Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how the Foraging Colours brand's online store, available at https://www.foragingcolours.com, collects, processes and protects the personal data of its customers, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 — the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — and with applicable tax-related legal obligations.

1. Data Controller

1.1 The data controller, in accordance with the GDPR (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulation"), is Helena Caria Pedro, operating as a sole proprietor and owner of the registered trademark Foraging Colours, holder of Tax Identification Number 212826409, with registered address in the municipality of Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal (hereinafter referred to as "Foraging Colours").

1.2 Foraging Colours contact email: foragingcolours@gmail.com

1.3 Personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.

2. Personal Data Collected

2.1 Personal data are provided directly by the customer during the purchase process, when registering on the online store, or when making contact through the website's contact form.

2.2 Foraging Colours processes the personal data collected with the customer's consent in order to conclude the purchase contract and to execute the electronic order placed via the online store www.foragingcolours.com. The data will be retained only for the period required by law.

2.3 Foraging Colours collects and processes only the personal data strictly necessary for the performance of its commercial activities, namely: first and last name, delivery and billing address, email address, telephone contact, payment details (securely processed by third parties), tax identification number, and, in exceptional cases, bank account details.

2.4 In addition to the purchase contract, customer data are required for the purposes of complying with legal tax obligations. Personal data will not be disclosed and will not be transferred to other countries.

3. Purposes and Legal Bases for Data Processing

Foraging Colours processes the customer's personal data for the following purposes and legal bases under the GDPR, namely Article 6:

• Order processing and management, invoicing and delivery (name, addresses, email, telephone contact) | Performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b));
• Compliance with legal and tax obligations | Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c));
• Customer communication (support, enquiries, exchanges) | Transparency of information (Article 12) and Information to be provided when data are collected from the data subject (Articles 13 and 14);
• Website management and statistical analysis (Google Analytics) | Data subject's consent (Article 6(1)(a));
• Sending promotional communications (where applicable) | Data subject's consent (Article 6(1)(a));
• The purchase and sale contract cannot be executed without the provision of the personal data necessary for its fulfilment.

4. Data Retention

4.1 Personal data are stored on a server located in Portugal.

4.2 Personal data are retained only for the period necessary to fulfil the purposes for which they were collected, namely:

• Commercial transaction data and invoices: 10 years (Decree-Law No. 28/2019 of 15 February), and
• Contact data and communications: up to 3 years after the end of the contractual relationship or until a deletion request is made by the customer (GDPR).

4.3 After the expiry of these periods, the data will be securely and permanently deleted.

5. Sharing of Data with Third Parties

Personal data are shared with third-party entities to ensure that the user and customer experience on the website is carried out securely. These outsourced services are essential for the successful execution of the purchase contract and the processing of electronic orders between Foraging Colours and the customer. Foraging Colours enters into data processing agreements with its subcontractors, ensuring that they comply with the requirements of the GDPR and process the data solely in accordance with Foraging Colours' instructions.

5.1 Subcontracted Entities:

1. Logistics/transport companies: carry out the transportation and delivery of orders, with the customer's first and last name, delivery address, and telephone contact shared.

2. Electronic payment processing companies: bank details and email addresses are shared with the e-commerce system, Webnode AG. Foraging Colours does not have access to bank details at any time, except in the case of refunds.

3. Invoice processing entities: the customer's name, address, and tax identification number (NIF) will be provided to the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira – AT) for invoicing purposes, only if the customer requests a Receipt-Invoice from Foraging Colours. Under no circumstances will we sell, rent, or transfer your personal data to third parties for commercial or advertising purposes.

4. Website Evaluation – Cookies: This website uses the Google Analytics service (provided by Google Inc.) to track website activity, namely session duration, pages per session, bounce rate, etc., of website users, together with information on the traffic source to the page. The use of this tool is based on the legitimate interest of analysing the behaviour of users visiting our website. Google Inc. ensures that the IP address transmitted by the browser in the context of Google Analytics will not be combined with other Google data.

6. International Data Transfers

In certain cases (for example, Google Analytics), data may be transferred to servers located outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Such transfers only occur to entities that ensure an adequate level of data protection, as recognised by the European Commission. Google LLC is certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF), ensuring an adequate level of data protection.

7. Commercial Communications / Newsletters

The sending of promotional communications or newsletters, where applicable, will only be carried out with the prior and explicit consent of the data subject, who may withdraw their consent at any time.

8. Data Subject Rights

Under the GDPR, the customer has the following rights:

• Access to their personal data and to a copy thereof;
• Rectification of their data (in case of inaccuracies or outdated information) and erasure of data ("right to be forgotten");
• Right to restrict or object to the processing of personal data, which may be revoked and consent withdrawn at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out based on consent prior to its withdrawal;
• Right to data portability, where applicable;
• Right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority in the event of an alleged breach of the Regulation – National Data Protection Commission (Comissão Nacional de Proteção de Dados – CNPD) at www.cnpd.pt.
• To exercise any of these rights, the data subject should contact foragingcolours@gmail.com.

