Privacy Policy

Last Updated: October 9, 2025

NICO Auction LLC (“Company“, “we“, or “us“) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use our website and related services (including any mobile application, collectively the “Service“). By accessing or using our Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please do not use the Service.

1. Information We Collect

We collect several types of information from and about users of our Service, including:

  • Personal Information You Provide: When you register an account or use our Service, you may provide us with personal information such as your name, email address, phone number, physical address, and payment information (e.g. credit card number and billing address). We collect this information when you fill out forms on our site (such as registration or checkout forms) or communicate with us. For example, we require your name, contact information, and payment details when you sign up and when you bid or make a purchase.
  • Auction-Related Information: If you participate in auctions, we collect information related to your transactions. This includes your bids, items you bid on or win, auction results, and any communications you have with us or with buyers/sellers through our platform.
  • Automatically Collected Information: When you use our website or app, we automatically collect certain technical information about your device and usage of the Service. This may include your IP address, browser type, device identifiers, pages you view, dates/times of access, and referral URLs. We also collect information through cookies and similar tracking technologies (see the “Cookies and Tracking Technologies” section below for details).
  • Third-Party Provided Information: We may receive information about you from third parties. For example, if you log in through a social network or another service, or if a payment processor or identity verification service provides us updated information. Also, if you act as a seller, we might collect additional background or verification information from third-party services as needed (e.g. identity verification or credit check services), where applicable.

We limit our collection of personal data to what is necessary to provide and improve our services and to fulfill the requests you make.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for various purposes in operating our auction platform and business, such as:

  • Providing the Service: We use your information to create and manage your account, to allow you to participate in auctions, and to process transactions. For example, we use your personal details to register you as a user, to enable bidding, and to process payments for items you win.
  • Communications: We use contact information (email, phone) to communicate with you about your account and transactions. This includes sending auction confirmations, winning bidder notifications, invoices, payment receipts, shipping updates, and important announcements or changes relating to the Service. We may also send you newsletters or marketing communications about upcoming auctions or new features, but you can opt out of marketing emails at any time.
  • Facilitating Transactions Between Users: If you are the winning bidder on an item, we will use your information to facilitate the completion of that sale. This includes sharing necessary information with the seller of the item (such as your name and contact information) so that the seller can arrange for pickup or shipping. Likewise, if you are a seller, we may share your contact information with the buyer for transaction fulfillment.
  • Customer Support: We use information you provide (like your inquiries or feedback) to respond to your questions, resolve issues, and improve user support.
  • Improvement and Personalization: Information (including usage data and cookie data) helps us understand how users interact with our Service. We use this to troubleshoot technical issues, analyze trends, and improve the functionality and user experience of our website/app. For instance, we may use browsing data to optimize site layout or to personalize the content you see (such as recommending auctions you might be interested in).
  • Security and Fraud Prevention: We may use personal information to protect the security of our platform, our users, and our company. This includes verifying user identities, detecting and preventing fraud or unauthorized activities, debugging to identify and fix errors, and enforcing our Terms of Service. For example, information about bidding patterns might be used to detect suspicious bidding or potential shill bidding.
  • Legal Obligations: We may process personal data as required to comply with applicable laws and regulations. For example, maintaining records for tax, accounting, or regulatory compliance purposes, or responding to lawful requests by public authorities.
  • Other Purposes: If we intend to use your information for any purpose not described in this Policy, we will obtain your consent where required or provide you with notice. We do not use personal data for fully automated decision-making without human involvement that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

3. How We Share and Disclose Information

We understand the importance of keeping your personal information private. We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties for their own marketing uses. However, we do share information in certain circumstances, as described below:

