Privacy Policy for Gotern.com

Last Updated: [April 1, 2025]

1. Introduction

Welcome to Gotern.com ("Gotern," "we," "us," or "our"). We operate an e-commerce platform connecting global customers with products sourced from India. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, protect, and otherwise process your personal information when you visit our website (www.gotern.com), use our services, purchase products, or otherwise interact with us.

By accessing or using our website and services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our services or provide us with your personal information. 

2. Information We Collect

We collect various types of information to provide and improve our services, process your orders, and communicate with you. This includes:

• Personal Identification Information:
  • Name (first and last)
  • Contact details (email address, phone number, shipping address, billing address)
  • Account credentials (username, password - stored securely)
• Order and Payment Information:
  • Details of products you purchase
  • Order history
  • Payment information (e.g., credit/debit card details, bank account information). Note: We typically process payments through secure third-party payment gateways. We do not directly store your full credit card numbers on our servers.
• Communications:
  • Records of your correspondence with us (e.g., emails to customer support, chat logs).
  • Feedback and survey responses.
• Technical and Usage Information (Collected Automatically):
  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system and platform
  • Device information (type, unique identifiers)
  • Website usage data (pages visited, time spent, links clicked, referral source)
  • Cookie data (see Section 6 below)

• Location Information:
  • General geographic location derived from your IP address.
  • Precise location if you grant permission (e.g., for specific delivery features, though typically only shipping address is used).
• Information from Third Parties:
  • We may receive information about you from third parties, such as payment processors (transaction confirmation), analytics providers, or advertising networks, where permitted by law.

3. How We Collect Your Information

We collect information in the following ways:

• Directly from You: When you create an account, place an order, subscribe to our newsletter, contact customer support, participate in surveys, or otherwise provide information directly to us.
• Automatically: When you browse our website, we use cookies, web beacons, log files, and similar technologies to collect technical and usage information.
• From Third Parties: As mentioned above, we may receive information from payment processors, analytics tools, and potentially other partners.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To Provide and Manage Services:
  • Process and fulfill your orders, including shipping and handling.
  • Create and manage your user account.
  • Process payments securely.
  • Provide customer support and respond to inquiries.
• To Improve Our Services:
  • Analyze website usage to understand user behavior and improve site design, features, and product offerings.
  • Personalize your experience on our website (e.g., showing relevant products).
• For Communication and Marketing:
  • Send transactional emails (order confirmations, shipping updates).
  • Send promotional emails, newsletters, and offers with your consent (you can opt-out anytime).
  • Communicate important service updates or changes to our policies.
• For Security and Fraud Prevention:
  • Detect and prevent fraudulent transactions and unauthorized access.
  • Protect the security and integrity of our website and systems.
• For Legal and Compliance Purposes:
  • Comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or governmental requests (e.g., tax requirements, law enforcement requests).
  • Establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

5. How We Share Your Information[1] 

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with the following categories of third parties only for the purposes described in this policy and under strict confidentiality and data protection agreements:

• Service Providers: Companies that perform services on our behalf, such as:
  • Payment processors
  • Shipping and logistics partners
  • Website hosting providers
  • Email service providers (for newsletters and transactional emails)
  • Marketing and advertising partners
  • Analytics providers
  • Customer support software providers
  • IT support and security providers 

These providers only have access to the information necessary to perform their functions and are obligated to protect your data.

• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or other governmental request, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request. 
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our website of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information. 
• With Your Consent: We may share your information with other third parties if you explicitly consent to such sharing.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies (small text files placed on your device) and similar technologies (like web beacons or pixels) to:

• Ensure our website functions correctly (e.g., shopping cart, login).
• Analyze website performance and usage.
• Remember your preferences (e.g., language, currency).
• [If applicable] Deliver personalized advertising (with your consent where required). 
• You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. However, blocking essential cookies may impact the functionality of our website. We may also use a cookie consent banner where you can manage non-essential cookies upon visiting our site. [Link to a separate Cookie Policy if you have one, or detail types of cookies here]. 

7. Data Security

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

• Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption for data transmission.
• Secure servers and firewalls.
• Access controls limiting access to personal information to authorized personnel.
• Regular security assessments and updates.
• Secure handling of payment information via PCI-DSS compliant payment gateways. 

However, please note that no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. 

8. Data Retention

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

• Providing services to you (e.g., maintaining your account, processing orders).
• Complying with legal, tax, or regulatory requirements (e.g., financial record-keeping). 
• Resolving disputes and enforcing our agreements.

When your information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

9. International Data Transfers

As we operate from India and cater to customers across the globe, your personal information may be processed and stored in India and potentially other countries where our third-party service providers are located. Data protection laws in these countries may differ from those in your country of residence.

When we transfer your personal information outside your country (e.g., from a GCC country to India), we will take appropriate steps to ensure your data is protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable laws. This may include:

• Relying on adequacy decisions (where applicable).
• Implementing Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or similar legally approved transfer mechanisms.
• Obtaining your explicit consent where required by law.

By using our services, you acknowledge and consent to the transfer, storage, and processing of your information in India and other locations as described.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your location and applicable data protection laws (including India's DPDPA and relevant GCC laws), you may have the following rights regarding your personal information: 

• Right to Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to Correction (Rectification): Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to Erasure (Deletion): Request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions (e.g., legal obligations, order fulfillment).
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent at any time where we rely on consent for processing (e.g., for marketing emails). Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal.
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request restriction of how we process your data under certain circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format (where technically feasible and applicable by law).
• Right to Object: Object to the processing of your personal information for certain purposes (e.g., direct marketing).
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority in your jurisdiction or in India.

How to Exercise Your Rights: To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 14. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request. We will respond to your request within the timeframes required by applicable law. 

11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18 (or the age of majority in their jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to delete such information promptly. 

12. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to other websites or services operated by third parties. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. 

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or service offerings. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on our website and updating the "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. 

14. Contact Us and Grievance Officer

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our data handling practices, or if you wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:

• Email: support@gotern.com
• Postal Address: No.36 Kosu Mani Street, Choolaimedu, Chennai 600094, Tamil Nadu, India