Privacy Policy

Welcome to Gardenista Store (“we”, “our”, or “us”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website www.gardenistastore.com or make a purchase from us.

As passionate gardeners ourselves, we understand the importance of trust when sharing personal details, just as you trust us to provide quality bedding plants, flowering shrubs, fruit trees, and garden essentials. Please read this policy carefully to understand our practices regarding your personal data.

1. Information We Collect

We collect several types of information from and about users of our website, including:

• Personal Identification Information: Name, email address, phone number, shipping/billing address, payment information (processed securely through our PCI-DSS compliant systems)
• Transaction Information: Details about purchases you make through our store (including products ordered, payment method, but excluding full payment card details which we do not store)
• Technical Information: IP address, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types, operating system
• Usage Data: Information about how you use our website, products, and services
• Marketing and Communications Data: Your preferences in receiving marketing from us

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect in the following ways:

• To process and fulfill your orders for our plants and gardening products
• To communicate with you about your orders, account, or inquiries
• To provide customer support from our Belfast-based team
• To improve our website, products, and customer service
• To prevent fraudulent transactions and enhance payment security
• To send you relevant gardening tips, promotions, and product updates (only if you’ve opted in)
• To comply with legal obligations and protect our legal rights

3. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information with:

• Payment processors: To complete transactions (PayPal, card processors)
• Shipping providers: To deliver your plants and gardening supplies
• Service providers: Who assist with website hosting, analytics, marketing, and other business operations
• Legal authorities: When required by law or to protect our rights

We never sell your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

4. International Data Transfers

As we serve customers worldwide (excluding Asia and some remote areas), your information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your own. We ensure all transfers comply with applicable data protection laws and implement appropriate safeguards.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including:

• 256-bit SSL encryption for all transactions
• PCI-DSS compliance for payment processing
• Regular security assessments of our systems
• Limited access to personal data within our organization

Despite these measures, no internet transmission or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but we promise to notify you and the appropriate authorities of any data breaches as required by law.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Typically, we retain order information for 7 years to comply with tax regulations.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights including:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data
• Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data
• Restriction: Request we limit how we use your data
• Objection: Object to certain processing activities
• Portability: Request transfer of your data to another service
• Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on consent for processing

To exercise these rights, please contact us at [email protected].

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Remember your preferences and login information
• Analyze website traffic and usage patterns
• Deliver relevant gardening-related advertisements
• Improve our website functionality

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect your experience on our website.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not intended for children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we become aware of such collection, we will take steps to delete the information.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. The updated version will be posted on our website with a new “Last Updated” date. We encourage you to review this policy regularly.