Privacy Policy

At Cogitare Imports PTY Ltd T/a Modelsupplies.co.za (“we”, “us”, “our”), we are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through our WooCommerce online store, how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights regarding your personal information.

By using our website and placing orders through our online store, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

When you visit our website or make a purchase, we may collect the following personal information:

Identity Information

• Full name
• Company name (where applicable)

Contact Information

• Email address
• Telephone number
• Billing address
• Shipping address

Account Information

If you create an account, we store:

• Username
• Password (encrypted and never visible to us)
• Saved billing and shipping addresses
• Order history
• Wishlist or saved products (if enabled)

Order Information

We collect information relating to:

• Products ordered
• Purchase history
• Order value
• Delivery preferences
• Customer notes

Payment Information

Payments are processed securely by our third-party payment providers.

We do not store your complete credit card or debit card details on our website.

Depending on your chosen payment method, limited transaction information may be stored for record-keeping purposes.

Technical Information

When you browse our website, we may automatically collect:

• IP address
• Browser type
• Device information
• Operating system
• Pages viewed
• Time spent on our website
• Referral website
• Cookies

2. WooCommerce Data Collection

Our online store is powered by WooCommerce.

WooCommerce collects information necessary to:

• Process orders
• Calculate taxes
• Calculate shipping costs
• Prevent fraud
• Improve customer experience
• Store customer accounts
• Manage stock levels

Order information may remain in our database for tax, accounting, warranty, and legal compliance purposes.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

• Process your orders
• Deliver purchased products
• Provide customer support
• Communicate regarding your order
• Manage customer accounts
• Process refunds
• Prevent fraud
• Improve our website
• Comply with South African law
• Respond to customer enquiries
• Send newsletters or promotions where you have consented

4. Cookies

Our WooCommerce website uses cookies to improve your shopping experience.

Cookies help us:

• Keep items in your shopping cart
• Remember login sessions
• Save customer preferences
• Improve website performance
• Analyse website traffic
• Measure marketing effectiveness

You may disable cookies in your browser settings; however, some parts of the website may not function correctly.

5. Payment Providers

We use trusted third-party payment providers to process payments securely.

Depending on the payment method you choose, your information may be shared with the payment provider solely for processing your transaction.

Examples may include:

• PayFast
• PayGate
• Peach Payments
• Yoco
• Ozow
• Payflex

These providers have their own privacy policies governing how they process your personal information.

6. Shipping Providers

To deliver your order, we may share the following information with courier companies:

• Name
• Delivery address
• Telephone number
• Email address (where required)
• Order reference

This information is used only for delivery and shipment tracking.

7. Marketing Communications

If you subscribe to our newsletter or opt in to receive marketing communications, we may send you:

• Product announcements
• Promotions
• Special offers
• New arrivals
• Company news

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us directly.

8. Sharing Your Information

We may share your personal information only with trusted service providers who help us operate our business, including:

• Payment processors
• Courier companies
• Website hosting providers
• Website developers
• IT support providers
• Marketing service providers
• Accountants or auditors
• Government authorities where required by law

We never sell your personal information to third parties.

9. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to safeguard your personal information.

These include:

• SSL encryption
• Secure website hosting
• Firewall protection
• Password protection
• Restricted administrative access
• Regular software updates
• Secure backups

While we take every reasonable precaution, no internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

10. Data Retention

WooCommerce stores customer information for as long as necessary to:

• Complete purchases
• Provide customer service
• Maintain warranty records
• Comply with tax obligations
• Meet legal requirements
• Resolve disputes

You may request deletion of your account where permitted by law.

Certain records must be retained to comply with South African tax and accounting legislation.

11. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

• Access your personal information
• Request corrections
• Request deletion where legally permitted
• Object to certain processing
• Withdraw consent
• Request information regarding how your data is used
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator

12. Third-Party Services

Our website may integrate with third-party services including:

• Google Analytics
• Google reCAPTCHA
• Facebook Pixel / Meta Pixel
• Mailchimp
• WhatsApp
• Live chat software

These services may collect information according to their own privacy policies.

13. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not intended for children under the age of 18 without parental or guardian consent.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

14. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to amend this Privacy Policy at any time.

Any updates will be published on this page together with the revised effective date.

Continued use of our website after changes have been published constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

15. Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights under POPIA, please contact us:

Business Name: [Your Business Name]

Email: [Email Address]

Telephone: [Phone Number]

Physical Address: [Business Address]

16. Information Regulator (South Africa)

If you believe your personal information has been processed unlawfully, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.

Website: https://www.justice.gov.za/inforeg/

Email: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za