When you visit the site
Every time your browser loads a page, the website receives some technical information: your IP (internet protocol) address, the type of browser and device you are using, the page you asked for and the time. Our hosting provider, Google Cloud, records this in server logs, which we use to keep the site secure and to find and fix faults.
To stop automated abuse, the site also uses your IP address to limit how many enquiries, newsletter sign-ups and similar requests can be sent from one place in a short time. That check is held briefly in the server's memory and is not saved.
When you create an account
Accounts are run by Supabase, our sign-in provider. To create one we need your email address and a password. Supabase stores your password in scrambled (hashed) form, and nobody at GP Turbos can see it.
If you sign in with Google instead, Google shares your name, your email address and basic profile details (such as a link to your Google profile picture). We use your name to fill in the name fields on your profile. Google's own use of your data is covered by Google's privacy policy (opens in a new tab).
Every account is given a username, usually made from the part of your email address before the @ sign. You can change it on your profile page. Your username is public: it appears next to anything you post on the forum.
We also keep records about the account itself, such as when it was created and last signed in to, and your security settings, for example whether you use an authenticator app for two-step verification. Supabase keeps a log of sign-in activity, including IP addresses, for security.
Details you choose to add to your profile
On your profile page you can add or change your first and last name, date of birth and phone number, and add or remove postal addresses, extra email addresses and a profile picture. All of these are optional. Once saved, a name, date of birth or phone number can be changed on that page but not cleared, so ask us if you want one removed. To confirm that an extra email address is yours, we send a code to it.
Your profile picture is stored so that anyone can view it, because it is shown next to your forum posts. The other profile details are not shown publicly.
Your cars
On My cars you can add the cars you own or have owned: a name, make, model, colour and year, a description, a note about the owner, and pictures. The note about the owner, or failing that your name or username, can be shown with a gallery photo of that car. You can edit or remove a car at any time.
Photos you upload
Your profile picture, car pictures and forum attachments are stored exactly as you upload them. If your camera or phone embeds information in a photo, such as where and when it was taken, that information stays in the file, and anyone who can see the photo can read it. Remove it before uploading if you do not want it kept. The photos our staff upload to the gallery have it stripped automatically.
When you use the forum
We store the threads and replies you write, together with any attachments: photos, videos and PDF files you upload, and links to videos on YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook or Instagram. Most threads can be read by anyone, including people who are not signed in. A thread started for signed-in members can still be read by anyone who creates an account. Either way, treat what you post as public: your username and profile picture appear with it. Do not post personal information you would not want the public to see.
When someone replies to you or mentions your username, we record a notification for you on the site. For mentions we also send you an email, unless you have turned those emails off.
When you send us an enquiry
The contact form asks for your name, email address and message, and, if you want to give it, your phone number. We store the enquiry, email it to our inbox so we can reply, and email you an acknowledgement with a copy of your message.
If you are signed in when you send it, or your email address matches a GP Turbos account, we link the enquiry to that account so we can see your earlier contact with us.
When you join the newsletter
If you enter your email address in the newsletter form, we record the subscription and the date you signed up, and send you a confirmation email. If you are signed in at the time, or you have (or later create) an account that uses the same email address, the subscription is recorded on your account.
When you email us
Emails you send us are kept in our business mailbox, which is hosted by Google Workspace, and in an archive of our older mailboxes stored with Google Cloud.
Analytics (only if you accept it)
If you accept analytics cookies in the cookie banner, we use Amplitude, a product analytics service, to understand how the site is used: which pages are viewed, when a visit starts and ends, which website or search engine sent you here and any campaign tags in the link you followed, and a few actions on the site: starting and completing sign-up, signing in, sending an enquiry and subscribing to the newsletter. Amplitude gives your browser a random identifier, kept in a cookie, so that it can tell one visit from the next. Once you are signed in, your account's internal identifier (a random code, not your email address or name) is attached to those events, so we can see how members use the site.
We have turned off Amplitude's collection of IP addresses, and our Amplitude account stores its data in Amplitude's European Union data centre. Amplitude never receives your name, email address, phone number, the text of an enquiry or anything you post. Nothing is recorded until you accept, and you can withdraw at any time under "Cookie settings" in the footer, in your account menu or on your account settings page, which also removes the Amplitude cookies from your browser. The cookie policy lists exactly what is recorded.
