NZ Car Compare is committed to protecting your privacy. We collect minimal personal data, do not sell your information, and do not require you to create an account or log in.
NZ Car Compare (nzcarcompare.co.nz) is a free vehicle cost comparison tool for New Zealand consumers, operated as a sole trader business based in New Zealand. Contact: privacy@nzcarcompare.co.nz.
| Data type | What we collect | Why | How long kept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analytics | Approximate location (country/city), pages visited, session duration, device type, browser, referral source — anonymised via Google Analytics 4 | To understand how the site is used and improve it | 14 months (Google default) |
| Plate lookups | NZ registration plate numbers entered by users | To query the Carjam API and return vehicle details, economy figures, and safety ratings | Cached up to 1 hour on our server, then discarded |
| IP addresses | Your IP address with each request | Rate limiting (max 10 plate lookups/hour per IP) and server security | Up to 1 hour in memory, not written to permanent storage |
| Preferences | Dark/light mode preference stored in your browser localStorage | To remember your display preference | Until you clear your browser data |
We do not collect your name, email address, phone number, or any other personally identifying information. No account or login is required.
When you enter a NZ registration plate number, we query the Carjam API to retrieve publicly available vehicle information from the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Motor Vehicle Register. This data includes:
Odometer readings returned by Carjam are used to calculate an adjusted price estimate. We apply a depreciation model (approximately $0.065 per km above or below expected mileage for the vehicle's age) to the base Trade Me average price. This calculation is performed entirely on our server — no odometer data is stored or shared.
Carjam is a licensed data reseller authorised to distribute NZTA and EECA data. Plate numbers you enter are sent to Carjam's servers. Carjam's own privacy policy applies: carjam.co.nz/privacy.
Vehicle price estimates are derived from historical Trade Me Motors average sale prices, stored locally on our servers as a reference dataset. We do not make real-time requests to Trade Me. No user data is shared with Trade Me.
We use Google Analytics 4, which sets analytics cookies. We track anonymised usage events including page views, comparison actions, and affiliate link clicks (without personally identifying information). We do not use advertising cookies, remarketing cookies, or any cross-site tracking. Cookies set include _ga (2-year expiry) and _ga_XXXXXXXX (session). You can opt out via the Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on. Refusing cookies does not affect your use of the site.
To prevent API abuse, we track the number of plate lookups per IP address and limit this to 10 real lookups per hour. This count is held in server memory only and is not logged or stored permanently. Demo vehicle lookups are never counted toward this limit.
NZ Car Compare participates in the Carjam affiliate programme. When you click the "Get full Carjam report" button after a plate lookup, or click the "Vehicle data: Carjam" link in our footer, you are directed to Carjam's website using a tracked affiliate link. If you purchase a Carjam report, NZ Car Compare earns a commission (currently 20% of the sale price). This commission comes from Carjam and does not add any cost to you.
We track clicks on Carjam affiliate links using Google Analytics 4 events. These events record which link was clicked and the general context (e.g. plate lookup result or footer) but do not include any personally identifying information. No vehicle plate numbers are sent to Google Analytics.
Our affiliate relationship with Carjam does not influence the vehicle data we display or our recommendations. We display data as returned by the Carjam API regardless of whether you click through to their site.
You have the right to request access to any personal information we hold about you, and to request correction of inaccuracies. Given that we collect no persistently identifying information beyond anonymised analytics, most users will have no personal data held by us beyond your browser's localStorage preference. To make a request: privacy@nzcarcompare.co.nz.
NZ Car Compare is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the site constitutes acceptance.