Privacy policy

1. Introduction

At Himcognito, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you visit our website, create an account, place an order, contact us or otherwise interact with us.

We are committed to handling your personal information fairly, lawfully and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable UK data protection legislation.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully before using our website or purchasing our products.

2. Who We Are

Throughout this Privacy Policy, references to "Himcognito", "we", "our" or "us" mean Himcognito.

For the purposes of UK data protection legislation, Himcognito is the data controller responsible for the personal information we collect through our website.

Our online store is hosted by Shopify, which provides the ecommerce platform that enables us to sell our products and process customer orders securely.

Our contact details are:

Himcognito
2 Middlefield Close
Henlow
Bedfordshire
SG16 6FR
United Kingdom

Email: hello@himcognito.co.uk

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we process your personal information, please contact us using the details above.

3. The Information We Collect

Depending on how you use our website, we may collect the following categories of personal information.

Information You Provide

This includes information you provide directly when placing an order, creating an account or contacting us, such as:

• your name;
• billing address;
• delivery address;
• email address;
• telephone number;
• account login details (where applicable);
• correspondence you send to us;
• product reviews or feedback you choose to submit.

Order Information

When you place an order we collect information relating to your purchase, including:

• products ordered;
• order history;
• delivery preferences;
• returns or exchanges;
• payment confirmation.

For security reasons, we do not store your full payment card details.

Payments are processed securely by our authorised payment providers.

Technical Information

When you visit our website we may automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• IP address;
• browser type and version;
• operating system;
• device type;
• pages viewed;
• referring website;
• time spent on our website;
• browsing activity.

Some of this information is collected using cookies and similar technologies.

Marketing Preferences

Where you choose to receive marketing communications, we record:

• your consent preferences;
• subscription status;
• marketing interactions, such as whether emails have been opened or links clicked.

You can withdraw your consent at any time. 

4. How We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information in several ways.

Information you provide directly

For example when you:

• place an order;
• create an account;
• subscribe to our newsletter;
• contact our customer service team;
• enter a promotion or competition;
• leave a review.

Information collected automatically

When you browse our website, certain information is collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies.

This helps us understand how visitors use our website, improve performance and provide a better shopping experience.

Information from trusted third parties

We may also receive information from trusted third parties who assist us in operating our business, including:

• Shopify;
• payment providers;
• delivery partners;
• fraud prevention services;
• website analytics providers;
• marketing platforms.
  

These organisations only process personal information where necessary and under appropriate contractual safeguards.

5. How We Use Your Personal Information

We use your personal information only where we have a lawful reason to do so.

Our main purposes include:

Processing your orders

We use your information to:

• process payments;
• prepare and dispatch orders;
• arrange deliveries;
• process returns and refunds;
• communicate with you regarding your purchase.

Providing customer support

Your information enables us to:

• answer enquiries;
• resolve complaints;
• respond to product questions;
• provide after-sales support.

Managing your account

If you create an account with us, we use your information to:

• authenticate your login;
• remember your preferences;
• display previous orders;
• improve your shopping experience. 

Improving our website

We analyse website usage to help us:

• improve website performance;
• develop new features;
• identify technical problems;
• understand customer preferences.

Where possible, we use aggregated or anonymised information for these purposes.

Preventing fraud

We may process personal information to:

• verify identity;
• prevent fraudulent transactions;
• detect suspicious activity;
• protect our customers and business.

Meeting legal obligations

We may also use your information where necessary to:

• comply with legal obligations;
• respond to lawful requests from public authorities;
• maintain accounting and tax records;
• resolve disputes;
• enforce our legal rights.

6. Our Lawful Bases for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, we rely on one or more of the following:

Performance of a Contract

Where processing is necessary to fulfil your order or provide services you have requested.

Examples include:

• processing payments;
• delivering products;
• arranging refunds;
• responding to enquiries relating to your order.

Legal Obligation

Where processing is necessary for compliance with UK law.

For example:

• tax obligations;
• accounting requirements;
• fraud prevention;
• regulatory compliance.

Legitimate Interests

We may process information where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms are not overridden.

Examples include:

• improving our website;
• website security;
• preventing fraud;
• analysing customer trends;
• improving our products and services.

Consent

We rely on your consent where required by law.

This includes:

• email marketing;
• certain cookies;
• promotional communications.
  

You may withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal. 

7. Marketing Communications

We would like to keep you informed about new products, promotions and exclusive offers that may be of interest.

Where required by law, we will only send marketing communications if you have given your consent or where another lawful basis applies.

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by:

• clicking the "Unsubscribe" link included in our emails; or
• contacting us directly.
  

