PRIVACY POLICY

1. INTRODUCTION & ACCEPTANCE

Welcome to Sonchidiya (www.sonchidiya.com), an artisanal e-commerce platform dedicated to handcrafted decor, drinkware, and cultural art pieces. We deeply respect your privacy and are committed to safeguarding the personal information you share with us.

This comprehensive Privacy Policy explains in detail how we collect, use, process, disclose, and protect your data when you visit our website, use our services, or make a purchase. By accessing or using Sonchidiya, you agree to the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy.

2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

To provide you with a seamless and premium shopping experience, we collect information across various touchpoints:

2.1 PERSONAL INFORMATION (PROVIDED BY YOU)

• Account & Identity Data: First name, last name, email address, phone/WhatsApp number, and account passwords (encrypted).
• Billing & Delivery Data: Shipping addresses, billing addresses, city, state, and postal/ZIP codes.
• Financial Information: We DO NOT store your credit card numbers, UPI PINs, or bank account details on our servers. All financial transactions are securely processed via encrypted third-party payment gateways.

2.2 AUTOMATED INFORMATION (COLLECTED VIA TECHNOLOGY)

• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device model, and IP (Internet Protocol) address.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on our site, products viewed, cart additions, and clickstream data to help us understand user preferences.
• Cookies & Tracking: We use cookies, web beacons, and pixels to track your session, remember your shopping cart, and deliver personalized content.

3. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

The information we collect is strictly used for the following business and operational purposes:

• Order Fulfillment: To process your orders, arrange shipping, and provide order confirmations, invoices, and delivery tracking.
• Customer Support: To communicate with you regarding product inquiries, 7-day returns, replacements, or technical issues via Email, Phone, or WhatsApp.
• Platform Improvement: To analyze website traffic, fix bugs, and enhance the overall user interface and shopping experience.
• Marketing & Promotions: To send you newsletters, special offers, and updates about new artisanal collections (only if you have opted in). You may unsubscribe at any time.
• Fraud Prevention: To screen orders for potential risk, prevent fraudulent transactions, and ensure the security of our platform.

4. SHARING & DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

We value your privacy and will never sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties for their marketing purposes. We only share information with trusted third parties under the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: We share necessary details (like name, address, and phone number) with logistics and courier partners to successfully deliver your handcrafted items.
• Payment Processors: To facilitate secure transactions and prevent fraud.
• Analytics Partners: Tools like Google Analytics may collect anonymized data to help us understand how users interact with our website.
• Legal Obligations: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, subpoena, or if requested by government or regulatory authorities to protect the rights, property, or safety of Sonchidiya and our users.

5. DATA RETENTION & SECURITY

Security Measures: We employ robust, industry-standard security protocols, including SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption, to ensure that data passed between your browser and our servers remains private and integral. Our databases are secured behind firewalls with restricted administrative access.

Data Retention: We will retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, or as required to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements.

6. COOKIES POLICY

Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help us improve your browsing experience. We use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the basic functioning of the website (e.g., maintaining your shopping cart).
• Performance & Analytics Cookies: To understand how visitors use our site and where we can improve.

You have the right to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser settings to decline them. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

7. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS

Depending on your location, you may have specific rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You can ask us to correct or update any inaccurate information.
• Right to Erasure: You can request the deletion of your account and associated personal data (subject to legal retention requirements).
• Right to Opt-Out: You can unsubscribe from our marketing emails at any time by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of our emails.

8. THIRD-PARTY LINKS

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not operated by us. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit.

9. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, or legal requirements. Any updates will be posted on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date at the top. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.