Privacy Policy
At Fur-evermore, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information.
1. Introduction and scope
Once Upon A Felt (Pty) Ltd ("Once Upon A Felt", "we", "us" or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal information, responsibly and in accordance with applicable South African data-protection law, including the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA").This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and
protect personal information when you visit our website, enquire about,our products, place an order, communicate with us, or purchase a, handcrafted 3D needle-felted pet portrait or related keepsake. We operate a small, home-based business. We collect only the information reasonably needed to communicate with customers, make the commissioned keepsake, receive payment, arrange delivery and meet applicable legal obligations.
2. Personal information we collect
The information we collect depends on your enquiry or order. It may
include:
2.1 Customer and contact information
Your first name and, where needed, surname,Email address and other contact details you choose to provide, such as a telephone number or WhatsApp number.Delivery address or delivery-point details needed to send your
order.Information you include in messages, enquiries, order instructions, or customer-support communications.We request only the contact and delivery information reasonably needed, for the relevant purpose.
2.2 Order and commissioned-product information
The product ordered, order details, order status and relevant dates.Your pet's name and any personalization instructions you provide. Photographs of your pet that you submit so we can create yourcommissioned portrait. Relevant communications about the design, progress, approval,production and delivery of your order. Pet photographs are used to make your commissioned portrait. We do not intend to keep your pet photographs after the order has been completed and delivered, except where a temporary copy remains in a backup or where retention is required to resolve a genuine dispute or comply with law. Any such retained copy will be handled only for that limited purpose and for no longer than reasonably necessary.
2.3 Payment and transaction information
Payments on our website are processed through Yoco. We may receive information such as payment confirmation, transaction references, the amount paid, payment status and nformation needed to reconcile an order. We do not store customers' full bank-account or card details on our website, and we do not receive or retain their full payment credentials
as part of our ordinary order records. Payment details are handled by Yoco and its payment systems. Please also read Yoco's own privacy
information for details about its processing: https://a.storyblok.com/f/111633/x/e69efaad2f/privacy-policy-september-2026.pdf
We may retain invoices, order totals, payment confirmations and accounting records for as long as required by applicable tax, accounting or other laws.
2.4 Technical and website information
When you visit our Wix website, Wix and related technologies may automatically process technical information such as: - IP address; -browser type, device and operating-system information; - pages visited and interactions with the website; - dates, times and technical logs; and - cookie or similar technology information, depending on the website settings and technologies in use. This information may be used to operate and secure the website, troubleshoot issues and understand website performance where those
features are enabled: Please also read Wix's own privacy information for details about its processing:
3. How we use personal information
We use personal information for specific and lawful business purposes,
including to: respond to enquiries and communicate with you about your order; process and administer orders and payments; use the pet photograph and instructions you provide to create your personalized portrait,prepare and arrange delivery of your finished product,provide order updates and customer support;
maintain appropriate order, invoice and accounting records; address complaints, disputes, suspected fraud or security issues; operate, protect and improve our website and business processes; and comply with applicable legal obligations or establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
We do not use your contact information to send promotional email marketing as part of our current ordinary business practices.
4. Lawful processing
We process personal information only where a lawful basis under POPIA or,other applicable law permits us to do so. Depending on the circumstances, this may include taking steps at your request before entering into a contract, fulfilling an order or contract, complying with a legal obligation, protecting a legitimate interest, or obtaining consent where consent is required. Providing certain information, such as a pet photograph and delivery details, is necessary for us to create and deliver a personalized portrait. If you do not provide information that is necessary to fulfil your order, we may be unable to complete or deliver it. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it, subject to applicable law. Withdrawal does not make earlier lawful processing unlawful and may mean that we cannot continue with the relevant part of your order.
5. Pet photographs and use of finished portraits
Photographs you provide are used to create the commissioned product. We do not intend to retain the source pet photographs after the order has been c ompleted and delivered, subject to the limited exceptions described in Section 2.2.We will not assume that permission to create a portrait also gives us
permission to use your submitted photograph, your finished portrait or identifiable order details for advertising, social media, testimonials or other promotional purposes. We will seek your permission before using material for those purposes where required.
6. Sharing personal information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share limited information with third parties where reasonably necessary to run our business and fulfil your order, including: Wix: website hosting, website forms and related website services. Yoco: payment processing and transaction administration. Delivery or courier services: the recipient name, delivery address, contact details and shipment information needed to deliver
your order. Professional advisers or public authorities: where reasonably necessary to obtain professional advice, comply with the law, respond to lawful requests or establish, exercise or defend legal claims. We aim to provide each recipient only the information reasonably needed for its role. Third-party providers may process information under their own privacy policies and terms, as well as any applicable contractual, and legal safeguards.
