How we handle your data.
Short version: we only collect what we need to get your order to you, we don't sell it to anyone, and you can ask us to delete it at any time.
Who we are
Stressless Seamstress is a small studio operating out of Cape Town, South Africa. For the purposes of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) we are the Responsible Party for personal information collected through this site. You can reach the Information Officer at privacy@stresslessseamstress.co.za.
What we collect
- Contact details — your name, email address, phone number, and shipping address, provided when you check out or create an account.
- Order history — what you've bought, when, and the delivery address it went to.
- Account credentials — if you've registered, a hashed password so we can sign you back in.
- Site interaction — basic, anonymised analytics about how pages are used (not tied to your name unless you're signed in).
We do not store full card numbers or CVV codes. Payment happens at PayFast; we only receive confirmation that a payment succeeded or failed.
Why we collect it
- To fulfil your order and get it delivered.
- To let you sign in, track orders, and save addresses for next time.
- To email you about the specific order you placed (receipts, shipping notifications, return confirmations).
- To send marketing email only if you've explicitly asked to receive it. You can opt out at any time from the notifications page or via the unsubscribe link in any such email.
- To meet our own legal obligations — tax records, fraud prevention, and responding to lawful requests from authorities.
Who we share it with
We only share personal information with the processors we need to run the business:
- PayFast — to process your payment.
- Our courier partner — name, delivery address, and phone number so they can deliver the parcel.
- ZeptoMail — to send transactional and, where you've opted in, marketing email.
- ImageKit and Heroku — for hosting and delivering the site itself.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information with anyone else.
How long we keep it
Order records are retained for as long as required by South African tax law (currently five years from the relevant tax year). Account data is retained while your account is active. If you delete your account, we remove addresses, wishlists, reviews, and cart contents; order records are anonymised but preserved for accounting purposes.
Your rights under POPIA
- Ask us what personal information we hold about you, and get a copy.
- Correct or update anything we have wrong.
- Ask us to delete your data (subject to the retention above).
- Object to direct marketing at any time.
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator — details at inforegulator.org.za.
Exercise any of these rights by writing to privacy@stresslessseamstress.co.za. We'll respond within a reasonable time, and within 30 days at the latest.
Cookies
We use a small set of cookies: a signed session cookie to keep you logged in, a cart cookie so your bag survives a reload, and one-shot flash cookies that only live long enough to carry you through the PayFast round trip. We do not set third-party tracking cookies.
Changes
If we materially change how we handle your data, we'll update this page and, if you're a registered customer, email you the summary.