# Privacy Policy - Therapy Affairs
**Last Updated: April 7, 2025**
## 1. Introduction and Purpose
This Privacy Policy explains how Therapy Affairs (referred to as "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, processes, stores, shares, and protects your Personal Information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (Act No. 4 of 2013) ("POPIA").
At Therapy Affairs, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the responsible handling of your Personal Information. This policy applies to all users of our multi-vendor online store, including customers and vendors (collectively referred to as "you" or "data subjects").
By using our website [Insert Website Address Here] (the "Platform"), you consent to the processing of your Personal Information as described in this Privacy Policy.
## 2. Definitions
For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, the following definitions shall apply:
* **Personal Information:** Means any information relating to an identifiable, living natural person, and where it is applicable, an identifiable, existing juristic person, including, but not limited to:
* information relating to race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, national, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental health, well-being, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth of the person;
* information relating to the education or the medical, criminal or employment history of the person;
* any identification number, symbol, e-mail address, physical address, telephone number or other particular assignment to the person;
* the biometric information of the person;
* the personal opinions, views or preferences of the person;
* correspondence sent by the person that is implicitly or explicitly of a private or confidential nature or further correspondence that would reveal the contents of the original correspondence;
* the views or opinions of another individual about the person; and
* the name of the person if it appears with other personal information relating to the person or if the disclosure of the name itself would reveal information about the person.
* **Processing:** Means any operation or activity or any set of operations, whether or not by automatic means, concerning personal information, including:
* the collection, receipt, recording, organisation, collation, storage, updating or modification, retrieval, alteration, consultation or use;
* dissemination by means of transmission, distribution or making available in any other form; or
* merging, linking as well as restriction, degradation, erasure or destruction of information.
* **Data Subject:** Means the person to whom Personal Information relates (i.e., our users, including customers and vendors).
* **Responsible Party:** Means Therapy Affairs, who determines the purpose of and means for processing Personal Information.
* **Operator:** Means a person who processes Personal Information for a Responsible Party in terms of a contract or mandate, without coming under the direct authority of the Responsible Party.
## 3. Information We Collect
We collect different types of Personal Information depending on whether you are a customer or a vendor and how you interact with our Platform.
### 3.1 Information Collected from Customers:
* **Identity Information:** Name, surname, identity number (where required for specific transactions), date of birth.
* **Contact Information:** Email address, phone number, physical address, postal address.
* **Account Information:** Username, password, purchase history, saved items, communication preferences.
* **Payment Information:** Credit card details, bank account details, payment history (we may use secure third-party payment processors who have their own privacy policies).
* **Transaction Information:** Details about your orders, including products/services purchased, order dates, shipping information, and billing information.
* **Usage Information:** Information about how you use our Platform, including pages visited, products viewed, search queries, and Browse activity.
* **Device Information:** Information about your device, including IP address, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers.
* **Marketing and Communication Preferences:** Your preferences for receiving marketing communications from us and our vendors.
* **Reviews and Feedback:** Information you provide in reviews, ratings, and feedback on products, services, and vendors.
### 3.2 Information Collected from Vendors:
* **Identity Information:** Name, surname, identity number (for individuals), company registration number (for businesses), VAT registration number.
* **Contact Information:** Email address, phone number, physical address, postal address, business address.
* **Account Information:** Username, password, bank account details for payouts, tax information.
* **Business Information:** Business name, description, types of products/services offered, pricing information, shipping policies, return policies.
* **Product/Service Listing Information:** Details, images, and descriptions of the products/services you list on our Platform.
* **Transaction Information:** Details of sales made through the Platform.
* **Communication Information:** Records of communications with us and customers.
## 4. How We Collect Information
We collect your Personal Information in various ways, including:
* **Direct Interactions:** When you register an account, place an order, list products/services, contact us, subscribe to newsletters, or provide feedback.
* **Automated Technologies:** When you interact with our Platform, we may automatically collect certain information through cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies. Please see our Cookie Policy [Insert Link to Cookie Policy Here] for more details.
* **Third-Party Sources:** We may receive Personal Information from third-party service providers, such as payment processors, analytics providers, and marketing partners.
* **Publicly Available Sources:** We may collect information from publicly available sources where permitted by law.
## 5. How We Use Your Information
We process your Personal Information for various purposes, including:
### 5.1 For Customers:
* To create and manage your account.
* To process and fulfill your orders.
* To communicate with you about your orders and account.
* To provide customer support.
