Data Retention & Lifecycle

1. Purpose of This Policy

tekDrive processes data on behalf of automotive repair shops and related organizations. This Policy exists to:

• Describe how long data is retained
• Explain what happens to data during and after account use
• Clarify deletion and backup handling
• Set reasonable boundaries around retention requests
• Support compliance with applicable data protection laws

2. Data Roles

For purposes of data protection and retention:

• Shops are the data controllers for data they upload or generate using the Service.
• tekDrive acts as a data processor, retaining and processing data only as necessary to provide the Service and comply with legal obligations.

3. Categories of Data Covered

This Policy applies to, but is not limited to, the following categories of data:

• Account and user profile information
• Authentication identifiers and access metadata
• Customer and employee information uploaded by Shops
• Media uploads (images, video, audio, documents)
• Internal comments, messages, and communications
• Call recordings and message recordings, where enabled
• Usage logs, audit logs, and system metadata
• Integration data received from third-party services

4. Retention During Active Accounts

While a Shop account remains active:

• Data is retained to provide the Service and enable requested functionality
• Data remains accessible to authorized users according to permissions set by the Shop
• tekDrive does not impose fixed deletion schedules on active account data unless required for security, legal, or operational reasons

Shops may manage or delete data within the Service, subject to available features and system limitations.

5. Customer-Requested Extended Retention

At a Shop's request, tekDrive may retain certain data for extended periods beyond typical operational needs.

Such requests are subject to:

• Technical feasibility
• Security considerations
• Legal and regulatory requirements
• Reasonableness of the request

tekDrive does not guarantee indefinite or perpetual retention of any data.

6. Account Termination and Deactivation

When a Shop account is terminated or deactivated:

• Access to the Service is disabled
• Data may be retained for a limited period to allow:
  • Data export
  • Account recovery
  • Resolution of billing or support matters

After this period, data is scheduled for deletion in accordance with this Policy, unless retention is required by law or permitted for legitimate business purposes.

7. Backups and Disaster Recovery Copies

tekDrive maintains backup copies of data for security, disaster recovery, and business continuity purposes.

Important considerations:

• Backup data is not immediately deleted when primary data is deleted
• Backup copies are retained for limited periods consistent with operational practices
• Backup systems are not intended to serve as long-term archives
• Backup data is not routinely accessed unless needed for recovery or investigation

Deletion from backups occurs as backup cycles expire.

8. Legal Holds and Compliance Retention

tekDrive may retain data beyond standard retention periods when required to:

• Comply with legal obligations
• Respond to lawful requests or court orders
• Preserve data subject to legal holds
• Enforce agreements or resolve disputes

Such data is retained only for as long as necessary to meet these obligations.

9. Deletion Requests

Shops may request deletion of data by submitting a request through authorized support channels.

Deletion requests are subject to:

• Verification of the requester's authority
• Technical and operational constraints
• Legal and regulatory requirements
• Backup retention limitations

Deletion is performed within a reasonable timeframe and may occur in stages.

10. Data Minimization and Security

tekDrive seeks to retain data only as long as reasonably necessary to:

• Provide the Service
• Maintain security and system integrity
• Meet contractual and legal obligations

We may delete or anonymize data that is no longer needed, even if an account remains active, where retention presents unnecessary risk.

11. Shared Responsibility

Data retention is a shared responsibility:

tekDrive is responsible for retention practices within the Service and its infrastructure.

Shops are responsible for:

• Determining what data to upload or retain
• Managing user access
• Complying with data retention and deletion obligations applicable to their business

tekDrive does not determine retention requirements imposed on Shops by law or regulation.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, operational practices, or the Service.

Updates will be posted with a revised "Last Updated" date.

Continued use of the Service constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

13. Contact Information

If you have questions about this Data Retention & Lifecycle Policy or wish to submit a data retention or deletion request, please contact:

Email: privacy@tekdrive.net