Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2 May 2026

Who we are

Fine Thread Embroidery is an embroidery business, run by Louise, operating from Unit 42, Barbeque Corner, 27 Dytchley Road, Kyalami, 1684, South Africa. For any privacy-related question you can reach us via the form on our contact page or on WhatsApp.

What information we collect

We collect only the information we need to quote, produce and deliver your embroidery order:

• Contact details — your name, business name, email address and phone number.
• Order details — the garments you're sending, quantities, sizes, placements and your delivery instructions.
• Logo and artwork files that you upload or send to us so we can digitise and embroider them.
• Account information for our customer portal — email address, hashed password, and basic notification preferences.
• Communication history — the WhatsApp messages, emails and notes exchanged with us about your order, kept for production reference and quality control.

We do not collect or store any payment card information. Payments are made by EFT or arranged separately.

How we use your information

We use your information to:

• Quote, produce and deliver the embroidery work you've asked us to do.
• Send you order updates (collection ready, queries about a brief, etc.).
• Keep your digitised stitch files on record so reorders run identically to the original.
• Comply with our tax and accounting obligations under South African law.

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information to anyone, and we do not use it for marketing to anyone other than yourself.

How we share information

Embroidery production is done in-house — your logo files and order details stay on our equipment and are not sent to any third-party embroiderer. We may share information only with:

• Couriers you have asked us to use, limited to the address and contact details needed for delivery.
• Our hosting and infrastructure providers who store our website and portal data on our behalf, under contractual confidentiality.
• Our accountant and the South African Revenue Service, where we are required to do so by law.

How long we keep your information

We keep your customer record and digitised stitch files for as long as you remain an active or returning client, so that future reorders can be produced from the same approved file. You can ask us to delete your record at any time — see "Your rights" below.

Cookies and analytics

Our website uses a small number of essential cookies to keep you signed in to the customer portal and to remember your session. We may also use lightweight, privacy-respecting analytics to understand how visitors find and use the public site. We do not run third-party advertising or behavioural tracking.

How we protect your information

Passwords are stored as one-way hashes and are never visible to us or to staff. Customer portal access is limited to the account holder and to our internal admin users. We use industry-standard transport encryption (HTTPS) for all connections to the website and the portal.

Your rights under POPIA

South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) gives you the right to:

• Ask what personal information we hold about you.
• Ask us to correct any information that's wrong.
• Ask us to delete your information, subject to any record-keeping we're legally required to maintain.
• Object to your information being used for a purpose you didn't agree to.
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe we've mishandled your information.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us via the form on our contact page or on WhatsApp and we'll respond within a reasonable timeframe.

Updates to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time as the business or the law changes. The "last updated" date at the top of this page will tell you when it was last revised. Material changes will be communicated to active portal account holders by email.