Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

This website is operated by Hendrik Francois Viljoen, trading as Domain Engine.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we process your personal information, you can contact us at francois@domainengine.co.za.

2. Purpose of This Policy

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose, and protect personal information when you visit or use our website.

3. Information We Collect

We may collect the following personal information:

• Your name.
• Your contact number.
• Your offer amount.
• Any information you voluntarily submit through our contact or offer form.
• Information you provide during a domain purchase or negotiation process.
We may also collect technical information automatically when you visit the website, including:

• IP address.
• Browser type.
• Device type.
• Pages visited.
• Approximate geographic location.
• Usage data collected through analytics tools such as Google Site Kit.

4. How We Collect Information

We collect personal information when you:

• Submit an enquiry or offer through a form on the website.
• Contact us by email.
• Enter into a domain purchase or sales process.
• Interact with the website or its analytics systems.

5. Why We Collect Your Information

We use your personal information to:

• Respond to enquiries and offers.
• Review and manage offers on domain names.
• Communicate with you about a purchase or sale.
• Formalise and complete domain transactions.
• Process payments or escrow transactions through TradeSafe or another escrow provider.
• Improve website performance and user experience.
• Comply with legal, accounting, and contractual obligations.

6. How We Share Information

We may share your personal information with:

• TradeSafe, or any other escrow/payment service used to formalise a domain transaction.
• Service providers that help us operate the website, including hosting, email, security, and analytics providers.
• Legal, regulatory, or tax authorities if required by law.

If a domain sale is being formalised, the relevant parties may need to provide:

• Name.
• Contact number.
• Email address.
• Any other information reasonably required to complete the transaction.

7. Website Hosting and Data Storage

Our website and database are hosted on servers located in South Africa with Xneelo. This means your information may be stored and processed within South Africa, subject to applicable security and contractual protections.

8. Cookies and Analytics

We use analytics and site management tools such as Google Site Kit to understand how visitors use our website and to improve our content and performance. These tools may collect usage data through cookies or similar technologies.
You may be able to manage or disable cookies in your browser settings, but some parts of the website may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

9. Security of Your Information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure.

10. Retention of Information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to:

• Fulfil the purpose for which it was collected.
• Complete a transaction.
• Comply with legal, accounting, or recordkeeping requirements.

11. Your Rights

Under POPIA, you may have the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Ask us to correct or update inaccurate information.
• Request deletion of information where legally permitted.
• Object to certain processing of your personal information.

To exercise these rights, contact us at francois@domainengine.co.za.

12. Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services, such as escrow providers or external business pages. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised effective date.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact:

Hendrik Francois Viljoen
Trading as Domain Engine
Email: francois@domainengine.co.za