Privacy Policy

Overview

This Privacy Policy explains how TCGCOVE, operated by Lead Smart Web Solutions L.L.C - S.P.C, Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates ("we", "us", "our"), collects, uses, discloses, and protects information about visitors and registered users of tcgcove.ae, the TCGCOVE web application at app.tcgcove.ae, and the TCGCOVE mobile apps for Android and iOS (together, the "Platform"). By using the Platform, you agree to the collection and use of information as described here. This policy may change from time to time; we will post any material updates on this page with a new "Last updated" date.

Card & Payment Data

All credit and debit card details are entered directly into our licensed payment gateway, and are not stored, sold, shared, rented, or leased by TCGCOVE to any third party. Card processing is subject to our payment gateway's own security standards and PCI-DSS compliance. For your records and invoices, we keep only the card type and the last 4 digits of the card, never the full card number or security code.

If you subscribe to a paid plan on the website, our payment gateway keeps a secure payment agreement so that renewals can be charged automatically. Plans bought on iPhone or Android are billed by Apple or Google Play. We keep a record of each payment, invoice and refund.

Information We Collect

We may collect information you provide directly, such as your name, email address, phone number, shipping address, and account credentials, as well as information generated by your use of the Platform, such as your collection, watchlist, Trade Wants, orders, listings, trades, trade chat messages, and device or browser information collected automatically. This also includes:

• Sign-in: you can sign in with your email and a one-time code, or with Google or Apple. When you use Google or Apple, we receive your name and email address from them.
• Phone number: optional at sign-up. It is required to become a seller or to trade, and is verified with a one-time code sent by WhatsApp. It may also be used as the delivery contact for your orders.
• Seller verification: sellers provide images of their Emirates ID (the front side is required) and its expiry date, a trade licence where applicable, and bank details for payouts (account name, IBAN, bank name and SWIFT code). We use the expiry date to remind sellers before their Emirates ID expires. These are visible only to authorized TCGCOVE personnel and are used to verify sellers, pay out earnings, and prevent fraud.
• Card photos: photos you take or upload of your cards (see "Card Photos, Camera & AI Processing" below).

Who Sees Your Details

• Marketplace orders: to deliver an order, your name, phone number and delivery address are shared with the seller and with our courier partner, EMX. The seller's name, phone number and pickup address are shared with EMX.
• Trades: once both users accept a trade, each user's name and shipping address are shared with the other user so they can ship their cards. Your phone number is shared only if you choose to share it in the trade chat.
• Public profile: your display name, profile photo, banner, badges and any items you list or open for trade can be seen by other users.

Card Photos, Camera & AI Processing

TCGCOVE uses your device's camera only when you choose to take a photo of a card, for example in Card Scan, Pre-Grade, or Check Condition. You can also choose a photo from your gallery instead.

• Card Scan: the photo is used to identify the card and is processed in memory only. The photo is not saved. The match result (which cards matched and how closely) may be kept for up to 90 days to improve scan accuracy.
• Pre-Grade and Check Condition: the photos are analysed by our AI agent to assess the card's condition. The photos and the resulting report are saved to your account until you delete the report or your account. Each report has a verify link; anyone you share that link with can see the report and the graded photos.
• Listings, disputes, trades, and reports: photos you add are saved with that listing or case.

Card photos are used to identify and assess cards. They are not used to identify people or for advertising.

Improving grading: we may use your Pre-Grade and Check Condition photos, without your name or account details, to train and improve TCGCOVE's own grading and condition checks. These photos are stored securely and are never shared or sold. You can turn this off at any time in Profile → Settings → Privacy ("Help improve grading"). When you turn it off, your photos are removed from our training data.

Help Assistant

When you ask the TCGCOVE help assistant a question, your question is processed by our AI agent to find the right answer. To answer questions about your own account (for example your collection or orders), the assistant reads only your own data. Your questions are kept for up to 90 days to improve answers and are not used to train any outside AI models. Some questions may be kept with personal details removed and not linked to your account, to improve the assistant.

Technical Data

To operate, secure, and improve the Platform, we collect:

• Error logs: when a screen fails to load, a technical error record is saved. It does not include your account ID, and emails and IDs are removed. Kept for up to 90 days.
• Diagnostics: technical information such as scan speed and whether camera permission was granted, linked to your account. Kept for up to 90 days.
• Device identifier: a random identifier created by the TCGCOVE app or website itself. It is not your phone's IMEI, MAC address, Android ID, or advertising ID. We use it to limit how many devices can use one account at the same time and how many accounts can be created from one device, to prevent fraud.
• Notification token: if you allow notifications in the mobile app, we keep a token from your phone so we can send you notifications about your account. You can turn notifications off at any time in your phone settings.
• Request logs: IP address and request information used for security and abuse prevention.

