Privacy Policy
Effective Date: April 2026
Product: ThriftEdge Chrome Extension
ThriftEdge ("the Extension") is a Chrome browser extension that provides price comparison and cost calculation tools for mac.bid auction lots. This Privacy Policy explains what data the Extension accesses, stores, and transmits. By installing or using the Extension, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.
1. Data We Access (Read-Only)
The Extension reads data from lot pages on the mac.bid website in order to provide its price comparison features. This includes:
- Product names and descriptions
- UPC and ASIN identifiers where present
- Listed prices and current bid amounts
- Lot numbers and auction metadata
This data is read directly from the page DOM (content already visible to you in your browser). The Extension does not access data from any website other than mac.bid and the explicitly-invoked research destinations described below.
2. Data Stored Locally
The Extension stores the following data locally on your device using Chrome’s chrome.storage.local API:
- Extension settings: Your configured buyer’s premium percentage, lot fee, tax rate, and savings presets.
- Cached lookup results: Recent price data is cached locally to reduce repeated lookups. Cache entries expire automatically.
- Optional API credentials: If you choose to enable Amazon Product Advertising API integration, the API credentials you enter are stored locally. These credentials never leave your device except in requests to Amazon’s API itself.
All locally stored data remains on your device and never leaves your browser unless explicitly described in the “Data Transmitted” section below.
3. Data Transmitted
3.1 User-Initiated External Links
When you click a research link in the Extension, your browser navigates to the corresponding third-party website (Amazon, eBay, or CamelCamelCamel). These navigations are user-initiated and subject to the destination site’s own privacy policy.
3.2 Optional Amazon Product Advertising API
If you have configured Amazon Product Advertising API credentials in the Extension settings, the Extension may send product search queries directly to Amazon’s Product Advertising API (webservices.amazon.com) to retrieve current listings and prices. These queries include product names and identifiers extracted from the mac.bid lot you are viewing. The Extension does not route these queries through any intermediary server — requests go directly from your browser to Amazon.
This integration is optional. If you do not configure API credentials, no requests are sent to Amazon’s API.
3.3 No Telemetry, No Analytics, No Tracking
The Extension does not send usage data, analytics, error reports, or any other telemetry to the developer or any third party. No install identifiers, session IDs, or device fingerprints are transmitted.
4. Data We Do NOT Collect
The Extension does not collect any of the following:
- Personal information (name, email address, physical address, phone number)
- Browsing history or activity outside of mac.bid
- Payment or financial information
- Bid amounts, purchase history, or mac.bid account information
- Cookies or tracking pixels
- Usage analytics or telemetry of any kind
5. Third-Party Services
The Extension may interact with the following third-party services when you explicitly invoke them:
- Amazon Product Advertising API (optional; only if you configure credentials): retrieves product pricing data. Governed by Amazon’s privacy policy.
- Amazon.com, eBay.com, CamelCamelCamel.com: reached only when you click a research link in the Extension. Governed by each site’s own privacy policy.
6. Affiliate Links
The Extension includes affiliate tracking parameters on outbound links to Amazon.com. The default Tracking ID is thriftedge-20 (Amazon Associates Program).
If you have configured your own Tracking ID in the Extension settings, your tag is used instead — giving you the attribution if you click through your own links.
Affiliate parameters do not collect any data about you beyond what the destination retailer would collect on a regular visit. The Extension does not see when you complete a purchase, and Amazon does not share purchaser identity with the Associate.
As an Amazon Associate, ThriftEdge earns from qualifying purchases. Affiliate links are clearly disclosed in the Extension’s research panel and on every page of this website. See our Disclosures page for the full list of programs we participate in.
7. Data Retention
- Local cache: Expires automatically based on your configured cache duration.
- Local settings and credentials: Stored until you uninstall the Extension or manually clear them. Uninstalling removes all locally stored data.
8. Your Rights
- Clear cached data at any time through the Extension’s settings page.
- Remove API credentials at any time through the Extension’s settings page.
- Uninstall the Extension to remove all locally stored data from your device.
9. Children’s Privacy
The Extension is not directed at children under the age of 13. The developer does not knowingly collect data from children under 13.
10. Changes to This Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Material changes will also be announced through the Extension’s changelog.
11. Contact
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: