This Privacy Policy describes how tzthangka.com (the “Site” or “we”) collects, uses, and discloses your Personal Information when you visit or make a purchase from the Site. Please note that our user system and online store operations are independent and not integrated with Shopify or any similar e-commerce platform services.
Collecting Personal Information
When you visit the Site, we collect certain information about your device, your interaction with the Site, and information necessary to process your purchases. We may also collect additional information if you contact us for customer support. In this Privacy Policy, we refer to any information that can uniquely identify an individual (including the information below) as “Personal Information”. See the list below for more information about what Personal Information we collect and why.
Device Information
Examples of Personal Information collected: Version of web browser, IP address, time zone, cookie information, what sites or products you view, search terms, and how you interact with the Site.
Purpose of collection: To load the Site accurately for you, and to perform analytics on Site usage to optimize our Site performance and user experience.
Source of collection: Collected automatically when you access our Site using cookies, log files, and web beacons (no third-party e-commerce platform tracking technologies are used).
Disclosure for a business purpose: Not shared with any third-party e-commerce service providers; only retained within our internal data management system.
Order Information
Examples of Personal Information collected: Full name, billing address, shipping address, payment information (including credit card numbers, PayPal account details), email address, and phone number.
Purpose of collection: To provide products or services to you to fulfill our contract, to process your payment information securely, arrange for shipping and delivery, provide you with invoices and/or order confirmations, communicate with you about your order status, screen our orders for potential risk or fraud, and when in line with the preferences you have shared with us, provide you with information or advertising relating to our thangka products and services.
Source of collection: Directly collected from you through our independent order submission system.
Disclosure for a business purpose: Only shared with necessary third-party service providers directly involved in order fulfillment, including payment processing gateways (e.g., PayPal, Stripe) and contracted shipping couriers (e.g., DHL, FedEx). No information is disclosed to e-commerce platform services like Shopify.
Customer Support Information
Examples of Personal Information collected: Order ID, contact details (email address, phone number if provided), product issue descriptions, and communication records between you and our support team.
Purpose of collection: To respond to your inquiries, resolve product or service issues, and provide efficient customer support.
Source of collection: Collected directly from you via email, contact form submissions, or phone communications.
Disclosure for a business purpose: Retained exclusively within our internal customer support system; not shared with any third-party platforms.
Minors
The Site is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not intentionally collect Personal Information from children. If you are the parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with Personal Information, please contact us at the address below to request deletion.
Sharing Personal Information
We only share your Personal Information with trusted third-party service providers that assist us in operating our business and fulfilling our obligations to you, as described in the relevant sections above. Specifically:
- Payment Processors: We share necessary payment information with authorized payment gateways (e.g., PayPal, Stripe) solely to process your transactions securely. You can review their privacy policies directly on their official websites.
- Shipping Couriers: We share your shipping address and contact details with contracted couriers to ensure timely delivery of your orders. These couriers are bound by confidentiality agreements and may only use this information for delivery purposes.
- Legal Compliance: We may disclose your Personal Information if required to do so by law, or in response to valid legal requests such as subpoenas, search warrants, or court orders. We may also disclose such information to protect our legitimate business interests, enforce our terms of service, or prevent fraud or harm.
Behavioural Advertising
We use your Personal Information to provide you with targeted advertisements or marketing communications that we believe may be relevant to your interests in thangka art and products. Our advertising practices are conducted independently and do not rely on e-commerce platform analytics tools:
- Analytics Tools: We use Google Analytics to understand how users interact with our Site, including page views, product browsing behavior, and conversion rates. You can learn more about Google’s privacy practices here: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en. You may opt out of Google Analytics by using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
- Third-Party Advertising Partners: We may share non-identifiable browsing information (e.g., product categories viewed, no personal contact details) with advertising partners such as Facebook Ads or Google Ads to display relevant promotions. This sharing is done via cookies or similar technologies, subject to your consent based on your location.
For more information about targeted advertising, visit the Network Advertising Initiative’s educational page:http://www.networkadvertising.org/understanding-online-advertising/how-does-it-work.
You can opt out of targeted advertising through the following platforms:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=ads
- Google: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/anonymous
- Bing: https://advertise.bingads.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/policies/personalized-ads
You may also opt out of multiple advertising services by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance’s opt-out portal: http://optout.aboutads.info/.
Using Personal Information
We use your Personal Information exclusively to operate our business and provide high-quality services to you, including: offering thangka products for sale, processing your payments securely, arranging shipping and fulfillment of your orders, communicating with you about order updates or customer support inquiries, and sending you marketing information (only if you have opted in to receive such communications) about new products, special offers, or thangka art-related content.
