Privacy

Introduction

At Sekel Tech, your privacy is our priority. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you engage with our Hyperlocal Discovery and Omni-commerce platform. We collect information about:

• Merchants/Dealers, Brands,End user customers and Reseller partners use our platform to connect with customers via the unified dashboard, SellrApp, and integrations.
• End Users (Customers) who discover your brand through local search, accurate listings, and store locators, and engage with businesses powered by Sekel Tech.
• Partners such as reseller partners, channel partners, and affiliate partners collaborate with Sekel Tech to help businesses reach local audiences and optimize sales.
• Unknown Visitors whose interactions are tracked and transformed into known leads using first-party cookies.

This Privacy Policy will help you understand how we collect, use, and share your personal information. If we change our privacy practices, we may update this policy. If any changes are significant, we will notify you via our website, your admin, or the email address we have on record.

Information We Collect

To enhance your experience and improve our services, we collect the following types of information:

• a. For End Users (Customers):
  
  ● Personal details: Name, e-mail address, phone number, location.
  
  ● Usage data: Browsing behaviour, purchase preferences, and interactions on microsites.
  
  
• b. For Merchants, Brands, and Dealers:
  
  ● Business information: Company name, contact person, official email address, and other details.
  
  ● Transaction data: Metrics related to platform usage, sales and performance.
  
  
• c. For Partners:
  
  ● Partnership information: Company details, role in the partnership, and contact information.
  
  
• d. For Unknown Visitors:
  
  ● Tracking data: First-party cookies are used to convert unknown visitors into known leads.
  
  

Purpose of Collecting Personal Information

We collect personal data for specific reasons that benefit customers and the brand. These include:

• Connecting Customers with Authorized Dealers: Ensuring customers buy genuine products by matching them with verified dealers.
• Ensuring Accurate Information: Providing correct and brand-approved information by recording all interactions between customers and dealers.
• Monitoring and Verifying Sales: Transparency in sales,products meeting brand standards.
• Honoring Warranties and Guarantees: Protecting customer rights through recorded sales data
• Building Trust and Ensuring Compliance: Collecting and securely managing data to ensure legal compliance and improve customer experience and honouring data erasure requests programmatically when received.

Our Commitment to Privacy

At Sekel Tech, we prioritize trust, and we are committed to handling your personal information responsibly. These principles guide how we approach your privacy and ensure that your data is protected.

• Your Data Belongs to You: We respect that your data is yours. Our goal is to only collect the essential information needed to provide our Hyperlocal Discovery and Omni commerce services. Whenever possible, we will delete or anonymize data when it is no longer required.
• Protecting Your Information: Your personal data will never be shared with third parties without your permission unless we are legally required to do so. If we are compelled by law to disclose your data, we will inform you in advance, unless prohibited by law.
• Partner Privacy Protection: We understand that not all of our merchants, brands, and partners have dedicated privacy resources. To support them, we design our platform in a way that makes it easy to comply with privacy regulations. Additionally, we provide thorough documentation, FAQs, and responsive support to address privacy concerns and help our partners fulfill their privacy obligations.
• Compliance and Certification: We are certified SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR compliant, ensuring the highest standards of data security. You can access, modify, or delete your data anytime, with transparency and compliance at the core of our practices.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to deliver personalized experiences, enhance services, meet contractual business obligations and legal obligations. Here's how we handle your data:

• ● Primary Uses:
  
  ○ Personalize content, offers, and customer experience.
  
  ○ Support businesses by providing tools.
  
  ○ Provide actionable analytics to improve business performance.
  
  ○ Ensure compliance with legal standards.
  
  
• ● Privacy and Security:
  
  ○ We do not share your confidential information with other brands or competitors.
  
  ○ We respect your control over your data and limit collection to what is necessary. We encrypt, anonymize, or delete your data when no longer needed, and process it only with your consent or legal obligation.
  
  ○ If legally required to share your information, we will inform you in advance, unless prohibited by law.
  
  
• ● Data Processing Practices:
  
  ○ We process data to fulfill contractual obligations, improve services, prevent fraud, provide support, and assist with marketing.
  
  ○ We comply with SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR standards to ensure your information is protected and privacy is maintained.
  
