Contractor Privacy Policy

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Information We Collect
3. How We Use Your Information
4. How We Share Your Information
5. Location Data
6. Identity Verification
7. Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA) Rights
8. Data Security
9. Data Breach Notification
10. SMS Communications
11. Biometric Data
12. Children's Privacy
13. Data Retention
14. Changes to This Policy
15. Contact Information

1. Introduction

Houston's Own Lawn App, LLC ("HOLA," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use the HOLA platform as a Contractor. HOLA operates a digital marketplace connecting independent landscaping contractors with property owners in Houston, Texas.

We are committed to protecting your personal information in compliance with the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA, Tex. Bus. & Com. Code Ch. 541), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA, 47 U.S.C. § 227), and other applicable laws.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

When you create a contractor account or use our services, you may provide:

• Full name
• Phone number (used for account authentication)
• Email address
• Business name and type (sole proprietorship, LLC, etc.)
• Business address
• Service area preferences
• Profile photo and portfolio photos
• Bio and service descriptions
• Pricing and rate information
• Insurance documentation (Certificate of Insurance)
• Business license numbers
• Bank account information (processed by Stripe — HOLA does not store bank account or routing numbers)
• Communications with Customers through the platform

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use the HOLA contractor app, we automatically collect certain technical information:

• Device information (type, operating system, browser)
• IP address
• GPS/location data (when submitting job completion photos — see Section 5)
• App usage data (pages visited, features used, session activity)
• Crash reports and performance data
• Job completion photos and metadata (GPS coordinates, timestamps)

HOLA does not track or evaluate your acceptance or rejection of job opportunities.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

• Payment transaction data from our payment processor
• Authentication data from our authentication provider
• Address and routing data from mapping services

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Create and maintain your contractor profile visible to Customers
• Process payments via Stripe Connect Standard (you are the merchant of record)
• Authenticate your identity using the login methods available on the platform
• Match you with Customer job requests based on service area and preferences
• Facilitate communication with Customers, including automated translation of messages using third-party translation services
• Process proof-of-completion materials (GPS-tagged before and after photos) submitted by you for payment processing, dispute resolution, and platform support — these materials are not used to direct or evaluate your methods of service performance
• Calculate and display commission tier progress
• Generate public contractor profile pages (name, business name, bio, ratings, reviews)
• Send notifications (new job alerts, booking confirmations, payment receipts)
• Comply with legal obligations
• Detect and prevent fraud
• Improve platform functionality

Job-completion photos and portfolio images you submit may be used by HOLA for marketing and promotional purposes in addition to operational use, as described in the Contractor Terms of Service.

In-app messages are retained for platform support, trust and safety, dispute resolution, and abuse prevention.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only as follows:

4.1 Public Profile

Your name, business name, profile photo, bio, service areas, ratings, and reviews are displayed publicly on your HOLA contractor profile page at gethola.com/{your-slug}. This information is visible to the general public and to Customers browsing the platform.

4.2 With Customers

When you accept a job, Customers can see your name, business name, profile photo, and ratings. Your personal phone number and home or business address are not shared directly with Customers — all communication is facilitated through the HOLA platform.

4.3 Service Providers

• Stripe, Inc. — payment processing and Stripe Connect Standard onboarding. Stripe may collect personal data about you, including through cookies and similar technologies, to provide its payment services, verify your identity during onboarding, prevent fraud, and improve its services. Stripe's collection and use of your data is governed by Stripe's Privacy Policy.
• SMS and authentication providers — SMS delivery, account authentication, and messaging
• Mapping providers — address lookup and routing
• Translation providers — In-app messages between you and Customers may be processed by third-party AI and machine translation services (currently including Google and OpenAI) to provide real-time translation. Message content sent for translation may include personal information exchanged in the conversation.
• Analytics providers (Plausible) — privacy-first analytics; no cookies, no personal data collected

4.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information to comply with applicable law, legal process, or government request.

4.5 Business Transfers

In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity.

Important: No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. This exclusion does not apply to service providers processing data on HOLA's behalf for platform operations, including authentication, messaging, and translation services, as described in Section 4.3. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

5. Location Data

5.1 How We Collect Location Data

We collect GPS location data when you use the contractor app for:

• Job completion photos (GPS-tagged before and after photos)
• Service area determination

We do not track your location during navigation to job sites. The app uses external mapping services (Google Maps) for routing, and HOLA does not collect GPS data during that process.

5.2 Consent

Precise geolocation is classified as sensitive data under the TDPSA. By using the contractor app's location features, you consent to the collection of precise location data for the job-related purposes described above.

5.3 No Continuous Background Tracking

We do not track your location continuously or in the background when you are not actively using the app for job-related purposes.

5.4 Disabling Location Services

You may disable location services in your device settings at any time. Doing so may limit platform functionality, including job completion photo metadata and accurate service area matching.

5.5 Retention

Location data associated with completed jobs is retained for at least 1 year for dispute resolution purposes.

