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Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy for Sharpened Stylus (sharpenedstylus.com)
Last Updated: April 30, 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to Sharpened Stylus ("we," "us," "our"). We are committed to protecting the privacy of visitors and users ("you," "your") of our website, sharpenedstylus.com (the "Site"), and our digital art class services (the "Services"). This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect your personal information when you interact with our Site and Services.  

By accessing or using our Site and Services, you signify your understanding and agreement with the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our Site or Services.

 

2. Information We Collect

We collect different types of information for various purposes to provide and improve our Services to you.  

  • a. Personal Information You Provide Directly:
     

    • Registration Information: When you sign up for a class or create an account, we collect information such as your name, email address, phone number, student information (including birthday), information on how you heard about us, and any other information required for registration.

    • Payment Information: When you purchase a class, we collect payment details necessary to process the transaction. This information is typically processed securely by a third-party payment processor (e.g., Thrivecart and Stripe). We generally only receive confirmation of payment and limited transaction details, not your full credit card number.

    • Communication Information: If you contact us via email, contact forms, or other communication channels, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message.

  • b. Non-Personal Information Collected Automatically:
     

    • Usage Data: We automatically collect information about how you access and use the Site. This may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, device information, pages viewed, time spent on pages, links clicked, and the referring website address.  

    • Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies (like web beacons, pixels) to track activity on our Site, store certain information, enhance user experience (e.g., remembering login status), and gather analytics. See Section 7 ("Cookies and Tracking Technologies") for more details.

 

3. How We Collect Information

We collect information in the following ways:

  • Directly from you: When you fill out forms (signup, contact), make a purchase, or communicate with us.

  • Automatically: Through your use of the Site via cookies and analytics tools.

  • From Third Parties: We may receive information from third-party services we use, such as payment processors (transaction confirmation) or analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics).

 

4. Why We Collect and Use Information (Purpose of Processing)

We use the collected information for various purposes:

  • To Provide and Manage Services: To register you for classes, process payments, deliver class content, and manage your account.

  • To Communicate With You: To send important information about your classes (confirmations, schedules, materials, updates), respond to your inquiries, and provide customer support.

  • To Improve Our Site and Services: To understand how users interact with our Site, analyze trends, troubleshoot issues, and enhance functionality and user experience.

  • For Marketing and Promotions: To send you class emails with class recordings and assignment information, special offers, information about new classes, or other marketing communications, You can opt-out of our emails at any time.

  • For Security and Fraud Prevention: To protect the security of our Site, prevent fraudulent transactions, and ensure the integrity of our Services.

  • To Comply with Legal Obligations: To meet legal requirements, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements (including our Terms of Service).

 

5. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with third parties only in the following circumstances:  

  • Service Providers: We share information with trusted third-party companies that perform services on our behalf, such as:

    • Payment Processors Thrivecart and Stripe to handle transactions.

    • Website Hosting Providers Wix, Squarespace.

    • Email Service Providers mailerLite,YAMM, Mailgun, gmail for communications.

    • Analytics Providers Google Analytics to analyze website usage.

    • Video Conferencing Platforms Zoom to facilitate live class sessions.

    • Cloud Storage Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox. These providers are obligated to protect your information and are only permitted to use it to provide services to us.

  • Instructors: We may share necessary information (like your name and email) with the specific instructor(s) teaching the class(es) you have enrolled in, solely for the purpose of class administration and communication.

  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, subpoena, or other legal process, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request.  

  • Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our Site of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information.  

  • With Your Consent: We may share your information for other purposes with your explicit consent.  

 

6. Data Storage and Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or destruction. We store your information on secure servers, potentially managed by our hosting provider (Wix, Squarespace). Payment transactions are encrypted using SSL technology and processed by PCI-compliant payment gateways.  

However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.  

 

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, including providing you with Services, complying with our legal obligations (e.g., tax, accounting), resolving disputes, and enforcing our agreements.  

  • Account information may be retained as long as your account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter.

  • Transaction data may be retained for  7 years as required by financial regulations.

  • Usage data may be retained for shorter periods for analysis purposes.

When we no longer need your personal information for these purposes, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

 

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies (small text files placed on your device) and similar technologies (like pixels, web beacons) to operate our Site, enhance user experience, and gather analytics.

  • Types of Cookies We Use:
     

    • Essential Cookies: Necessary for the Site to function properly (e.g., login, shopping cart).

    • Performance/Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use the Site (e.g., Google Analytics).

    • Functionality Cookies: Remember your preferences (e.g., language) to provide a more personalized experience.

    • Marketing Cookies (if applicable): Used to deliver relevant advertisements (we will obtain consent where required).

  • Your Choices: Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings preferences. You can usually set your browser to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. However, if you disable cookies, some parts of our Site may not function properly. For more information on managing cookies, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.  

 

9. Your Rights Regarding Your Personal Information

Depending on your location (e.g., EEA/UK under GDPR, California under CCPA/CPRA), you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. These may include the right to:

  • Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you.

  • Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.  

  • Erasure (Deletion): Request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.  

  • Restrict Processing: Request restriction of how we process your information.

  • Data Portability: Request a copy of your information in a portable format.

  • Object: Object to our processing of your information (e.g., for direct marketing).

  • Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent at any time where we rely on consent as the legal basis for processing.

Exercising Your Rights: To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 13 ("Contact Us"). We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.  

 

10. Children's Privacy

Our Site and Services are not intended for individuals under the age of 11 (and parental consent is required for all minors). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under this age without verifiable parental consent. If you believe we may have collected information from a child without proper consent, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to delete it.  

 

11. International Data Transfers

Your information, including personal data, may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction. If you are located outside the United States and choose to provide information to us, please note that we transfer the data, including Personal Data, to the United States and process it there. Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer. We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy. 

 

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes are effective when they are posted on this page. For significant changes, we may provide more prominent notice (e.g., via email).  

 

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Sharpened Stylus Email: nallen@sharpenedstylus.com

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