Privacy Policy

Effective and last updated September 26, 2026

Spotter Otter collects only the information reasonably needed to run Spotters, secure accounts, deliver alerts, process subscriptions, prevent abuse, and improve reliability. We do not sell personal information or use it for targeted advertising.

Who operates Spotter Otter

Spotter Otter is an independently operated online service based in Washington State, United States. Privacy and customer-support requests may be sent to support@spotterotter.io.

Information we collect

• Spotter information: item descriptions, search terms, price limits, condition, required and excluded words, optional ZIP code, shipping and pickup preferences, check frequency, and alert email.
• Account information: email address, optional Google account identifier, password hash (if you set a password), verification status, session records, password-reset and verification records, account preferences, and limited authentication security events. We do not store readable passwords.
• Reference-image information: an image or screenshot you deliberately submit, an optional description, and the generated description and requirements you confirm. The image itself is not stored in Spotter Otter’s application database.
• Spotter activity: search and check times, manual-check usage, matches, listing identifiers, saved match history, alert-delivery state, feedback, plan eligibility, and error or quota state.
• Billing information: Stripe customer and subscription identifiers, selected plan, subscription status, renewal period, cancellation status, invoice identifier, amount paid, currency, and the date and version of the Terms of Service accepted at checkout. Spotter Otter does not receive or store your full card number or card security code.
• Technical and security information: a random guest-browser identifier, browser or device details, IP-derived request information, request times, security logs, and rate-limit records processed by us or our infrastructure providers.

How we use information

• Save, run, pause, edit, and delete your Spotters.
• Search for newly posted listings and compare them with your confirmed criteria.
• Process a reference image you choose to submit and show visually similar current listings.
• Send requested alerts, prevent duplicates, and honor unsubscribe choices.
• Create and secure accounts, verify email addresses, sync Spotters, and recover access.
• Create and manage subscriptions, confirm payments, prevent duplicate checkout sessions, provide the billing portal, and keep accounting records.
• Prevent fraud and abuse, diagnose errors, measure reliability, improve the service, and comply with legal obligations.

Service providers and third parties

We disclose information only as reasonably needed to operate Spotter Otter:

• Cloudflare provides hosting, database, network, security, and related infrastructure. Cloudflare Web Analytics helps us understand aggregate site use. Our current analytics setup does not use analytics cookies, local storage, or browser fingerprinting.
• eBay receives search terms and applicable filters, including a delivery ZIP code when you provide one. When you deliberately use reference-photo search, eBay also receives the processed reference image to return visually similar listings.
• OpenAI may receive item descriptions, structured search criteria, submitted reference images, optional item hints, and limited public metadata about visual candidates or listings to interpret a search or verify a candidate. API response storage is disabled. Account passwords, authentication tokens, alert email addresses, and delivery ZIP codes are not included in OpenAI requests.
• Google verifies your identity if you choose Google sign-in. We receive your Google account identifier and email address to create or connect your account. We do not receive your Google password or request access to Gmail, Drive, or Calendar.
• Resend processes email addresses and email content to deliver Spotter alerts, verification, security, password-reset, billing, and welcome messages.
• Stripe processes checkout, payment-method, billing-address, subscription, invoice, fraud-prevention, and customer-portal information. For Managed Payments transactions, Link is the merchant of record and sends transaction emails and handles transaction support. Stripe sends Spotter Otter limited billing and subscription records needed to provide paid access and customer support.

These providers process information under their own terms and privacy practices. We may also disclose information when reasonably necessary to comply with law, protect rights or safety, investigate abuse, or complete a business transfer subject to appropriate protections.

AI processing and reference images

When you use an AI-assisted or reference-photo search, do not submit passwords, payment information, private documents, faces you do not have permission to submit, or other sensitive information. Reference images are processed for the requested feature and are not saved in Spotter Otter’s application storage or history. Temporary provider processing and security logs may follow each provider’s retention practices. If you continue after an AI interpretation, the description and requirements you confirm are saved like any other Spotter.

