Privacy Policy

Effective date: October 16, 2026

Alabama Surplus Auctions ("Alabama Auction", "we", "us" or "our") runs online auctions of vehicles, trucks, trailers, heavy equipment, tools and surplus inventory at alabama-auction.com (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use and share it, how we protect it, and the choices and rights you have. By registering, bidding, selling or otherwise using the Site, you agree to this Privacy Policy and to our Terms & Conditions.

1. Information we collect

Information you give us

• Account and registration details: username, password (stored encrypted), first and last name, company name (if any), email address, phone numbers, mailing and shipping address, country, and how you heard about us.
• Payment information: when you add a credit or debit card, the card details are entered directly into our payment processor, Stripe. We never see or store your full card number or security code. We receive only limited details from Stripe, such as the card brand, the last four digits, the expiration date and a token that lets us charge the card under our Terms.
• Bidding and purchase activity: the lots you bid on, your bids and maximum bids, watchlist, lots you win, invoices, payments and pickup records.
• Seller information: if you sell with us, your business details, the items you list (photos, descriptions, VIN or serial numbers) and information needed to pay you.
• Communications: messages you send through our contact form, by email or by phone, and your language preference.

Information collected automatically

• Device and usage data: IP address, browser type, device type, pages viewed, date and time of visits, and the website that referred you.
• Cookies: small files that keep you logged in, remember your language, protect forms against fraud (security tokens) and keep the Site working. See section 6.

Information from others

We may receive information from Stripe (for example, whether a card verification succeeded), from shipping or title service providers, and from public sources when needed to verify identity or prevent fraud.

2. How we use your information

• To create and manage your account and verify your eligibility to bid.
• To verify your payment card (a temporary $1.00 authorization that is released) and to collect amounts you owe under the Terms, such as winning bids and buyer's premium.
• To run auctions: record and process bids, show the current price, notify you when you are outbid or win, issue invoices, arrange pickup and transfer titles. Vehicle titles are issued in the name you register with.
• To list and sell items for sellers and to pay sellers.
• To answer your questions and provide customer support.
• To send service messages (registration, outbid, winner, invoice and account emails). If you agree, we may also send news about upcoming auctions; you can unsubscribe at any time.
• To protect our buyers, sellers and the Site: prevent fraud, shill bidding and abuse, enforce our Terms and keep the Site secure.
• To improve the Site and understand how it is used.
• To comply with laws, regulations, tax and record-keeping requirements, and lawful requests from authorities.

3. How we share your information

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We share information only as described here:

• Service providers who help us run the Site and our business, under agreements that limit their use of your data: Stripe (payments), our web hosting provider, email delivery services, and title, transport or loading partners when you ask for those services.
• Buyers and sellers: to complete a sale, we may share a winning buyer's name and contact details with the seller or consignor (or with us acting for them), and a seller's details with the buyer when needed for pickup or title transfer.
• Other bidders: other visitors see only an anonymous bidder number next to bids, never your name or contact details.
• Legal and safety: when required by law, court order or government request, or when we believe it is needed to protect the rights, property or safety of our users, the public or us, including to prevent fraud and collect unpaid amounts.
• Business transfers: if our business is sold, merged or reorganized, information may be transferred to the new owner, who must keep protecting it as described here.
• With your consent or at your direction.

4. How long we keep information

We keep your information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide our services. After that, we keep records of auctions, bids, sales, payments and titles for as long as required by law or reasonably needed for tax, accounting, dispute resolution and fraud prevention purposes (generally up to seven years). Then we delete or anonymize them.

5. How we protect information

The Site uses HTTPS encryption. Passwords are stored using one-way hashing, and payment card data is handled by Stripe, which is certified to the highest level of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS Level 1). Access to personal information is limited to people who need it to do their job. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please keep your password private and tell us right away if you think your account has been used without permission.

6. Cookies

We use only the cookies needed to run the Site: a session cookie that keeps you logged in, a security (CSRF) cookie that protects forms, and a cookie that remembers your language (English or Español). We do not use advertising cookies. Stripe may set its own cookies on the card form to prevent fraud. You can block or delete cookies in your browser, but some parts of the Site, such as logging in and bidding, will not work without them.

7. Your choices and rights

• Access and update: you can review and update most of your details under My account. Because titles are issued in the registered name, registration details cannot be changed after an auction except to correct spelling or an address; contact us for help.
• Email: you can opt out of marketing emails at any time. We will still send messages about your account, bids, wins and invoices.
• Delete: you can ask us to close your account and delete your information. We will do so unless we must keep certain records for the reasons in section 4 (for example, unpaid invoices or legal requirements).
• State privacy rights: depending on where you live (for example California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Texas and other states with privacy laws), you may have the right to know what personal information we collect, to get a copy, to correct it, to delete it, and to opt out of its sale or use for targeted advertising (we do not sell it or use it that way). We will not discriminate against you for using these rights. To use them, contact us as shown below; we may need to verify your identity, and you may use an authorized agent.

Our Site does not respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals, because there is no common standard for them; we do not track you across other websites.

8. Children

The Site is meant for adults. You must be at least 18 years old to register, bid or sell. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or under 18 for accounts). If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.

9. Links to other websites

The Site may link to other websites, such as vehicle history reports, maps or social media pages. Their own privacy policies apply, and we are not responsible for how they handle your information.

10. Users outside the United States

We are based in Alabama, USA, and our servers are in the United States. If you use the Site from another country, your information will be transferred to, stored and processed in the United States.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The new version will be posted on this page with a new effective date. If the changes are important, we will tell you by email or with a notice on the Site. Using the Site after an update means you accept the updated policy.

12. Contact us

Questions or requests about your privacy? Contact us:

Alabama Surplus Auctions
9170 Hwy 25, Calera, AL 35040
Phone: 205-830-4113
Email: dhfinvestment@gmail.com