The TCGCOVE app does not show ads, does not use advertising identifiers, and does not use third-party advertising or analytics tools.

Service Providers

TCGCOVE relies on third-party service providers to operate, which include sign-in providers (Google and Apple), hosting and database infrastructure, our AI agent (for card photo analysis and the help assistant), our payment gateway, email delivery, messaging providers (for WhatsApp verification codes), push notification services, our courier partner (EMX), grading certificate lookup services, and pricing and market data providers. These providers process data on our behalf and under their own terms and policies. We do not sell your personal data.

Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organizational steps to protect your personal information, including access controls, encrypted connections, secure hosting, and optional two-step sign-in. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and TCGCOVE cannot guarantee absolute security of information disclosed online.

We use account signals to prevent abuse of free features and free trials.

Third-Party Links & Services

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, including shipping providers and payment services. TCGCOVE is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party sites. If you provide information to a third party, different rules may apply to how that information is collected and used, and you should review that party's own privacy policy directly.

Cookie Policy

Cookies and similar storage are small pieces of data saved on your device when you visit tcgcove.ae or app.tcgcove.ae. We use them for the following purposes:

Essential Cookies

Necessary for the website to function, including security, account login, and navigation.

Functionality Cookies

Remember your preferences, such as language (English or Arabic) and currency, to improve your experience. On the sign-in screen, we also remember on your device the sign-in method you last used and a partly hidden version of your email address (for example ah•••••@gmail.com), so you can sign in faster. This stays only on your device and is removed when you clear your browser or app data.

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings at any time. By continuing to use the Platform, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this policy; where required by law, we will request your explicit consent before placing non-essential cookies.

Data Retention

We keep your information while your account is active and as needed to provide the Platform. After an account is deleted:

• Orders, payments, invoices, refunds, disputes, and seller payouts are kept for 5 years for accounting, tax, fraud prevention, and legal reasons, with your name replaced by "Deleted user" where the law allows.
• Trades and trade chat messages are kept for 1 year after the trade ends, with your name replaced by "Deleted user", then deleted.
• Seller Emirates ID images are kept for 12 months if the seller had at least one paid order, then deleted.
• Sign-up check records (email and device identifier) are deleted after 12 months.
• Error logs, diagnostics, scan match results and help assistant questions are deleted within 90 days.
• Backups are removed within 14 days.

Account signals. To prevent abuse of free features and free trials, we keep coded versions of your email address, verified phone number and payout bank account (IBAN). They are made with a secret key and can't be turned back into the original details. We keep the signals for your current email, phone and bank account while your account is open. An old phone number or bank account is deleted 12 months after you change it. A record that an account, email address, phone number or card has already used a free trial is kept for 24 months. When you delete your account, its signals are deleted straight away. Any free-trial record stays until its 24 months end, but is no longer linked to your account.

Data Deletion

You can delete your account at any time:

• In the app: Profile → Settings → Delete account → type DELETE → Delete my account. Your account is deleted straight away. If you signed in with Apple, we also remove TCGCOVE from your Apple ID.
• Without the app: email support@tcgcove.ae from your account's email address with the subject "Delete my account". We complete requests within 30 days.

You can also delete some data without deleting your account, such as saved addresses, listings, collection items, watchlist and Trade Wants items, Pre-Grade and Check Condition reports, and your profile photo.

Full details of what is deleted and what is kept: tcgcove.ae/delete-account

Your Rights

You may request access to, a copy of, correction of, or deletion of your personal information by contacting us at support@tcgcove.ae. We reply within 30 days, subject to any retention obligations we have under UAE law. For account deletion, see "Data Deletion" above.

Age Requirement

TCGCOVE is not for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If you believe someone under 18 has created an account, contact support@tcgcove.ae and we will delete it.

Policy Updates

We may revise this Privacy Policy periodically. Continued use of the Platform after a change is posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this page from time to time.

Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy can be sent to support@tcgcove.ae or reviewed on our Contact Us page. TCGCOVE is operated by Lead Smart Web Solutions L.L.C - S.P.C, Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.