Privacy Policy
Last updated: 21 July 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how Kottonology C.I.C. collects, uses, stores and shares your personal information when you visit www.kottonology.com, contact us, subscribe to our emails, create an account, or make or attempt to make a purchase.
1. Who We Are
Kottonology C.I.C. is the data controller responsible for the personal information covered by this Privacy Policy.
Company: Kottonology C.I.C.
Company number: NI724276
Registered office: 35 Pinley Green, Markethill, Armagh, BT60 1RX, United Kingdom
Email: contact@kottonology.com
Website: www.kottonology.com
2. Information We Collect
The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with Kottonology.
Information You Provide
We may collect:
- Your name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Billing and delivery addresses
- Customer account and login information
- Products ordered and order history
- Payment and transaction information
- Marketing preferences
- Information contained in enquiries, complaints or other correspondence
- Any other information you choose to provide
Payments are processed securely by our payment providers. Kottonology does not normally receive or store your complete payment-card number or security code.
Information Collected Automatically
When you use our website, we may automatically collect:
- Your IP address
- Browser, device and operating-system information
- Approximate location derived from your IP address
- Time zone
- Cookie and similar identifiers
- Pages and products viewed
- Referring websites or sources
- Dates and times of visits
- Shopping-basket and checkout activity
- Information about how you interact with our website
Required technical information may be processed to operate and secure the website. Non-essential personalisation, analytics and marketing technologies are used only where you have given the necessary consent.
Information Received From Other Organisations
We may receive personal information from organisations that help us operate our store, including:
- Shopify
- Payment providers
- Print-on-demand and order-fulfilment providers
- Delivery providers
- Website security and fraud-prevention services
- Analytics, advertising or social-media services where these are enabled and you have consented
3. How We Use Your Information & Our Lawful Bases
We only use personal information where we have a lawful basis under UK data-protection law.
Processing & Fulfilling Orders
We use your information to:
- Process payments
- Confirm and fulfil orders
- Arrange printing, packing and delivery
- Provide order updates
- Manage returns and refunds
- Deal with order-related enquiries
Our lawful basis is performance of a contract with you or taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.
You must provide the information reasonably required to complete an order. If you do not provide it, we may be unable to process or deliver your purchase.
Customer Accounts
We use account information to create and maintain your account, display relevant order information and provide account-related services.
Our lawful basis is performance of a contract.
Enquiries & Customer Service
We use contact details and correspondence to answer questions, handle complaints and provide customer support.
Where an enquiry concerns an order, our lawful basis is performance of a contract. For general enquiries, we rely on our legitimate interest in communicating with customers and operating our business effectively.
Website Operation, Security & Fraud Prevention
We may use technical, transaction and device information to:
- Operate and secure our website
- Protect customer accounts
- Detect or prevent fraud
- Investigate misuse
- Protect our legal rights
Our lawful basis is our legitimate interest in protecting Kottonology, our customers and our services. Where processing is required by law, we rely on legal obligation.
Website Analytics & Improvement
We use required technical information to maintain the functionality and performance of the website.
Where analytics involve non-essential cookies or similar technologies, our lawful basis is consent. These technologies will not be activated where consent is required unless you choose to allow them.
Marketing
If you actively subscribe to receive marketing, we may use your name, email address and preferences to send information about Kottonology products, offers, news and activities.
Our lawful basis for email marketing is consent.
You can withdraw consent at any time by:
- Clicking the unsubscribe link in one of our emails; or
- Contacting contact@kottonology.com
Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal. We may retain limited information on a suppression list so that we continue to respect your request not to receive marketing.
Legal & Accounting Requirements
We use and retain order, payment and transaction information to maintain business and accounting records, comply with tax requirements and meet other legal or regulatory obligations.
Our lawful basis is legal obligation.
4. How we share personal information
We share personal information only where reasonably necessary to provide our services, operate our business or comply with the law.
Shopify
Shopify provides our ecommerce platform, website infrastructure, checkout, customer-account facilities and related services.
Shopify’s privacy information is available at:
https://www.shopify.com/legal/privacy
Payment Providers
Payment and transaction information is processed by the payment provider selected during checkout. Depending on the method chosen, this may include Shopify Payments, Shop Pay, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay or another provider displayed at checkout.
Payment providers may process information under their own privacy policies.
