Privacy Policy

VM Pet Accessories (“we”, “us”, “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”). This policy explains what personal information we collect through vmpetaccessories.co.za, why we collect it, and what rights you have over it.

1. Information we collect

When you browse, create an account, or place an order, we may collect:

• Your name, email address and phone number
• Your delivery address and, where relevant, your preferred shipping method
• Your order history and the items you've purchased
• Account login information (your email and an encrypted password)
• Messages you send us via our contact form or WhatsApp

We do not collect or store your card or bank details — payments are processed directly by iKhoka, our payment provider.

2. How we use your information

We use your information to:

• Process, fulfil, and deliver your orders
• Create and manage your account, including your saved addresses
• Send order confirmations, receipts, shipping and payment updates
• Respond to questions sent via our contact form or WhatsApp
• Keep our records for accounting, tax, and legal purposes
• Improve and secure our website

We process your information because it's necessary to fulfil our contract with you (your order), to comply with our legal obligations, or with your consent where applicable.

3. Cookies and local storage

We use only what's strictly necessary to run the site: a session cookie that keeps you signed in while you shop (and signs you out automatically when you close your browser, or after a period of inactivity), and your browser's local storage to remember what's in your cart. We don't use third-party advertising or tracking cookies.

4. Who we share your information with

We share the minimum information necessary with trusted service providers who help us run our store, all acting under instruction from us and only for the purpose we engage them for:

• A payment processor, to securely handle your payment
• An email delivery service, to send order confirmations and notifications
• Our hosting and database providers, to securely store your account and run our website

We do not sell your personal information to anyone, and we only share it beyond the above where required by law (for example, a valid request from a South African authority).

5. How long we keep your information

We keep your order records for as long as required for accounting, tax and legal purposes. If you close your account, we'll delete or anonymise your personal information within a reasonable time, except where we're required to retain it by law.

6. Your rights under POPIA

You have the right to:

• Ask us what personal information we hold about you
• Ask us to correct information that's inaccurate or out of date
• Ask us to delete your personal information, subject to our legal retention obligations
• Object to how we process your information, or withdraw consent where we rely on it
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe we've mishandled your information

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at vmpetaccessories@outlook.com.

7. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against loss, misuse, or unauthorised access, including encrypted connections and access-controlled systems. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, but we work to keep your information safe.

8. Children's privacy

Our website is not directed at children, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18 without a parent or guardian's involvement.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices or the law. We'll post the updated version here with a new “Last updated” date.