Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
At Mule Mother Books (“we,” “us,” or “our”), accessible via mulemotherbooks.com, we are firmly committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our users, customers, and website visitors. We recognize the importance of individual privacy rights and take our responsibilities under applicable data protection laws—including the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (“GDPR”) and the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”)—very seriously. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, process, use, protect, and share your personal data, as well as your rights with respect thereto.
2. Scope and Data Controller
This Privacy Policy applies to all personal data collected through our website, mulemotherbooks.com, and any related services we provide. Mule Mother Books is the data controller with respect to personal data collected in the context of offering goods and services through the website. If you have any privacy-related questions or require further information, please contact us at [email protected].
3. Categories of Personal Data We Process
We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:
a. Usage Data
Information regarding how you use the website, such as your browser type and version, IP address, device identifiers, browsing activity, referring pages, and interaction times.
b. Account Data
Personal information provided when creating an account, including your full name, email address, mailing address, and telephone number.
c. Profile Data
Data relating to your purchase history, personal interests, preferences, wish lists, and other interactions with our products and content.
d. Communication Data
Records of support requests, contact forms, emails sent to us, and correspondence between you and Mule Mother Books.
e. Technical Data
Details about the devices used to access the website, including hardware information, operating system, browser configuration, time zone settings, and other diagnostic information.
f. Transaction Data
Information related to purchases, including billing details, shipping addresses, order history, and payment processing information (note: we do not retain full payment card information, which is processed by third-party secure payment platforms).
g. Preference Data
Information regarding your preferences concerning marketing communications, product offerings, and consent to receive newsletters or other promotions.
4. Legal Bases for Processing
We rely on the following lawful bases under the GDPR and applicable U.S. state laws for processing personal data:
– Performance of a contract: When processing is required to fulfill our contractual obligations to you (e.g., order fulfillment and customer support).
– Consent: When you voluntarily give us permission to process your data (e.g., subscribing to a newsletter).
– Legal obligations: When processing is required to comply with a legal or regulatory requirement.
– Legitimate interests: When processing supports our legitimate commercial or operational interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights.
Where processing of your personal data is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time by contacting [email protected].
5. Your Rights
You are entitled to a range of rights under data protection laws. These include:
– Right of Access: To request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
– Right to Rectification: To correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
– Right to Erasure: To request the deletion of your personal data under certain conditions.
– Right to Restrict Processing: To limit how we use your data under specific circumstances.
– Right to Data Portability: To request a copy of your data in a commonly used, machine-readable format.
– Right to Object: To object to processing carried out under legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
Residents of California may exercise additional rights under the CCPA, including the right to know about and delete personal data collected, and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights.
To exercise any of your rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We may require verification of your identity before fulfilling your request.
6. Security Measures
Mule Mother Books employs robust technical and organizational measures to safeguard your personal information. These include, but are not limited to:
– Data encryption in transit and at rest
– Role-based access control and authentication protocols
– Regular security audits and system monitoring
– Secure data backup and recovery procedures
– Employee training on data security and privacy compliance
Despite these efforts, no system is entirely infallible, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. International Data Transfers
If personal data is transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or other jurisdictions with data transfer restrictions, we ensure that such transfers are conducted in accordance with applicable regulations. We use adequacy decisions, Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, and other lawful mechanisms to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.
8. Data Retention
We retain your personal data for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected. Specific retention periods vary depending on the type of data:
– Usage and Technical Data: retained for up to 12 months to support analytics and system integrity.
– Account and Profile Data: retained while the account is active and up to 3 years following closure.
– Transaction Data: retained for up to 7 years to comply with accounting and tax obligations.
– Communication Data: retained for up to 3 years after resolution of the relevant issue.
– Preference Data: retained until consent is withdrawn or the data becomes outdated.
Upon expiration of the retention period, personal data is securely deleted or anonymized.
9. Cookie Policy
mulemotherbooks.com uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience. These include:
– Essential Cookies: Required for core functionality such as secure log-in and order processing.
– Functional Cookies: Allow the website to remember user choices (e.g., language preferences).
– Performance Cookies: Gather aggregated data on website usage to improve user experience.
– Analytics Cookies: Provide insights into visitor behavior, such as pages visited and navigation paths.
We may partner with third-party analytics providers such as Google Analytics, who may place their own cookies in accordance with their privacy practices.
10. Cookie Management and Compliance
Upon first visit to mulemotherbooks.com, users are presented with a cookie consent banner. You may accept, reject, or customize cookie preferences at any time through our cookie settings panel located in the footer of the website. Under GDPR and CCPA, users have the right to:
– Be informed of the categories and purposes of cookies used
– Opt out of non-essential cookies
– Withdraw consent at any time
Your continued use of mulemotherbooks.com after setting your preferences constitutes acceptance of our cookie practices.
11. Protection of Children’s Data
Our website and services are not intended for individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from children under 13. If we become aware that data has been collected from a child without appropriate parental consent, it will be promptly deleted. Parents and guardians who believe their child may have submitted personal data to us should contact [email protected].
12. Policy Updates
We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Any material changes will be communicated through a prominent notice on mulemotherbooks.com or by direct communication where appropriate. You are encouraged to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your data.
13. Contact
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, you may contact us at:
Email: [email protected]
We are fully committed to ensuring compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and other applicable data protection regulations. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, please reach out to us directly. We value your trust and will investigate all concerns swiftly and thoroughly.