At Thereforeog.com, a Marketplace for Mindful Living, we are committed to protecting your privacy and personal data. This Privacy Policy outlines how Thereforeog.com (referred to as "Website," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, stores, processes, discloses, and protects your personal data when you use our Website, in accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) and other applicable Indian laws.  

By accessing or using our Website, you signify your acceptance of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms herein, please do not use our Website.  

1. Personal Data We Collect  

We collect personal data that you provide to us directly and data collected automatically when you use our Website.  

1.1 Data You Provide Directly:  

• Account Information:When you create an account (as a Buyer or Vendor), we collect your name, email address, password, phone number, and physical address.  
• Order Information:When you make a purchase, we collect your shipping address, billing address, phone number, and payment details (processed by third-party payment gateways; we do not store full credit/debit card numbers).  
• Vendor Information:If you register as a Vendor, we collect additional business details, legal entity name, trade name, business registration numbers (e.g., PAN, GSTIN), bank account details for payouts, and copies of organic/other certifications.  
• Communications:Information you provide when you contact our customer support, participate in surveys, or subscribe to newsletters.  
• User-Generated Content:Any content you upload, such as product reviews, photos, or brand stories.  

1.2 Data Collected Automatically:  

• Usage Information:Details of your access to and use of our Website, including traffic data, location data, logs, and other communication data.  
• Device Information:Information about your computer and internet connection, including your IP address, operating system, browser type.  
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies:We use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to collect information about your Browse behavior, preferences, and to enhance your user experience. (See Section 5 for more details).  

2. Purpose of Collecting Your Personal Data  

We collect and process your personal data for the following purposes:  

• To Provide and Operate the Website:To enable your access to and use of the marketplace, including creating accounts, processing transactions, and providing customer support.  
• Order Fulfillment:To process and fulfill your orders, including sharing necessary shipping and contact details with the respective Vendors and payment gateways.  
• Vendor Management:To verify Vendor credentials, manage Vendor accounts, process payouts, and facilitate communication between Buyers and Vendors.  
• Improve Our Services:To analyze usage patterns, understand user preferences, troubleshoot issues, and enhance Website functionality and user experience.  
• Personalization:To personalize your shopping experience, including product recommendations and content tailored to your interests.  
• Communication:To send you transactional emails (order confirmations, shipping updates), marketing communications (newsletters, promotions, if you opt-in), and respond to your inquiries.  
• Security & Fraud Prevention:To protect the security and integrity of our Website, prevent fraud, and detect malicious activity.  
• Compliance:To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, including tax, consumer protection, and data protection laws in India.  
• Business Operations:For internal business purposes such as auditing, data analysis, and research.  

3. Disclosure and Sharing of Your Personal Data  

We may share your personal data with the following categories of recipients:  

• Vendors:When you place an order, we share your name, shipping address, phone number, and email address with the relevant Vendor to enable them to fulfill your order.  
• Payment Gateway Providers:Your payment information is securely shared with our trusted third-party payment gateway providers to process your transactions. We do not store your full payment card details on our servers.  
• Service Providers:We engage third-party service providers (e.g., hosting, analytics, marketing, customer support) who perform services on our behalf and require access to certain personal data to do so. These providers are obligated to protect your data.  
• Legal & Regulatory Authorities:We may disclose your personal data if required by law, court order, or to cooperate with law enforcement or regulatory investigations.  
• Business Transfers:In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal data may be transferred to the acquiring entity.  
• With Your Consent:We may share your personal data with other third parties when we have your explicit consent to do so.  

4. Data Retention  

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. When your personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymize it.  

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies  

• We use cookies and similar tracking technologies (e.g., web beacons, pixels) to enhance your Browse experience, analyze Website traffic, track user behavior, and facilitate personalized content and advertisements.  
• What are cookies?Cookies are small text files placed on your device by websites that you visit. They are widely used to make websites work or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site.  
• Your Choices:You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this Website may then be inaccessible or not function properly.  
• We may use both session cookies (which expire once you close your web browser) and persistent cookies (which stay on your computer until you delete them or they expire).  

6. Your Rights Regarding Your Personal Data (DPDP Act, 2023)  

As a data principal, you have the following rights regarding your personal data under the DPDP Act:  

• Right to Access:You have the right to obtain confirmation as to whether or not your personal data is being processed, and, where that is the case, access to the personal data.  
• Right to Correction/Completion:You have the right to request the correction or completion of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.  
• Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten):You have the right to request the erasure of your personal data under certain circumstances (e.g., no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected).  
• Right to Grievance Redressal:You have the right to easy availability of a grievance redressal mechanism.  
• Right to Nominate:You can nominate another person to exercise your rights in the event of your death or incapacity.  
• Withdrawal of Consent:You have the right to withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal data at any time, where the processing is based on consent. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal. Please note that withdrawing consent may impact your ability to use certain features of the Website.  

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Grievance Officer using the details provided below.  

7. Data Security  

We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational measures designed to secure your personal data from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. However, no internet transmission is entirely secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your personal data transmitted to our Website.  

8. Links to Third-Party Websites  

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites. We have no control over, and are not responsible for, the privacy practices or content of such websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of every website you visit.  

9. Children's Privacy  

Our Website is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete such information from our records.  

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy  

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date.  

11. Grievance Redressal / Grievance Officer (Mandatory under DPDP Act & E-commerce Rules)  

In accordance with the DPDP Act, 2023, and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, we have appointed a Grievance Officer to address any complaints or concerns regarding data privacy or consumer grievances.  

Name of Grievance Officer:Hurshitha    Email:hurshitha@thereforeog.com Address:Villivakkam, Chennai.  

All complaints will be acknowledged within [e.g., 24-48 hours] and resolved within a maximum period of [e.g., one month] from the date of receipt, in accordance with applicable laws.  

12. Contact Us  

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: General Support Email Address: support@thereforeog.com.