Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Wax Mood Studio (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of our customers and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website at waxmoodstudio.com or make a purchase from us.

We are based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and operate in compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), and all applicable provincial privacy laws.

By using our website or purchasing our products, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you interact with our store, we may collect the following personal information:

• Contact information: Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address
• Account information: Username, password (encrypted), and account preferences
• Order information: Billing and shipping addresses, products purchased, and order history
• Payment information: Credit card details and billing information (processed securely through Stripe and PayPal — we do not store your full payment card details on our servers)
• Communications: Messages you send to us through our contact form, email, or customer support
• Newsletter subscription: Email address provided when subscribing to our newsletter

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

• Device information: Browser type, operating system, device type, and screen resolution
• Usage data: Pages viewed, time spent on pages, links clicked, and referring URLs
• Location data: Approximate geographic location based on IP address (used for tax calculation and shipping purposes)
• Cookies and similar technologies: See Section 7 for details on our cookie practices

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To process and fulfil your orders, including shipping via Canada Post
• To process payments securely through Stripe and PayPal
• To communicate with you about your orders, account, or inquiries
• To send promotional emails and newsletters (only with your express consent, in compliance with CASL)
• To calculate and remit applicable sales taxes (GST/HST/PST) based on your shipping province
• To improve our website, products, and customer experience
• To detect and prevent fraud or unauthorized transactions
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms of service

4. PIPEDA Compliance and Your Rights

Under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

4.1 The Ten Fair Information Principles

We adhere to the ten fair information principles set out in PIPEDA:

• Accountability: We are responsible for personal information under our control and have designated a privacy officer to ensure compliance.
• Identifying Purposes: We identify the purposes for which personal information is collected at or before the time of collection.
• Consent: We obtain your knowledge and consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information, except where not required by law.
• Limiting Collection: We collect only the personal information necessary for the purposes identified.
• Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention: We do not use or disclose personal information for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with your consent or as required by law. We retain personal information only as long as necessary.
• Accuracy: We keep personal information as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used.
• Safeguards: We protect personal information with security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.
• Openness: We make readily available information about our policies and practices relating to the management of personal information.
• Individual Access: Upon request, we will inform you of the existence, use, and disclosure of your personal information and give you access to that information.
• Challenging Compliance: You may address a challenge concerning compliance with these principles to our designated privacy officer.

4.2 Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information
• Withdraw consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information (subject to legal or contractual restrictions)
• Request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal obligations
• File a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe your privacy rights have been violated

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

5. Disclosure of Your Information

We may share your personal information with the following third parties, solely for the purposes described in this policy:

• Stripe: Payment processing for credit and debit card transactions. Stripe’s privacy policy is available at stripe.com/privacy.
• PayPal: Alternative payment processing. PayPal’s privacy policy is available at paypal.com/privacy.
• Canada Post: Shipping and delivery of orders. Your name, address, and phone number are shared to facilitate delivery.
• Analytics providers: We may use services such as Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website. These services collect data anonymously.
• Legal authorities: We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government regulation, or if necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including:

• Order records: Retained for a minimum of 7 years to comply with Canadian tax law and accounting requirements.
• Account information: Retained for as long as your account remains active. You may request account deletion at any time.
• Newsletter subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent.
• Customer support communications: Retained for up to 3 years after the last interaction.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our site.

We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies: Required for the website to function properly (e.g., shopping cart, authentication sessions). These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website, allowing us to improve our content and user experience.
• Preference cookies: Remember your preferences and settings (e.g., language, region).

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

8. CASL Compliance (Anti-Spam)

In compliance with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), we will only send you commercial electronic messages (such as newsletters and promotional emails) if you have provided your express consent.

Our commitment under CASL:

• We will clearly identify ourselves as the sender of all commercial emails
• We will include our contact information and physical mailing address in every commercial message
• Every commercial email will include a clear and easy-to-use unsubscribe mechanism
• We will process unsubscribe requests within 10 business days
• We will not send commercial messages without your prior consent
• Transactional emails (order confirmations, shipping notifications) are exempt from CASL consent requirements and will be sent as needed to fulfil your orders

To unsubscribe from our marketing emails, click the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any promotional email, or contact us at [email protected].

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers
• PCI-DSS compliant payment processing through Stripe and PayPal (we never store full credit card numbers on our servers)
• Encrypted password storage using industry-standard hashing algorithms
• Regular security audits and software updates
• Access controls limiting employee access to personal information on a need-to-know basis

While we take reasonable precautions to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (including social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our website and products are not directed to children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe that a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at [email protected] and we will promptly delete such information.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised “Last updated” date. We encourage you to review this page periodically. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email or through a prominent notice on our website.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer:

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.