Privacy Policy

Hurricane Handyman — Privacy Policy — Version 1.1 — Platform, Completion Evidence, Notifications, Payments, and Dispute Records

Last Updated: July 23, 2026

v1.1 — AI-drafted, pending legal review

This Privacy Policy describes how HSW International Inc. (“HSW,” “Hurricane Handyman,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, shares, retains, and protects information in connection with the Hurricane Handyman website, mobile application, software, marketplace, communications tools, payment workflows, completion system, dispute tools, and related services (collectively, the “Platform”).

This Privacy Policy is incorporated into the Hurricane Handyman Terms of Service (“Terms”). Capitalized terms not defined in this Privacy Policy have the meanings given to them in the Terms.

By accessing or using the Platform, creating an account, submitting a Job, accepting a Job, uploading Completion Evidence, communicating through the Platform, receiving notifications, making or receiving payments, or participating in disputes, you acknowledge this Privacy Policy.

1. Scope of This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through the Platform and related interactions with HSW.

It applies to:

  • Homeowners;
  • Handymen;
  • prospective users;
  • website visitors;
  • mobile app users;
  • users who communicate with HSW;
  • users involved in Jobs, payments, disputes, or chargebacks; and
  • other individuals whose information is submitted through the Platform.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites, payment processors, banks, card networks, app stores, mobile carriers, analytics providers, or other third parties that may process information under their own privacy policies.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information directly from users, automatically through the Platform, from third-party service providers, and from other users.

2.1 Account Information

When you create or use an Account, we may collect:

  • name; email address; phone number; password or authentication credentials; account type; profile photo; business name; service area; role as Homeowner or Handyman; account preferences; communication preferences; account status; verification status, if any; support history; and other information you submit.

2.2 Homeowner Information

From Homeowners, we may collect:

  • property address or service location; job descriptions; photos or videos of the property; access instructions; gate codes or entry instructions, if voluntarily provided; contact preferences; timing requirements; emergency or storm-related details; property condition information; hazard disclosures; requested Services; payment-related information; dispute submissions; reviews or ratings; communications with Handymen; and other information submitted through the Platform.

Users should avoid submitting sensitive access information unless necessary. If a user provides access instructions, gate codes, alarm details, lockbox information, or similar data, the user is responsible for ensuring that submission is lawful and appropriate.

2.3 Handyman Information

From Handymen, we may collect:

  • name; business name; phone number; email address; profile information; service categories; service areas; availability; pricing or quote information; skills, experience, or claimed qualifications; self-reported license, permit, insurance, or certification information; photos or videos; Completion Evidence; job notes; payout information provided to payment processors; tax information where required; dispute responses; reviews or ratings; paid-placement or promotional information; communications with Homeowners; and other information submitted through the Platform.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, license, insurance, permit, certification, or qualification information is self-reported and is not independently verified by HSW.

2.4 Job and Transaction Information

We may collect information relating to Jobs and transactions, including:

  • Job ID; service category; service description; requested date and time; scheduled date and time; accepted date and time; price, quote, estimate, or payment amount; fees; payment status; cancellation status; completion status; Completion Event timestamp; Completion Evidence; dispute status; refund or partial-refund status; chargeback status; user messages; support notes; activity history; administrative decisions; and related records.

2.5 Completion Evidence

Because the Platform uses a completion-based payment-release workflow, we collect and store Completion Evidence, which may include:

  • photos; videos; notes; before-and-after images; timestamps; approximate location or geolocation data, if enabled; device metadata; upload metadata; job-site condition documentation; material or receipt documentation; user acknowledgments; and related activity logs.

Completion Evidence may be used for payment release, dispute handling, chargeback defense, fraud prevention, safety, enforcement, legal compliance, and recordkeeping.

2.6 Communications

We may collect communications sent through or related to the Platform, including:

  • messages between Homeowners and Handymen; messages to or from HSW support; emails; SMS/text messages; push notification records; in-app messages; call records or voicemail information, if used; communication timestamps; delivery status; read or open status, where available; dispute communications; chargeback-related communications; and administrative notes.

We may monitor, review, store, analyze, or use communications for safety, support, payment administration, dispute handling, chargeback defense, fraud prevention, policy enforcement, legal compliance, and Platform improvement.

2.7 Payment and Payout Information

Payments are processed by third-party payment processors, such as Stripe. We do not store full payment card numbers.

