Privacy
How Laowai handles your information. Last updated 25 July 2026.
Laowai is a members-only marketplace connecting traders in the UK and China. This page explains what we collect, why, and what you can ask us to do about it. We are the data controller for the information described here.
We do not hold your ID documents. Identity checks are carried out by Stripe Identity. Your passport or licence goes to Stripe, not to us — we receive only a pass or fail result and your verified name.
What we collect
| Information | Why |
|---|---|
| Email address and password | To create and secure your account |
| Display name, city, profile details | So other members know who they're trading with |
| Listings, photos, prices | To show your items on the marketplace |
| Messages between members | To deliver them, and to translate them between English and Chinese |
| Trades and reviews | To build the reputation system members rely on |
| Payment details | Handled entirely by Stripe. We store only your subscription status and a Stripe reference — never card numbers |
| Verification outcome | Pass or fail, and your verified name. Not the document itself |
Message translation
To let English and Chinese speakers trade with each other, message and listing text is sent to Anthropic's API for translation. It is processed to produce the translation and is not used to train models. If you would rather not have a message translated, write it in both languages yourself.
Who we share with
- Stripe — payments and identity verification
- Supabase — database and file hosting (EU region)
- Anthropic — translation of listings and messages
- Vercel — website hosting
We do not sell your data, and we do not share it with advertisers.
Other members
Your display name, city, listings, ratings and verification status are visible to anyone browsing Laowai. Your email address and messages are not. Remember that anything you choose to share inside a conversation — a phone number, a WeChat ID, an address — goes directly to that member.
How long we keep it
- Account and listing data: while your account is open
- Messages: while your account is open, so you can refer back to a trade
- Trades and reviews: kept after account closure in anonymised form, because other members' reputation scores depend on them
- Payment records: six years, as UK tax law requires
Your rights
Under UK GDPR you can ask us to give you a copy of your data, correct it, delete it, or stop using it in a particular way. Email privacy@laowai.co.uk and we'll respond within one month. If you're not satisfied, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.
Security
Data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Access to member data is restricted, and the database enforces access rules at the row level rather than relying on the website alone. If a breach occurs that puts you at risk, we'll tell you and the ICO within 72 hours.
Cookies
We use only what's needed to run the site: a sign-in session, and your language and theme preferences. No advertising or tracking cookies.
Contact
privacy@laowai.co.uk