Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 20 October 2025

At Alongside Design, we are committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share information when you visit our website or make a purchase from us.

By using our website, subscribing to our email list, or making a purchase, you consent to the collection and use of your data as outlined below.

1. Who We Are

Business Name: Alongside Design
Location: New Zealand
Contact: hello@alongsidedesign.co.nz
Website: https://alongsidedesign.co.nz/

For the purposes of data protection law, Alongside Design is the data controller responsible for your personal information.

2. Information We Collect

We collect different types of information depending on how you interact with us:

a. Information You Provide Directly
When you make a purchase or contact us, we collect:

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Shipping address
  • Billing address
  • Phone number (if provided)
  • Order details and purchase history
  • Communications with us (emails, messages, feedback)

When you subscribe to our email list:

  • Email address
  • Name (if provided)
  • Subscription preferences

b. Payment Information

  • Payment information is processed securely by Stripe (our payment processor)
  • We do NOT store your credit card numbers, CVV codes, or full payment details on our servers
  • Stripe may retain payment information according to their privacy policy for fraud prevention and processing purposes

c. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Device information (type, operating system)
  • Pages visited and time spent on pages
  • Referring website (how you found us)
  • Date and time of visits
  • Geographic location (country/city level based on IP)

This information is collected through:

  • Cookies (small files stored on your device)
  • Web beacons/pixels (tracking technologies)
  • Analytics tools (Google Analytics, website analytics)

d. Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from:

  • Payment processors (transaction confirmations, fraud alerts)
  • Shipping carriers (delivery confirmations)
  • Social media platforms (if you interact with our content)
  • Marketing platforms (email engagement data)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

a. Order Fulfillment and Customer Service

  • Process and fulfill your orders
  • Send order confirmations, shipping notifications, and delivery updates
  • Handle returns, refunds, and customer inquiries
  • Provide customer support
  • Detect and prevent fraud

b. Marketing and Communications (with your consent)

  • Send newsletters, product updates, and special offers
  • Share mental health and journaling tips, blog posts, and educational content
  • Announce new product launches
  • Send promotional codes and discounts

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails or by contacting us.

c. Website Improvement and Analytics

  • Understand how visitors use our website
  • Improve website functionality, design, and user experience
  • Analyze traffic patterns and popular content
  • Test new features and content

d. Legal and Security Purposes

  • Comply with legal obligations and regulations
  • Enforce our Terms and Conditions
  • Protect against fraud, abuse, and security threats
  • Respond to legal requests from authorities

e. Business Operations

  • Maintain business records and accounting
  • Analyze sales trends and customer preferences
  • Plan inventory and product development (though we use print-on-demand)

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Compliance)

If you are located in the European Union, European Economic Area, or United Kingdom, we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

  • Contract Performance: Processing necessary to fulfill our contract with you (order fulfillment, delivery)
  • Consent: You have given explicit consent (email marketing, cookies)
  • Legitimate Interests: Processing necessary for our legitimate business interests (fraud prevention, analytics, business operations)
  • Legal Obligations: Processing required to comply with legal requirements (tax, accounting)

You have the right to withdraw consent at any time for processing based on consent.

5. How We Share Your Information

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

We share your information only with trusted service providers necessary to operate our business:

a. Essential Service Providers

Payment Processing:

Print-on-Demand and Fulfillment:

  • Lulu (or other print partners) – Prints and ships your journals
  • We share: name, shipping address, order details
  • They use this information solely to fulfill your order

Shipping and Delivery:

  • Postal services and couriers (e.g., NZ Post, international carriers)
  • We share: name, shipping address, phone number (if provided)

Website Hosting and Infrastructure:

  • Website hosting providers
  • Email service providers (for transactional and marketing emails)
  • Cloud storage providers

b. Analytics and Marketing Tools

  • Google Analytics – Website traffic and behavior analysis (anonymized data where possible)
  • Email Marketing Platform (e.g., Mailchimp, ConvertKit, etc. – specify which you use)
  • Social Media Pixels (Facebook Pixel, Pinterest Tag – if applicable)

You can opt out of analytics tracking using browser settings or privacy tools.

c. Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if:

  • Required by law or legal process (court orders, subpoenas)
  • Requested by government authorities or law enforcement
  • Necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety
  • Necessary to prevent fraud or illegal activity
  • In connection with a business sale, merger, or acquisition

6. International Data Transfers

Alongside Design is based in New Zealand. When you purchase from us:

  • Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your own
  • Our service providers (Stripe, Lulu, hosting providers) may store data on servers located in various countries including the United States and European Union
  • We ensure that international transfers comply with applicable data protection laws
  • Service providers are contractually required to protect your data

For EU/EEA/UK Customers:

  • Data transfers outside the EU/EEA/UK are protected by appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses
  • You have the right to request information about these safeguards

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website. They help us recognize you, remember your preferences, and improve your experience.

Types of Cookies We Use:

Essential Cookies (Required for website to function)

  • Shopping cart functionality
  • Secure login and checkout
  • Security and fraud prevention

Analytics Cookies (Help us understand website usage)

  • Google Analytics
  • Page view tracking
  • Traffic source analysis

Marketing Cookies (Enable personalized advertising)

  • Facebook Pixel, Pinterest Tag, or similar (if applicable)
  • Retargeting and remarketing
  • Email campaign tracking

Preference Cookies (Remember your settings)

  • Language preferences
  • Display settings

Managing Cookies:

You can control cookies through:

  • Browser Settings: Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies
  • Opt-Out Tools: Google Analytics opt-out: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
  • Privacy Extensions: Browser extensions like Privacy Badger or uBlock Origin

Note: Disabling cookies may affect website functionality (e.g., shopping cart may not work properly).

8. Data Security

We take data security seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information:

Security Measures:

  • SSL/TLS Encryption: All data transmitted between your browser and our website is encrypted
  • Secure Payment Processing: Payment data is processed by PCI-DSS compliant payment processors (Stripe)
  • Access Controls: Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
  • Regular Security Updates: Website software and plugins are kept up to date
  • Secure Hosting: Website hosted with reputable providers with strong security standards

However: No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your Responsibility:

  • Keep your account passwords secure (if applicable)
  • Use secure internet connections when making purchases
  • Report any suspicious activity to us immediately

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:

Order and Customer Data:

  • Retained for 7 years from date of purchase (for accounting, tax, and legal compliance purposes)
  • After 7 years, data is securely deleted unless we have a legal obligation to retain it longer

Marketing Email Lists:

  • Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion
  • Inactive subscribers may be removed after extended periods of non-engagement

Website Analytics:

  • Typically retained for 26-50 months depending on analytics tool settings
  • Anonymized or aggregated data may be retained indefinitely for business insights

Legal Disputes:

  • If there’s a legal dispute, we may retain relevant data until the matter is fully resolved

You can request deletion of your data at any time (see Section 10).

10. Your Privacy Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

a. Right to Access

  • Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
  • We will provide this within 30 days of your request

b. Right to Correction

  • Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Update your shipping/billing address or contact details

c. Right to Deletion (“Right to be Forgotten”)

  • Request deletion of your personal data
  • Subject to legal obligations to retain data (e.g., tax records, dispute resolution)

d. Right to Restrict Processing

  • Request that we limit how we use your data
  • For example, stop marketing emails but retain order history

e. Right to Data Portability (EU/EEA/UK)

  • Request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format
  • Transfer your data to another service provider

f. Right to Object

  • Object to processing of your data for marketing purposes (unsubscribe from emails)
  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests

g. Right to Withdraw Consent

  • Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time
  • This doesn’t affect processing that occurred before withdrawal

h. Right to Lodge a Complaint (EU/EEA/UK)

  • If you believe we’ve mishandled your data, you can complain to your local data protection authority
  • UK: Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
  • EU: Your national data protection authority

How to Exercise Your Rights:

Include:

  • Your full name
  • Email address associated with your order/account
  • Specific request (access, deletion, correction, etc.)
  • Order number (if applicable)

We will respond within 30 days (or as required by applicable law).

11. Children’s Privacy

Our website and products are not directed at children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information:

While our journals may be purchased by adults for use by teenagers (16+), we recommend parental guidance for users under 18.

12. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., social media, recommended resources, research sources).

Important:

  • We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites
  • This Privacy Policy applies only to Alongside Design
  • We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit

13. Marketing Communications

Email Marketing:

When you subscribe to our email list or make a purchase, you may receive:

  • Newsletters with mental health and journaling tips
  • New product announcements
  • Exclusive discounts and promotions
  • Blog post notifications

Unsubscribing:

  • Click “Unsubscribe” at the bottom of any marketing email
  • Email us at hello@alongsidedesign.co.nz with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line
  • You’ll be removed within 7 business days

Note: You may still receive transactional emails (order confirmations, shipping updates) even after unsubscribing from marketing.

14. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Right to Know: Request information about personal data collected, used, disclosed, or sold in the past 12 months

Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal data (subject to exceptions)

Right to Opt-Out: We do NOT sell personal data, so opt-out is not applicable

Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights

How to Exercise CCPA Rights:

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

  • Changes in our business practices
  • New legal requirements
  • Improvements to our data protection measures

How We Notify You:

  • Updated “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy
  • Prominent notice on our website for material changes
  • Email notification for significant changes affecting your rights (if we have your email)

Your Continued Use: Continued use of our website or services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

16. Contact Us

For questions, concerns, or to exercise your privacy rights:

Subject Line Options:

  • “Privacy Inquiry” (general questions)
  • “Data Access Request” (request your data)
  • “Data Deletion Request” (delete your data)
  • “GDPR Request” (EU/EEA/UK residents)
  • “CCPA Request” (California residents)

Response Time: We aim to respond to all inquiries within 7 business days, and to formal data requests within 30 days (or as required by law).