We may collect or receive payment-related information, including:

  • transaction amount; fees; payment status; payout status; payment method type; partial card or bank identifiers where provided by the processor; Stripe or processor customer ID; connected account ID; refund status; chargeback status; dispute records; fraud signals; processor risk determinations; payout delays; tax reporting status; invoices or receipts; and related metadata.

Payment processors may collect additional information directly from users under their own policies.

2.8 Device, Usage, and Technical Information

We may automatically collect:

  • IP address; device type; operating system; browser type; app version; device identifiers; session identifiers; pages or screens viewed; features used; buttons clicked; referring URLs; timestamps; error logs; crash logs; performance data; authentication logs; security logs; cookie identifiers; approximate location derived from IP address; and other technical data.

2.9 Location Information

We may collect location information when:

  • you enter a service address;
  • you submit job-site information;
  • you enable device location permissions;
  • a Handyman uploads Completion Evidence with location metadata;
  • the Platform records approximate location for fraud prevention or operational purposes;
  • location is needed to match users or administer Jobs.

Location data may be precise or approximate depending on device settings, permissions, and Platform functionality.

You may disable certain location permissions through your device settings, but doing so may limit Platform functionality.

2.10 Cookies and Similar Technologies

We may use cookies, pixels, SDKs, local storage, analytics tools, and similar technologies to:

  • keep users logged in; remember preferences; secure accounts; detect fraud; measure usage; improve performance; understand Platform activity; support marketing or attribution where permitted; and comply with legal or operational requirements.

You may control cookies through browser settings, but disabling cookies may affect Platform functionality.

2.11 Information From Third Parties

We may receive information from:

  • payment processors; hosting providers; messaging providers; analytics providers; app stores; identity or security vendors; fraud-prevention vendors; other users; banks or card networks; law enforcement or regulators; business partners; publicly available sources; and other third parties.

3. How We Use Information

We use information for the purposes described below.

3.1 Operating the Platform

We use information to:

  • create and manage Accounts; provide Platform functionality; display listings; match or connect users; facilitate Job requests; support messaging; process payments through third-party processors; send receipts and confirmations; support paid placement; manage completion workflows; provide customer support; improve user experience; and maintain Platform availability.

3.2 Completion, Dispute, and Payment-Release Administration

We use information to:

  • record Completion Events; store Completion Evidence; calculate Dispute Windows; send completion notices; send reminders and deadline warnings; determine whether a Platform dispute was timely; review disputes; support payment release; support refunds or partial refunds; administer chargebacks; provide evidence to payment processors; detect false completion or fraudulent disputes; enforce the Terms and Dispute Resolution Policy; and maintain records of Platform administrative decisions.

3.3 Notifications and Communications

We use contact information and Platform data to send:

  • SMS/text messages; emails; push notifications; in-app notices; job updates; completion notices; dispute-window alerts; payment notices; account notices; security alerts; support responses; legal notices; policy updates; and marketing communications where permitted.

Because the Platform uses a strict two-hour Dispute Window for payment-release purposes, transactional notifications are essential to Platform operation.

3.4 Safety, Security, Fraud Prevention, and Enforcement

We use information to:

  • verify account activity; detect suspicious behavior; prevent account takeover; investigate fraud; detect false completion; detect payment abuse; detect chargeback abuse; prevent spam or harassment; enforce Platform rules; protect users; protect HSW; preserve evidence; respond to legal requests; and comply with payment processor requirements.

3.5 Analytics and Improvement

We may use information to:

  • understand Platform usage; improve features; fix bugs; analyze performance; improve matching, search, and display; measure paid-placement performance; evaluate notification delivery; improve dispute workflows; improve fraud detection; conduct internal research; and develop new products or services.

3.6 Legal, Compliance, and Business Purposes

We may use information to:

  • comply with laws; respond to subpoenas, court orders, legal process, or government requests; enforce agreements; defend legal claims; support insurance or risk-management needs; maintain business records; conduct audits; complete corporate transactions; comply with tax, accounting, and payment processor obligations; and protect rights, property, safety, and security.

4. How We Share Information

We may share information as described below.

4.1 With Other Users

We may share information between Homeowners and Handymen as necessary to facilitate Jobs, communications, scheduling, pricing, access, completion, disputes, and reviews.

For example, we may share:

  • name; contact information; profile information; job details; property or service location; access instructions provided by the Homeowner; messages; quote or pricing information; Completion Evidence; dispute information; reviews or ratings; relevant status updates; and other information needed for the Job.

