Privacy Policy
Last Updated: January 2026
1. Introduction
Dog Eared Books ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and services at dogearedbooks.co.za.
This policy is compliant with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa. By using our services, you consent to the practices described in this policy.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Personal Information You Provide
- Full name and email address when creating an account
- Phone number for WhatsApp notifications and order updates
- Delivery address (PAXI collection point)
- Banking details for sellers (account number, bank name, branch code)
- Profile information you choose to add
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
- Device information (browser type, operating system)
- IP address and general location
- Pages visited and time spent on our website
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies
2.3 Transaction Information
- Purchase and sale history
- Payment transaction details (processed by Paystack)
- Shipping and delivery information
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Create and manage your account
- Process transactions and facilitate payments
- Arrange shipping and delivery via PAXI
- Send order updates and notifications via WhatsApp
- Provide customer support
- Improve our website and services
- Detect and prevent fraud or abuse
- Comply with legal obligations
- Communicate important updates about our services
4. Legal Basis for Processing (POPIA)
Under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), we process your personal information based on:
- Consent: You have given us permission to process your information
- Contract: Processing is necessary to fulfill our agreement with you
- Legal obligation: We are required by law to process certain information
- Legitimate interest: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided it doesn't override your rights
5. Information Sharing
We may share your information with:
- Other Users: Buyers and sellers on the platform see limited information necessary for transactions (e.g., PAXI collection point for buyers, not personal addresses)
- Service Providers:
- Paystack (payment processing)
- PAXI (shipping and delivery)
- Maytapi (WhatsApp notifications)
- Supabase (database hosting)
- Vercel (website hosting)
- Legal Authorities: When required by law or to protect our rights
We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
6. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information:
- Encryption of data in transit using SSL/TLS
- Secure password hashing
- Regular security assessments
- Limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
- Payment information is processed securely by Paystack (PCI-DSS compliant)
7. Cookies & Tracking
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Keep you logged in to your account
- Remember your preferences
- Analyze website traffic and usage patterns
- Improve user experience
We use the following analytics services:
- Google Analytics - for website traffic analysis
- Microsoft Clarity - for user experience insights
You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website.
8. Your Rights Under POPIA
Under the Protection of Personal Information Act, you have the right to:
- Access: Request a copy of your personal information we hold
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
- Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal obligations)
- Object: Object to the processing of your personal information
- Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
- Data Portability: Request your data in a commonly used format
- Lodge a Complaint: Complain to the Information Regulator if you believe your rights have been infringed
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.
9. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Transaction records are retained for 5 years as required by South African tax laws. You may request deletion of your account at any time, though some information may be retained as required by law.
10. Children's Privacy
Our services are available to users aged 13 and older. Users under 18 must have parental or guardian consent. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover we have collected information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will delete it immediately.
11. International Data Transfers
Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside South Africa where our service providers operate (e.g., cloud hosting services). We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in compliance with POPIA requirements.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via WhatsApp or by posting a notice on our website. Your continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:
You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at www.justice.gov.za/inforeg