Privacy Policy – Thenorthfane

At Thenorthfane, we understand that your privacy matters—whether you’re sharing details to order a waterproof ski jacket, ask for hiking gear recommendations, or track a camping tent delivery. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you visit our website (Thenorthfane.com), purchase our outdoor performance clothing & gear, or interact with our customer service team. By using our website or services, you agree to the practices outlined below.

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal information only to support your outdoor adventures—from helping you find the right gear to ensuring your order arrives on time. The information we gather falls into two categories: information you voluntarily provide and information collected automatically.

1.1 Information You Voluntarily Provide

  • Order & Account Details: When you place an order, create a user account, or save your preferences (e.g., favorite hiking backpack styles), we collect your full name, email address, phone number, shipping/billing address, and payment information (e.g., credit card details, PayPal account info). This helps us process orders, deliver gear (like a trail running jacket), and manage your account (e.g., track past purchases of camping gear).
  • Customer Service & Consultations: If you contact us via email ([email protected]) with questions—such as “Which tent is best for alpine camping?” or “Do you have a ski pants size chart?”—we collect your messages and any details you share (e.g., trip dates, gear needs, body measurements for fit guidance).
  • Marketing Subscriptions: If you opt in to our newsletter or adventure updates (e.g., new hiking gear launches, tips for winter camping), we collect your email address to send relevant content—you can unsubscribe anytime (see Section 5).
  • Survey & Feedback Responses: If you participate in optional surveys (e.g., “What’s your biggest challenge with outdoor gear?”) or share feedback about your purchases (e.g., “The backpack straps were too narrow”), we collect your answers to improve our products and services.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you browse our website—whether you’re checking out ski jackets or researching camping tents—we automatically gather technical and usage data to enhance your experience and optimize our site for outdoor enthusiasts:

  • Device & Browser Info: Your device type (e.g., smartphone for on-the-go gear browsing, laptop for detailed product research), operating system, browser version, and screen resolution (to ensure our site works smoothly across devices).
  • Usage Data: Pages you visit (e.g., “MountainTrek Waterproof Jacket” product page, “Camping Tents” category), time spent on each page, links you click (e.g., “Learn about fabric waterproofing”), and search queries (e.g., “lightweight hiking boots”).
  • IP Address & Location: Your IP address (a unique identifier for your internet connection) and approximate geographic location (derived from your IP address) to tailor shipping options (e.g., estimating delivery time to a remote trailhead) and ensure compliance with regional regulations.
  • Cookies & Similar Tools: We use cookies (small text files stored on your device) and web beacons to remember your preferences (e.g., saved shipping address for future gear orders, previously viewed tents), track website performance (e.g., how fast product pages load), and personalize your experience (e.g., showing you trail running gear if you’ve searched for it before). You can manage cookie settings via your browser (see Section 3).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information only for legitimate purposes that align with your needs as an outdoor gear shopper and adventurer:

  • Process & Fulfill Orders: Verify payment for your gear (e.g., a camping stove), pack and ship your order, send updates (e.g., “Your ski jacket has shipped”), and process returns/exchanges (as outlined in our Customer Service Policy).
  • Manage Your Account: Maintain your user account, display your order history (so you can reorder your favorite hiking socks), save your preferences (e.g., preferred shipping address for trip gear), and provide access to personalized features (e.g., “Your Saved Adventure Gear”).
  • Provide Customer Support: Respond to your inquiries (e.g., helping you choose a tent for cold weather), resolve issues (e.g., a broken zipper on a backpack), and share tips for using our gear (e.g., “How to care for waterproof fabric”).
  • Improve Products & Services: Analyze usage data and survey feedback to develop better outdoor gear (e.g., adjusting backpack weight for long hikes) and enhance our website (e.g., making it easier to filter gear by activity type).
  • Send Marketing Communications: If you opt in, send you emails about new products (e.g., a new line of lightweight camping gear), promotions (e.g., “20% off hiking jackets”), and helpful content (e.g., “10 Tips for Safe Backcountry Camping”).
  • Ensure Security & Prevent Fraud: Detect and block unauthorized activities (e.g., fraudulent payment attempts for high-value gear like tents), protect our website from security threats, and verify your identity when accessing your account (e.g., if you’re logging in from a new device).
  • Comply With Laws: Retain order records (e.g., purchase of a trail running jacket) for tax and legal purposes, and respond to lawful requests from government authorities (when required by law).

3. Cookies & Similar Technologies

Cookies help us deliver a personalized, user-friendly experience for outdoor gear shoppers. We use three types of cookies:

  • Necessary Cookies: Essential for our website to function (e.g., cookies that enable order processing or account login). These cannot be disabled, as they’re required to use core features (e.g., checking out with a camping tent).
  • Performance Cookies: Track website performance (e.g., how quickly the “Ski Gear” category page loads) to identify and fix issues (e.g., slow-loading product images).
  • Functional & Marketing Cookies: Remember your preferences (e.g., saved shipping address) and personalize marketing (e.g., showing you winter camping gear if you’ve searched for ski jackets). You can disable these cookies via your browser:
  • Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data
  • Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
  • Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data

Disabling functional/marketing cookies may limit some features (e.g., personalized gear recommendations) but won’t affect basic functions like placing orders.

