Legal
Privacy Policy
Short version: decoding needs no account, your recent VINs stay in your browser, and we do not sell data.
Last updated
Who we are
vindecode.pro is a product of And Gate Tech Solutions ("we", "us"). This policy explains what happens to information when you use the site.
VINs you decode
- Decoding. To decode a VIN, your browser sends it directly to the NHTSA vPIC API run by the US Department of Transportation. Characters that encode Indian-market details are read in your browser.
- Recalls. When we show recalls, our server asks NHTSA using only the make, model and model year, not the VIN.
- Unrecognised VINs. If no maker is found, your browser sends the first 11 characters to our server so we can improve coverage. These 11 characters identify a vehicle pattern, not an individual vehicle; the serial number is never sent.
- Problem reports. If you use "Report it" on a result, we receive the full VIN, what we showed, your correction and your email address, so we can fix the decoder and reply if needed. Reports are stored in Google Sheets and emailed to our team.
- Recent VINs. The last few VINs you decoded are saved in your browser's local storage so you can reopen them. They never leave your device, and clearing your browser data removes them.
We do not use VINs to identify you and we do not sell them.
Accounts
Decoding is free and needs no account. Optional sign-in uses Google or Apple through Firebase Authentication. For signed-in users, we store your name, email address and the VIN reports you choose to save. Saved reports automatically expire after 24 months. You can delete individual reports or your account at any time from /app.
Cookies and local storage
We store your theme choice (light, dark or system) and your recent VINs in local storage. We use Google Analytics to understand how the site is used, such as which pages are visited and how many decodes succeed. It sets first-party cookies (_ga) with a random ID. We never send your VIN to Google Analytics, and Google signals are turned off. You can opt out with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on or by blocking cookies.
We show ads through Google AdSense to keep the decoder free. Google and its partners may use cookies to show ads, measure them and, where you allow it, personalise them based on your visits to this and other sites. We never send your VIN to Google for ads.
Your consent choices
If you visit from the European Economic Area, the UK or Switzerland, we ask for your consent before analytics or advertising cookies are used, through Google's consent message. Until you choose, those cookies stay off. Elsewhere, analytics and ad cookies are on by default. You can change or withdraw your choice at any time with Privacy settings at the bottom of every page. You can also turn off personalised ads across Google in My Ad Center, or learn about other ad companies' cookies at aboutads.info.
Third parties
- NHTSA vPIC decodes VINs and serves recall data. See the NHTSA privacy policy.
- Google Analytics measures site usage. See how Google uses data.
- Google AdSense shows ads and runs the consent message. See how Google uses data and how Google uses cookies in advertising.
- Google Workspace (Google Sheets and Gmail) stores and delivers problem reports. See the Google privacy policy.
- Vercel hosts the site and keeps standard server logs, such as IP address and request time, for security and reliability.
Retention
Server logs are kept for a short period by our host. Unrecognised VIN prefixes are kept only in aggregate for improving coverage. Problem reports are kept until the issue is fixed, then deleted within 12 months.
Your rights
You can ask us what data we hold about you, or ask us to correct or delete it, by writing to contact@vindecode.pro. We reply within 30 days.
Changes
If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top of this page.