Users should use caution when sharing sensitive information with other users.

4.2 With Payment Processors

We share information with payment processors, including Stripe or other providers, to process payments, payouts, refunds, chargebacks, risk reviews, identity verification, tax reporting, fraud prevention, compliance, and payment-related support.

Payment processors may process information under their own terms and privacy policies.

4.3 With Service Providers

We may share information with vendors and service providers that support the Platform, including:

  • cloud hosting providers; database providers; SMS providers; email providers; push notification providers; analytics providers; customer support tools; fraud-prevention providers; security providers; payment infrastructure providers; mapping or geolocation providers; file storage providers; app performance providers; legal, accounting, insurance, and professional advisors; and other operational vendors.

These providers may access information as needed to perform services for us.

The principal service providers we currently use are:

  • Stripe — payment processing, escrow, and contractor payouts (payment details, transaction records, and identity information collected for payout account onboarding and verification);
  • Resend — transactional email delivery (email address and message content);
  • Twilio — SMS/text message delivery for the SMS program described in Section 10.1 (phone number and message content), engaged when the SMS program is active;
  • Mapbox — address geocoding and mapping (service addresses you enter);
  • Cloudflare — DNS, network security, content delivery, and storage of uploaded photos and media;
  • Hetzner — server hosting infrastructure;
  • Sentry — application error and performance monitoring (technical device data and IP address).

Web push notifications are delivered through your browser vendor’s push service (for example Apple, Google, or Mozilla). Optional ntfy push notifications are served from our own self-hosted notification server; delivery to a mobile device may transit Apple or Google notification services. Scheduling runs on software we host ourselves.

This list may change as we add or replace providers; the categories above continue to apply.

4.4 For Disputes, Chargebacks, and Enforcement

We may share information with:

  • payment processors; banks; card networks; financial institutions; other users; fraud-prevention vendors; collection agencies; attorneys; insurers; law enforcement; regulators; courts; arbitrators; and other relevant parties

when needed for disputes, chargebacks, payment recovery, fraud prevention, safety, legal compliance, or enforcement of the Terms.

Information shared may include Completion Evidence, timestamps, messages, job records, payment records, user acknowledgments, device data, IP data, notification records, dispute records, and account history.

4.5 Legal Compliance and Protection

We may disclose information if we believe disclosure is reasonably necessary to:

  • comply with law; respond to legal process; respond to government requests; protect HSW’s rights; protect user safety; prevent fraud; investigate abuse; enforce agreements; defend claims; protect property; protect Platform security; or comply with payment processor, tax, accounting, or regulatory requirements.

4.6 Business Transfers

If HSW is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, sale of assets, reorganization, bankruptcy, receivership, change of control, or similar transaction, information may be transferred or disclosed as part of that transaction.

4.7 Aggregated or De-Identified Information

We may use or share aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified information that does not reasonably identify an individual for analytics, research, business, marketing, safety, or Platform improvement purposes.

5. We Do Not Sell Personal Information

We do not sell personal information for money.

If applicable privacy laws define “sale” or “sharing” more broadly to include certain advertising, analytics, or cross-context behavioral advertising practices, we will provide any legally required notices or choices.

At launch, the Platform is intended primarily as a transactional marketplace, not a data-selling business.

6. Data Retention

We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including:

  • providing the Platform; maintaining Accounts; completing Jobs; processing payments; administering disputes; defending chargebacks; preventing fraud; enforcing Terms; complying with legal, tax, accounting, and payment processor obligations; maintaining business records; resolving disputes; and protecting HSW and users.

We may retain account, transaction, Job, payment, dispute, Completion Evidence, chargeback, communication, and enforcement records for up to seven (7) years after account closure or transaction completion, or longer where required or permitted by law, payment processor rules, legal hold, dispute needs, fraud prevention, tax requirements, accounting obligations, or legitimate business purposes.

SMS consent and opt-out records (see Section 10.1) are retained for at least four (4) years after opt-out or account closure.

We may retain de-identified, aggregated, or anonymized data indefinitely.

Deletion requests may not result in deletion of records we are required or permitted to retain.

7. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information, which may include:

  • encryption in transit; access controls; authentication; password hashing; monitoring; logging; vendor controls; least-privilege access; security reviews; backup procedures; and incident response processes.

No system is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee that information will never be accessed, disclosed, altered, lost, or destroyed.

Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of account credentials, securing devices, monitoring account activity, and promptly notifying HSW of suspected unauthorized access.