4. Who We Share Your Information With

We never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We only share your data with trusted partners who help us serve you better—all of whom are contractually obligated to protect your information:

  • Payment Processors: Third-party companies (e.g., Stripe, PayPal) that process your payment information securely. They only use your data to complete transactions (e.g., charging your card for a backpack) and comply with payment industry regulations.
  • Shipping Partners: Carriers (e.g., UPS, USPS, DHL) that deliver your gear (e.g., a tent to your home or a trailhead lodge). We share your shipping address and contact details to ensure timely delivery and provide tracking information.
  • Customer Service & Analytics Tools: Platforms that help us manage customer inquiries (e.g., email support tools for gear questions) and analyze website performance (e.g., Google Analytics to see which hiking gear pages are most popular). These tools are prohibited from using your data for their own purposes.
  • Legal & Regulatory Authorities: We may share your information if required by law (e.g., a court order, tax audit) or to protect our rights, property, or safety (e.g., investigating fraudulent orders for high-value camping gear).
  • Gear Testing & Improvement Partners: Occasionally, we work with outdoor guides or testing labs to improve our products (e.g., testing a jacket’s waterproofing in real mountain conditions). We share aggregated, non-identifiable data (e.g., “65% of users prefer wider backpack straps”) with them—never your personal information.

5. Your Rights Regarding Your Information

As a Thenorthfane customer, you have clear rights over your personal information—we make it easy to exercise them:

  • Access Your Information: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (e.g., your order history, saved gear preferences).
  • Correct Inaccurate Data: Update or fix errors in your information (e.g., a wrong shipping address for your next gear order). You can edit your account details directly via your user account, or contact us for help.
  • Delete Your Information: Request that we delete your personal data (except for information we’re required to retain by law, such as order records for tax purposes).
  • Opt Out of Marketing: Unsubscribe from newsletters or promotional emails by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any marketing email, or by emailing [email protected] with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.
  • Restrict or Object to Processing: Ask us to limit how we use your information (e.g., stop using it for marketing) or object to certain processing activities (where permitted by law).
  • Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format (e.g., your order history) to use with another service (if applicable).

To exercise any of these rights, email us at [email protected] with your full name, email address associated with your account, and a clear description of your request. We’ll respond within 30 days (or faster, if required by law).

6. How We Protect Your Information

We take the security of your personal information seriously—especially sensitive data like payment details and trip-related addresses. We implement technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized access, use, or disclosure:

  • Encryption: Use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to protect data transmitted between your device and our website (look for the “https://” prefix and padlock icon in your browser).
  • Secure Storage: Store personal information (including payment data) in encrypted databases with restricted access—only authorized team members (e.g., customer service reps helping with your gear order) can access your data, and they’re trained on privacy best practices.
  • Regular Security Audits: Conduct periodic reviews of our security systems to address new threats (e.g., cyberattacks targeting e-commerce sites) and comply with industry standards for outdoor gear retailers.
  • Fraud Detection: Use tools to identify and block fraudulent activities (e.g., unusual payment attempts for expensive camping gear) and verify the authenticity of orders.

While no security system is 100% impenetrable, we take prompt action to address any breaches and notify you and relevant authorities if required by law.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to serve your needs or comply with legal obligations:

  • Order Information: Keep order records (including your name, shipping address, and purchased gear) for 7 years to meet tax and legal requirements.
  • Account Information: Retain your account details (e.g., saved preferences, order history) until you request to delete your account—after deletion, we anonymize your data so it can no longer be linked to you.
  • Marketing Information: Keep your email address for marketing purposes only until you unsubscribe—after that, we remove it from our marketing lists.
  • Customer Service Records: Retain messages about gear inquiries (e.g., “Which sleeping bag is best for sub-zero temps?”) for 2 years to resolve future issues and improve our support.

Once the retention period ends, we securely delete or anonymize your information.

8. Children’s Privacy

Our website and products are designed for adults and teens who enjoy outdoor adventures—we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn we’ve collected data from a child under 13, we’ll immediately delete it. If you believe your child has shared information with us, contact us at [email protected].

9. International Data Transfers

If you’re located outside the United States—whether you’re ordering hiking gear from Europe or camping tents from Asia—your personal information may be transferred to and processed in the U.S. (where our servers and third-party partners are based). The U.S. has different data protection laws than some countries, but we take steps to ensure your data is protected:

  • For customers in the EU/EEA, we use Standard Contractual Clauses (approved by the European Commission) to ensure lawful data transfers.
  • All international partners we work with (e.g., shipping carriers delivering gear to global destinations) comply with global privacy standards.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices, laws, or customer needs (e.g., new regulations for outdoor gear retailers, updated security measures). When we make changes, we’ll post the revised policy on our website and update the “Last Updated” date at the top.

Your continued use of our website or services after the update means you accept the revised policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests about this Privacy Policy or your personal information (e.g., accessing your gear order history, unsubscribing from marketing), contact us at:

Email: [email protected]

We’ll respond to your inquiry within 5 business days and work to resolve any issues promptly.