6. Identity Verification

Stripe Connect performs identity verification as part of contractor payment onboarding. This verification is conducted directly by Stripe, not by HOLA. Stripe's collection and use of your identity information during this process is governed by Stripe's Privacy Policy.

HOLA does not conduct background checks and does not access, store, or process the identity documents you submit to Stripe during onboarding.

7. Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA) Rights

The Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code Ch. 541) defines "consumer" as a Texas resident acting in an individual or household context. Because you use the HOLA platform in a commercial capacity as an independent contractor, the TDPSA may not apply to your use of the platform. However, HOLA voluntarily extends the following data rights to all Contractors regardless of TDPSA applicability:

7.1 Right to Know

You may request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and access that data.

7.2 Right to Correct

You may request correction of inaccurate personal data we hold about you.

7.3 Right to Delete

You may request deletion of your personal data. We will respond within 45 days of receipt of your request (extendable to 90 days with notice to you).

7.4 Right to Data Portability

You may request a copy of your personal data in a portable, readily usable format.

7.5 Right to Opt Out

You may opt out of:

• The sale of personal data — we do not sell your personal data
• Targeted advertising
• Profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects

7.6 Non-Discrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising your TDPSA rights. Exercising your rights will not affect the quality or availability of services we provide to you.

7.7 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of the rights described above, contact us at privacy@gethola.com. We may verify your identity before processing your request.

7.8 Appeal

If we deny your request, you may appeal our decision by contacting us at privacy@gethola.com. If your appeal is denied, you may file a complaint with the Texas Attorney General at texasattorneygeneral.gov.

8. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information per Texas Business and Commerce Code § 521.052. Our security practices include:

• Payment data is handled exclusively by Stripe (PCI DSS Level 1 certified) — HOLA never stores bank account numbers or card numbers.
• Authentication is handled by our authentication provider — passwords are hashed and salted; HOLA does not store plaintext credentials.
• Identity and tax documentation is collected and stored by Stripe Connect during payment onboarding, not by HOLA.
• App data cached locally on your device is encrypted at rest using industry-standard encryption.

While we take reasonable measures to protect your information, no security system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your personal information.

9. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach involving your personal information, HOLA will:

• Notify affected individuals within 60 days of discovery, per Texas Business and Commerce Code § 521.053
• Notify the Texas Attorney General within 30 days if 250 or more Texas residents are affected
• Provide details about the breach, the types of information involved, and steps you can take to protect yourself

10. SMS Communications

10.1 Types of SMS Messages

By creating a contractor account, you may receive the following types of SMS messages:

(a) Authentication messages: One-time verification codes for account security. If you use SMS-based login, these messages are necessary for account access. Alternative login methods (email/password, social OAuth) are available if you prefer not to receive SMS authentication messages.

(b) Operational messages: Job alerts, booking notifications, payment confirmations, and scheduling updates. You may opt out of operational messages, but this may affect your ability to receive timely job notifications.

(c) Marketing messages: HOLA will not send marketing or promotional SMS messages without obtaining your separate, express written consent per the TCPA (47 U.S.C. § 227) and Texas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 305.

Standard messaging rates may apply.

10.2 Opt-Out

You may opt out of operational SMS messages at any time by replying STOP to any message or contacting us at privacy@gethola.com. We will honor opt-out requests within 10 business days per FCC rules. Note that opting out of operational messages may affect your ability to receive timely job notifications. Authentication messages required for SMS-based login cannot be opted out of while using SMS as your login method, but you may switch to an alternative login method.

10.3 Message Frequency

Message frequency varies based on your job activity on the platform. We do not send more messages than necessary for platform operation.

11. Biometric Data

HOLA does not collect biometric identifiers as defined by the Texas Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 503.001). Specifically:

• Profile photos and job completion photos are not processed using facial recognition technology.
• Identity verification for Stripe Connect onboarding is performed directly by Stripe, not by HOLA.

12. Children's Privacy

The HOLA platform is not directed to children under 13 years of age. You must be at least 18 years old to create a contractor account and use our services.

If we learn that we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, we will promptly delete it. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at privacy@gethola.com.

13. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for the following periods:

• Account and profile data: Retained while your account is active and for at least 30 days after account deletion
• Transaction and payment records: Retained for at least 7 years for tax and legal compliance
• Job completion photos: Retained for at least 2 years
• Location data: Retained for at least 1 year for dispute resolution
• Communications: Retained for at least 2 years after the last interaction
• OTP/authentication logs: Retained for at least 90 days
• Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymized — no personal data retained

Upon account deletion, we will render your personal data unreadable or otherwise destroy it per Texas Business and Commerce Code § 521.052. Certain data may be retained longer where required by law.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy with a new "Last Updated" date. For significant changes, we may also provide additional notice such as an in-app notification.

Your continued use of the HOLA platform after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Houston's Own Lawn App, LLC

Privacy Inquiries: privacy@gethola.com

Legal Inquiries: legal@gethola.com

Katy, Texas 77450

For TDPSA-related requests or complaints, you may also contact the Texas Attorney General at texasattorneygeneral.gov.