8. Data Breach Notice

If HSW becomes aware of a data breach involving personal information, we will investigate and provide notice as required by applicable law, including Florida law where applicable.

Notice may be provided by email, Platform notice, mail, substitute notice, or other legally permitted means.

9. User Choices and Rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including the right to:

  • request access; request correction; request deletion; request a copy of certain information; object to certain processing; restrict certain processing; withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; opt out of certain marketing communications; or appeal certain privacy decisions where required by law.

To submit a request, contact us at [email protected].

We may need to verify your identity before responding. We may decline or limit requests where permitted by law, including where retention is needed for payment processing, dispute resolution, chargeback defense, fraud prevention, legal compliance, tax obligations, account security, enforcement of Terms, or protection of rights.

10. Communications Preferences

You may opt out of certain marketing emails by using the unsubscribe link or contacting us.

You may be able to control push notifications through your device settings.

You may be able to opt out of certain SMS communications by following instructions provided in the message. However, transactional SMS, email, push, or in-app communications may be necessary for use of the Platform, including Job updates, completion notices, dispute-window alerts, payment notices, safety notices, account notices, and legal notices.

Opting out of essential transactional communications may limit or prevent use of certain Platform features.

10.1 SMS/Text Messaging Program (Hurricane Handyman Job Alerts)

Hurricane Handyman offers an optional SMS/text messaging program (“Hurricane Handyman Job Alerts”) that sends transactional notifications about your Platform activity, including: new job postings in a Handyman’s service area; quotes received on a Homeowner’s job; quote acceptance; work completion notices; payment and payout notices; dispute notices; and account or security notices. This program does not send marketing or promotional messages.

Consent. You will only receive text messages if you opt in — by checking the optional, unchecked SMS consent box during signup, or by enabling SMS notifications in your account settings. Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of creating an account, using the Platform, or purchasing any service. We record the date, time, IP address, and the exact consent language you agreed to.

Message frequency varies based on your account activity (for example, job alerts, hiring updates, payment status, and dispute notices); there is no fixed recurring schedule. Message and data rates may apply. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

Opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message (you will receive a single confirmation of your opt-out), by turning off SMS notifications in your account settings, or by contacting [email protected]. For help, reply HELP to any message or contact [email protected].

Except for critical account-security notices, we send text messages only between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. in your local time zone.

Mobile phone numbers and SMS opt-in consent are collected solely to deliver account notifications. We do not share, sell, or transfer mobile numbers or SMS consent data to third parties or affiliates for their marketing purposes. Text messaging originator opt-in data will not be shared with any third parties. The only exception is aggregators and providers of the text message services acting on our behalf to deliver the messages you opted into.

The full program terms are published at hurricanehandyman.com/sms-terms.

11. Location Choices

You may control certain location permissions through your device settings.

If you disable location permissions, some features may not function correctly, including job matching, arrival confirmation, Completion Evidence, fraud prevention, dispute review, or other location-dependent features.

Property addresses and job locations submitted by users may still be collected and used even if device location permissions are disabled.

12. Cookies and Analytics Choices

Most browsers allow you to control cookies through browser settings. If you disable cookies, portions of the Platform may not function properly.

We may use analytics tools to understand Platform performance and usage. Depending on the tools used, those providers may offer their own opt-out mechanisms.

The Platform does not currently respond to browser “Do Not Track” signals.

13. Children’s Privacy

The Platform is not intended for individuals under eighteen (18) years of age.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under 18, we will take reasonable steps to delete it, subject to legal and operational retention requirements.

If you believe a child has provided information to us, contact [email protected].

14. State Privacy Rights

Certain U.S. state privacy laws may provide residents with additional rights regarding personal information.

Depending on your state and our legal obligations, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, obtain a copy of, or opt out of certain uses of personal information.

We will respond to legally valid requests as required by applicable law.

We do not discriminate against users for exercising privacy rights, but some Platform features may require certain information to function.

15. California Privacy Notice

If California privacy laws apply to HSW, California residents may have rights regarding categories of personal information collected, disclosed, sold, or shared.

Categories of personal information we may collect include:

  • identifiers, such as name, email, phone number, IP address, and account identifiers;
  • commercial information, such as transaction records, Job records, payments, refunds, and disputes;
  • internet or electronic network activity, such as usage logs and device data;
  • geolocation information, such as job locations or device location if enabled;
  • audio, electronic, visual, or similar information, such as photos, videos, messages, and Completion Evidence;
  • professional or employment-related information, such as self-reported Handyman business details, skills, licensing, or insurance claims;
  • inferences derived from Platform activity, such as fraud or risk signals; and
  • other information users submit.