9. Data Security

Foraging Colours adopts appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against destruction, loss, alteration, disclosure, or unauthorised access, including: password-protected access; use of antivirus software and regular updates; access restricted solely to the data controller; and secure storage on a server located in Portugal.

10. Cookies and Analytical Tools

The website uses cookies and analytical services (such as Google Analytics) to enhance the user experience. The use of these cookies depends on the user's consent, collected via the cookie banner.

Further information is available in the Cookies Policy.

11. Acceptance

By making a purchase or creating an account on the website https://www.foragingcolours.com

, the customer acknowledges having read and understood this Privacy Policy and consents, where applicable, to the processing of their personal data as described herein.

12. Changes to the Privacy Policy

Foraging Colours reserves the right to update or amend this Privacy Policy at any time.

Updated versions will always be published on the website, indicating the date on which they come into effect.

Cookies Policy

This Cookies Policy explains what cookies are, how and why they are used on the website www.foragingcolours.com

, and how users can manage them according to their preferences. This Cookies Policy is drafted in accordance with the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive ("Cookies Law").

1. What are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer, tablet, or mobile device when you visit a website. These files allow the website to recognise the user and store certain information about your browsing, such as your preferred language, shopping cart contents, or visit statistics.

Some cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function, while others help improve the user experience or analyse page traffic and performance.

2. Types of Cookies Used

2.1 Essential/Technical: Enable the basic functioning of the website (login, cart, security, language), do not require consent, and are short-term (session) cookies.

2.2 Analytical/Statistical: Help understand how visitors use the website in order to improve content and navigation (e.g., Google Analytics), require consent, and have a duration of 26 months (or less, depending on configuration).

2.3 Functional: Store browsing preferences (for example, whether cookies were accepted), do not require consent, and have a variable duration.

2.4 Marketing/Third-Party: Used by external services (e.g., Google Ads, where applicable) to measure conversions and campaigns, require consent, and have a variable duration.

3. Cookies Used on the Website

Currently, the Foraging Colours website uses the following cookies:

3.1 Essential Cookies (Webnode):

• Responsible for maintaining the shopping cart, user session, and website security.
• Automatically created by the e-commerce platform Webnode AG.
• Do not collect personal information beyond what is necessary for the operation of the store.

3.2 Analytical Cookies (Google Analytics):

• Used by Google LLC to analyse visitor traffic and behaviour.
• Collect information such as pages visited, time spent, approximate location, and device type.

Note 1: This data is anonymised and used solely for statistical purposes.

Note 2: Google is certified under the EU–US Data Privacy Framework, ensuring an adequate level of data protection. More information can be found here: Google Privacy Policy.

4. Legal Basis for the Use of Cookies

The use of essential cookies is based on the legitimate interest of the data controller (Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR).

The use of analytical and marketing cookies is based on the user's consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR), collected via the cookie banner displayed upon the first visit to the website.

5. Management and Deactivation of Cookies

Users can manage or withdraw their consent to cookies at any time; however, this action may affect certain functionalities of the website. This management can be carried out through:

5.1 The cookie banner displayed on the website upon the first visit; or

5.2 The browser settings, where users can block or delete cookies that have already been stored. For example:

• Google Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647
• Mozilla Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/pt-PT/kb/ativar-desativar-cookies
• Microsoft Edge: https://support.microsoft.com/pt-pt/microsoft-edge
• Safari (Apple): https://support.apple.com/pt-pt/guide/safari/sfri11471/mac
  
• Note: Deactivating essential cookies may affect the proper functioning of the website and prevent the completion of orders.

6. Google Analytics and IP Anonymisation

Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information about website usage. The user's IP address is anonymised before being stored, preventing the direct identification of individuals.

The data collected is stored for a maximum period of 26 months and is used solely to generate statistical reports on website performance.

The IP address transmitted by your browser is not associated with other data held by Google.

If you wish to completely prevent data collection by Google Analytics, you can install the opt-out add-on available at: tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

7. Changes to the Cookies Policy

Foraging Colours reserves the right to update this Cookies Policy at any time.

Any material changes will be communicated on the website, indicating the date they come into effect.

8. Contact

For any questions regarding the use of cookies or the protection of personal data, please contact: foragingcolours@gmail.com  | Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal

9. Connection with the Privacy Policy

This Cookies Policy should be read in conjunction with Foraging Colours' Privacy Policy, which provides detailed information on how we process your personal data.

These rules came into effect in November 2025.