Maps and Mandalas (me, I, my website, Maps and Mandalas) understands and values protecting your personal information.
I understand you have an interest in the personal information I collect and use from you via my website at www.mapsandmandalas.com (the Website). This Website Privacy Policy is intended to be an open and transparent document outlining how I collect, hold and use any personal information, and any circumstances where that information may be disclosed or transferred. This document also provides information on your rights to get access to and correct personal information that I hold on you. Finally, it provides information about how you can approach Maps and Mandalas about any concerns or complaints related to your privacy, and how those communications are dealt with.
This Website Privacy Policy only applies to information that Maps and Mandalas collects on this website. This policy also forms part of the Terms of Use document, displayed in the footer of each website page.
Information That Is Collected And Held
Wherever possible, you can choose to remain anonymous or use a pseudonym when you interacting with me such as when making an enquiry.
Occasionally, I may ask you to provide us with personal information like your name, address, date of birth, telephone number or e-mail address.
If you don’t want to give me your personal data, you don’t have to, but that might mean you can’t use some areas/parts of my websites or services as designed.
There will be no circumstances where I will request information from you that might disclose your:
- political, religious or philosophical opinions, beliefs, associations or affiliations;
- health and sexuality;
- racial or ethnic origin;
- membership of a trade union, or a professional or trade association; or
- criminal record.
I might also conduct surveys or other market research and might seek other information from you on an occasional basis. These surveys provide me with the information needed to improve the service offered to you.
The way that I collect, store, use and protect your personal data is in accordance with Europe’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Personal Information On The Website
I collect some information about you automatically whenever you visit my websites or use my services, such as your your IP address and device type. I also collect information when you navigate through my websites and services, including any pages you look at and the links you click on. This information helps me understand how you’re using my website so I can provide the best experience for you.
Some of this information is collected automatically by cookies and other similar tracking technologies. ‘Cookies’ are various bits of information websites send to the browser which are stored in the computer hard-drive. Cookies make your experience of using Maps and Mandalas simpler by keeping and storing information about your preferences on the Website, for tailoring purposes. Cookies do not identify you personally.
Maps and Mandalas may also include advertisement, and advertisers might also collect, store, use and disclose the data they collect from visitors, including demographic information. My advertising partners, primarily Commission Junction, are trustworthy and have their own privacy policy for their site and business, which you can easily review there.
I use this information to add to the personal data I already have about you, so I can better personalise and improve the service I offer, and to validate personal information you have provided.
If you do not want to receive cookies, you can change your security settings on your web browser to disable cookies or to give you a heads up when cookies are being used. However, if you disable the cookie function in your web browser you might limit your ability to use parts of the Website.
When you leave a comment on Maps and Mandalas, you are giving indirect consent for this comment and your information to appear on our website. Should you leave a comment, your name and email address will never be shared with any third party. I might use your email address just to respond to your comment. However, I’m not liable or responsible for any actions of other individuals or any unauthorized use of the information that you voluntarily share.
I have public social media accounts and social sharing options on my website. If you choose to interact on social media with us or our accounts, you should know that any interactions on those accounts are publicly available.
Not Providing Personal Information
Providing me with your personal information is totally optional, but it might be necessary for me to offer you certain services. In any case where you providing us with personal information is optional, I will inform you. When you do choose to provide me with your personal information, you are consenting to my storage, use and disclosure of that information as outlined in this Privacy Policy.
From time to time I might run competitions or offer other benefits to you and I might request that you provide me with your personal details for these kinds of purposes. Providing me with this information is optional to you. However, if you do not provide this personal information to me, I may not be able to contact you or give you access to the additional benefits.
You may opt out of these additional communications at any time. Please contact me at mapsandmandalas@gmail.com.
Use and Disclosure Of Your Information
Personal information that I hold on you is used for the following primary purposes:
- to ensure the Website functions as designed;
- to ensure the Maps and Mandalas business functions as designed; and
- to help Maps and Mandalas with my auditing, marketing, planning, billing, product development and research needs.
Primarily, I use your personal data to operate my website and give you any services you’ve requested, as well as to manage my relationship with you. That personal data is also used for other purposes, including:
Communication
This might include:
- Giving you information you’ve asked for, or information I am required to send such as changes to my website or help to use my website and services.
- Marketing communications as per your marketing preferences.
- To get your feedback on research or surveys I’m conducting, which might involve a third party service.
Support
This might include helping with solving any technical support or other issues relating to the website or services, whether by email, or otherwise.
Enhance Experience
By this I mean enhancing the experience of using my website. This might include tracking and monitoring of you using my website and service so I can continue to improve or adjust my website to best suit your user experience requirements.
Protect
By this I mean detecting and preventing any kind of malicious or fraudulent activity, and ensuring that all users of my website and service are accessing it fairly and in line with my terms of use.
Market
Along with marketing materials, your personal data might also be used by me to display targeted advertising to you online, both on my website and service and on other third party websites and platforms that allow it.
Analysis and Reporting
The personal data I collect from you and other users of my website and service may be used to create anonymous analytical reports, which may be shared publicly or with third parties I work with.
I will not disclose, or allow others to use or disclose, information that might identify an individual user under any circumstance with the exception of:
- When it is required to ensure the website and business functions as designed;
- When it is required to communicate promotional offers or events to you;
- When my trusted third parties, including advertising partners, wish to communicate promotional or special offers to you;
- When it is required by law, or is authorised by law, either to me or a company holding data on my behalf; and
- When you have provided explicit consent for a certain purpose.
I do not sell, circulate, rent, license, disclose, share or pass any of your personal information on to third parties, except those who I have contracted to hold information confidentially whether it is subject to a statute or scheme relating to the handling of personal information.