Please note that even if you opt out of marketing, we may still send important service-related communications such as order confirmations, delivery updates or responses to customer enquiries.

8. Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure it functions correctly and to improve your browsing experience.

Cookies help us:

• remember your preferences;
• keep your shopping basket active;
• understand website traffic;
• measure website performance;
• improve our services.

Where required by law, we will ask for your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device.

You can change your cookie preferences at any time through our cookie settings or your web browser.

For further information, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

9. Shopify

Our online store is powered by Shopify.

When you visit our website or place an order, certain personal information is processed by Shopify to enable the operation of our online store, including payment processing, fraud prevention, website hosting and order management.

Shopify acts as a service provider for many of these processing activities and applies appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information.

You can find more information about how Shopify handles personal information in Shopify's own Privacy Policy.

10. Sharing Your Personal Information

We only share your personal information where it is necessary to operate our business, fulfil your orders or comply with legal obligations.

We may share your information with:

Shopify

Our ecommerce platform provider, which enables us to operate our online store securely and process customer orders.

Payment Providers

Trusted payment providers who securely process your payments. We do not receive or store your full payment card details.

Delivery Partners

Couriers and delivery companies who require your name, address and contact details to deliver your order.

IT and Website Service Providers

Companies that assist us with website hosting, security, maintenance, analytics, email communications and customer support.

Professional Advisers

Where necessary, we may share information with accountants, auditors, insurers, legal advisers or other professional advisers who assist us in operating our business.

Legal and Regulatory Authorities

Where required by law, we may disclose personal information to courts, law enforcement agencies, regulators or other public authorities.

We never sell your personal information to third parties.

11. International Transfers

Some of the organisations that help us operate our business, including Shopify and certain technology providers, may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we take appropriate steps to ensure it remains protected.

These safeguards may include:

• transfers to countries recognised by the UK Government as providing an adequate level of data protection;
• the use of the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA);
• the UK Addendum to the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses;
• other safeguards recognised under UK data protection legislation.

12. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected.

Retention periods depend on the type of information and our legal obligations.

For example, we may retain information:

• while your customer account remains active;
• to fulfil warranty or after-sales obligations;
• to comply with tax and accounting requirements;
• to resolve disputes;
• to prevent fraud;
• where required by law.

When information is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.

13. Keeping Your Information Secure

Protecting your personal information is important to us.

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to safeguard personal information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction.

These measures include:

• encrypted connections (SSL);
• secure payment processing;
• access controls;
• password protection;
• system monitoring;
• regular security updates.

Although we take reasonable precautions, no website or method of electronic transmission can ever be guaranteed to be completely secure.

For this reason, we encourage customers to protect their own account credentials and avoid sharing passwords with anyone.

14. Your Rights Under UK Data Protection Law

Under the UK GDPR, you have a number of important rights regarding your personal information.

These include the right to:

Access
Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

Rectification
Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

Erasure
Request deletion of your personal information where we no longer have a lawful reason to retain it.

Restriction
Ask us to restrict how we use your personal information in certain circumstances.

Data Portability
Request a copy of certain personal information in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.

Object
Object to processing based on our legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.

Withdraw Consent
Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

This will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

15. Exercising Your Rights

If you wish to exercise any of your privacy rights, please contact us using the details at the end of this Privacy Policy.

To help protect your information, we may ask you to verify your identity before responding to your request.

We aim to respond to all valid requests within one month, although in certain circumstances the law allows this period to be extended.

There is generally no charge for exercising your rights, although a reasonable fee may be charged where requests are manifestly unfounded or excessive.

16. Children's Privacy

Our website and products are intended for individuals aged 18 or over.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

If we become aware that personal information relating to a child has been collected inadvertently, we will take reasonable steps to delete that information promptly.

If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us using the details below.

17. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to websites operated by other organisations.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit before providing them with personal information.

18. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our business, technology, legal obligations or data protection requirements.

The latest version will always be published on our website together with the date it was last updated.

Where required by law, we will notify you of significant changes in an appropriate manner.

19. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal information or how we process your data, please contact us:

Himcognito

2 Middlefield Close
Henlow
Bedfordshire
SG16 6FR
United Kingdom

Email: hello@himcognito.co.uk

We will do our best to resolve any questions or concerns promptly and fairly. 

20. Making a Complaint

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal information, we encourage you to contact us first so that we have the opportunity to resolve your concerns.

If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent authority responsible for upholding information rights and data protection law.

You can find further information about making a complaint on the ICO's website or contact them directly if you believe your personal information has been handled unlawfully.