Privacy Policy

01 Introduction and Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to information processed in connection with your use of the Starbuddy online store, including browsing products, creating or using a customer account, placing an order, contacting customer support, submitting a review or interacting with features available on the website.

In this policy, the terms “Starbuddy”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the business operating the Starbuddy online store. “You” and “your” refer to a visitor, customer or other individual whose information may be processed through the website.

The personal information processed will depend on how you use the website and which features are enabled. For example, someone who only browses products may provide less information than a customer who places an order or creates an account.

This policy should be read alongside any relevant notices displayed during checkout, account creation, payment, review submission or other website interactions.

02 Information We May Collect

Depending on your interactions with Starbuddy, we may collect different categories of information. Not every category will apply to every visitor.

A. Contact and identity information

• Name and other identifying details you provide.
• Email address and phone number.
• Billing and delivery address, including city, state and PIN code.
• Information you voluntarily include in a customer-support request.

B. Order and shopping information

• Products ordered, quantities, prices and order references.
• Order status, cancellation requests, return requests and delivery updates.
• Relevant transaction status and payment confirmation details.
• Preferences or information you choose to provide while using the store.

C. Account information

If customer-account features are enabled and you use them, we may process information associated with your account, such as login identifiers, saved addresses, account preferences, order history and account settings.

D. Reviews, photographs and feedback

If you submit a product review, rating, photograph or feedback, we may process the content you provide along with the information needed to associate it with your review or order. Please avoid including sensitive personal information in public reviews or photographs.

E. Messages and support records

If you contact us, we may retain the information contained in your message and our response so that we can investigate the issue, assist you and maintain relevant business records.

F. Information you choose to provide

You may voluntarily provide additional information when participating in a promotion, answering a survey or using another feature. Before requesting information for a new purpose, we aim to provide appropriate information about its intended use where required.

03 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain technical or usage information may be collected automatically by the website, hosting environment, security tools or services used to operate the store.

Depending on the tools enabled, this information may include:

• IP address or approximate location derived from technical information.
• Browser type, device type and operating-system information.
• Pages viewed, products visited and interactions with website features.
• Referral information, such as the page or source that brought you to our store.
• Dates, times and technical logs associated with website requests.
• Cookie identifiers or similar technical identifiers where used.

Such information may help us maintain website functionality, understand technical problems, protect the store against abuse and improve the shopping experience.

The exact information collected depends on our website configuration and the services active at the time of your visit. We do not intend this section to imply that every type of tracking or analytics described here is necessarily enabled.

04 How We Use Your Information

We may use information for the following purposes, as relevant to your interaction with Starbuddy:

• Order fulfilment: to process purchases, prepare orders, arrange dispatch and deliver products.
• Customer support: to respond to questions, complaints, cancellation requests and other enquiries.
• Payment administration: to confirm payment status, reconcile transactions and investigate payment issues.
• Returns and refunds: to assess requests and maintain relevant records.
• Account management: to provide account features, display order history and manage saved details.
• Website operation: to maintain functionality and troubleshoot errors.
• Security and fraud prevention: to identify suspicious activity, protect transactions and help safeguard the store.
• Customer experience: to understand shopping activity and improve product presentation and website usability.
• Reviews and feedback: to display submitted ratings or reviews according to the relevant feature and applicable settings.
• Legal and compliance requirements: to maintain records or respond to lawful requests where required.
• Communications: to send relevant order updates, service notices and, where permitted, optional promotional messages.

We aim to use personal information for purposes that are relevant to the interaction, disclosed to you where required, and permitted by applicable law.

Where the law requires consent or another specific legal basis for a use of information, we will seek to meet that requirement before proceeding.

05 Orders, Payments and Delivery

When you place an order, we need relevant information to process the purchase and arrange delivery. This may include your name, contact details, delivery address, ordered products and order reference.

We may share the necessary delivery information with the delivery partner responsible for transporting your parcel. The delivery partner may use that information to complete delivery, provide shipment updates or contact you about delivery-related issues.

If you choose Cash on Delivery, relevant order and delivery information may be used to manage the COD shipment and collect payment at delivery.

If you choose an online payment method, the transaction may be handled by an external payment service provider. That provider may process payment-related information under its own applicable privacy terms and security practices.

We may receive transaction references, payment status, the amount paid and other information needed to reconcile an order. The payment provider’s actual processing arrangements determine which payment details are handled by that provider and which information is made available to us.

We may also retain order records to handle customer support, cancellations, returns, refunds, accounting and other legitimate business requirements.

06 Cookies and Similar Technologies

Cookies are small files that a website may store on your device. Similar technologies may also be used to maintain sessions, remember preferences, support shopping-cart functions or understand website usage.

Depending on the website features and services enabled, cookies or similar technologies may be used to:

• Keep essential website and account functions working.
• Remember shopping-cart or session information.
• Help protect the website against misuse or suspicious activity.
• Remember certain preferences.
• Measure website performance or usage where analytics tools are enabled.