  ○ Your data is yours, and we strive to protect it while offering transparency and control over how it's used.
  
  

How We Use Cookies and Tracking Technologies to Enhance Your Experience

At Sekel Tech, we utilize cookies and similar tracking technologies to provide a seamless and personalized experience across our website and services. These technologies help us understand your preferences, optimize functionality, and deliver tailored content. Essential cookies ensure the core functionality of our platform, while performance and functional cookies enhance your browsing experience by remembering your choices and tracking site performance. We also use first-party cookies for analytics, enabling us to estimate unique visitors and analyze user behavior to improve the site and enhance our dealer's store operations. Additionally, third party cookies, such as those from Google Analytics, help us measure interactions and optimize services without engaging in direct marketing. Social media cookies, like those enabling Facebook integrations, support user engagement and sharing. While you can manage cookies through browser settings, disabling certain cookies may limit some features of our platform. Rest assured, we prioritize your privacy and collaborate with third-party providers only when necessary for business or legal compliance.

Partnerships and Data Sharing

Sekel Tech collaborates with resellers, channel partners, and affiliates to help businesses reach local audiences and optimize sales. While we take your privacy seriously, there are specific instances where we may share your data with these partners:

• ● When Data is Shared:
  
  ○ Resellers and Channel Partners may access your data to support services, process orders, or manage transactions.
  
  ○ Affiliate Partners may receive limited data to track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
  
  
• ● Privacy Safeguards:
  
  ○ Data Processing Agreements: We ensure our partners comply with privacy laws through agreements that restrict data use to necessary purposes only.
  
  ○ Access Controls: Partners only receive the data they need to perform their duties.
  
  ○ We maintain programmatic Audit logs of the activity on the dashboard/app.
  
  ○ By implementing these measures, we ensure that any data shared with our partners is protected and handled responsibly.
  
  

How Long We Retain Your Data

At Sekel Tech, we retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including complying with legal obligations and resolving disputes. To determine the appropriate retention period, we consider factors like the nature and sensitivity of the data, the purpose for which it was collected, and legal requirements. Once your data is no longer needed, we will either securely delete it or anonymize it for analytical purposes. If you stop using our services or delete your account, we will take the necessary steps to remove your data or store it in an anonymized format. Please note that some data may be retained longer if required by law or for contractual purposes. At Sekel Tech, we retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including complying with legal obligations and resolving disputes. The retention period is determined based on factors such as the nature and sensitivity of the data, the purpose for which it was collected, and any legal requirements.

• For Account Holders (Merchants, Brands, Dealers): If your account is closed or you stop using our services, we may retain your business and transaction data for up to two years before beginning the deletion process. This allows us to comply with any ongoing legal obligations and resolve any potential disputes.
• For End Users (Customers): Data related to customer interactions with Sekel Tech powered brand stores will typically be retained for the duration of your engagement with our services. Once your account is deleted or you stop interacting with the platform, we will retain your data for up to 2 years to ensure compliance with warranty or guarantee terms, process any pending transactions, and respond to any post-purchase issues.
• For Analytics and Performance Data: Information collected for analytics, such as browsing behavior and usage patterns, is anonymized or aggregated and retained for 2 years to help us optimize our services, improve platform performance, and refine our user experience.

Once the retention period expires, we will either securely delete your personal data or anonymize it for analytical purposes. If certain data must be retained longer due to legal obligations (such as tax records or contractual agreements), we will store it securely and only for the required duration.

Your Data Rights and Control

Depending on your location and usage of Sekel Tech’s platform, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, such as:

• Access to Information: Request to know the data we collect, how we use it, and our sharing practices.
• Data Correction: Request changes to any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Data Deletion: Request that we delete your personal data from our records.

To exercise your rights, please submit a request via our online portal. For brand-specific requests, contact the dealers directly. Requests to us will be forwarded to the brand as needed. To protect your privacy, we may require additional information, such as a government-issued ID, to verify your identity before processing your request. If you are in the U.S., you may designate an authorized agent to submit requests on your behalf, and we may ask for further documents for verification. For further details on CCPA requests or to appeal a decision, contact Sekel Tech Support. Exercising your privacy rights will never result in discrimination.

How to Reach Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to your personal information, please contact us at support@sekel.tech.