7. Cookies and similar technologies
Our website may use cookies or similar technologies required for website operation, security, preferences or other features enabled on the site. Wix or other integrated services may also use technologies for analytics, or performance measurement, depending on the configuration. You may be able to manage or block cookies through your browser settings and any cookie controls provided on the website. Blocking essentialcookies may affect some website functions. Where applicable law requires consent for non-essential cookies or similar technologies, the relevant consent requirements should be followed.
8. Retention and deletion
We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, subject to applicable legal requirements and legitimate business needs. Our usual approach is: Customer contact and delivery details: used while communicating about and fulfilling the order, then deleted when they are no longer needed, subject to any legal, accounting or dispute-related retention requirement.Pet photographs and portrait reference materials: used to create the commissioned portrait and ordinarily deleted after the order has been completed and delivered, subject to the limited exceptions in
Section 2.2. Order, invoice, payment and accounting records: retained for the period required by applicable tax, accounting and other laws, or for
as long as reasonably necessary to resolve a transaction or legal issue. Website technical logs and cookie information: retained according to the relevant website, service-provider and cookie settings and only for the applicable operational, security or analytical purposes. Customer communications: retained only for as long as reasonably necessary to handle the enquiry, complete the order, resolve an issue or meet a legal obligation. When personal information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to delete it or securely dispose of it. Copies may remain temporarily in routine system backups until those backups are overwritten or deleted under the relevant provider's processes
9. Security
We take reasonable technical and organizational steps to protect personal information against loss, unauthorized access, misuse, disclosure, alteration or destruction. These measures may include limiting access to information, using reputable service providers, securing accounts and devices, and handling customer information only as needed for the order. No website, internet transmission or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If a security compromise affects personal information, we will take appropriate steps in accordance with applicable law, including notifying affected individuals and the Information Regulator where required.
10. Access, correction and other requests
Subject to applicable law and any lawful grounds for refusing orlimiting a request, you may ask us to: - confirm whether we hold personal information about you; - pr ovide access to personal informationwe hold about you; - correct or update inaccurate or incomplete information; - delete information that we are not legally required or otherwise permitted to retain; or - address an objection or other request available to you under applicable law. To make a request, contact us using the details in Section 14. Please describe your request clearly. We may need to verify your identity before responding.We will assess requests in accordance with POPIA and other applicable law. We may retain certain information where required by law or reasonably necessary for accounting, transaction records, dispute
resolution or legal claims. We will not disclose another customer's personal information in response to a request for your own information.
11. Marketing communications
We do not currently send promotional marketing emails as part of our ordinary business practices. We may contact you using the details you provide when this is necessary to answer an enquiry, confirm or fulfilan order, provide an order update, arrange delivery, resolve a problem or meet a legal obligation.We will handle any future direct marketing in accordance with applicable law and any consent or opt-out requirements that apply.
12. Children's information
Our products and website are not specifically directed at children. If we become aware that we have collected personal information about a child in circumstances where consent or authorization is legally required and has not been obtained, we will assess the circumstances and take appropriate steps in accordance with applicable law.
13. Third-party websites and services
Our website may link to third-party websites or services, including payment and delivery services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties when they independently collect and process information. Please review their privacy policies before providing information directly to them. This does not limit any responsibility we have under applicable law for personal information that we collect or
process ourselves.
14. Contact details and complaints
For privacy enquiries, access or correction requests, deletion requests, or complaints about how we handle personal information, contact:
Once Upon A Felt (Pty) Ltd, Website: https://www.onceuponafelt.com\
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/27685325763
Please use the contact details published on our website if these placeholders have not yet been completed.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:
- Website: https://inforegulator.org.za/
- Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
- Telephone: 010 023 5200
15. Processing outside South Africa
Some service providers, including website or cloud-service providers, may process or store information outside South Africa. Where personal
information is transferred outside South Africa, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the transfer complies with section 72 of POPIA and any other applicable legal requirements. The location and handling of information may depend on the provider and the services enabled on our website. Please consult the relevant provider's privacy information for more detail about its processing
practices.
16. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our business, website, services, information-handling practices or legal requirements. The updated version will be published on our website with a revised effective date. Where the law requires additional notice or consent, we will take the required steps.
We encourage you to review this policy from time to time.