  • With Transaction Partners (Buyers/Sellers): As noted above, when you purchase an item, we will share your relevant contact information with the seller so they can fulfill the order (and vice versa, we share seller contact info with the buyer). For example, if you win an auction, the seller will receive your name and delivery contact to arrange pickup or shipment. This sharing is limited to what is necessary for completing the transaction.
  • Service Providers: We use third-party companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf and help us operate the Service. Examples include payment processors (to handle credit card transactions securely), cloud hosting providers, email service providers (to send communications), customer support tools, and analytics and advertising partners. These service providers may have access to personal information as needed to perform their functions but are contractually obligated to maintain confidentiality and only use the data for our specified purposes. For instance, our payment processing partners will receive your credit card details to process payments, and our email provider will handle your email address to send account communications.
  • Analytics and Advertising Partners: We utilize third-party analytics tools (like Google Analytics) to collect information about usage of our site, which helps us understand website traffic and improve our Service. We also may work with advertising partners (such as Google Ads) to show relevant ads for our services on third-party sites. These partners may receive certain online identifiers and technical data (via cookies or similar technologies) to provide their services. (See “Cookies” below for more details on how we use these technologies and how you can control them.)
  • Legal Compliance and Protection: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to (a) comply with a legal obligation, subpoena, or court order; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of NICO Auction LLC, including the enforcement of our Terms of Service; (c) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users or the public; or (d) protect against legal liability.
  • Business Transfers: If NICO Auction LLC is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing due diligence, reorganization, bankruptcy, receivership, sale of company assets, or transition of service to another provider, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. In such case, we will ensure the successor entity is bound by similar privacy commitments, and we will notify you (for example, via email or notice on our site) of any change in ownership or use of your personal information.
  • With Your Consent: Apart from the cases above, we will share your personal information with third parties only with your consent or at your direction. For example, if you opt-in to a promotion or request that we share data with a partner, we will do so in accordance with your instructions.

We strive to limit the information we share and to work only with partners who ensure an adequate level of protection for your data.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience, understand usage patterns, and support our marketing efforts. This section explains how we use cookies and how you can manage them.

  1. What are Cookies?
    Cookies are small text files containing a string of letters and numbers that are sent by a web server to your web browser and stored on your device. The identifier is then sent back to the server each time your browser requests a page from the server. Cookies can be “persistent” or “session” cookies:
  2. Persistent cookies remain valid until their set expiry date, unless deleted by you before that date.
  1. Session cookies are temporary and expire at the end of your browsing session when you close your browser.
    Cookies usually do not contain information that personally identifies a user. However, any personal information we have about you may be linked to the information stored in and obtained from cookies.
  2. Cookies We Use and Their Purpose:
    We use the following cookies on our website for the purposes described:
  1. Google Analytics Cookies: We use Google Analytics to recognize your device when you visit our site and to collect information about how you navigate the site. This helps us analyze the use of the website (for example, which pages are visited, how long users stay, and any issues encountered) and improve usability. Google Analytics cookies may track your page views and interactions on our site.
  2. Google Ads Cookies: We utilize Google Ads (and similar advertising cookies) to help deliver targeted advertisements to users who have visited our site. These cookies help us understand your interests and show you ads that may be relevant to you on other websites.
  3. Functionality Cookies (including Cart): Our site may use cookies to enable certain features like remembering items in your bidding watchlist or shopping cart, or keeping you logged in during your session. These improve the user experience by personalizing the site for each user.
  4. Security Cookies: We may use cookies to help prevent fraud and improve the security of the website. For example, cookies can be used to determine if multiple login attempts fail or if an account might be under attack, and to maintain session integrity.

These cookies and similar technologies are used to provide and administer the website, prevent fraud, personalize the website for each user, and display relevant advertisements.

  1. Your Choices – How to Manage or Block Cookies:
    Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through the browser settings. You can choose to refuse or accept cookies. For example:
  2. In Internet Explorer (version 10), you can block cookies by clicking Tools > Internet Options > Privacy, then under Settings click Advanced and choose to Block cookies.
  3. In Mozilla Firefox (version 24), you can block cookies by going to Options > Privacy, selecting “Use custom settings for history,” and unchecking “Accept cookies from sites.”
  4. In Google Chrome (version 29), you can block cookies by clicking the Chrome menu (≡) and selecting Settings > Show advanced settings > Content settings, then under the Cookies section choose “Block sites from setting any data.”

Please note: Blocking all cookies will have a negative impact on the usability of many websites. If you block cookies, some features of our website may not function properly and you may not be able to use all aspects of our Service.

  1. Deleting Cookies:
    You can also delete cookies that are already stored on your computer. For example:
  2. In Internet Explorer (version 10), you must manually delete cookie files (you can find instructions on Microsoft’s website for the specific file locations).
  3. In Mozilla Firefox (version 24), you can delete cookies by clicking Options > Privacy, selecting “Use custom settings for history,” click Show Cookies, and then Remove All Cookies.
  4. In Google Chrome (version 29), you can delete all cookies by going to Settings > Show advanced settings > Clear browsing data, and selecting “Cookies and other site data” before clicking Clear browsing data.