Some cookies may be necessary for the website to function properly. Other technologies may be subject to consent or preference choices depending on their purpose and the applicable legal requirements.

You may be able to manage or delete cookies through your browser settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect shopping-cart, login or other website functions.

The specific cookies used on Starbuddy depend on the WordPress website, plugins and third-party services that are active. This policy should be reviewed against the actual website configuration before publication.

07 Sharing Information With Others

We do not need to share every item of information with every service provider. Where sharing is necessary, we aim to limit it to information relevant to the intended purpose and handle it in accordance with applicable law.

Depending on the services used, information may be shared with:

• Payment providers: to process online payments, verify transactions or handle payment disputes.
• Delivery and logistics partners: to ship parcels, complete delivery and provide shipment updates.
• Website hosting and technical providers: to host, maintain, secure or troubleshoot the online store.
• Website plugins and service providers: where necessary to operate specific features you use.
• Professional advisers: where appropriate for accounting, legal or other legitimate business needs.
• Authorities or other parties: where disclosure is required by law or is otherwise lawfully necessary to protect rights and safety.
• Business successors: where information must be considered as part of a lawful business transfer, subject to applicable requirements.

Third-party providers may process information according to their own terms, privacy notices and applicable legal obligations. We encourage customers to review the relevant notices when interacting directly with an external service.

We do not intend to use customer information for unrelated third-party purposes merely because it has been provided to Starbuddy.

08 Marketing and Communications

We may contact you about transactions and services associated with your order, such as order confirmation, dispatch, delivery, cancellation, return or refund updates. These communications help us fulfil your purchase and respond to your requests.

If Starbuddy offers promotional communications, such as product news or special offers, we will handle those communications according to applicable law and any consent or preference requirements that apply.

Where an unsubscribe option is provided, you can use it to stop the relevant promotional emails. If promotional messages are sent through another channel, you may contact us to ask how to change your preferences.

Opting out of optional promotional communications does not necessarily stop essential messages about an active order, account security or a customer-support request.

We do not represent that promotional emails, SMS messages or advertising tools are active on the website unless those features have actually been enabled.

09 Customer Accounts and Reviews

If you create or use a customer account, information associated with that account may be used to provide account functions, show order history, maintain saved addresses and help you manage your shopping activity.

You should keep your login credentials confidential and take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised access to your account. If you suspect that someone has accessed your account without permission, contact us promptly.

If you submit a review, rating or photograph, the information displayed publicly will depend on the review feature and its settings. A displayed name, review text, rating or photograph may be visible to other website visitors.

If you wish to ask about correcting or removing a review or photograph you submitted, contact us with the relevant details. We will review the request, taking account of technical capabilities, legitimate recordkeeping needs and applicable law.

10 Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, subject to applicable legal requirements and legitimate business needs.

The appropriate retention period may vary according to the type of information and why it is needed. For example:

• Order and transaction records may be retained for accounting, tax, dispute-resolution or other legal requirements.
• Customer-support records may be retained to follow up on enquiries and document how an issue was resolved.
• Account information may be retained while an account is active and as needed for legitimate follow-up obligations.
• Technical or security logs may be retained for operational, troubleshooting or security purposes.
• Review information may remain visible while the review is published, subject to applicable moderation and removal processes.

When information is no longer required for its relevant purposes, we aim to delete it, anonymise it or otherwise handle it in accordance with applicable requirements and our operational capabilities.

Some information may need to be retained even after an account is closed or a request is made for deletion, for example where a legal obligation or an unresolved dispute requires it.

11 Information Security

We recognise the importance of protecting personal information. We aim to use reasonable and appropriate safeguards for the website and the information handled through our business, taking account of the nature of the information and the risks involved.

Safeguards may include, where applicable:

• Access restrictions for systems and information.
• Website maintenance and security measures.
• Use of reputable payment providers for supported online transactions.
• Measures intended to identify suspicious activity or unauthorised access.
• Review of technical issues and security incidents.

No website, online service or method of electronic storage can be guaranteed completely secure in every circumstance. We therefore cannot promise absolute security, but we aim to handle information responsibly and address relevant issues when they are identified.

You can help protect your information by using a secure device, keeping your account credentials private and avoiding sending confidential payment credentials through messages or email.

If you believe that your Starbuddy account or personal information has been compromised, contact us promptly so that we can review the concern.

12 Your Privacy Choices and Rights

Depending on applicable law and the circumstances, you may have rights or choices concerning your personal information. These may include requesting access to certain information, correction of inaccurate details, deletion where permitted, withdrawal of consent where processing is based on consent, or raising a complaint about how information is handled.

