Privacy Policy

Introduction

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected through the Catharina Knitwear website, online store, email communication, contact forms, customer support channels and related services.

By using our website or submitting personal information to us, you acknowledge that your information may be processed as explained in this Privacy Policy.

We process personal information in accordance with applicable South African privacy and consumer laws, including the Protection of Personal Information Act, commonly referred to as POPIA.

Information We Collect

The type of personal information we collect depends on how you interact with our website and services.

We may collect the following information:

• Your full name and surname.
• Your email address and telephone number.
• Your billing and delivery addresses.
• Order details and purchase history.
• Product preferences, selected sizes and other order information.
• Communication submitted through contact forms, email, telephone or customer-support channels.
• Account information where you create a customer account.
• Technical information such as your IP address, browser type, device type and website activity.
• Cookie and analytics information, subject to your settings and applicable consent requirements.

How We Collect Information

We may collect personal information when you:

• Browse or interact with our website.
• Create a customer account.
• Add products to your basket or place an order.
• Complete a contact, enquiry or subscription form.
• Contact us by email, telephone or another communication channel.
• Request customer support, a return, exchange or refund.
• Subscribe to marketing communication.
• Interact with cookies or analytics technologies on our website.

We may also receive limited personal information from service providers involved in processing payments, delivering orders, hosting the website or providing technical services.

How We Use Your Information

We may use your personal information to:

• Process, confirm and fulfil your order.
• Arrange delivery and provide shipping updates.
• Communicate with you about your purchase.
• Manage returns, exchanges, refunds and customer enquiries.
• Create and maintain your customer account.
• Respond to questions submitted through the website.
• Prevent fraudulent transactions and protect the security of our website.
• Understand how visitors use our website and improve its performance.
• Personalise relevant website and shopping experiences.
• Send marketing communication where you have consented or where it is otherwise lawfully permitted.
• Meet accounting, tax, legal and record-keeping requirements.
• Establish, exercise or defend a legal claim where necessary.

Reasons for Processing Information

We will only process personal information where there is a lawful and reasonable reason to do so.

Depending on the circumstances, we may process your information:

• To fulfil an order or perform an agreement with you.
• With your consent.
• To comply with a legal obligation.
• To protect your legitimate interests or those of another person.
• Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests and does not unjustifiably interfere with your privacy.

Orders and Payments

When you place an order, we collect the information needed to process your purchase, confirm payment, prepare your products and arrange delivery.

Payment transactions may be processed by a secure third-party payment gateway. The payment provider may collect information directly from you in accordance with its own privacy terms and security procedures.

We may receive confirmation that your payment was successful, along with limited transaction information needed to match the payment to your order.

Cookies and Website Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to help the website function correctly, remember customer preferences and understand how visitors interact with the website.

Cookies may include:

You may control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may prevent certain website or checkout features from working correctly.

Marketing Communication

We may send you information about products, collections, offers or brand updates where you have consented to receive such communication or where applicable law otherwise permits it.

You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by:

• Using the unsubscribe option included in the email.
• Contacting us at catharina.knits@gmail.com .

Unsubscribing from marketing communication will not prevent us from sending necessary transactional messages about an active order, payment, delivery, return or customer-service request.

Sharing Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share information with trusted service providers where reasonably necessary to operate our online store and provide services to you.

These service providers may include:

• Payment-processing providers.
• Courier, logistics and delivery companies.
• Website hosting, maintenance and technical-service providers.
• Email, customer communication and marketing-service providers.
• Website analytics and security-service providers.
• Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors or legal representatives.
• Public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

Service providers should only receive the information reasonably required to perform the relevant service and are expected to protect that information appropriately.

International Information Transfers

Some website, hosting, email, payment, analytics or technical-service providers may process or store information outside South Africa.

Where personal information is transferred across borders, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the transfer is permitted and that appropriate privacy and security safeguards are in place.

Information Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against:

• Loss or accidental destruction.
• Unauthorised access or use.
• Unlawful processing or disclosure.
• Alteration or damage.

These measures may include controlled access, password protection, website security tools, secure connections, system updates, backups and the careful selection of service providers.

No internet transmission or electronic-storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Customers should protect their account passwords and avoid sharing login information with others.

How Long We Keep Information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or as required by applicable law.

Retention periods may depend on:

• The duration of our relationship with you.
• The need to process and support your order.
• Accounting, tax and financial record requirements.
• Warranty, return and customer-service requirements.
• Fraud prevention, dispute resolution or legal claims.
• Any consent you have provided.

When information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to delete, destroy or de-identify it, subject to legal and operational requirements.

Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable law and any relevant limitations, you may have the right to:

• Ask whether we hold personal information about you.
• Request access to personal information we hold about you.
• Request that incorrect, incomplete or outdated information be corrected.
• Request deletion or destruction of information where legally permitted.
• Object to certain processing of your personal information.
• Withdraw consent where processing depends on your consent.
• Unsubscribe from direct marketing.
• Submit a complaint regarding the processing of your information.

To protect your information, we may need to verify your identity before completing a privacy-related request.

Children’s Privacy

Our online store is not intended to collect personal information directly from children without the involvement or authorisation of a parent or legal guardian.

A person under the age of 18 should use the website and place an order only with the assistance or permission of a parent or legal guardian.

Where we become aware that a child’s information has been submitted without appropriate authorisation, we will take reasonable steps to address the matter in accordance with applicable law.

Third-Party Websites and Services

Our website may contain links to websites, platforms or services operated by third parties.

These third parties have their own privacy practices and policies. Catharina Knitwear is not responsible for how an independent third party collects or processes information after you leave our website.

We recommend reviewing the privacy policy of any third-party service before providing personal information.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our website, business practices, service providers or legal responsibilities.

The updated policy will be published on this page and the effective date displayed at the top of the page will be amended.

We encourage customers to review this Privacy Policy periodically.