We use and disclose these categories for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

We do not sell personal information for money. If our use of analytics or advertising tools is considered a “sale” or “sharing” under applicable California law, we will provide required choices.

California residents may contact us at [email protected] to exercise applicable rights.

16. International Users

The Platform is operated from the United States. If you access the Platform from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States or other jurisdictions where our service providers operate.

By using the Platform, you understand that privacy laws in those jurisdictions may differ from those in your location.

The Platform is primarily intended for use in the United States. Users outside the United States are responsible for ensuring that their use complies with local law.

17. Third-Party Links and Services

The Platform may link to or integrate with third-party websites, apps, services, payment processors, app stores, messaging providers, analytics tools, or other external services.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security, content, policies, or actions of third parties. Your use of third-party services is governed by their terms and privacy policies.

18. Payment Processor Privacy

Payments and payouts are processed by third-party payment processors, such as Stripe. Payment processors may collect, use, store, and disclose information according to their own privacy policies and legal obligations.

HSW does not control the privacy practices of payment processors.

Users should review the applicable payment processor’s privacy policy before submitting payment, payout, identity, tax, or banking information.

19. Job-Site Photos, Videos, and Sensitive Property Information

Users may upload photos and videos showing homes, businesses, structures, vehicles, property damage, storm conditions, windows, doors, roofs, yards, belongings, access points, or other property details.

Users should avoid uploading unnecessary sensitive information. By uploading photos, videos, access instructions, or property information, you represent that you have the right to do so and that the submission does not violate another person’s privacy, property, contractual, or legal rights.

HSW may use job-site media for Platform operation, completion verification, dispute resolution, chargeback defense, fraud prevention, safety, support, and legal compliance.

HSW will not intentionally use private job-site photos or videos in public marketing materials without appropriate rights or consent, unless the content has been submitted in a public review, public listing, or other public-facing Platform area.

20. Access Codes and Entry Instructions

If a Homeowner provides gate codes, door codes, lockbox codes, alarm instructions, tenant instructions, or other access information, that information may be shared with the assigned Handyman and used to perform the Job.

Users are responsible for limiting access information to what is necessary, changing codes where appropriate, and ensuring they have authority to provide such information.

HSW is not responsible for misuse of access information by users or third parties except to the extent caused by HSW’s own legally actionable conduct that cannot be disclaimed under applicable law.

21. Reviews and Public Content

If the Platform allows reviews, ratings, public profiles, public listings, or public responses, information submitted in those areas may be visible to other users or the public.

Do not submit information in public areas that you want to keep private.

HSW may moderate, remove, or restrict reviews or public content in accordance with the Terms, but HSW is not obligated to do so.

22. Automated Processing and Risk Signals

We may use automated or semi-automated tools to support:

  • fraud detection; account security; chargeback risk review; payment processor compliance; spam prevention; suspicious activity detection; listing ranking; paid-placement display; dispute triage; notification delivery; and Platform operations.

Automated tools may generate risk signals, flags, scores, recommendations, or enforcement triggers. HSW may use those signals to review accounts, delay payouts, request information, restrict activity, or take other action permitted by the Terms.

23. Data Accuracy

Users are responsible for providing accurate, current, and complete information.

If your information changes, you should update your Account promptly.

HSW is not responsible for losses, missed notices, failed payments, delayed payouts, inability to dispute, or other issues caused by inaccurate, outdated, incomplete, or unreachable user information.

24. Legal Holds

We may preserve information if we reasonably believe it is relevant to:

  • litigation; arbitration; investigation; regulatory inquiry; law enforcement request; chargeback; insurance matter; user dispute; fraud investigation; safety issue; or enforcement of the Terms.

Information subject to a legal hold may be retained longer than ordinary retention periods.

25. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last Updated” date identifies the latest version.

If we make material changes, we may provide notice through the Platform, email, or other reasonable means.

Continued use of the Platform after an updated Privacy Policy becomes effective means you acknowledge the updated Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree with the updated Privacy Policy, you must stop using the Platform.

26. Contact

Questions or requests regarding this Privacy Policy may be sent to:

HSW International Inc.
4170 Westroads Drive, Suite #9-E
Riviera Beach, Florida 33407
[email protected]

End of Privacy Policy