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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 1 July 2026
Company: 4WD AUTHORITY L.L.C-FZ
License: 2650515.01 ; Meydan Free Zone, Government of Dubai
Contact: mansoor@4wdauthority.com

4WD Authority (“we”, “our”, or “us”) is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and what rights you have. It applies to all users of 4wdauthority.com and its associated services, including our events platform, classifieds marketplace, WooCommerce shop, vehicle and gear rentals, and community forums.

We comply with the UAE Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and, where applicable, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for users located in the European Economic Area.

1. Who We Are

4WD Authority is operated by 4WD AUTHORITY L.L.C-FZ, a free zone limited liability company incorporated under the regulations of the Meydan Free Zone, Government of Dubai (License No. 2650515.01). Our registered office is at Meydan Grandstand, 6th floor, Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, U.A.E.. We are the data controller for personal information processed through this website.

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you provide to us directly, information generated when you use our services, and information collected automatically by our technology systems.

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

Identity data: first name, last name, username or display name
Contact data: email address, phone number, postal/shipping address
Payment data: billing address, card type and last four digits (full card details are processed by our payment processor and never stored on our servers)
Vehicle information: make, model, year, modifications, and other 4×4 vehicle details you choose to share in your profile, listings, or forum posts
Account credentials: username and encrypted password
Marketplace and shop listings: item descriptions, prices, photos, and any other content you submit when creating a classified ad or vendor listing
Event booking details: participant names, emergency contact information, any health or fitness disclosures relevant to expedition participation
User-generated content: forum posts, comments, messages sent via our internal messaging system, reviews, and ratings

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

Device and browser data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device identifiers
Usage data: pages viewed, links clicked, search queries on our site, referral URLs, time spent on pages
Location data: approximate location derived from your IP address (we do not collect precise GPS location unless you voluntarily share it)
Cookies and tracking technologies: see Section 7 and our separate Cookie Policy for full details
Transaction data: purchase history, order numbers, delivery addresses, and order status

3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal data for the following purposes, each supported by a legitimate legal basis:

Account creation and management: to register you as a user, verify your identity, and maintain your account (Contractual necessity)
Order processing and fulfilment: to process purchases from our WooCommerce shop, handle payments, arrange shipping, and issue refunds (Contractual necessity)
Event and expedition bookings: to register you for 4×4 drives, send joining instructions, manage waivers, and coordinate logistics (Contractual necessity)
Marketplace services: to publish your classified listings, facilitate buyer-seller communications, and process Dokan vendor payouts (Contractual necessity / Legitimate interests)
Customer support: to respond to enquiries, resolve disputes, and process returns (Legitimate interests)
Marketing communications: to send newsletters, event announcements, and promotional offers ; only where you have opted in or where we have a legitimate interest (Consent / Legitimate interests)
Analytics and site improvement: to understand how users interact with the site and improve our services (Legitimate interests)
Advertising: to display relevant ads via Google AdSense (Legitimate interests / Consent where required)
Legal compliance: to comply with UAE law, financial regulations, and respond to lawful government requests (Legal obligation)
Fraud prevention and security: to detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent transactions and other illegal activity (Legitimate interests / Legal obligation)

4. Sharing Your Information with Third Parties

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only in the following circumstances:

Payment processors: We use Stripe (and WooCommerce Payments) to process transactions. Your card details go directly to Stripe and are subject to their privacy policy. Stripe is PCI-DSS compliant.
Google Analytics: We share anonymised usage data with Google Analytics to analyse site traffic and user behaviour. Google may process this data in the United States under Standard Contractual Clauses.
Google AdSense / DoubleClick: Google serves advertisements on our site and uses cookies to show relevant ads based on your browsing history. See Section 7 for details on advertising cookies.
Dokan Marketplace: If you purchase from a third-party vendor via our Dokan-powered marketplace, your name and shipping address are shared with that vendor to fulfil your order.
bbPress / Community platform: Content you post in our community forums is publicly visible to all registered users and guests.
Email service providers: We use third-party email platforms to send transactional and marketing emails on our behalf.
Legal authorities: We may disclose your data where required by law, court order, or a competent UAE regulatory authority.
Business transfers: If 4WD Authority is acquired or merges with another entity, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to equivalent protections.

5. International Data Transfers

4WD Authority is based in the UAE. If you access our services from outside the UAE, your data may be transferred to and processed in the UAE or other countries (including the United States, where Google services are hosted). We take steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for any such transfers, including reliance on Standard Contractual Clauses where applicable under GDPR.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with our legal obligations:

Account data: retained for the life of your account, plus up to 3 years after account closure
Transaction and financial records: retained for 7 years to comply with UAE commercial and tax law
Event booking records: retained for 5 years, including any signed liability waivers
Forum posts and user-generated content: may be retained indefinitely as part of our public community unless you request deletion
Analytics data: retained in aggregated or anonymised form for up to 26 months (Google Analytics default)

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies on our site. These fall into three categories:

Strictly necessary cookies: essential for the site to function (e.g., WooCommerce session cookies, WordPress login cookies). These cannot be disabled without breaking the site.
Analytics cookies: Google Analytics uses cookies (_ga, _gid, _gat) to collect anonymised data about site usage. You can opt out via the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Advertising cookies: Google AdSense and DoubleClick use cookies to serve personalised advertisements. These may track your browsing across multiple websites.

For full details, including how to manage your cookie preferences, please read our Cookie Policy.

8. Your Rights

Depending on where you are located, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right of access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Right to rectification: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to erasure: ask us to delete your data where there is no legitimate reason for us to continue processing it
Right to restrict processing: ask us to pause processing of your data in certain circumstances
Right to data portability: request your data in a structured, machine-readable format
Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing
Right to opt out of marketing: unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email, or by contacting us directly

To exercise any of these rights, please email mansoor@4wdauthority.com with the subject line “Privacy Request”. We will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

9. Security

We implement technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure. These include SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit, encrypted password storage, access controls limiting staff access to personal data, and regular security reviews. However, no online system is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Children

Our services are not directed to children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal data.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The effective date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision. We will notify registered users of material changes by email or by a notice on our website.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact:

4WD AUTHORITY L.L.C-FZ
Meydan Grandstand, 6th floor, Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, U.A.E.
License No. 2650515.01 ; Meydan Free Zone, Government of Dubai
Email: mansoor@4wdauthority.com