Privacy Policy for TreeNerd

TreeNerd (“we,” “us”) runs https://treenerd.com (the “Site”): field tools and reference libraries for working arborists, plain-English guidance for homeowners, a directory of licensed tree care businesses, and a way for homeowners to request quotes from them. This policy explains what information we collect, why, who we share it with, and the choices you have. Questions any time: hello@treenerd.com.

1. Information you give us

• Account. We sign you in with a one-time email link or code — no passwords. We store your email address and basic profile information (such as your roles on the Site).
• Tree Nerd Pro billing. Payments are processed by Stripe. We never see or store your full card number; we keep your subscription status and a Stripe customer reference so we can manage your access.
• Newsletter. Your email address, if you subscribe to The Tree Nerd Dispatch. Every issue includes an unsubscribe link.
• Quote requests. If you ask for quotes from tree care companies, we collect your name, email, phone (optional), ZIP code, a description of the work, any tree photos you upload, and — if you choose to provide it — your street address. If you used our cost estimator first, the estimate details travel with the request.
• Tree Check photos. Photos you submit to the free Tree Check tool are analyzed once and then discarded — we do not store them (see “AI photo analysis” below).
• CEU tracker. If you use the certification tracker, we store your credentials, certification dates, CEU entries, and any certificates you upload. Certificates live in private storage that only you and our staff can access.
• Business listings and claims. If you claim or create a directory listing, we collect your business details, license information, and any verification documents you upload (stored privately).
• Job applications. If you apply to a job on our board: your name, email, phone (optional), and cover note.
• Listing corrections and removal requests. Your name, email, and message, so we can act on the request and confirm the outcome to you.

2. Information collected automatically

Like nearly every website, our servers log basic technical data (IP address, browser type, pages requested) for security and debugging. We use cookies only where the Site needs them to function: keeping you signed in, and Stripe’s cookies during checkout (which Stripe also uses for fraud prevention). We do not run third-party advertising trackers, and we do not currently use third-party analytics. If that changes, we will update this policy first.

3. The arborist directory (public records)

Our directory lists tree care businesses compiled from public records — primarily state licensing-board rosters — and other publicly available sources, such as a business’s own website. A listing typically includes the business name, license number, type and state, city, phone, website, and services offered.

We publish this information based on our legitimate interest — and the public’s — in helping homeowners find licensed, accountable professionals, and in helping licensed businesses get found. It is the same information the state already publishes; we organize it.

If a listing is about your business, you can — without creating an account:

• Claim it (and then edit it yourself) via the claim link on your profile page;
• Request a correction or removal using the “Update or remove” link on every profile page (https://treenerd.com/arborist/your-business/update), or by emailing hello@treenerd.com.

We act on every request and confirm by email when it is done. We never invent reviews, ratings, or endorsements for listed businesses.

4. How we use information

• To provide the services you asked for: sign-in, subscriptions, quote requests, the newsletter, CEU tracking, job applications.
• To send transactional email: sign-in links, confirmations, and CEU deadline reminders you set up.
• To keep the Site secure, prevent abuse, and fix problems.
• To improve our content and tools using aggregate, non-identifying information.

We do not use your personal information for third-party advertising, and we do not sell it.

5. When we share information

• Tree care companies — at your request. This is the point of the quote-request service, so to be completely clear: when you submit a quote request, we share it — your name, contact details, project description, ZIP code, and photos — with tree care companies in your area so they can contact you with quotes. More than one company may receive your request. Your street address, if you provided one, is shared only after a company accepts your request. If you contact a specific company through its directory profile, your message goes to that company. These companies are independent businesses; once they have your details, their own privacy practices apply.
• Employers. If you apply to a job posting, your application goes to the employer that posted it.
• Service providers that run our infrastructure, under contracts that limit them to working on our behalf: Supabase (database, authentication, file storage), Stripe (payments), Resend (email delivery), Anthropic (AI photo analysis — see below), and Vercel (hosting).
• Legal and safety. If required by law, or to protect the rights and safety of users, the public, or TreeNerd.
• Business transfers. If TreeNerd is acquired or merged, your information may transfer with it; this policy would continue to apply until changed with notice.

We do not sell personal information to data brokers, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

6. AI photo analysis

Two features use AI (Anthropic’s Claude) to look at tree photos:

• Quote-request photo check. Photos attached to a quote request are analyzed to sanity-check your cost estimate and help companies understand the job. These photos are stored with your request and shared with companies as described above.
• Tree Check. Photos submitted to the free Tree Check tool are sent for a one-time analysis and are not stored — once you have your result, the photo is gone.

In both cases Anthropic processes the photo to generate the analysis and does not use it to train its AI models. AI analysis can be wrong — it is informational, not an arborist’s inspection. Please avoid including people, license plates, or house numbers in your photos.

7. Your privacy rights

State privacy laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) give residents specific rights. We extend these to everyone, wherever you live:

• Know and access the personal information we have about you.
• Correct it if it is wrong.
• Delete it, with narrow exceptions (for example, records we must keep for tax or legal reasons).
• Opt out of sale or sharing. We do not sell personal information or share it for targeted advertising, so there is nothing to opt out of. Quote-request sharing happens only when you submit a request asking us to share it.
• No discrimination for exercising any of these rights.

The categories of personal information we collect are: identifiers (name, email, phone), customer records (subscription information), commercial information (quote requests, purchases), audio/visual data (photos you upload), internet activity (server logs), professional information (credentials and licenses, for arborists and CEU-tracker users), and approximate location (a ZIP code you provide).

To exercise a right, email hello@treenerd.com from the email address connected to the data, or include enough detail for us to verify it is you. An authorized agent may act for you with proof of authorization. We respond within 45 days.

8. Data retention

We keep account data while your account is active. Quote requests are retained while needed to fulfill them and for our records, with their photos. Tree Check photos are never stored. Newsletter addresses are kept until you unsubscribe. You can ask us to delete your data sooner at any time (see section 7).

9. Security

Your data lives with established providers (Supabase, Stripe, Vercel) using encryption in transit and at rest. Sign-in uses one-time email links, so there is no TreeNerd password to steal. Sensitive uploads — CEU certificates and license verification documents — sit in private storage restricted to you and our staff. No online service can promise perfect security, but we take it seriously.

10. Children

TreeNerd is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their information. If you believe a child has given us personal information, email hello@treenerd.com and we will delete it.

11. Where data is processed

TreeNerd is a U.S.-focused service, and information is processed in the United States.

12. Changes to this policy

When we change this policy, we will post the new version here and update the date at the top. For significant changes we will also notify account holders and subscribers by email.

13. Contact

hello@treenerd.com — we read everything.