assistant
Support inquiries
Survey responses

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

Device and Usage Information:

IP address
Browser type and version
Operating system
Device type (mobile, tablet, desktop)
Pages visited and time spent
Referring URLs
Click and scroll behavior

Location Information:

Approximate location based on IP address
City and ZIP code you provide
(We do not collect precise GPS location.)

Cookies and Tracking Technologies: See Section 9 for details.

3.3 Information From Third Parties

Stripe (for payment processing): We receive transaction confirmation and fraud signals but do not receive full card data.
Resend (for transactional email): Delivery status of emails we send.
Authentication providers (if you use Google/social login in the future): Basic profile information you authorize.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

4.1 Operate the Service

Create and maintain your account
Display your listings to other users
Facilitate messaging between buyers and sellers
Coordinate meetups at verified safe zones
Process deposits and payments (via Stripe)
Send transactional emails (meetup confirmations, reminders, completion notices)
Provide customer support

4.2 Improve the Service

Analyze usage patterns to improve features
Test new functionality
Diagnose and fix bugs
Improve search and matching algorithms

4.3 AI-Powered Features

NearGear uses artificial intelligence (specifically, Anthropic's Claude AI) to power features including:

Ace, your AI assistant — answers questions about listings, sizing, and pricing
AI listing analysis — suggests prices, condition assessments, and titles based on photos you upload
Search and recommendation features

When you interact with these features:

Your messages and photos are sent to Anthropic for processing
Anthropic processes data per their privacy and security commitments
We do not use AI-processed data to train external AI models without your consent
AI suggestions are recommendations only; you make all final decisions

4.4 Trust and Safety

Verify identities and prevent fraud
Enforce our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines
Investigate and respond to reports of policy violations
Maintain the strike/suspension system for users who violate policies
Protect users from harm

4.5 Communications

Send service-related emails (transactional)
Send occasional product updates and announcements
Respond to your inquiries
(We do not send marketing emails without your consent. You can opt out of non-transactional emails at any time.)

4.6 Legal and Safety

Comply with applicable laws
Respond to legal requests (subpoenas, court orders)
Protect the rights, property, or safety of NearGear, our users, or others
Detect, prevent, or investigate fraud or illegal activity

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only as described below.

5.1 With Other Users

When you use the Service, certain information is visible to other users:

Your display name (you can use a partial name)
Your profile photo (optional)
Your city (not your full address)
Your listings and listing photos
Messages you send to them
Your seller reviews

5.2 With Service Providers

We share information with third-party service providers who help us operate the Service:

Provider	Purpose	Data Shared
Supabase	Database and authentication	Account and listing data
Vercel	Hosting	Page requests, IP addresses
Stripe	Payment processing	Transaction information
Resend	Email delivery	Email addresses, message content
Twilio	SMS delivery	Phone numbers, message content
Anthropic	AI features (Ace, listing analysis)	Messages, photos, content for AI processing
Remove.bg	Photo background removal	Listing photos

Each provider is bound by contractual obligations to protect your data and use it only for the services they provide to us.

5.3 For Legal Reasons

We may disclose information if required to do so by law or in good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

Comply with legal obligations
Protect and defend our rights or property
Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing
Protect the personal safety of users or the public

5.4 Business Transfers

If NearGear is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

5.5 Aggregated or De-Identified Data

We may share aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you for any purpose, including industry analysis, research, and business operations.

6. How We Protect Your Information

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including:

Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
Encryption of sensitive data at rest
Secure password hashing (bcrypt or equivalent)
Row-level security on our database
Restricted access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
Regular security audits

However, no system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information. You are responsible for keeping your password confidential.

If we become aware of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and applicable authorities as required by law.

7. Your Rights and Choices

7.1 Access and Update

You can access and update most of your information through your account settings. To request a copy of all personal information we hold about you, contact support@near-gear.com.

7.2 Delete Your Account

You can delete your account at any time from your profile settings or by emailing support@near-gear.com. Upon deletion:

Your profile becomes inaccessible to other users
Your active listings are removed
Your message history is retained for 90 days for dispute resolution purposes, then deleted
Transaction records are retained as required by law (typically 7 years for financial records)
Aggregated or anonymized data may be retained

7.3 Communication Preferences

Transactional emails (meetup confirmations, payment receipts) cannot be disabled while your account is active.
Marketing emails (if any) can be disabled via the unsubscribe link in any email or in your account settings.
SMS messages can be disabled by replying STOP to any message.

7.4 California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

Know what personal information we collect about you
Request deletion of your personal information
Opt out of the sale of your personal information (NearGear does not sell personal information)
Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, email support@near-gear.com.

7.5 European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including:

Right of access
Right to rectification
Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
Right to restrict processing
Right to data portability
Right to object to processing

To exercise these rights, email support@near-gear.com. We will respond within 30 days.

7.6 Texas Residents

Texas residents have rights under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA), including the right to access, correct, delete, and opt out of certain processing. Email support@near-gear.com to exercise these rights.

8. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Specific retention periods:

Data Type	Retention Period
Account information	Until you delete your account
Listings	Until you remove them or your account is deleted
Messages	90 days after account deletion
Transaction records	7 years (legal/tax requirements)
Aggregated analytics	Indefinitely
Marketing data	Until you opt out
Security logs	1 year

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small data files stored on your device. We use them to operate and improve the Service.

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies (always on):

Authentication and session management
Security features
Load balancing
These cannot be disabled.

Functional Cookies:

Remember your preferences (sport filters, location)
Improve your experience

Analytics Cookies:

Understand how users interact with the Service
Improve features and performance
We may use services like Google Analytics or similar privacy-respecting alternatives.

Your Choices

Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies
Disabling essential cookies may prevent the Service from functioning
We do not use cookies for advertising or third-party tracking

Do Not Track

NearGear honors browser "Do Not Track" signals where technically feasible.

10. International Users

NearGear is operated in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the U.S., your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the U.S. By using the Service, you consent to this transfer.

We currently serve only the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area and do not target users outside the United States.

11. Third-Party Links and Services

The Service may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., Academy Sports, Google Maps for directions). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do:

We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top
For material changes, we will notify you via email or a notice on the Service
Your continued use after changes constitutes acceptance

13. Contact Us

For questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy:

NearGear LLC Email: support@near-gear.com Address: Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

For media inquiries, partnership questions, or other matters, please indicate the nature of your inquiry in the email subject line.

This Privacy Policy is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. We are committed to transparency and your privacy, and we will update this policy as our practices evolve.