HomeIndex

Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 30, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how Up Your Bids LLC (d/b/a Home Index) ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects your information when you use our home services marketplace platform.

At Home Index, we are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we handle your information. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, with whom we share it, and what choices you have regarding your information. By using our services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

When you create an account or use our services, we may collect personal information including your name, email address, phone number, company name, mailing address, and billing information.

Vendor Business Information

For vendors, we collect additional information including service categories, service area and radius, business license details (number, state, type, expiration), insurance coverage information, certifications, portfolio projects, business hours, social media links, and emergency availability preferences.

Homeowner Project Information

For homeowners, we collect project descriptions, location details, budget preferences, service category preferences, and notification preferences.

Usage Information

We automatically collect information about how you interact with our platform, including IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, features used, and time spent on our service.

Project and Bid Data

Information related to projects you post or bid on, including project descriptions, requirements, bid amounts, communications, reviews, and transaction history.

Communications

Messages, emails, and other communications you send through our platform or to our support team, including SMS/MMS messages sent to our concierge service.

Photos and Files

Project photos, inspection reports, attachments, documents, and images you upload related to projects, bids, or your business profile. Photos submitted via our concierge service (SMS/MMS) are processed by AI to extract project details.

Location Information

For mobile app users, we collect city, state, and zip code information for service area matching. We do not collect precise GPS location data.

Device and Mobile Data

When using our mobile app, we collect device information, operating system, app version, push notification tokens, crash reports, and analytics data.

Publicly Available Vendor Data

We may collect publicly available information about vendors and service providers from third-party sources including business directories (Google Maps, Yelp), review platforms, public records, social media profiles, and vendor websites. This data may be used to create or supplement vendor profiles on our platform.

How We Use Your Information

Service Provision

To provide, maintain, and improve our home services marketplace, including matching homeowners with vendors, facilitating the bidding process, and processing transactions.

AI Processing and Analysis

To power AI-assisted features including inspection report analysis, bid comparison and scoring, vendor-project matching, content generation, and market research. Your project descriptions, photos, and bid data may be sent to third-party AI providers (Anthropic and OpenAI) for processing.

Verification Services

To verify vendor credentials including business licensing, insurance, and background checks. Background checks are conducted through Checkr in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Vendor Rating and Scoring

To calculate vendor ratings based on online reputation, licensing and insurance status, years in business, platform performance, and profile completeness using our proprietary rating algorithm.

Communication

To send you service-related communications including project notifications, bid updates, security alerts, SMS messages, automated phone calls, push notifications, and email campaigns. Some communications may be AI-generated.

Analytics and Improvement

To analyze usage patterns, improve our services, develop new features, and enhance user experience.

Marketing and Outreach

To conduct vendor outreach campaigns, including automated email and phone outreach to prospective vendors. Marketing emails include open and click tracking for performance optimization.

Legal Compliance

To comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

Information Sharing and Third-Party Services

AI Service Providers

We share project data, bid information, photos, and other content with Anthropic (Claude) and OpenAI (GPT-4) for AI-powered analysis, content generation, and platform features. These providers process data according to their respective privacy policies and data processing agreements.

Payment Processors

We use Stripe for payment processing and vendor payouts (Stripe Connect). For mobile app subscriptions, we use RevenueCat with Apple App Store and Google Play. These processors handle payment information according to PCI DSS standards and their own privacy policies.

Communication Services

We use Twilio for SMS/MMS messaging and phone number validation, SendGrid for email delivery and tracking, and Expo for mobile push notifications. Your phone number is shared with Twilio solely for message delivery; your email address is shared with SendGrid for email delivery.

Automated Calling

We use Bland AI for automated phone calls to vendors regarding platform opportunities. Vendor phone numbers and relevant business information are shared with this provider for call delivery.

Background Check Provider

We use Checkr for vendor background checks. Vendor name, email, and phone number are shared with Checkr for this purpose, with vendor consent, in compliance with the FCRA.

Data Enrichment Services

We use Outscraper, Google Places API, and HunterIO to collect publicly available vendor business information for profile creation and enrichment.

Accounting Integration

Vendors may authorize integration with Intuit QuickBooks, which shares project and estimate data between the platforms. This integration requires explicit user authorization via OAuth.

Analytics and Error Tracking

We use Google Analytics for website analytics, Sentry for error tracking and monitoring (which may capture user context with error reports), and Firebase for mobile app analytics.

Session Replay (Microsoft Clarity)

We use Microsoft Clarity to capture how users interact with our site through aggregate metrics, heatmaps, and session recordings, which helps us improve usability and identify issues. Clarity is configured to mask sensitive form fields (street addresses, ZIP codes, names, phone numbers, and other personal information) before any data leaves your browser. Email and password fields are masked by default. Recordings are processed by Microsoft per their Privacy Statement (https://privacy.microsoft.com/privacystatement). To opt out, you can use Microsoft's privacy controls (https://account.microsoft.com/privacy) or enable your browser's Do Not Track preference.

Advertising Platforms

We use Google Ads and Meta (Facebook) Ads for marketing campaigns. These platforms may receive aggregated campaign performance data.

Cloud Infrastructure

Our platform is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), including App Runner for our backend, S3 for file storage, and ECS for background processing. MongoDB Atlas hosts our database. Redis is used for task queuing and caching.

Internal Communication

We use Slack for internal operational notifications, including AI agent activity logs and approval workflows. No personal user data is shared in Slack beyond what is necessary for operational oversight.

Between Platform Users

When necessary to facilitate transactions, we share relevant information between homeowners and vendors on our platform, such as project details and contact information.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law, to protect our rights, or to protect the safety of our users and the public.

Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user information may be transferred as part of the transaction.

SMS/Text Message Communications

SMS Consent and Opt-In

By checking the SMS opt-in checkbox and providing your phone number, you expressly consent to receive text messages from Home Index. We use your phone number solely for sending text messages related to our services.

Types of Messages

We may send you text messages about new project opportunities in your area, bid updates and notifications, account verification and security alerts, and important service announcements.

Message Frequency

Message frequency varies based on your activity and available project opportunities. You may receive multiple messages per week during active periods.

Opting Out

You can opt out of receiving text messages at any time by replying STOP to any message. You will receive a confirmation message and no further SMS communications will be sent. You may also opt out through your account settings.

Help and Support

Reply HELP to any message for assistance, or contact support@homeindex.io. Standard message and data rates may apply based on your mobile carrier plan.

Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your phone number with third parties for their marketing purposes. Your phone number is shared only with our SMS service provider (Twilio) for the purpose of delivering messages.

Data Retention

We retain your phone number and SMS consent status as long as you have an active account. If you opt out, we will retain a record of your opt-out preference to honor your request.

Data Security

Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security measures including encryption of data in transit and at rest, secure servers and infrastructure, access controls, and regular security audits to protect your information.

Access Controls

We limit access to personal information to employees and contractors who need it to perform their job functions.

Data Breach Response

In the event of a data breach, we will notify affected users and relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

Password Security

User passwords are hashed using industry-standard bcrypt encryption and are never stored in plain text.

Your Rights and Choices

Account Information

You can update your account information at any time through your profile settings.

Data Access and Portability

You can request a copy of your personal information or request data portability in machine-readable format.

Data Deletion

You can request deletion of your account and associated personal information, subject to legal retention requirements. To request account deletion, email support@homeindex.io with the subject line 'Account Deletion Request' or include 'Privacy Request' in the subject.

Communication Preferences

You can opt out of marketing communications while continuing to receive service-related messages. You can manage SMS, email, and push notification preferences through your account settings.

Vendor Profile Removal

Vendors whose profiles were created from publicly available data may request removal of their profile at any time by contacting support@homeindex.io.

AI Processing Opt-Out

You may contact us to request human review of any automated decision that materially affects you. Certain AI processing is integral to platform functionality and cannot be opted out of while maintaining an active account.

Mobile App Permissions

You can manage app permissions (camera, storage, notifications) through your device settings at any time.

Children's Privacy

Age Requirement

Home Index is intended for users age 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that a child under 18 has provided us with personal information, we will take steps to delete such information.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

Your California Rights

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete your personal information, and the right to opt-out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information. To exercise these rights, contact us at support@homeindex.io.

European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

Your European Rights

If you are in the European Economic Area, you have additional rights including the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, data portability, object to processing, and withdraw consent. You also have the right not to be subject to automated decision-making, including profiling. To exercise these rights or file a complaint with a supervisory authority, contact us at support@homeindex.io.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Specific retention periods include:

  • Account information: Retained while your account is active and for up to 3 years after account closure
  • Transaction records: Retained for up to 7 years for tax and legal compliance purposes
  • Usage logs: Retained for up to 2 years for security and analytics purposes
  • Marketing data: Retained until you opt out or for up to 2 years after last interaction
  • AI processing logs: Retained for up to 1 year for service improvement and audit purposes
  • Background check records: Retained in accordance with FCRA requirements
International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own, including to third-party AI providers and cloud infrastructure located in the United States. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws, including the use of standard contractual clauses approved by regulatory authorities.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Up Your Bids LLC (d/b/a Home Index)

For privacy-related inquiries, please include "Privacy Request" in your email subject line.

This Privacy Policy is effective as of March 30, 2026