Cookies, browser storage, and analytics

Spotter Otter uses browser storage for a random guest identifier, display theme, saved alert-email convenience, and whether you declined an optional email prompt. If you sign in, we use an essential secure, HTTP-only session cookie so the service can recognize your account. Google sign-in also uses essential secure, HTTP-only cookies and short-lived records to protect sign-in and account linking; these expire after ten minutes. The account session expires after 30 days or earlier if you sign out, change or reset your password, revoke other sessions, or delete the account.

We do not currently use advertising cookies, cross-site behavioral advertising, social-media tracking pixels, or fingerprinting. Because the current site uses only essential account storage and cookie-free Cloudflare Web Analytics, we do not display a general-purpose advertising-cookie banner. We will update this policy and implement consent controls before introducing nonessential tracking where consent is required.

Email choices

Spotter alerts and account, security, and billing messages are service communications requested by or necessary for the user. Creating an account, entering an alert email, or buying a plan does not subscribe you to marketing email. Sales and product updates use a separate optional mailing-list choice and include an unsubscribe method.

Sale, sharing, and targeted advertising

We do not sell personal information, share it for cross-context behavioral advertising, or use it for targeted advertising. Because those activities are not part of the service, Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track signals do not change our current limited practices.

Retention and deletion

Saved match events, listing identifiers, discovery dates, and delivery state remain while you keep the related Spotter, including while it is paused. Public eBay listing content is cached temporarily and refreshed or removed when it becomes stale or unavailable. Deleting a Spotter deletes its saved application history.

We keep Spotter and account information while needed to provide the service. Authentication links and sessions expire automatically. Security-event records are normally retained for 90 days. Cleanup runs in bounded batches, so a backlog may temporarily extend retention. Deleting an account removes the account, active authentication records, and its Spotters from the active application database. Limited records may remain temporarily in backups, provider logs, fraud-prevention systems, and email-delivery systems until normal deletion cycles complete.

Billing-consent, transaction, invoice, refund, dispute, and accounting records may be retained after account deletion for tax, accounting, fraud prevention, chargeback handling, and other legal obligations. De-identified aggregate statistics and generalized product-matching knowledge that can no longer reasonably be linked to an account or browser identifier may also remain.

Your choices and privacy rights

You may use free guest mode, leave per-Spotter alerts off when signed in, unsubscribe from a Spotter alert, edit or pause a Spotter, delete a Spotter, sign out other devices, cancel a paid subscription, or permanently delete your account through the available controls. Depending on where you live, you may also have rights to request access, correction, deletion, or a copy of personal information and to appeal certain decisions. We may need to verify a request before acting on it.

To exercise a privacy right or ask a question, email support@spotterotter.io. Describe your request and the account email involved. Do not send passwords or full payment-card details.

Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards, including encrypted transport, salted password hashing, hashed authentication tokens, secure session cookies, time-limited recovery links, request throttling, Stripe-hosted checkout, verified Stripe webhooks, and session revocation after password recovery. No internet service can guarantee absolute security. Use a unique password and treat any browser with access to your guest identifier or signed-in account as a device with access to your saved information.

Children

Spotter Otter is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Paid subscriptions are available only to adults or people who have reached the age of legal majority where they live.

Third-party links

When you open an eBay listing or Stripe billing page, you leave Spotter Otter. The third party controls the resulting visit, payment, or transaction. Links to eBay listings include eBay Partner Network tracking parameters, which let eBay attribute a resulting purchase to Spotter Otter so it may pay us a commission. eBay receives that click under its own privacy notice; Spotter Otter does not receive your eBay purchase details. Spotter Otter is not sponsored or endorsed by eBay.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as Spotter Otter changes. We will post the revised version here and update the date above. Material changes may also be communicated through the service or by email when appropriate.

Contact

For privacy or customer-support requests, email support@spotterotter.io. Spotter Otter is based in Washington State, United States.