Last updated: 10 November 2026 (version 2026-11-10)
Who we are
The Used Car Buyers is a trading name of The Drivers Gallery Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 13126742. Registered office: Fulford House, Newbold Terrace, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 4EA. We buy cars and vans from 256 Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, B61 0EZ.
We are the "data controller" for the personal information described here. Our ICO registration number is ZB833452.
If you have any question about your information, contact us:
- Email: sellmycar@theusedcarbuyers.co.uk
- Phone or WhatsApp: 07737 531183
- Post: The Used Car Buyers, 256 Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, B61 0EZ
What we collect and why
When you ask for a price on our website
- Your name, mobile number, email address and postcode.
- Your vehicle's registration number and mileage, and your answers about it (keys, service history, finance, damage, faults, anything you type in the "anything else" box).
- Any photos of the vehicle you choose to add (please don't send photos of documents or ID).
- Technical details: a code your browser creates so we can limit how many prices one device asks for in a day, and your IP address in our hosting provider's logs.
- When you come back to your price page (from our email, a WhatsApp, or by visiting our website again on the same phone or computer), we note when, and what you did on it, such as starting to choose a collection day or tapping to call us. This lets our buyers get back to you while you're thinking it over. We don't track you on other websites, and we don't track whether you open our emails.
We use these to look up your vehicle, work out and send you your price, keep that price for you, and get in touch about it. We need this information to give you the price you asked for (the legal basis is "taking steps at your request before a contract"). We use any photos you add only to check the vehicle's condition and your price, and only our staff can see them.
If you stop before getting your price
- If you've typed your name and your mobile number or email address, we keep what you've typed so far (your name, contact details, postcode, the vehicle's registration and mileage, and any photos you added), even if you don't finish.
We may contact you about your car, by phone, WhatsApp or one email, to help you finish getting your price. If you'd rather we didn't, just tell us. This is in our legitimate interests, and we think you'd expect it. It doesn't sign you up for marketing emails.
When you accept a price and book
- Your collection address and preferred days, or your drop-off day.
When our driver or buyer sees the vehicle
- Photos of the vehicle, its registration plate, VIN plate, V5C logbook, keys, service book and receipts, and any damage.
- A photo of your photo ID (driving licence or passport). We take this to check that the person selling the vehicle is the registered keeper and to protect you and us against fraud and stolen or financed vehicles. This is in our legitimate interests and yours.
- The mileage and condition our driver records.
When you sign the purchase agreement
- Your full name, home address, where the vehicle is handed over, your answers about the V5C, your signature (drawn or typed), the date and time, and the internet address (IP) and device you signed from. We keep this as evidence that you signed.
- Your bank account name, sort code and account number, so we can pay you by bank transfer. The account must be in your name.
- If you are VAT registered: your VAT number and business name.
If there is finance on the vehicle
- The finance company and settlement figure, so we can settle it for you. If the settlement is more than our price, the payment you make to us for the difference.
If part of your price waits for your new V5C
- The photo of the new V5C (logbook) you send us, when it is on its way from DVLA or you are keeping a private number plate.
Who we share it with
We never sell your information. We share it only with:
- Vehicle data and valuation providers, and DVSA/DVLA: your registration number and mileage, to get the vehicle's record and valuation data.
- A vehicle history check provider (an "HPI check"): your vehicle's registration number, before we pay, to check for outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and theft records.
- Our service providers who store and send things for us: Supabase (database and photo storage), Netlify (website and systems hosting), our email provider, Google (advertising measurement, see Cookies) and MotorDesk (our stock and sales system: the vehicle and purchase details, and the photo of its V5C, once we buy it). They act on our instructions.
- postcodes.io: your postcode only, to check it is a real postcode and to work out how far a collection is.
- Phone notification services (Google, Apple or Mozilla, depending on the phone): our own staff get a notification about your price on their work phones, with your name, the registration and the price.
- WhatsApp (Meta), only if you message us on WhatsApp: those messages are handled under WhatsApp's own terms.
- DVLA, when we notify them that we have bought the vehicle, as the law requires.
- Finance companies, if we settle your finance.
- HMRC, where we check a VAT number or when required for our tax records.
- Our accountants, insurers, lawyers, and the police or a court if we are required to.
Some providers may process data outside the UK; where they do, we rely on the UK's adequacy regulations or the UK International Data Transfer Addendum.
How long we keep it
- If you got a price but did not sell to us: we remove your name and contact details 12 months after the price. Any photos our driver took are removed at the same time (photos of your ID and V5C within 90 days of the appointment).
- Photos of the vehicle you add on our website: we delete them 12 months after you add them.
- If you sold us your vehicle: we keep the agreement, your ID and V5C photos, the invoice and payment record for 6 years after the purchase, because tax law and the time limit for legal claims require it. Your full bank account number and sort code are removed 90 days after payment; we keep only the account name and last four digits.
- If you give us your contact details and stop before getting your price, we may contact you about your car. We keep these details for up to 12 months, then delete them.
- Our website's abuse-limit records are anonymised after 30 days.
Emails and texts from us
If you ask for a price we will email (and may text) you the price, a reminder before your guaranteed price ends, and messages about any booking, appointment or payment. If you sell us your vehicle, we may email you once afterwards to ask how we did. These are about the service you asked for and every one has a "no more emails" link.
While your price is open we email you about your valuation (for example that it's still waiting for you, and the day before it ends), whether or not you tick the box. These emails are only about your price: there's no marketing in them.
We will only send you marketing (for example a new price for your vehicle after your guarantee has ended, or news about our cars for sale) if you ticked the box to say yes. You can stop at any time using the link in any email, by replying, or by contacting us.
Cookies
The website sets cookies only for Google Ads conversion measurement (so we know which adverts work). These are set only if you accept them in the banner; if you reject them, the advertising tag is not loaded. If you accept them and then ask for a price, we also tell Google Ads about your enquiry so it can match it to the advert you clicked: your email address and mobile number are scrambled (hashed) by Google's tag before they leave your browser, and Google uses them only to make that match. If we go on to buy your car, we tell Google Ads that too (the advert's click reference, the scrambled email and mobile, the date and the price), so we know which adverts lead to cars we buy. If you reject cookies, none of this happens. The fonts we use are loaded from Google, which sends your browser's IP address to Google. The form and price page use your browser's storage to remember your progress and your price; this is not a tracking cookie.
We also note how you reached our website (for example a Google advert, a Google search, Facebook or Instagram, or typing our address) and the page you arrived on, and save that with your enquiry so we know which adverts and pages bring us enquiries. We don't record anything that identifies you for this, except Google's click reference for the advert, which we keep only if you accept cookies. It is kept in your browser for that visit only, or for up to 30 days if you accept cookies.
Your rights
You have the right to ask for a copy of your information, to have mistakes corrected, to have your information deleted (where we do not have to keep it), to object to or restrict how we use it, and to receive the information you gave us in a portable form. To use any of these, contact us at the details above. We will reply within one month and never charge for a first request.
If you are unhappy with how we handle your information you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or 0303 123 1113. We would appreciate the chance to put it right first.
Changes
We will post any changes on this page and change the date at the top.