Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Home Crafts Gallery ("we", "us", "our") is a registered handicraft business based in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India (GSTIN: 09CFMPT0481H1ZZ). We are committed to protecting the privacy of every visitor, customer, and subscriber who interacts with our website https://yourdomain.com or our email communications.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, with whom we share it, and the rights you have over your information. By using our website or subscribing to our communications, you agree to the practices described here.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect information that is necessary to serve you. Specifically:

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Quote / Lead inquiries: name, email or WhatsApp number, country, and any message you send via our product inquiry form.
• Newsletter subscriptions: name and email address, with your explicit consent.
• Contact form: name, email, subject, and message content.
• Order/trade inquiries: shipping address, billing details, and any other information you provide for fulfilling a purchase or export order.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage data: pages viewed, products clicked, session duration, and approximate location (country level, derived from IP).
• Device data: browser type, operating system, screen size, and language preference.
• Cookies: small text files for session management and remembering your theme preference. See our Cookie Policy for details.

3. How We Use Your Information

Your information is used strictly for the following purposes:

• To respond to quote requests and trade inquiries you initiate.
• To send newsletters, product launches, and offers — only if you have explicitly subscribed via double opt-in.
• To process and fulfil orders you place with us.
• To improve our website, product photography, and category structure.
• To comply with applicable tax, accounting, and export regulations under Indian law.
• To prevent fraud, abuse, and unauthorised access to our systems.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We do not use your data for advertising profiling beyond our own communications.

4. Email Subscriptions and Marketing Communications

We follow strict permission-based email marketing practices:

• Double opt-in: When you subscribe, we send a verification email. You must click the link inside to confirm your subscription. We will never add your email to our list without this confirmation.
• Easy unsubscribe: Every marketing email contains a one-click unsubscribe link in the footer. Unsubscribing is processed immediately. You may also email info@hcraftsgallery.in with the subject "Unsubscribe" or visit our unsubscribe page.
• Bounce & complaint handling: If your email bounces persistently or you mark our message as spam, we automatically remove your address from our list.
• Frequency: We typically send 1–4 emails per month. We will never overwhelm your inbox.
• Content: New product launches, seasonal collections, exclusive offers for subscribers, and craft stories from Moradabad.

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information based on one or more of the following legal grounds:

• Consent: for newsletter subscriptions and optional communications.
• Contract performance: for processing quotes, orders, and shipments you have requested.
• Legal obligation: for tax records, GST compliance, and export documentation as required by Indian law.
• Legitimate interest: for security, fraud prevention, and improving our website experience.

6. Data Sharing

We share your information only with the following categories of trusted parties, and only to the minimum extent necessary:

• Hosting providers: our website is hosted on Hostinger (servers located in supported regions).
• Email delivery providers: we use Google Workspace and Amazon Web Services (AWS SES) to deliver transactional and newsletter emails reliably.
• Logistics partners: when you place a shipping order, we share name, address, and contact number with the courier or freight forwarder responsible for delivery.
• Government authorities: only when legally compelled (e.g., GST filings, customs documentation, lawful court orders).

All third parties we engage are bound by confidentiality and data-protection obligations.

7. Data Retention

• Newsletter subscribers: retained until you unsubscribe, plus 30 days for audit purposes.
• Lead inquiries: retained for up to 3 years for business follow-up, unless you request deletion.
• Order & tax records: retained for 8 years as required by Indian tax and export law.
• Anonymous analytics: retained for up to 26 months.

8. Your Rights

You have the following rights over your personal information:

• Access: request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: ask us to update inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Withdraw consent: unsubscribe from marketing or withdraw consent at any time.
• Portability: receive your data in a structured, commonly used electronic format.
• Object: object to certain processing activities.

To exercise any of these rights, email info@hcraftsgallery.in. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Data Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your information:

• HTTPS/TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers.
• Secure password hashing for any admin accounts.
• CSRF protection on all forms.
• SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication on all emails sent from our domain.
• Restricted access to personal data — only authorised staff can view subscriber records.
• Regular software updates and security patches.

No system is 100% secure. If a data breach occurs that affects your information, we will notify you within 72 hours of discovery, as required by best practice.

10. International Visitors

We export handicrafts worldwide and welcome international customers. If you visit our site from outside India, please be aware that your information will be processed in India, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country. By using our site or subscribing to our communications, you consent to this transfer.

For visitors from the European Union (GDPR) and the United Kingdom (UK GDPR), we honour the same rights and protections described in Section 8.

11. Children's Privacy

Our website is intended for adults (18 years and older) interested in handicrafts and trade inquiries. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe a child has submitted information to us, please contact us immediately and we will delete it.

12. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external sites (e.g., WhatsApp, social media). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those external sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before sharing information.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or business operations. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page will indicate the most recent revision. Significant changes will be communicated via email to active subscribers.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us: