Privacy Policy - Homestead Hug

1. Introduction

At Homestead Hug, accessible at homesteadhug.com, we are deeply committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal data in compliance with applicable data protection laws, including the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”). This Privacy Policy outlines the principles and practices that govern how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information. We are dedicated to transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of your personal data.

2. Scope of This Policy and Our Role as a Data Controller

This Privacy Policy applies to all personal information collected through your use of homesteadhug.com, including when you browse our website, create an account, make a purchase, or communicate with us. Homestead Hug, as the operator of homesteadhug.com, acts as the data controller under the GDPR and as a business under the CCPA, which means we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data.

3. Categories of Data Processed

We collect and process the following categories of personal data in accordance with the principles of necessity, minimization, and transparency:

– Usage Data: Includes IP addresses, browser types, access times, page views, and referring URLs. This data helps us monitor site performance, analyze usage trends, and improve user experiences.

– Account Data: Includes names, billing and shipping addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and other identifiers provided during account registration or checkout.

– Profile Data: Includes purchase history, preferences, wish lists, feedback, and behavior on the site such as browsing habits and account settings.

– Communication Data: Includes any communications you send to us, including email correspondence, support tickets, and interaction history related to inquiries or product assistance.

– Technical Data: Includes device type, operating system, browser settings, screen resolution, and language preferences. This helps us tailor the site to ensure compatibility and function.

– Transaction Data: Includes payment method information, billing records, transaction timestamps, delivery status, and order contents. Note: We do not store full credit card details; payment processing is handled by third-party providers.

– Preference Data: Includes opt-in details for marketing materials, survey responses, product interest signals, and communication preferences.

4. Legal Bases for Processing

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds, as applicable under the GDPR and equivalent principles under the CCPA:

– Consent: Where legally required, we will seek your informed, affirmative consent before processing your data. This includes, for example, subscribing to newsletters or accepting cookies.

– Contract Performance: Processing is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations to you, such as processing orders, managing account access, and delivering products.

– Legitimate Interests: We may process data for purposes aligned with our legitimate interests, such as improving website functionality, fraud prevention, and direct marketing (subject to opt-out options), provided those interests are not overridden by your rights.

– Compliance with Legal Obligations: We may process your data to satisfy legal or regulatory obligations, such as tax or security requirements.

5. Your Rights

Under the GDPR and, where applicable, the CCPA, you are entitled to exercise certain rights regarding your personal data. These include:

– Right to Access: You have the right to request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and to access a copy of that data.

– Right to Rectification: You may request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

– Right to Erasure: You may request the deletion of your data under certain circumstances, including where it is no longer necessary for the purposes collected or where you withdraw consent.

– Right to Restriction: You can request that we limit the processing of your data in specific situations, such as pending a rectification request.

– Right to Data Portability: Where technically feasible, you have the right to receive your personal data in a machine-readable format and transmit it to another controller.

– Right to Object: You may object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We endeavor to respond to all such requests in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

6. Security Measures

We adopt a privacy-first approach to data security. Homestead Hug implements technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Measures include but are not limited to:

– End-to-end encryption of data in transit via HTTPS
– Secure cloud infrastructure and periodic vulnerability assessments
– Role-based access control restricted to authorized personnel
– Regular backups and disaster recovery planning
– Mandatory data privacy training for staff with access to personal data

7. International Transfers

If we transfer your personal data outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) or other jurisdictions with equivalent data protection regimes, such transfers are conducted in compliance with applicable laws. We implement robust legal and technical safeguards, including Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, to ensure adequate protection of your personal information during international transfers.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, contractual, accounting, and operational requirements:

– Usage and technical data: 12 months from collection
– Account and profile data: Retained while the user account remains active; deleted within 30 days after account deletion
– Transaction data: Retained for 7 years for tax and audit compliance
– Communication data: 24 months from last communication
– Preference data: Retained until you withdraw consent or update preferences

9. Cookie Policy

Homestead Hug uses cookies and related technologies to collect and store information when you visit homesteadhug.com. These technologies serve the following purposes:

– Essential Cookies: Required for website functionality, such as account authentication and shopping cart integrity.

– Functional Cookies: Enable personalization, such as saving language preferences and tailoring content.

– Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with the site through anonymized traffic and behavior insights.

– Performance Cookies: Improve response times and measure system performance under load.

10. Cookie Management and Compliance

Upon your first visit to homesteadhug.com, you are presented with a cookie consent banner consistent with GDPR and CCPA requirements. You can accept or manage your cookie preferences at any time using our Cookie Settings interface located in the footer of our site. You may also manage cookies via your browser settings.

Note: Disabling certain types of cookies may affect site functionality.

11. Protection of Children’s Privacy

Homestead Hug does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that personal information from a child under 13 has been collected without verified parental consent, we will delete such data promptly. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal information to us, please contact us at [email protected].

12. Policy Updates and User Notification

We reserve the right to amend this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in legal requirements or business practices. When we make material changes to this Policy, we will provide notice to users through the website interface or direct communication channels where appropriate. Continued use of homesteadhug.com after changes implies acceptance of the updated policies.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback regarding this Privacy Policy or how your personal data is handled, we encourage you to contact us:

Email: [email protected]
Website: https://homesteadhug.com

We take privacy and data protection seriously and are committed to responding to all inquiries in a lawful, transparent, and timely manner.

Homestead Hug is committed to full compliance with the GDPR, CCPA, and other applicable privacy regulations. Your trust is important to us, and we welcome all privacy-related concerns at [email protected].