Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Seraphine Writes ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, stores, and protects the information you share when you use this website, seraphinewrites.com. It applies to every visitor, reader, buyer, and inquirer who interacts with the site.

We have written this policy in plain language on purpose. We believe privacy notices should be readable, not defensive. If anything here is unclear, you are always welcome to email us at seraphineapana9@gmail.com and we will explain it directly.

We collect only the information you voluntarily provide when using specific parts of the website. We do not collect information silently, we do not buy data about you from third parties, and we do not run advertising trackers.

When you place an order

• Your full name, email address, and phone or WhatsApp number.
• A billing address and, for physical orders, a shipping address.
• A short note if you choose to add one (for example, a dedication you would like included).
• The publication you ordered, its format, quantity, and the total amount.
• The payment reference issued by our payment processor if you paid for the order. We do not store your card details.

When you submit an inquiry or raise a support ticket

• Your name, email, phone or WhatsApp number, and message.
• For tickets: the ticket category you choose and, optionally, an image you attach.
• For inquiries: the subject line you select and the content of your message.

When you subscribe to updates

• Only your email address, so that we can send you occasional updates about new essays, publications, or releases.
• You can unsubscribe at any time by replying to any update or emailing us directly.

What we do not collect

• Card numbers, CVV codes, mobile money PINs, or bank account numbers. These are handled entirely by our payment processor and are never seen by us.
• Government-issued IDs.
• Passive tracking data such as browsing history across other websites.
• Location data from your device.

Your information is used for specific, limited purposes connected to the service you have asked us to provide. We do not use it for anything else.

• To confirm, process, and fulfil your order, including preparing and shipping physical items and emailing digital download links.
• To contact you about your order, inquiry, or ticket by email or WhatsApp.
• To answer questions and resolve issues you have raised.
• To send you occasional updates about new essays and publications, but only if you have asked to receive them.
• To maintain accurate records of orders and payments, as required for accounting and legal purposes.
• To detect and prevent fraud or misuse of the website, where there is a clear reason to do so.

Information you submit through the website is stored using Google Firebase, specifically Cloud Firestore and Firebase Authentication. Firebase provides industry-standard encryption in transit and at rest, and its services are used by millions of applications worldwide.

Access controls

• Firestore is configured with strict security rules. Public visitors can create an order, inquiry, or ticket, but cannot read any records back. Only authenticated administrators can view or update stored records.
• Passwords are handled entirely by Firebase Authentication and are hashed and salted using Firebase's internal systems. We never see or store your password.
• Administrator accounts are protected by Firebase Authentication and, where applicable, password reset flows that only the account holder can complete.

How long we keep it

• Order records are retained to meet accounting and legal obligations and to help resolve any future queries about a purchase.
• Inquiry and support ticket records are retained while the matter is active and for a reasonable period afterwards for reference.
• Newsletter email addresses are kept until you unsubscribe or ask us to remove them.

If you would like a specific record removed earlier than the retention periods above, please contact us. Where we are legally able to do so, we will remove it promptly.

We share information only with the specific third-party services necessary to operate the website and fulfil your order. Each of these services has its own privacy policy, and we have chosen them carefully.

Services we use

• Google Firebase — for secure storage of order, inquiry, and ticket records, and for authentication of administrator accounts.
• Paystack — our payment processor, which handles card payments and mobile money transactions securely. Paystack is PCI-compliant and processes your payment details directly. We receive only a payment reference.
• Our email service — used to send order confirmations, download links, ticket replies, and newsletter updates.
• Courier and postal partners — who receive only the shipping details necessary to deliver a physical order.

What we do not do

• We do not sell, rent, or trade your information to any third party.
• We do not share your information with advertisers or data brokers.
• We do not allow third parties to use your information for their own marketing.
• We do not transfer your information outside the services listed above unless required by law.

This website uses the minimum necessary browser storage to operate — for example, to remember a guest ticket ID on your device so you can refer back to it. These are strictly functional and are not used for tracking.

• No advertising cookies are set.
• No third-party analytics or tracking scripts are loaded.
• No cross-site behavioural profiling takes place.
• Local browser storage is used only for functional data such as your ticket history on this device.

You have clear rights over the information we hold about you. We will always honour them within a reasonable timeframe and explain our actions if we cannot fully comply.

• You have the right to request a copy of the information we hold about you.
• You have the right to ask us to correct any information that is inaccurate or out of date.
• You have the right to ask us to delete your information, where we are not legally required to keep it.
• You have the right to withdraw consent for any communication you previously opted into, such as newsletter updates.
• You have the right to ask how your information is being used, and to be told plainly.
• You have the right to raise a concern about how your information has been handled, and to receive a response from us.

To make any of these requests, email us at seraphineapana9@gmail.com with a short description of what you would like. You do not need a legal template or a specific form — a simple message is enough.

This website is intended for general readers and is not specifically directed at children under the age of thirteen. If a parent or guardian would like to purchase a book for a younger reader, they should place the order themselves using their own contact details.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has submitted information to us without consent, please contact us and we will remove it.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in how we operate, or for legal reasons. When we do, we will update the "last updated" date at the top of this page, so you can always see the current version.

If a change is significant — for example, if it affects how we share information or how long we keep it — we will make the change prominent on the page, and we will notify subscribers where reasonable.

If you have any question about this Privacy Policy, or about how your information is handled, please reach out. We read every message ourselves and reply personally.