In the case of a third party approaching me to demand access to your personal information, I will take reasonable steps to direct the third party to seek this information directly from you, when it is lawful and reasonable for me to do so.
If I am compelled to disclose your personal information to any third party, I will take reasonable steps to provide you notification of this in advance where the law allows it.
My third party partners comply with Europe’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
My Third Party Partners
My Third Party Partners might put cookies and similar tracking technology on your computer or device. These companies include:
- Google Analytics – providing me with traffic analytics and demographic information,
- Commission Junction – tracks products I promote through affiliate links on my website
- MailChimp – personal information for those choosing to sign up to my mailing list and newsletter
- Facebook – user analytics and advertising tracking
- Twitter – user analytics and advertising tracking
- Instagram – embedded widgets
Security of Personal Information
In my business, personal information might be stored both electronically and in some cases in hard-copy form. I are dedicated to keeping your personal information secure no matter the format in which it is stored and will take all reasonable steps to protect t his information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. That being said, you use the Website at your own risk and I accept no responsibility, whether I am deemed to have been negligent or not, in the event of a security issue that affects your privacy.
Please note that that no information transmitted over the Internet can be said to be completely secure. However, I will endeavour to protect your personal information as best as I can, but I cannot guarantee the security of any information that you send to us, or receive from us. The sending and exchanging of information is undertaken at your own risk.
Quality and Accuracy
I will take all appropriately reasonable steps to make sure:
- all information collected from you is kept accurate, up to date and complete; and
- the personal information that I use or disclose is, with regard to the purpose of use or disclosure, accurate, up-to-date, complete and relevant.
Accessing Your Personal Information
In many cases, you have the right to access the information I hold on you. If you do wish to access your personal information, please contact me.
I will deal with all requests for access to personal information as quickly as I can. Please note that requests for any large amounts of information, or information which is I do not currently use, might require more time before you will hear a response from me.
I might charge you a fee for access if there is a cost incurred by me to retrieve your information, but in no case will we charge you a fee to your application for general information access.
Whenever there will be a fee, I will let you know how that fee is going to be calculated and, if I know it, how it will be charged. You can then decide when you want to continue with your access request.
There are also some cases where I will refuse to give you access to the personal information I hold about you. This includes situations where denying you access is a necessity under law, that being where giving you access would be unlawful, have an impact on the privacy of others, bias an investigation of unlawful activity, reveal my intention in relation to any negotiation I am having with you in a way that would bias those negotiations, bias any enforcement related activity, show evaluative information created within Maps and Mandalas blog business in relation to commercially sensitive decision-making processes.
I might also refuse to provide access when the personal information relates to any current or potential future legal proceedings, and the information would not be accessible by the process of discovery in those proceedings. Further, I will refuse access where the request is frivolous or vexatious, and where I reasonably believe that: giving access would pose a threat to the life, health or safety of an individual, or to public health or public safety; unlawful activity, or misconduct of a serious nature, is being or may be engaged in against Maps and Mandalas and giving access would be likely to bias the taking of appropriate action in relation to that matter.
If I refuse to give you access I will give you appropriate reasons for my refusal, unless doing so would be unreasonable in the circumstances. I will also take reasonable steps to give you access in a way that meets your needs without giving rise to the reasons of our refusal. Further, I will provide the details of how you may make a complaint about the decision I make.
These mechanisms for accessing your personal information operate along with, and do not replace, other informal or legal procedures by which you might be provided with access to your personal information.
Correcting Persoanl Information
The accuracy of any personal information I have requested from you is important to me. If you suspect or become aware that this personal information is incorrect, outdated, incomplete or misleading you can contact me about it.
I do deal with all requests for correction of personal information as fast as possible. Requests relating to a large amount of information, or information that is not currently in use, might require more time for a response.
In cases where I refuse to change personal information as per your request, I will provide reasons for my refusal where reasonable. I will also give details of how to make a complaint about my decision. Onwards to that, if I refuse you might request that I take reasonable steps to associate, with the relevant information, a statement that you view it as inaccurate, out of date, incomplete or misleading.
In cases where I have corrected personal information about you, you may request that I take reasonable steps to give notice of the correction to any third party to which we have disclosed the inaccurate, out of date, incomplete or misleading personal information.
These mechanisms for correcting your personal information operate alongside, and do not replace, other informal or legal procedures by which you may be provided correction of your personal information.
Concerns and Complaints
If you have any concerns about how I handle your personal information, it is important that you notify me as quickly as possible, so that I can approach your concerns appropriately as the circumstances require. Any concern or complaint should be made in writing. Please contact me and I will respond as soon as reasonably possible.
Disposing Of Information
If I hold personal information about you that I do not need for any purposes, I will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify the information unless I am stopped from doing so by law.
Unsubscribing From My Emails
To unsubscribe from my mailing list, use the unsubscribe option that will always be present on the bottom of any emails that I send to you. Alternatively, you can contact me from your email address and request to unsubscribe.
Contacting Me
Should you have any questions or concerns about how I might improve my Privacy Policy, please contact me. In cases where you do provide suggestions or feedback, this is considered non-confidential and I might, at my discretion, use it to improve my website or service and/or how I handle personal information without requiring to compensate you for that feedback or advice.
Changes To This Privacy Policy
I am obliged to regularly review and update this policy, and I reserve the right to do so at any time. In the case of significant amendments, I will provide notification not he website 14 days before the changes are implemented, unless it is unreasonable to provide such a notice period. If you continue to use my website after the notice period, this indicates your consent to the updated Privacy Policy.
Privacy Policy Updated May 2018
