Simple Soirées Privacy Policy

1. Introduction
Welcome to Simple Soirees. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how Simple Soirees (Pty) Ltd (“we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards your information when you visit our website www.simplesoirees.co.za or make a purchase from us.

We comply with the South African Protection of Personal Information Act No. 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) and other applicable data protection laws. By using our website, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

2. The Information We Collect
We collect information that identifies, relates to, describes, or is capable of being associated with you (“Personal Information”). This includes:

• Identifiers: Name, shipping address, email address, and phone number.

• Commercial Information: Records of products purchased, order history, and customer service interactions.

• Financial Information: Credit/debit card details and other payment information. Please note that we use third-party payment processors, and we do not store your full credit card details on our servers.

• Technical Information: Internet protocol (IP) address, browser type, operating system, and information about your interaction with our website (collected via cookies and similar technologies).

3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes, which are necessary for us to perform our contract with you, comply with legal obligations, and/or pursue our legitimate business interests:

• To Fulfil Your Orders: To process your payments, arrange for shipping, and provide you with invoices and/or order confirmations.

• To Communicate With You: To respond to your enquiries, provide customer support, and send you important account-related information.

• For Marketing (with your consent): If you have opted in, we will send you information about our latest products, special offers, and events via our newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time.

• To Improve Our Services: To analyse how customers use the website and to improve our website, products, and customer service.

• For Security and Fraud Prevention: To screen our orders for potential risk or fraud.

4. Legal Basis for Processing (POPIA Compliance)
In accordance with POPIA, we process your Personal Information on the following grounds:

• Consent: For direct marketing communications, we rely on your explicit consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

• Necessity for Contract Performance: To fulfil our obligations to you when you place an order.

• Legal Compliance: To comply with South African tax and other legal obligations.

• Legitimate Interests: To operate and improve our business in a way that does not override your fundamental rights and freedoms.

5. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell or rent your Personal Information to third parties. We only share your data in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We share your information with trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, and serving you, such as shipping carriers (e.g., The Courier Guy, SAPO) and payment processors (e.g., PayPal, Peach Payments). These parties are obligated to keep your information confidential and secure.

• Legal Obligation: We may disclose your information where required to do so by law or in response to a valid legal request from a competent authority.

6. International Transfers of Data
As we sell internationally, your Personal Information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside of South Africa (for example, when our international shipping partners require it). We will ensure that any such transfer is compliant with POPIA and that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information.

7. Data Security
We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your Personal Information. We use secure servers and encrypt sensitive information using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

8. Data Retention
We will only retain your Personal Information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. For tax purposes, we are required to keep basic customer information (including Contact, Identity, Financial and Transaction Data) for a period of 5 years (or as prescribed by law) after the transaction is completed.

9. Your Rights Under POPIA
As a data subject, you have the right to:

• Access: Request access to the Personal Information we hold about you.

• Correction: Request the correction of any inaccurate or incomplete Personal Information.

• Deletion: Request the deletion of your Personal Information where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing.

• Objection: Object to the processing of your Personal Information, particularly for direct marketing purposes.

• Lodge a Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 11.

10. Cookies
Our website uses “cookies” to enhance your experience. Cookies are small files that a site transfers to your device’s hard drive through your web browser. They enable the site to recognize your browser and remember certain information. You can choose to disable cookies through your browser settings.

11. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or wish to lodge a complaint, please contact our Information Officer:

Email: info@simplesoirees.co.za
Subject Line: Attention: Information Officer

Information Regulator of South Africa
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the South African Information Regulator. Contact details can be found on their website: https://www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/

12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will post the changes on this page and update the “Last Updated” date.