You can contact us to ask about matters such as:

• Correcting an incorrect name, email address or phone number associated with your account or order.
• Updating delivery details where the order status still permits a change.
• Requesting information about personal information associated with your interactions with Starbuddy.
• Asking whether certain account information can be deleted or updated.
• Changing optional marketing communication preferences.
• Raising a privacy concern or making a request available under applicable law.

For your protection, we may need to verify your identity or connection to the relevant account or order before acting on a request.

Some requests may be limited by legal obligations, the need to maintain transaction records, the rights of other people or technical limitations. If we cannot fulfil a request in full, we will handle it in accordance with applicable law.

13 Children’s Privacy

Starbuddy offers products that may be suitable for children, but our online store is intended to be used by individuals who are legally able to use the relevant services or by parents, guardians or other authorised adults acting on behalf of children where appropriate.

We do not intend to knowingly collect personal information directly from children in circumstances where the law requires parental consent or other protections and those requirements have not been met.

Parents or guardians who believe that a child has provided personal information to us can contact us through the Contact Us page. We will review the request and take appropriate action in accordance with applicable law.

Adults placing orders for children should take care not to include unnecessary information about a child in order notes, public reviews, photographs or customer-support messages.

14 Third-Party Websites and Services

Our website may contain links to external websites or rely on third-party services for payment, delivery, technical functions or other features.

When you visit an external website or interact directly with a third-party service, that service may collect or process information according to its own privacy policy and terms. Starbuddy does not control every aspect of an external provider’s website or practices.

We encourage you to review the relevant provider’s privacy notice before submitting information directly to that provider. For example, an online payment provider may have its own explanation of how it processes transaction information.

The presence of a link on our website does not, by itself, mean that Starbuddy controls or endorses every privacy practice of the linked service.

15 International Processing

Starbuddy operates an online store serving customers in India. Depending on the hosting infrastructure and the third-party providers used, certain technical or service information may be processed or stored in locations outside the state or country where you are located.

Where personal information is transferred or processed across borders, we aim to handle the transfer in accordance with applicable legal requirements and relevant service arrangements.

The actual locations involved depend on the providers and infrastructure configured for the website. This section does not assert that all customer information is transferred internationally.

16 Policy Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our website features, business operations, service providers or applicable legal requirements.

When we update the policy, we will revise the “Last updated” date shown near the top of this page. Where required by law, we will provide additional notice or seek consent for a relevant change.

We encourage you to review this page periodically so that you understand how information may be handled when using the Starbuddy website.

A revised policy does not remove any rights that you have under applicable law.

17 Contact and Privacy Requests

If you have a question about this Privacy Policy, want to correct information or wish to raise a privacy concern, please contact us through our official Contact Us page.

To help us review your request, include a brief description of the issue and the relevant account or order reference, where applicable. Please provide only the personal information necessary to identify and handle your request.

We may request reasonable additional information to verify your identity or authority to make a request. We will assess and respond to requests in accordance with applicable law and the information available to us.

Please do not include passwords, payment card PINs, OTPs or other confidential authentication details in your message.

18 Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What information does Starbuddy collect?

Depending on how you use the store, this may include contact details, delivery addresses, order information, account information, reviews and certain technical website data.

Q2. Why do you need my phone number and address?

These details may be needed to process an order, arrange delivery, contact you about delivery issues and provide customer support.

Q3. Does Starbuddy handle my online payment details?

Online payments may be processed by an external payment provider. The provider’s payment process determines which details it handles and which transaction information is shared with Starbuddy.

Q4. Does Starbuddy share my information?

Relevant information may be shared with service providers, such as payment processors, delivery partners and technical providers, where needed to operate the store, fulfil orders or meet legal obligations.

Q5. Does the website use cookies?

The website or its enabled services may use cookies or similar technologies for essential functions, sessions, preferences, security or analytics. The actual technologies depend on the website configuration.

Q6. Can I request correction of my information?

Yes. Contact us through the Contact Us page and describe the correction you need. We may verify your identity before changing account or order information.

Q7. Can I request deletion of my information?

You can contact us to request deletion where applicable. Some information may need to be retained for legal, accounting, security or legitimate business requirements. Requests are assessed under applicable law.

Q8. How long does Starbuddy retain information?

Retention depends on the type of information, why it is needed and any applicable recordkeeping requirements. We aim not to retain personal information longer than reasonably necessary for its relevant purposes.

Q9. Is my information completely secure?

We aim to use appropriate safeguards, but no online system can guarantee absolute security. You should also protect your account credentials and avoid sharing confidential payment information.

Q10. What happens to information in a product review?

Depending on the review feature, your rating, review text, photograph or displayed name may be visible to other visitors. Avoid including private details in public reviews.

Q11. Can I stop promotional communications?

Where promotional messages are offered, you may use an available unsubscribe option or contact us to ask about changing your preferences. Essential order-related communications may still be sent.

Q12. What if I have a privacy concern?

Contact us through the Contact Us page. Explain your concern and provide only the details necessary for us to review it.