Privacy Policy - Science of Hauntings

1. Introduction: Our Commitment to Privacy and Data Protection

At Science of Hauntings (“we”, “us”, or “our”), we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. Your trust matters to us, and we take seriously our responsibility to safeguard all personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (the “GDPR”), the California Consumer Privacy Act (the “CCPA”), and related regulations. This Privacy Policy outlines the nature of the data we collect, the manner in which we use and protect it, and your rights regarding your personal information when you visit or interact with our website, scienceofhauntings.com (the “Site”).

2. Scope of Policy and Data Controller Role

This Privacy Policy applies to all individuals who access or use scienceofhauntings.com, including but not limited to visitors, registered users, and customers. For the purposes of the GDPR and other applicable data protection legislation, Science of Hauntings is the “data controller” responsible for determining the purposes and means of the processing of your personal data. Any inquiries regarding data processing activities can be directed to [email protected].

3. Categories of Data Processed

We collect and process the following categories of personal data, depending on your interactions with the Site:

a) Usage Data
This includes data about your visit and interaction with the Site, such as your IP address, browser type and version, pages visited, session duration, referring/exit URLs, time zone settings, and other diagnostic data gathered from cookies and similar technologies.

b) Account Data
When you voluntarily create an account or provide information during registration or checkout, we may collect your full name, billing and shipping address, email address, and phone number.

c) Profile Data
This encompasses your saved preferences, online behavior, purchase history, bookmarked content, and other data you may provide when subscribing to newsletters or interacting with site features.

d) Communication Data
Records generated from your correspondence with us, including inquiries, support requests, live chat messages, contact form submissions, and other interaction history with customer service.

e) Technical Data
Information about the device you use to interact with the Site, including hardware model, operating system, unique device identifiers, browser settings, and configuration preferences.

f) Transaction Data
Any data related to purchases or payments, including payment method, transaction ID, billing details, delivery address, and confirmations. Note: We do not store full credit card numbers; all payments are securely processed by third-party payment providers.

g) Preference Data
Your consent and preferences relating to newsletters, product and service updates, marketing communications, topic preferences, and your responses to optional surveys or polls.

4. Legal Bases for Processing Your Personal Data

We process your personal data lawfully, in accordance with Article 6 of the GDPR and equivalent principles under the CCPA. Our processing is based on one or more of the following legal bases:

– Consent: Where you have affirmatively given permission, such as subscribing to newsletters or accepting cookies.
– Contract: When processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party, including order fulfillment or account management.
– Legal obligation: Where we are under a duty to comply with applicable legal requirements or to enforce our legal rights.
– Legitimate interests: Where processing is required to operate our Site, improve user experiences, or maintain security, and our interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.

5. Your Rights Under Data Protection Laws

You are entitled to exercise the following rights under applicable laws, which you may do by contacting us at [email protected]:

– Right to Access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
– Right to Rectification: You have the right to correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
– Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): You may request deletion of your data where there is no compelling reason for continued processing.
– Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to limit the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
– Right to Data Portability: You are entitled to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format and have the right to transmit that data to another controller.
– Right to Object: You may object to the processing of your data based on legitimate interest or for direct marketing purposes.
– Non-Discrimination (under the CCPA): Exercising your privacy rights will not result in discriminatory treatment or the denial of services to you.

6. Security Measures

We maintain administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to ensure a high level of data confidentiality, integrity, and availability:

– Encryption of data both in transit and at rest using secure protocols.
– Role-based access controls and authentication requirements for internal staff access.
– Secure server environments and regular system updates.
– Routine backups and disaster recovery protections.
– Regular privacy and security awareness training for employees.

While we take all reasonable precautions, no system is entirely immune from risks. You are also responsible for protecting your login credentials and many aspects of your account security.

7. International Transfers of Personal Data

Personal data collected on scienceofhauntings.com may be transferred and maintained on servers located in jurisdictions outside your local region, including might be processed by trusted service providers located in the United States and other countries. Where such transfers occur, we ensure adequate protection through the use of:

– European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
– Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) where relevant
– Contractual assurances consistent with GDPR Article 46 and relevant CCPA provisions

8. Data Retention

We retain your data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The typical timeframes are as follows:

– Usage, Technical, and Cookie Data: up to 2 years
– Account and Profile Data: for the duration of your account plus 1 year
– Transaction Data: retained for 6 to 10 years for legal obligations
– Communication Data: up to 3 years from last contact
– Preference and Marketing Data: until you withdraw consent or opt-out

9. Cookie Policy

We use cookies and similar technologies on scienceofhauntings.com for various essential and non-essential purposes, categorized below:

– Essential Cookies: Required for core site functionality (e.g., account login, cart).
– Functional Cookies: Optional features like remembering language or display settings.
– Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with our Site, improving content and navigation.
– Performance Cookies: Measure system performance and backend infrastructure issues.

All non-essential cookies are only activated with your explicit consent in accordance with GDPR and CCPA principles.

10. Cookie Management and Opt-Out

Upon your first visit to the Site, you are presented with a banner requesting your consent for cookie use. You may manage preferences at any time via your browser’s cookie settings or through the Site’s cookie management tool. Additionally, you may opt-out of third-party data collection for advertising purposes by visiting:

– the Digital Advertising Alliance (https://optout.aboutads.info/)
– the Network Advertising Initiative (https://optout.networkadvertising.org/)

11. Children’s Privacy

Our Site and services are not directed toward children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from minors. If it comes to our notice that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13 without verified parental consent, we will delete such information promptly. If you believe that a child under 13 may have provided us with personal data, please contact us at [email protected].

12. Policy Updates and User Notifications

We reserve the right to update, revise, or amend this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect evolving legal standards, technology, or business practices. Changes will be posted on this page and, where legally required, we will notify you through the Site or via email. We encourage regular review to stay informed of how we protect your data.

13. How to Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, your data privacy rights, or our data handling practices, please contact us at:

Email: [email protected]

We are committed to ensuring the privacy and security of our visitors and users. Our data practices are designed to comply fully with applicable laws including GDPR, CCPA, and other regional privacy regulations. If you believe your rights have not been respected, you may also lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your jurisdiction.