Privacy policy
Privacy Policy
How we collect, handle, and protect your personal data in full compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
1. Data Controller Overview
This Privacy Policy describes how BOUTSEN JOZEF, operating as Boutsen Dierenspeciaalzaak - Hengelsport ("we", "us", or "our"), collects, uses, and safeguards your personal information when you visit or make a purchase from our website.
We act as the data controller responsible for processing your personal data in accordance with the Belgian Data Protection Act and the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 - GDPR / AVG).
2. Personal Information We Collect
We collect information necessary to fulfill your orders, provide customer service, and ensure website functionality:
- Order Information: Full name, billing address, shipping address, payment confirmation details, email address, and phone number when placing an order.
- Device & Technical Information: IP address, browser type, device specifications, time zone, and interaction data collected through essential session cookies to keep the website running securely.
- Customer Support Records: Inquiries, emails, and transaction notes when you contact our customer support desk regarding orders or products.
3. Purpose and Legal Basis for Processing
Under GDPR, we process personal information strictly based on valid legal grounds:
- Performance of a Contract: To process payments, arrange packaging, dispatch pet and angling gear, deliver orders, and provide order status notifications.
- Legal Obligations: To maintain mandatory Belgian tax, bookkeeping, and accounting records (such as VAT documentation).
- Legitimate Interests: To protect our store against fraud, maintain security standards, and handle customer service disputes.
4. Sharing Your Personal Data
We do not sell, rent, or lease your personal information to third parties. We share your data strictly with trusted service partners essential for executing our retail operations:
- Platform Host: Our store is hosted on Shopify, which securely manages our e-commerce checkout and technical infrastructure under strict data processing agreements.
- Payment Processors: Certified, PCI-DSS compliant payment gateways (such as Bancontact, credit card merchant providers) to process transactions securely. We do not store full credit card numbers on our servers.
- Shipping Couriers: Delivery partners (such as bpost, PostNL, DPD) receive your recipient name, delivery address, and telephone number solely to fulfill delivery.
- Legal Authorities: Regulatory bodies or law enforcement agencies only when required by mandatory Belgian or EU laws.
5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses essential cookies necessary for site operation, including keeping items in your shopping cart and authenticating checkout sessions.
Any analytical or marketing cookies are deployed strictly with your prior consent via our cookie banner, which allows you to manage or withdraw your preferences at any time.
6. Data Retention
We retain personal data relating to placed orders only for as long as necessary to complete fulfillment, satisfy warranty or return windows, and meet statutory Belgian financial and tax retention requirements (typically up to 7 to 10 years for accounting invoices).
7. Your Rights Under GDPR (EU Residents)
As an individual residing in the European Union, you hold specific statutory rights regarding your personal data:
- Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal records.
- Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): Request deletion of your personal data where legally permissible.
- Right to Restriction: Request limitation of data processing under certain circumstances.
- Right to Data Portability: Obtain your data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
- Right to Object: Object to processing carried out under legitimate interest grounds.
To exercise any of these rights, contact our Data Protection desk at support@boutsendierenspeciaalzaakhengelsport.com. You also hold the right to lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority (Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit / Autorité de protection des données - APD/GBA).
8. Security Measures
We implement industry-standard technical and organizational security measures, including 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmissions, secure firewalls, and restricted administrative access to prevent unauthorized disclosure or loss of your personal information.