Privacy Policy: Bid Break Limited
Last updated: 24 October 2026
1. Who we are and what this policy covers
Bid Break Limited (“Bid Break”, “we”, “us”) runs an online platform at www.bidbreak.co.uk where property Owners offer last-minute holiday stays by auction and Guests bid for them. We are the “controller” of the personal information described in this policy, which means we decide how and why it is used. This policy explains what we collect, why, who we share it with, how long we keep it and what rights you have.
- Company: Bid Break Limited, registered in England and Wales, company number 17434473.
- Registered office: 24 Hicks Close, London, England, SW11 2LQ
- Contact for privacy questions: support@bidbreak.co.uk
- ICO registration number: [number]
This policy applies to Guests, Owners and anyone who visits our website or contacts us. Capitalised words such as Platform, Owner, Guest, Auction and Stay have the same meaning as in our Guest Terms and Owner Terms. Please read this policy with those terms.
2. Personal information we collect
| Who | What we collect | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone | Name, email address, phone number, password and account settings; messages you send us or other users through the Platform; your device and log data (such as IP address, browser type and pages visited); cookie data (see section 9) | You, and your device |
| Guests | Home address; the identity and number of people in your party; bids and bidding history; Stays won; payment card details (held and processed by Stripe, not stored in full by us); evidence you give us in a complaint or damage dispute; reviews you write | You, Stripe and Owners |
| Owners | Name, address, business details, and, where HMRC reporting requires it, date of birth (or company number) and tax reference numbers (for example UTR, National Insurance number or VAT number), which we will ask you for directly; bank details for Payouts and bank details for Payouts; Property address, photos, descriptions, house rules, availability and iCal calendar data; insurance and licensing information you give us; information imported from your Airbnb host account if you choose to link it; evidence you give us in a complaint or damage dispute | You, Airbnb (if linked) and Stripe |
| Visitors | Information you send when you contact us; website and cookie data | You, and your device |
We do not ask you for special category data (such as health or religion). Please do not include it in messages or complaints unless it is needed.
3. How we use your information and our legal reasons
UK data protection law lets us use personal information only where we have a lawful basis. The table shows what we use it for and the basis we rely on.
| What we use it for | Lawful basis |
|---|---|
| Creating and managing your account, running Auctions, taking payment, confirming and managing Stays, paying Owners, and giving support | Contract (we need this to provide the service you asked for) |
| Sharing booking details between the winning Guest and the Owner so the Stay can go ahead | Contract |
| Taking the Damage Charge from a Guest’s card where our terms allow, and reviewing complaints and refund requests | Contract and legitimate interests (resolving disputes fairly) |
| Preventing fraud, shell bidding and misuse; keeping the Platform secure; identity and payment checks | Legitimate interests (keeping the Platform safe) and, for some checks, legal obligation |
| Collecting and reporting Owner information to HMRC under the UK digital platform reporting rules, and keeping accounting and tax records | Legal obligation |
| Responding to legal claims and regulators, and enforcing our terms | Legal obligation and legitimate interests |
| Improving the Platform, analysing how it is used and fixing faults | Legitimate interests (running and improving our business) |
| Sending service messages (such as Auction results, receipts, reminders and changes to our terms) | Contract and legitimate interests |
| Sending marketing emails or texts, such as alerts about new Auctions | Consent (you can withdraw it at any time) or, for existing customers, our legitimate interest in promoting similar services, as the law allows |
| Cookies and similar technologies that are not strictly necessary | Consent |
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we have considered the impact on you and do not think it overrides your rights. You can ask us for more detail at any time.
4. Who we share your information with
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as needed with:
- Owners and Guests. When a Guest wins an Auction, we give the Owner the Guest’s name, party details and contact details, and we give the Guest the Owner’s contact details and the Property address, so that the Stay can happen. Owners must keep Guest information confidential and use it only for the Stay (see the Owner Terms).