* To personalize your experience on our Platform.
* To recommend products and services that may be of interest to you.
* To send you marketing communications (where you have provided consent).
* To process payments and prevent fraud.
* To administer surveys and promotions.
* To improve our Platform and services.
* To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
### 5.2 For Vendors:
* To create and manage your vendor account.
* To enable you to list and sell your products/services on our Platform.
* To process orders and facilitate payments to you.
* To communicate with you about your listings and sales.
* To provide vendor support.
* To ensure compliance with our Vendor Agreement and Platform policies.
* To send you important updates and announcements.
* To analyze platform usage and improve services for vendors.
* To comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
## 6. Sharing Your Information
We may share your Personal Information with certain third parties for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:
* **Vendors:** If you are a customer, we will share your relevant Personal Information (such as name, contact details, and shipping address) with the Vendor from whom you are purchasing products/services to fulfill your order.
* **Service Providers:** We may share your Personal Information with third-party service providers who assist us in operating our Platform, processing payments, providing customer support, conducting marketing activities, and analyzing data. These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your Personal Information.
* **Payment Processors:** We use secure third-party payment processors to handle payment transactions. We will share necessary payment information with them to process your payments.
* **Analytics Providers:** We may share anonymized and aggregated data with analytics providers to understand how users interact with our Platform.
* **Legal Authorities:** We may disclose your Personal Information to law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, or other legal authorities if required to do so by law or legal process, or if we believe it is necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others.
* **Business Transfers:** In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your Personal Information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you if such a transfer occurs.
We will only share your Personal Information with third parties who have agreed to comply with POPIA and implement adequate safeguards to protect your information.
## 7. Cross-Border Transfer of Information
We may transfer your Personal Information to recipients located in countries outside of South Africa. In such cases, we will ensure that the transfer is done in accordance with POPIA and that the recipient country provides an adequate level of protection for your Personal Information, or that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as contractual agreements that include standard data protection clauses.
## 8. Security of Your Information
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your Personal Information against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:
* Using encryption to protect sensitive information transmitted online.
* Implementing firewalls and intrusion detection systems.
* Restricting access to Personal Information to authorized personnel only.
* Regularly reviewing and updating our security practices.
While we strive to protect your Personal Information, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information.
## 9. Retention of Your Information
We will retain your Personal Information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable laws and regulations. The specific retention period will depend on the nature of the information, the purpose for which it is processed, and legal or regulatory requirements.
Once the retention period expires, we will securely destroy or de-identify your Personal Information.
## 10. Your Rights Under POPIA
Under POPIA, you have certain rights regarding your Personal Information. These rights include:
* **The Right to Access:** You have the right to request access to your Personal Information that we hold.
* **The Right to Rectification:** You have the right to request the correction or updating of your Personal Information if it is inaccurate or incomplete.
* **The Right to Erasure (Deletion):** In certain circumstances, you have the right to request the deletion of your Personal Information.
* **The Right to Object to Processing:** You have the right to object to the processing of your Personal Information on certain grounds, including for direct marketing purposes.
* **The Right to Restrict Processing:** In certain circumstances, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your Personal Information.
* **The Right to Data Portability:** In certain circumstances, you have the right to receive your Personal Information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit it to another responsible party.
* **The Right to Lodge a Complaint:** You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe that we have infringed your rights under POPIA.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided in Section 14 below. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with POPIA.
## 11. Use of Cookies and Similar Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your Browse activities on our Platform. This helps us to improve your user experience, personalize content, and analyze website traffic. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. For more information, please refer to our Cookie Policy [Insert Link to Cookie Policy Here].
## 12. Children's Privacy
Our Platform is not intended for children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with Personal Information, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to remove the information.
## 13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will post the updated Privacy Policy on our Platform and indicate the date of the latest revision. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Your continued use of the Platform after the posting of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
## 14. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the processing of your Personal Information, please contact our Information Officer at:
**Information Officer:** [Insert Name of Information Officer]
**Email Address:** [Insert Email Address for Privacy Inquiries]
**Physical Address:** [Your Business Address]
**Phone Number:** [Your Phone Number (Optional)]
We are committed to addressing any concerns you may have about your privacy. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator:
**The Information Regulator (South Africa)**
**Website:** [Insert Information Regulator Website Address]
**Tel:** [Insert Information Regulator Contact Number]
**Email:** [Insert Information Regulator Email Address]
**Address:** [Insert Information Regulator Physical Address]