Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Sue Ruffle ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website sueruffle.com (the "Site").

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information

When you use our contact form, we may collect the following personal information:

• Name
• Email address
• Age group (optional)
• Message content (optional)
• Newsletter subscription preference

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our Site, we may automatically collect certain information about your device, including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device information
• Pages visited and time spent on our Site
• Referring website

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
• Send you updates about Sue Ruffle's upcoming book (if you subscribe to our newsletter)
• Improve our website and user experience
• Comply with legal obligations
• Protect against fraudulent or illegal activity

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: With trusted service providers who assist us in operating our website (such as web hosting services, email delivery, and our mailing list provider)
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or government request
• Business Transfer: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
• Protection of Rights: To protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users

4a. Mailing List & Email Service Provider

Our mailing list and newsletter are operated through Mailchimp (Intuit Inc.), a third-party email marketing service. When you tick the "Keep me updated" box on our contact form, the following information is shared with Mailchimp so we can send you launch updates:

• Your email address
• Your first and last name (where provided)
• The date and source of your subscription

Double opt-in confirmation: Mailchimp will automatically send you a confirmation email. Your address is only added to our active subscriber list after you click the link in that email. If you do not confirm, your details are not added to our active list.

Where data is stored: Mailchimp processes and stores subscriber data on servers operated by Intuit, primarily located in the United States. By subscribing you consent to the transfer of your information to Mailchimp for this purpose. Mailchimp's own privacy practices are described at intuit.com/privacy/statement/.

Retention: We keep your email address on the Mailchimp subscriber list until you unsubscribe or ask us to remove it. Unsubscribed addresses are retained on a Mailchimp suppression list to prevent accidental re-subscription, in line with anti-spam best practice.

Messages you type into the contact form's "message" field are not sent to Mailchimp; they are emailed directly to Sue and used only to reply to you.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses minimal cookies and tracking technologies:

• Essential Cookies: Required for website functionality (session management, security)
• Font Loading: Google Fonts for typography (may set cookies for font optimization)
• CDN Services: We use unpkg.com for icon delivery

We do not use analytics cookies, advertising cookies, or social media tracking pixels.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. Contact form submissions are retained for up to 2 years for customer service purposes. Mailing list subscriber records are retained inside Mailchimp until you unsubscribe or request removal, as described in section 4a.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request access to the personal information we have about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
• Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

8. Children's Privacy

Our website is designed to be family-friendly and may be visited by children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

9. Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

12. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us through the contact form on our website.