Please note: Deleting cookies may have a negative impact on the usability of many websites. If you delete cookies related to our website, your settings or preferences might not be remembered on your next visit.
In addition to cookies, we may use web beacons (pixel tags) in emails or on our site to track whether emails are opened or links are clicked, which helps us measure the effectiveness of our communications. You generally cannot opt out of web beacons specifically, but you can often render them ineffective by opting out of cookies or by changing your email client settings to not load images.
For more information about cookies and how to manage them, you can visit websites like AllAboutCookies.org. You can also opt out of targeted advertising from certain providers by using opt-out tools on the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) website or the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) website.

5. Data Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect it. For example, our website employs HTTPS encryption (SSL/TLS) to secure data transmission, and sensitive information like payment card numbers are handled by our PCI-compliant payment processors. We restrict access to personal data to our employees and service providers who need to know such information to operate our Service, and they are subject to confidentiality obligations.

However, please understand that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You can help protect your account by using a strong, unique password and limiting access to your login credentials.

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and any applicable regulators of the breach as required by law.

6. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. For example, we may retain your account information and transaction history while your account is active and for a period of time after to comply with legal obligations (such as record-keeping for tax and audit purposes), to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements.

When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, we will either delete it or anonymize it. If deletion or anonymization is not immediately feasible (for example, because the data is stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your personal data and isolate it from further use until deletion is possible.

7. Your Rights and Choices

Account Information: You may access, correct, or update most of your account profile information by logging into your account settings. It is your responsibility to ensure that your information is accurate and up-to-date. If you need assistance with reviewing or updating your information, you can contact us (see Contact Information below).

Opting Out of Emails: If you no longer wish to receive promotional emails or newsletters, you can opt out by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in those emails or by adjusting your email preferences in your account settings. Please note that even if you opt out of marketing communications, we may still send you transactional or administrative emails relating to your account or your activities on the Service (e.g., bid confirmations, winning bid notices, password resets, etc.).

Do Not Track Signals: Our website currently does not respond to “Do Not Track” (DNT) signals. DNT is a setting in some browsers that allows users to express a preference not to be tracked across websites. Given there is not yet a common industry standard for DNT, we treat DNT signals like other browser requests and do not currently change our tracking practices based on them. You can still control cookies and other tracking tools as described in the Cookies section of this Policy.

California Privacy Rights: (If you are a California resident) – While our company is not currently of a size or nature that is directly subject to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or similar state laws, we respect your privacy rights. We do not sell personal information to third parties. If you are a California resident and have questions about our data practices or need assistance, you can contact us using the information below.

GDPR and International Users: Our Service is intended for users in the United States and is not actively marketed to or designed for EU residents. However, if you are accessing our Service from outside the U.S., please be aware that your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States (where our servers and our third-party service providers are located). The data protection laws of the U.S. may differ from those of your country of residence. By using the Service or providing us with information, you acknowledge that your information will be handled as described in this Policy. If you are in a region with laws governing data collection that differ from U.S. law, you may have specific rights under those laws. We will honor any valid exercise of data subject rights in accordance with applicable law. For example, if GDPR were to apply, you would have rights to access, deletion, rectification, and objection in certain circumstances. If you wish to exercise any data rights, please contact us and we will try to accommodate your request, subject to legal and contractual restrictions.

Children’s Privacy: Our Service is not intended for individuals under the age of 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years old. If you are under 18, you are not permitted to use our site or provide any personal information. Parents or legal guardians should not allow minors to use the Service. In the event that we learn we have collected personal data from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete such information promptly. If you believe we might have any information from or about a minor under 13, please contact us so that we can investigate and address the issue.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. If we make material changes to how we handle your personal information, we will provide notice by updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this Policy and, if appropriate, by additional means such as email or a prominent notice on our website. We encourage you to periodically review this page for the latest information on our privacy practices. Your continued use of the Service after any changes to this Privacy Policy become effective signifies your acceptance of those changes.

9. Mobile Application Privacy Addendum

Mobile App Specifics

Push Notifications: We use OneSignal to send you notifications about auction updates (e.g., when you are outbid). You can opt-out of these notifications at any time in your device settings.

Device Data: We collect information about your mobile device (model, OS version) to help us troubleshoot bugs and improve app performance.

Account Deletion: You have the right to request the deletion of your account and all associated data. To do so, please contact us at [email protected]. Your data will be permanently deleted from our servers.

10. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

We will do our best to address your inquiry promptly and thoroughly. Your privacy is important to us, and we welcome your feedback.

By using NICO Auction LLC’s website or services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.