Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Virtue Aroma (Pty) Ltd ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your personal information and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or make a purchase from us, in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).

By using our services, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

Place an order for our smart diffusers or fragrance oils
Create an account on our website
Subscribe to our marketing communications
Contact us with inquiries or feedback

The personal information we may collect includes:

Full name
Email address
Phone number
Shipping and billing addresses
Payment information (processed securely through PayFast)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To process and fulfill your orders
To communicate with you about your orders and deliveries
To provide customer support and respond to your inquiries
To send marketing emails to subscribed customers (you may unsubscribe at any time)
To improve our website and shopping experience
To comply with legal obligations

4. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information with trusted service providers who assist us in operating our business:

Shopify: Our e-commerce platform that hosts our online store and processes transactions
PayFast: Our payment processor that securely handles payment information
Shipping providers: To deliver your orders

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and understand user behavior. Cookies help us:

Remember your preferences and shopping cart items
Gather analytics data to improve our website
Provide personalized content and recommendations

You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Please note that disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our website.

6. Data Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously. Your data is stored on Shopify's secure servers, which employ industry-standard security measures including encryption, firewalls, and secure socket layer (SSL) technology.

Payment information is processed through PayFast's secure payment gateway and is not stored on our servers. While we implement reasonable security measures, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Marketing Communications

If you have subscribed to our marketing emails, we may send you promotional content, product updates, and special offers. You have the right to opt out of marketing communications at any time by:

Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email
Contacting us at info@virtuearoma.co.za

Please note that even if you unsubscribe from marketing emails, we may still send you transactional emails related to your orders.

8. Your Rights Under POPIA

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), you have the following rights:

Right to access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you
Right to correction: You may request that we correct or update inaccurate information
Right to deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal obligations
Right to object: You may object to the processing of your personal information for certain purposes
Right to data portability: You may request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used format

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@virtuearoma.co.za. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe as required by POPIA.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. When your information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a revised "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.