Introduction

The Bottled Garden respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you visit our website, contact us, request a quote, place an order, book a service, join our mailing list or WhatsApp community, or interact with us through our website, social media pages, email, WhatsApp, or other communication channels.

This policy applies to customers, website visitors, suppliers, service providers, and anyone who shares personal information with us.

By using our website or sharing your personal information with us, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

Who is responsible for your personal information?

For purposes of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013, also known as POPIA, The Bottled Garden is the responsible party for the personal information we collect and process.

This means we decide why and how your personal information is collected, used, stored, and protected.

What personal information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following personal information:

Personal and contact details

This may include your name, surname, phone number, email address, delivery address, billing address, and general location.

Order and service information

This may include the products or services you enquire about or purchase, order history, quote requests, design preferences, consultation details, delivery notes, payment status, and customer support history.

Payment-related information

We may collect payment confirmation details, transaction references, invoice details, and proof of payment where relevant. We do not intentionally store full card details on our own systems. Where online card payments are offered, payment details are processed through a secure third-party payment provider.

Website and technical information

When you visit our website, we may collect technical information such as your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, time spent on the website, referral source, and cookies or similar tracking information.

Communication information

If you contact us by email, WhatsApp, contact form, social media, or another channel, we may keep a record of that communication so we can respond properly and provide support.

Images or content you send us

If you send photos, videos, screenshots, inspiration images, room photos, plant photos, terrarium photos, or similar content for a quote, consultation, design request, product issue, or aftercare support, we may process that content for the purpose of assisting you.

How we collect personal information

We may collect personal information when you:

1. Complete a contact form on our website.
2. Request a quote or consultation.
3. Place an order.
4. Make a payment.
5. Subscribe to a newsletter or mailing list.
6. Join a WhatsApp group, community, broadcast list, or similar communication channel.
7. Send us a WhatsApp message, email, direct message, or social media enquiry.
8. Comment on or interact with our social media pages.
9. Send photos, videos, screenshots, or other information for support, design, care guidance, or quoting purposes.
10. Use or browse our website.
11. We may also receive information from third-party service providers where necessary to complete an order, process payment, deliver a product, or provide a service.

Why we use your personal information

We use your personal information for legitimate business purposes, including to:

1. Respond to enquiries.
2. Prepare quotes.
3. Process orders.
4. Provide products and services.
5. Confirm payments.
6. Arrange delivery, collection, courier services, or shipping.
7. Provide customer support and aftercare.
8. Send invoices, receipts, order confirmations, and service updates.
9. Manage bookings, consultations, or custom work.
10. Communicate with you about your order, enquiry, or service request.
11. Improve our website, customer experience, products, services, and marketing.
12. Send newsletters, updates, promotional messages, availability updates, or community announcements where permitted.
13. Comply with legal, tax, accounting, record-keeping, and regulatory obligations.
14. Protect our business, website, customers, systems, and rights.

Legal basis for processing your personal information

We will only process your personal information where we have a lawful reason to do so.

This may include where:

1. You have given consent.
2. Processing is necessary to provide a quote, product, service, delivery, consultation, or customer support.
3. Processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation.
4. Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights are not unfairly affected.
5. Processing is necessary to protect our rights, customers, website, business, or property.

Marketing communication

We may send you marketing communication, updates, availability notices, product news, service information, or community announcements where you have opted in, where you have joined a communication channel, or where the law allows us to contact you.

You may unsubscribe, leave a group, or ask us to stop sending marketing communication at any time.

You can opt out by:

1. Clicking the unsubscribe link, where available.
2. Replying “STOP” or requesting removal from a WhatsApp or SMS communication, where applicable.
3. Leaving a WhatsApp group or community.
4. Contacting us directly at [Insert email address].
5. We will not sell your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes.
6. The Information Regulator has issued guidance on direct marketing under POPIA, including electronic and non-electronic marketing communications. (Inforegulator)

WhatsApp, social media, and community groups

If you contact us or join a group, broadcast list, community, or similar channel through WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, email, or another third-party platform, your use of that platform may also be subject to that platform’s own privacy policy and terms.

