Privacy Policy for Flooringstore.co.za

Effective Date: 01 October 2025

This Privacy Policy describes how Carpet Boutique (Pty) Ltd, trading as Flooringstore.co.za (“we,” “us,” or “our”), collects, uses, stores, protects, and shares your personal information when you use our website, www.flooringstore.co.za (the “Website”). We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and other applicable laws.

By using the Website, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, as well as information collected automatically through your use of the Website.

• Information You Provide:
• Account Registration: When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, phone number, and physical address.
• Order Placement: When you place an order, we collect your name, contact details (email, phone, shipping/billing addresses), payment information (handled securely by our payment gateway, we do not store full card details), and any specific delivery instructions.
• Contact Forms/Support Inquiries: If you contact us via our website’s contact forms or customer dashboard, we collect the information you provide, which may include your name, email address, and details about your inquiry.
• Reviews & Comments: If you submit user-generated content, we collect the content and any associated personal information you choose to provide.
• Information Collected Automatically (via WordPress/WooCommerce and Analytics):
• Usage Data: We collect information about how you interact with our Website, including pages visited, time spent on pages, products viewed, items added to cart, and order history. This helps us improve user experience and identify popular products.
• Device Information: We may collect information about the devices you use to access our Website, such as IP address, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies and similar technologies to collect data about your browsing activity, preferences, and to enhance your shopping experience. Please see our Cookie Policy for more details.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To Process and Fulfill Your Orders: To manage your orders, process payments, arrange for shipping, and deliver your products.
• To Provide Customer Support: To respond to your inquiries, resolve issues, and provide assistance.
• To Improve the Website and Services: To understand how our Website is used, identify areas for improvement, and personalize your experience. This includes analyzing usage data and product popularity.
• To Communicate with You:
• Order confirmations, shipping notifications, and updates.
• Marketing and promotional communications (only if you have opted in or if permitted by law). You can unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time.
• Responding to your inquiries and feedback.
• For Legal and Security Purposes: To comply with legal obligations, prevent fraud, enforce our terms, and protect our rights and the rights of others.
• For Analytics and Marketing: To understand customer behaviour, track marketing campaign effectiveness, and provide relevant content or offers (while respecting your privacy choices).

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business and providing services, such as:
• Payment Gateways: For secure processing of online transactions (e.g., PayFast, etc.). We only share the necessary information for payment processing.
• Shipping and Logistics Companies: To deliver your orders.
• Website Hosting Providers: (e.g., your WordPress host).
• Analytics Providers: To help us understand Website usage (e.g., Google Analytics).
• Customer Support Tools: For managing inquiries.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.
• With Your Consent: We may share your information with third parties for other purposes if you have given us your explicit consent.

4. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Our Website uses SSL encryption to secure data transmission. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Your Rights and Choices

Under POPIA, you have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

• Access: The right to request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Erasure: The right to request deletion of your personal information under certain circumstances.
• Restriction of Processing: The right to request that we limit the processing of your personal information.
• Data Portability: The right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• Objection: The right to object to the processing of your personal information.
• Withdrawal of Consent: The right to withdraw your consent at any time.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 8.

6. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, or as required by law (e.g., for tax and accounting purposes, we may need to retain order data for a specified period).

7. Third-Party Links and Services

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.

8. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

• Email: (for formal and legal correspondence only)
• For all other support queries, please use the Contact Form on our website or your Customer Dashboard.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post any changes on this page and update the “Effective Date.” We encourage you to review this Policy periodically for any updates.