Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 19, 2026
Who we are
The Chore Auction is a small family app made and run by Bruce Bowers in Wisconsin, USA. In this policy, "we" and "us" mean Bruce Bowers. Contact: stradman100@gmail.com.
What we collect
| Information | Why |
|---|---|
| A family nickname you choose | Shown at the top of the app |
| Kids' first names or nicknames, and a color for each | So each kid can pick chores and see their points |
| Chores, who picked them, points, and rewards | This is how the app works |
| Parent email (optional) | Only things you ask for (a PIN reset code, your kids' secret codes, your lost family link), a one-time welcome email, and a few security notices. Never weekly emails. |
| Your time zone | So chores come back on the board at midnight where you live |
| A scrambled (hashed) copy of your parent PIN | To check the PIN. We cannot see the PIN itself. |
| Each kid's 4-number secret code, stored coded | So kids can sign in on a family computer, and so a parent can see the codes or have them emailed if a kid forgets |
| A record of each device a parent sets up: which kid it belongs to, and when it was added and last used | So only that device can pick chores for that kid, and you can remove devices |
| Your Gumroad license key, if you bought the app | To check the purchase and help with support or refunds |
We do not collect last names, home addresses, phone numbers, birthdays or ages, schools, photos, precise location, or payment card details. Payments are handled entirely by Gumroad.
Please enter only first names or nicknames for your kids and a nickname for your family.
Kids and parents
The Chore Auction is set up and controlled by a parent or guardian. A parent creates the family, chooses what information to enter, sets up each kid's device, and approves chores and rewards with a parent PIN. Kids use the app to pick chores and mark them finished, under their parent's supervision.
We do not ask kids for any information, and we do not contact kids. We only keep the first names or nicknames a parent enters. A parent can review this information in the app at any time and can delete it completely from Parent, then Family settings, then "Delete everything." A parent can also email us to ask what we hold or to have it deleted.
What stays on your device
Your browser saves your family's private link, your kid's device key, and (only in the demo) the demo family. While a parent is unlocked, a short-lived parent session is saved until the browser tab is closed. We do not use cookies, advertising IDs, or analytics.
The try-it demo runs completely in your browser. Nothing you do in the demo is sent to us.
Where your information is kept
Each family's information is kept in its own private Google Sheet in our Google Drive. It is not shared with anyone. The app's backend runs on Google Apps Script. The app's web page is hosted on GitHub Pages.
These companies act as our service providers:
- Google stores the family sheets, runs the backend, and sends our emails.
- GitHub hosts the app's web page. Like any website host, GitHub may log basic visit information such as IP addresses. Your family's private ID is never sent to GitHub.
- Gumroad processes purchases and issues license keys, under its own privacy policy.
As the app's operator, we can view family information when needed to provide support or keep the service running. We do not look at it for any other reason.
What we never do
- We never sell or rent your information.
- We never show paid ads, and we never share your information with advertisers or with Amazon.
- We never use your information to train AI or build profiles.
- We only email the parent email you give us, and only about your Chore Auction.
Website visit statistics (Google Analytics)
We use Google Analytics to count visits to our public pages: the start page, the demo, the setup steps, the tutorials, and these policy pages. It tells us things like how many people visited and which features they tried, so we can make the app better.
Google Analytics is turned off inside your family's own app. Your family link, your kids' names, chores, points, and anything kids see or do are never sent to Google. We also turned off Google's advertising features, so the visit statistics are not used to show you ads.
Google may use a cookie to tell one visit from the next. You can block it in your browser settings, or with Google's opt-out add-on at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Amazon links
The start page and some parent screens suggest a few products that make chores easier, like a visual timer or a kid-size broom. These link to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, The Chore Auction earns from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra.
These links are only shown to grown-ups, never on kids' screens. If you click one, you leave our site and Amazon's own privacy notice applies, including any cookies Amazon uses. We do not send Amazon any of your family's information.
How we protect it
- Every family has its own private link, made from a long random code.
- Only a device a parent has set up can pick chores, and only as one kid.
- Parent actions need the parent PIN. It is stored scrambled, checked on our server, and locks after repeated wrong tries.
- Parents are emailed about PIN lockouts, PIN changes, and new devices.
- The app page loads no outside scripts or trackers.
No system is perfectly secure. Keep your family link inside your household, choose a PIN your kids cannot guess, and remove devices you no longer use.
How long we keep it, and deleting it
We keep your family's information until you delete your family. When you delete it in the app, the family's sheet goes to the trash and is permanently erased within 30 days. Your nickname and email are removed from our records right away. We keep only the license key, if there is one, so we can still match a refund or support question to a purchase.
You can also email us to delete your family or to ask for a copy of what we hold.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top. If a change is important, we will tell families with a parent email on file before it takes effect.
Questions
Email stradman100@gmail.com. We usually answer within a few days.