Lawful Basis (For EEA Residents)
Pursuant to the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), if you are a resident of the European Economic Area (“EEA”), we process your Personal Information based on the following lawful bases:
- Performance of the contract between you and tzthangka.com (e.g., processing orders to deliver products).
- Your explicit consent (e.g., subscribing to our marketing emails, allowing cookies for analytics).
- Compliance with our legal obligations (e.g., retaining order records for tax purposes).
- Our legitimate business interests, which do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms (e.g., optimizing Site performance, preventing fraud).
Retention
When you place an order through the Site, we will retain your Personal Information (order details, contact information) for a period of 5 years from the date of order completion for business record-keeping and legal compliance purposes. You may request the erasure of your Personal Information at any time (see the “Your Rights” section below), except where we are required by law to retain such information.
Automatic Decision-Making (For EEA Residents)
If you are a resident of the EEA, you have the right to object to processing based solely on automated decision-making (including profiling) that has a legal or significant effect on you. We do not engage in fully automated decision-making that has a legal or significant effect on our customers. Our payment processing partners may use limited automated systems to prevent fraudulent transactions (e.g., temporary denylist of suspicious payment methods), but these systems do not have a significant impact on legitimate customers.
Selling Personal Information
tzthangka.com does not sell your Personal Information to any third parties, including e-commerce platforms, advertising networks, or data brokers. This includes compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”) and similar state privacy regulations.
Your Rights
Rights Under GDPR (EEA Residents)
If you are a resident of the EEA, you have the following rights regarding your Personal Information:
- Right of access: To request a copy of the Personal Information we hold about you.
- Right of rectification: To request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete Personal Information.
- Right of erasure: To request that we delete your Personal Information (also known as the “right to be forgotten”).
- Right to restriction of processing: To request that we temporarily stop processing your Personal Information.
- Right to data portability: To request that we transfer your Personal Information to another data controller.
- Right to object: To object to our processing of your Personal Information for marketing or legitimate business purposes.
To exercise these rights, please contact us using the email provided below. Your Personal Information may be processed in our operational regions and transferred outside the EEA (including to regions serving欧美及澳大利亚市场), but we ensure all transfers comply with GDPR requirements through appropriate data protection agreements with our service providers.
Rights Under CCPA (California Residents)
If you are a resident of California, you have the following rights under the CCPA:
- Right to Know: To request details about the Personal Information we have collected, used, or disclosed about you.
- Right to Delete: To request the deletion of your Personal Information, subject to certain legal exceptions.
- Right to Correct: To request correction of inaccurate Personal Information.
- Right to Non-Discrimination: To not be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights.
To exercise these rights, or to designate an authorized agent to act on your behalf, please contact us using the information below.
Cookies
A cookie is a small text file downloaded to your device when you visit our Site. We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, remember your preferences, and analyze Site usage. Our cookie usage is independent and not tied to any e-commerce platform like Shopify. We use the following types of cookies:
Necessary Cookies (Essential for Site Functioning)
| Name | Function | Retention Period |
|---|---|---|
| session_id | Maintains your browsing session to enable navigation between pages | Until you close your browser |
| cart_info | Stores items in your shopping cart during your visit | 24 hours |
| user_preferences | Remembers your language and region settings | 30 days |
| checkout_session | Facilitates secure order checkout process | Until checkout is completed or abandoned |
Analytics and Performance Cookies
| Name | Function | Retention Period |
|---|---|---|
| _ga (Google Analytics) | Tracks unique visitors and Site engagement for analytics | 2 years |
| _gid (Google Analytics) | Identifies unique sessions for real-time analytics | 24 hours |
| page_view_tracker | Records product pages viewed to optimize content | 30 days |
Managing Cookies
Most browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can adjust your settings to block or delete cookies through your browser’s “Tools” or “Preferences” menu. Note that blocking necessary cookies may prevent parts of the Site (e.g., shopping cart, checkout) from functioning properly. For more information on cookie management, visitwww.allaboutcookies.org.
Do Not Track
Currently, there is no universal standard for “Do Not Track” signals. As a result, we do not alter our data collection and usage practices in response to such signals from your browser.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our business practices, legal requirements, or regulatory obligations. When we make material changes, we will post the updated policy on this page and revise the “Last Updated” date below. We encourage you to review this policy regularly.
Contact Us
For questions about this Privacy Policy, to exercise your privacy rights, or to submit a complaint, please contact us by email attzthangka@gmail.com. You may also contact us by mail at:
TZTHANGKA Art Studio For international inquiries, email is our primary and most efficient contact method.
If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. For EEA residents, find your local authority here: https://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/bodies/authorities/index_en.htm; for California residents, contact the California Attorney General’s Office; for Australian residents, reach out to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) via their official website: https://www.oaic.gov.au/.