We may use these channels to respond to enquiries, share product availability, provide order updates, answer questions, send aftercare information, or share community announcements.

Please avoid sharing sensitive personal information in public comments, public groups, or social media posts.

Cookies and website tracking

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience, understand website traffic, remember preferences, support website functionality, and assist with analytics or marketing.

Cookies may collect information such as your device type, browser, pages visited, time spent on the site, and general usage behaviour.

You can usually adjust your browser settings to refuse or delete cookies. Some website features may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

Where required, we will request your consent before using non-essential cookies.

Sharing your personal information

We may share your personal information with trusted third parties where necessary to run our business, provide services, or complete your order.

These may include:

1. Payment processors.
2. Courier, delivery, or logistics providers.
3. Website hosting providers.
4. Email, marketing, or newsletter platforms.
5. Accounting, bookkeeping, or tax service providers.
6. IT, software, security, and cloud storage providers.
7. Professional advisers, where necessary.
8. Service providers assisting with design, fulfilment, packaging, delivery, or customer support.
9. Legal or regulatory authorities, where required by law.

We only share the information reasonably necessary for the purpose involved.

International service providers

Some of the platforms or service providers we use may store or process information outside South Africa.

Where this happens, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information remains protected and that appropriate safeguards are in place.

This may apply to platforms such as website hosting services, email platforms, cloud storage tools, payment processors, analytics tools, ecommerce platforms, or social media platforms.

How we protect your personal information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

These measures may include password protection, access controls, secure systems, limited staff or service-provider access, secure payment processing, backups, and reasonable administrative safeguards.

However, no online system, website, email platform, or digital communication channel can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You share information with us electronically at your own risk.

How long we keep your personal information

We will keep your personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless we are required or allowed by law to keep it for longer.

This may include keeping information for:

1. Order and delivery records.
2. Customer support and aftercare.
3. Quote and consultation records.
4. Tax, accounting, and financial record-keeping.
5. Legal, contractual, or dispute-related purposes.
6. Marketing records, until you unsubscribe or request removal.

When personal information is no longer needed, we will delete it, de-identify it, or securely store it where appropriate.

Your rights

You have the right to:

1. Ask what personal information we hold about you.
2. Request access to your personal information.
3. Ask us to correct or update inaccurate personal information.
4. Ask us to delete personal information where legally appropriate.
5. Object to certain processing of your personal information.
6. Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
7. Opt out of direct marketing.
8. Complain to the Information Regulator if you believe your personal information has been processed unlawfully.

To exercise your rights, please contact us at:

Email: info@thebottledgarden.co.za

We may need to verify your identity before responding to certain requests.

Children’s personal information

Our website, products, and services are not intentionally directed at children.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without the consent of a parent or legal guardian where required.

If you believe that a child has provided us with personal information without appropriate consent, please contact us so that we can review and address the matter.

Product reviews, testimonials, and user content

If you send us a review, testimonial, photo, video, message, or feedback, we may ask for your permission to use it on our website, social media, marketing materials, or other business channels.

We will not intentionally publish your personal contact details without your consent.

If you want us to remove a review, testimonial, photo, or other content you previously allowed us to use, you can contact us at [Insert email address]. We will consider the request and remove it where reasonably possible.

Links to other websites

Our website may include links to third-party websites, payment platforms, social media pages, courier platforms, or other external services.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security, or content of third-party websites or platforms. Please review their privacy policies before sharing personal information with them.

Data breaches

If we become aware of a data breach involving your personal information, we will take reasonable steps to investigate, contain, and address the incident.

Where required by law, we will notify affected individuals and/or the Information Regulator.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

The latest version will be published on our website with the updated effective date. Continued use of our website, products, or services after changes are published means you accept the updated Privacy Policy.

Contact us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us on our details below