Print & Fulfilment Providers
We share the information necessary to manufacture, pack and dispatch your order with the print-on-demand and fulfilment provider responsible for fulfilling it. This may include your name, delivery address and order details.
Delivery Providers
Relevant information is shared with postal and courier services used to deliver your order. The specific delivery provider may depend on the fulfilment supplier, product and destination.
Marketing & Analytics Services
Where you subscribe to marketing, relevant information may be processed through Shopify or an email service connected to our store.
Where optional analytics, personalisation or marketing services are enabled, information is shared with those services only in accordance with your cookie choices and applicable law.
Professional Advisers & Authorities
We may share information with accountants, insurers, legal advisers, regulators, tax authorities, courts or law-enforcement bodies where reasonably necessary for professional advice, legal compliance, fraud prevention or the protection of legal rights.
We require service providers acting on our behalf to handle personal information appropriately and only for the relevant service.
5. International Transfers
Some of our service providers, including Shopify and associated technology providers, may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.
Where information is transferred to a country that is not recognised by the UK as providing an adequate level of data protection, we take reasonable steps to ensure that an appropriate legal safeguard is used.
You can contact us for more information about the safeguards relevant to your personal information.
6. Cookies & Similar Technologies
Cookies are small files stored on your device. We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes.
Required Cookies
These are necessary for the website to operate properly. They support functions such as:
- Website security
- Customer login
- Shopping baskets
- Checkout
- Payment processing
- Remembering your cookie choices
Required cookies cannot be disabled through our consent tool because the website may not function correctly without them.
Personalisation Cookies
These remember information about your activity or choices to personalise your future visits. They are used only where you consent.
Analytics Cookies
These help us understand how visitors interact with the website and identify opportunities to improve it. They are used only where you consent.
Marketing Cookies
These may be used by us and our partners, including Shopify and any enabled advertising providers, to measure marketing performance and show relevant advertising. They are used only where you consent.
When you first visit our website from a region where consent is required, you can:
- Accept all non-essential cookies
- Decline all non-essential cookies
- Select individual cookie categories
You can change or withdraw your consent at any time by selecting Cookie preferences in the website footer.
Declining non-essential cookies will not prevent you from using the website’s essential shopping functions. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings, although blocking required cookies may affect the website’s operation.
Further information about cookies used by Shopify is available at:
https://www.shopify.com/legal/cookies
7. How Long We Retain Information
We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy.
Order, transaction and accounting information will normally be retained for six years after the end of the relevant accounting period, or longer where required by law.
Other retention periods depend on the nature of the information:
- Customer-account information is retained while the account remains active and for a reasonable period afterwards.
- Enquiries and customer-service correspondence are retained for as long as necessary to resolve the matter and maintain appropriate business records.
- Marketing information is retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent.
- Limited suppression information may be retained to ensure that we continue to respect a marketing opt-out.
- Cookie choices and consent records are retained for the period necessary to remember and demonstrate your preferences.
- Security and fraud-prevention information may be retained where necessary to investigate incidents or protect legal rights.
Information may be kept longer where required by law, where a dispute exists or where legal proceedings are reasonably anticipated. When information is no longer required, it will be deleted, anonymised or securely disposed of.
8. Your Data-Protection Rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:
- Request access to your personal information
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
- Request deletion of your information
- Request restriction of processing
- Object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Object to direct marketing at any time
- Request a portable copy of certain information you provided
- Withdraw consent at any time
- Ask for information about safeguards used for international transfers
These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal limitations or exemptions.
To exercise a right, email contact@kottonology.com. We may need to verify your identity before completing your request.
You will not normally be charged a fee. However, we may charge a reasonable fee or refuse a request where permitted by law, including where a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.
9. Security
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction.
No internet transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You should use a strong, unique password for your account and keep your login information confidential.
10. Complaints
If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact us first at contact@kottonology.com so we can try to resolve the matter.
You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office at:
https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our services, suppliers, legal obligations or privacy practices.
The current version will be published on this page with an updated date. Where a change materially affects how we use personal information, we will provide additional notice where appropriate.
12. Contact Us
Questions, requests or complaints concerning this Privacy Policy or your personal information should be sent to:
Kottonology C.I.C.
Company number: NI724276
35 Pinley Green
Markethill
Armagh
BT60 1RX
United Kingdom
Email: contact@kottonology.com