Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Imelda Tsumba ("we", "us", or "our") operates the website imeldatsumba.com (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our Site, purchase books, subscribe to our newsletter, or interact with our services.

By using our Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information

When you make a purchase, subscribe to our newsletter, or contact us, we may collect:

Name and email address
Phone number
Shipping and billing address
Payment information (processed securely via Stripe — we do not store card details)

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our Site, we may automatically collect:

IP address and approximate geographic location
Browser type and version
Pages visited and time spent on the Site
Referring website or link
Device type and operating system

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Process and fulfil book orders
Send order confirmations, shipping updates, and receipts
Send newsletters and promotional communications (with your consent)
Respond to enquiries and provide customer support
Improve our website, products, and services
Detect and prevent fraud or abuse
Comply with legal obligations

4. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience. These include:

Essential cookies: Required for the Site to function (e.g., session management, cart state)
Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use the Site (Google Analytics). These are only activated with your consent.
Preference cookies: Remember your settings such as country and currency selection

You can manage your cookie preferences through the cookie consent banner displayed on your first visit, or by adjusting your browser settings.

5. Payment Processing

All payments are processed securely by Stripe. We do not store, process, or have access to your full credit card or debit card numbers. Stripe's privacy policy and security practices govern the handling of your payment data. You can review Stripe's privacy policy at stripe.com/privacy.

6. Third-Party Services

We may share your information with trusted third-party services solely for the purposes outlined in this policy:

Stripe — Payment processing
Google Analytics — Website usage analytics (anonymised)
Email service providers — Sending transactional and marketing emails

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including to satisfy legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Order records are retained for a minimum of 7 years for tax and accounting purposes.

Newsletter subscribers may unsubscribe at any time using the link provided in every email. Upon unsubscribing, your email will be removed from our active mailing list.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate information
Request deletion of your personal data
Withdraw consent for marketing communications
Object to or restrict certain processing activities
Request a copy of your data in a portable format

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@imeldatsumba.com.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us so we can promptly delete it.

10. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Email: info@imeldatsumba.com