Privacy Policy
1. Scope of this policy
This policy explains how Smitties ("we", "us") collects, uses, shares, and protects personal information when you visit https://vancouverchocolate.co/, create an account, place an order, contact support, or interact with our communications. It applies to customers, account holders, and visitors. By using this site you acknowledge the practices described here.
2. Information we collect
We collect only what we need to run the store:
| Category | Examples | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Name, date of birth (where age verification is required) | You |
| Contact | Email, phone, billing and shipping addresses | You |
| Transaction | Order history, items purchased, amounts, refunds | Generated by your orders |
| Payment | Payment method type and confirmation tokens — full card numbers are handled by our payment processors and never stored on our servers | You / payment processor |
| Technical | IP address, device and browser type, pages viewed | Automatic |
| Support | Messages, attachments, and call notes when you contact us | You |
| Marketing | Preferences, opt-ins, engagement with our emails | You / automatic |
3. How we use your information
We use personal information to: process, ship, and provide updates about your orders; create and secure your account; provide customer support and resolve disputes; detect and prevent fraud and abuse; comply with tax, accounting, and other legal obligations; and — only where you have opted in — send marketing about products and offers. Every marketing message includes a one-click unsubscribe.
4. Legal bases
We process personal information: to perform our contract with you (orders, delivery, support); to meet legal obligations (tax records, age verification where required); for legitimate interests that do not override your rights (fraud prevention, service improvement); and with your consent (marketing), which you may withdraw at any time.
5. Who we share information with
We never sell personal information. We share the minimum necessary with: delivery partners () to ship and track parcels; payment processors to complete transactions; service providers who host our infrastructure and email under strict confidentiality; and authorities where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect our legal rights. All processors are contractually barred from using your data for their own purposes.
6. International transfers
Where a service provider processes data outside Canada, we require contractual safeguards ensuring protection equivalent to this policy and applicable law.
7. How long we keep information
Order and transaction records are kept as long as required by tax and accounting law. Account data is kept while your account is active. Support correspondence is retained long enough to resolve issues and improve service. When retention periods expire, data is deleted or irreversibly anonymized. You may request account deletion at any time; we will action it except where law requires retention.
8. How we protect information
We use encryption in transit (TLS) for all traffic, encrypted storage for sensitive fields, access controls limiting data to staff who need it, and logging of administrative access. No system is perfectly secure; if a breach affecting your personal information occurs, we will notify you and the relevant authority as required by law.
9. Your rights
Subject to applicable law, you have the right to: access the personal information we hold about you; correct inaccuracies; delete your account and associated data; export your data in a portable format; withdraw consent to marketing at any time; and complain to your privacy regulator. Send requests to [email protected]; we verify identity before acting and respond within 30 days.
10. Cookies
We use a small, purpose-grouped set of cookies described in our Cookie Policy, which forms part of this policy.
11. Children
This store is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under the age of majority in their jurisdiction, and we delete any such data on discovery.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as our practices or the law change. Material changes are announced on this page with an updated effective date, and where appropriate by email. Continued use of the store after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.