Last updated: 11/07/2025
1. Who We Are
Welcome to The Build Shop. Our website address is: https://www.thebuildshop.co.za.
We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information in compliance with South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and global standards including GDPR where applicable.
2. What Personal Data We Collect and Why We Collect It
Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect the data shown in the comments form, along with the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help detect spam.
An anonymized string (a hash) created from your email address may be provided to the Gravatar service to check if you’re using it. Gravatar’s privacy policy: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval, your profile picture will be visible with your comment.
Media
If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Visitors may be able to download and extract this data.
Cookies
If you leave a comment, you may opt in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience and last for one year.
We also set cookies when:
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Visiting the login page (temporary cookie to check browser acceptance).
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Logging in (login info and screen options – expires in 2 days to 2 weeks).
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Editing/publishing content (cookie saved for post ID – expires after 1 day).
You can clear or disable cookies via your browser settings.
Embedded Content from Other Sites
Articles may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles). Embedded content behaves the same as if you visited the external site directly. These sites may collect data, use cookies, and track your interaction, especially if you are logged in to their service.
E-commerce Data (WooCommerce)
If you make a purchase, we collect personal information such as your name, billing/shipping address, email, phone number, and payment details.
This data is necessary for:
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Processing orders
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Preventing fraud
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Complying with legal obligations
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Providing customer service and support
Your order information is stored securely. We never store raw card/payment data — all transactions are processed through secure gateways like PayFast, PayGate, or similar PCI-compliant services.
3. Who We Share Your Data With
We do not sell or rent your personal data.
We may share data with:
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Trusted third-party payment processors
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Courier services (for delivery)
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Spam detection services
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Web hosting providers
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Legal authorities (if required)
Your data is shared only as necessary and always in accordance with POPIA.
4. How Long We Retain Your Data
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Comments: Retained indefinitely along with metadata.
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Registered users: Personal data is stored in their profile. Users may view, edit, or delete their data at any time (except the username).
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Order data: Retained for legal, tax, and accounting purposes as required by law.
5. What Rights You Have Over Your Data
You may:
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Request access to the personal data we hold
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Request correction or deletion of your personal data
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Object to processing or request restriction of processing
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Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa
To exercise your rights, email us at: info@thebuildshop.co.za
6. Where Your Data Is Sent
Visitor comments may be checked through automated spam detection services. E-commerce data may be stored on servers located within or outside South Africa, depending on our hosting provider, but always under strict confidentiality and security controls.
7. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, you may contact:
The Build Shop
Email: info@thebuildshop.co.za
Website: https://www.thebuildshop.co.za
8. Updates to this Policy
We reserve the right to update this policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page and the “Last Updated” date will be modified accordingly.
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