Privacy Policy - Annie's Smartex

Last updated: August 13, 2026

Annie’s Smartex (“Annie’s Smartex,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates smartexyarn.com. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information when you visit our website, contact us, create an account, request a quotation, or purchase a digital product.

1. Who is responsible for your information

Annie’s Smartex is responsible for the personal information it collects through this website. Privacy questions and requests may be sent to annie@smartexyarn.com.

2. Information we collect

Depending on how you use the website, we may collect:

Contact and account information: name, company, email address, telephone number, billing address, account credentials, and information you provide in inquiry forms.
Order and transaction information: products purchased, order value, currency, payment method, payment status, transaction identifiers, invoices, refunds, and related correspondence.
Digital-delivery information: download permissions, the date a download link is generated or sent, download attempts, access time, IP address, and other records reasonably needed to deliver a digital product and resolve delivery or payment disputes.
Communications: messages, attachments, support requests, product requirements, and other information you choose to send us.
Technical and usage information: IP address, browser and device information, referring and exit pages, timestamps, security events, cookie identifiers, and interactions with the website.

Please do not send confidential technical information unless it is necessary for your inquiry and you are authorized to share it.

3. How we use personal information

We use personal information to:

operate, secure, troubleshoot, and improve the website;
respond to inquiries and provide fiber, yarn, fabric, and product consultation;
create and manage accounts, carts, orders, payments, invoices, refunds, and customer support;
deliver purchased PDF files and maintain evidence that digital content was sent or accessed;
prevent fraud, abuse, unauthorized file sharing, and security incidents;
meet tax, accounting, consumer-protection, sanctions, and other legal obligations;
measure website performance and understand how visitors use our content; and
send marketing communications where permitted by law and subject to your right to unsubscribe.

4. Legal bases where applicable

Where laws such as the UK GDPR or EU GDPR apply, we rely on one or more of the following: performance of a contract or steps requested before a contract; compliance with legal obligations; our legitimate interests in operating, securing, improving, and protecting our business; and consent where consent is required, including for certain cookies or marketing communications. You may withdraw consent at any time, without affecting processing already carried out lawfully.

5. Payments and PayPal

Payments may be processed by PayPal. We do not receive or store your complete PayPal password or full payment-card details. We send PayPal the information needed to process and support the transaction, which may include your order total, currency, contact or billing details, and transaction information. PayPal acts as an independent controller of personal information it processes for payment, fraud prevention, compliance, and its own legal obligations. Please review the PayPal Privacy Statement.

6. WooCommerce, hosting, security, and other service providers

Our store is operated using WordPress and WooCommerce. Personal information may be processed by service providers that support website hosting, content delivery and security, payment processing, transactional email, analytics, backups, and technical maintenance. Cloudflare may process IP addresses, request data, and security signals to deliver and protect the website. These providers may use information only as permitted by their agreements and applicable law.

We may also disclose information to professional advisers, regulators, courts, law-enforcement authorities, or another business involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or transfer of assets where legally permitted or required.

We do not sell personal information for money. If our use of advertising or analytics technology is treated as a “sale,” “sharing,” or targeted advertising under an applicable law, we will provide any notice and opt-out mechanism required by that law.

7. Cookies and similar technologies

We use necessary cookies for functions such as security, shopping carts, checkout, login, language or currency preferences, and session continuity. We may also use analytics, performance, advertising, or embedded-content cookies where enabled. Where required, non-essential cookies will be used only after consent. You can manage cookies through the consent tool shown on the website, where available, and through your browser settings. Blocking necessary cookies may prevent checkout or account features from working.

8. International data transfers

Our customers and service providers may be located in different countries. Personal information may therefore be processed outside your country. Where required, we use contractual or other legally recognized safeguards for international transfers. Privacy protections and government-access rules may differ between countries.

9. How long we retain information

We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described above. Order, payment, invoice, and refund records are retained for the period required by applicable tax, accounting, and consumer laws. Account information is retained while the account remains active and for a reasonable period afterward. Download permissions and access logs may be retained while download access remains available and for a reasonable dispute-prevention period. Inquiry, support, security, backup, and cookie records are retained according to operational need, legal requirements, and the settings of the relevant system. Information may be retained longer when needed to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

10. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect personal information, including encrypted connections, access controls, updates, backups, and security monitoring. No internet transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

11. Your privacy rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, restriction, objection, portability, withdrawal of consent, or information about categories of data and recipients. You may also have the right to opt out of certain targeted advertising, sales, or sharing, and to appeal a decision concerning your request.

To exercise a right, email annie@smartexyarn.com. We may request information necessary to verify your identity and authority. We will respond within the period required by applicable law. You may also complain to the data-protection or consumer authority in your country.

12. Children

This website and its commercial products are not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children where parental consent would be required. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us so that we can review and delete it where appropriate.

13. Third-party links

The website may link to third-party websites or services. Their privacy practices are governed by their own notices, not this Privacy Policy.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, providers, or legal obligations. The revised version will be posted on this page with a new “Last updated” date. Material changes may be communicated by an additional notice where required.

15. Contact us

For privacy questions or requests, contact Annie’s Smartex at annie@smartexyarn.com.