Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 01/04/2025

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and disclose information when you visit or interact with our website, https://damenoosthuizen.co.za ("Website"). By accessing or using our Website, you agree to the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy. Please read this document carefully.

2. Information We Collect

a. Contact Form Information

When you submit a contact form on our Website, we collect the following information:

  • First name
  • Last name
  • Email address
  • Message content (optional)

This information is used solely to respond to your inquiry and is sent to us via email using our email service provider (Afrihost). We do not use this information for marketing purposes unless you explicitly consent.

b. Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our Website, we automatically collect certain information about your device and browsing behavior, including:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system
  • Pages visited and time spent on pages
  • Referring website addresses
  • Date and time of visits

This information is collected through Google Analytics and is used to understand how visitors interact with our Website, improve user experience, and analyze website traffic patterns.

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and collect analytics data. We use the following types of cookies:

a. Analytics Cookies

We use Google Analytics to collect information about how visitors use our Website. Google Analytics uses cookies to track your interactions with our Website, including pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring websites. This information helps us understand website usage patterns and improve our content and user experience.

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. For more information about how Google uses data, please visit Google's Privacy Policy.

b. Security Cookies

We use Google reCAPTCHA to protect our contact form from spam and abuse. reCAPTCHA may set cookies and collect information about your device, browser, and browsing behavior, including your IP address, to determine whether you are a human user. This information is processed by Google in accordance with their Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

4. Embedded Content from External Websites

Our Website uses Google Fonts to display web fonts. When you visit our Website, your browser may connect to Google's servers to download font files. Google may collect information about your use of our Website, including your IP address, as part of this service. For more information, please review Google's Privacy Policy.

5. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • To respond to your inquiries submitted through our contact form
  • To analyze website usage and improve our Website's functionality and user experience
  • To protect our Website from spam, abuse, and security threats
  • To comply with legal obligations

6. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties. However, we may share your information with the following service providers who assist us in operating our Website:

  • Afrihost: We use Afrihost to process and deliver contact form submissions via email. Your contact form information (name, email, message) is transmitted through Afrihost's email servers for delivery. Please review Afrihost's Privacy Policy.
  • Google: We use Google Analytics for website analytics and Google reCAPTCHA for spam protection. Google may collect and process data in accordance with their privacy policies.

We require all third-party service providers to maintain appropriate security measures to protect your information and to use it only for the purposes we specify.

7. Data Retention

We retain contact form submissions for as long as necessary to respond to your inquiry and for a reasonable period thereafter to maintain records of our communications. Analytics data collected through Google Analytics is retained according to Google's data retention policies, typically for 26 months.

You may request deletion of your personal information at any time by contacting us at the email address provided below.

8. Your Data Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

  • Access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Correction: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
  • Deletion: You may request deletion of your personal data, subject to any legal obligations we may have to retain certain data.
  • Objection: You may object to the processing of your personal data for certain purposes.
  • Data Portability: You may request that we transfer your personal data to another service provider where technically feasible.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section below.

9. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect the personal data provided to us through our Website, including using secure transmission protocols (HTTPS) and working with reputable third-party service providers. However, please note that no data transmission over the internet or electronic storage method can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.

10. Children's Privacy

Our Website is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to delete such information.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes to this policy will be posted on this page, with the updated date noted at the top. By continuing to use our Website after such changes, you consent to the revised policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to exercise any of your data rights, please contact us at: info@damenoosthuizen.co.za