- Stripe. Our payment provider processes card payments, holds Guest card details and pays Owners. Stripe is responsible for its own use of your data under its privacy policy, including for fraud prevention and its legal duties.
- HMRC. We must report certain Owner information and income to HMRC, and give each Owner a copy.
- Airbnb. If you link an Airbnb account, we receive listing information from it as you authorise.
- Service providers. Companies that provide hosting, email and messaging, analytics, customer support tools and security for us, who may use your information only on our instructions.
- Professional advisers and insurers. Our lawyers, accountants and insurers, where needed.
- Authorities and other parties. Courts, the police, regulators and others where the law requires or allows it, for example to prevent crime or to deal with a claim.
- A buyer of our business. If we sell or restructure Bid Break, we may transfer information to the new owner, who must use it as set out in this policy.
5. Transfers outside the UK
Some of our providers, including Stripe, may process information outside the UK. Where they do, we make sure there is a legal safeguard, such as a UK adequacy decision, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum to the EU standard clauses, or another transfer tool the law allows. You can contact us for details.
6. How long we keep your information
We keep personal information only as long as we need it for the reasons given above. For now, we keep all personal information we hold for the legal limit of six years from the end of our relationship with you (for example, from your last Stay or from the date you close your account), because this is the period in which legal claims can be brought and it covers our tax and accounting duties. Marketing preferences are kept until you withdraw consent, and then we keep a short record so that we do not contact you again.
When the time is up we delete or anonymise the information. We may keep it longer if the law requires, or if it is needed for a legal claim that has been made or is reasonably likely.
7. Keeping your information secure
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information, including encryption in transit, access controls and staff confidentiality. Card details are handled by Stripe and are not stored in full on our systems. No system is completely secure. If a breach is likely to risk your rights, we will tell you and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as the law requires. Please keep your password private.
8. Your rights
Under UK law you have the right to:
- be informed about how we use your information (this policy);
- access the personal information we hold about you;
- correct information that is wrong or incomplete;
- erase your information in some circumstances, for example where we no longer need it;
- restrict how we use it in some circumstances;
- object to use based on legitimate interests, and to direct marketing at any time;
- data portability, so you can receive information you gave us in a common format, where we use it under contract or consent;
- withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on it, without affecting what we did before; and
- not be subject to a decision based only on automated processing that has legal or similarly significant effects. We do not currently make such decisions.
To use any right, email support@bidbreak.co.uk. We may need to check your identity. We usually respond within one month, and we do not charge unless a request is clearly unfounded or excessive. Some rights have exceptions: for example we cannot delete information we must keep for tax or legal reasons.
9. Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies. Strictly necessary ones keep you logged in, keep the Auction timer and your bids working and keep the Platform secure. With your consent we also use cookies to measure how the Platform is used and how our advertising performs, so that we can improve our service. You can accept or reject non-essential cookies through the cookie banner on our website, and change your choice at any time through the cookie settings link or your browser settings. We will not set non-essential cookies until you agree.
10. Marketing
We will send you marketing only if you have agreed or the law otherwise allows, and every message will include a way to unsubscribe. You can opt out at any time in your account settings, by using the unsubscribe link, or by emailing support@bidbreak.co.uk. Opting out of marketing does not stop service messages about your account, Auctions or Stays.
11. Age restrictions
The Platform is for people aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18 as an account holder. A Guest may include children in their party, and we ask only for the details needed for the Stay, such as the number and ages of children. If you think a child has set up an account, please contact us and we will delete it.
12. Complaints
If you have a concern about how we use your information, please contact us first at support@bidbreak.co.uk so that we can try to put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
- Website: ico.org.uk
- Telephone: 0303 123 1113
- Address: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the new version on the Platform with the new date at the top. If the change is significant, we will tell you by email or on the Platform at least 30 days before it takes effect.
14. Contact us
Bid Break Limited, 24 Hicks Close, London, England, SW11 2LQ. Email: support@bidbreak.co.uk.