Privacy policy

PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date: 31 January 2026
Last Updated: 31 January 2026

Introduction

Menopause Alternative ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you visit our website (menopausealternative.com) or purchase our products.

This policy complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Who We Are

Data Controller:
Menopause Alternative
Email: info@menopausealternative.com
Website: menopausealternative.com

We are the data controller responsible for your personal data. If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at info@menopausealternative.com.

What Information We Collect

We collect and process the following types of personal data:

1. Information You Provide to Us:

When you place an order:

Name
Email address
Billing address
Delivery address
Phone number
Payment information (processed securely by our payment provider)

When you create an account:

Name
Email address
Password (encrypted)
Order history
Saved addresses

When you contact us:

Name
Email address
Phone number (if provided)
Message content
Order details (if relevant)

When you subscribe to our newsletter:

Email address
Name (optional)
Preferences

When you leave a review:

Name
Email address
Review content
Product purchased

2. Information We Collect Automatically:

When you visit our website:

IP address
Browser type and version
Device type
Operating system
Pages visited
Time and date of visit
Referring website
Cookies and similar technologies (see Cookie Policy)

When you make a purchase:

Transaction details
Purchase history
Products viewed
Shopping cart activity

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

1. To Process Your Orders (Legal Basis: Contract Performance)

Process and fulfill your orders
Send order confirmations and updates
Arrange delivery
Process payments
Handle returns and refunds
Provide customer support

2. To Communicate With You (Legal Basis: Contract Performance & Legitimate Interest)

Respond to your inquiries
Send order updates and shipping notifications
Provide customer support
Send important account information

Send newsletters and promotional emails (only if you've opted in)
Share product recommendations
Inform you about special offers and new products
Send educational content about menopause

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or contacting us at info@menopausealternative.com.

4. To Improve Our Website and Services (Legal Basis: Legitimate Interest)

Analyze website usage and performance
Improve user experience
Develop new products and services
Conduct market research
Prevent fraud and security threats

5. To Comply With Legal Obligations (Legal Basis: Legal Obligation)

Comply with tax and accounting requirements
Respond to legal requests
Enforce our terms and conditions
Protect our rights and property

Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a legal basis to process your personal data. We rely on the following:

Contract Performance: Processing necessary to fulfill our contract with you (e.g., processing orders)
Consent: You've given explicit consent (e.g., marketing emails)
Legitimate Interest: Processing necessary for our legitimate business interests (e.g., fraud prevention, website improvement)
Legal Obligation: Processing required by law (e.g., tax records)

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties. We only share your information with trusted service providers who help us operate our business:

Service Providers We Work With:

Payment Processors:

Shopify Payments, PayPal, Stripe (or your payment providers)
They process payments securely and do not store your full card details on our servers

Shipping & Delivery:

Royal Mail, DPD, Evri (or your couriers)
We share your name, address, and contact details to deliver your orders

Email Marketing:

Klaviyo, Mailchimp (or your email provider - if applicable)
We share your email address to send newsletters (only if you've opted in)

Website Hosting & Analytics:

Shopify (website hosting)
Google Analytics (website analytics - anonymized data)

Customer Support:

Zendesk, Gorgias (or your support tools - if applicable)
We share relevant information to provide customer support

All service providers:

Are contractually obligated to protect your data
Can only use your data for the specific services they provide
Must comply with UK GDPR

Legal Requirements:

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government authority, or to protect our rights, property, or safety.

International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers may be located outside the UK. When we transfer your data internationally, we ensure it's protected by:

Adequacy decisions: Transferring to countries deemed adequate by the UK government
Standard Contractual Clauses: Using UK-approved contracts with service providers
Additional safeguards: Implementing technical and organizational measures

Your data is always protected to UK GDPR standards, regardless of location.

How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:

Order Information:

7 years from the date of purchase (for tax and accounting purposes, as required by UK law)

Account Information:

Until you request deletion or close your account
We may retain some information for legal or legitimate business purposes

Marketing Data:

Until you unsubscribe or request deletion
We'll stop sending marketing emails immediately upon unsubscribe

Website Analytics:

Anonymized data retained for up to 26 months

Customer Support:

3 years from last contact (for quality assurance and dispute resolution)

After these periods, we securely delete or anonymize your data.

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

1. Right to Access

Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

2. Right to Rectification

Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.

3. Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten")

Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal obligations).

4. Right to Restrict Processing

Request that we limit how we use your data.

5. Right to Data Portability

Request your data in a structured, commonly used format.

6. Right to Object

Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for marketing purposes.

Withdraw consent at any time (e.g., unsubscribe from marketing emails).

8. Right to Complain

Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe we've mishandled your data.

To exercise your rights, contact us at: info@menopausealternative.com

We'll respond within one month of your request.

How We Protect Your Data

We take data security seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures:

Security Measures:

✅ SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted on our website
✅ Secure payment processing (PCI DSS compliant)
✅ Password encryption for user accounts
✅ Regular security updates and monitoring
✅ Access controls
- only authorized personnel can access your data
✅ Secure servers with firewalls and intrusion detection
✅ Regular backups to prevent data loss

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience on our website. For detailed information, please see our Cookie Policy.

Types of cookies we use:

Essential cookies: Required for website functionality
Analytics cookies: Help us understand how you use our website
Marketing cookies: Used to show relevant ads (only with your consent)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect website functionality.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., social media, payment providers). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these websites. Please review their privacy policies before providing any personal data.

Children's Privacy

Our website and products are not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we've collected data from a child, please contact us immediately at info@menopausealternative.com.

Marketing Communications

Email Marketing:

We only send marketing emails if you've opted in (e.g., subscribed to our newsletter or ticked a box at checkout)
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email
We'll stop sending marketing emails immediately (though you'll still receive order-related emails)

SMS Marketing:

We only send SMS if you've explicitly consented
You can opt out by replying STOP to any SMS

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We'll notify you of significant changes by:

Posting the updated policy on this page
Updating the "Last Updated" date
Sending an email notification (for material changes)

Continued use of our website after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data?

📧 Email: info@menopausealternative.com
⏰ Response Time: Within 24 hours (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm GMT)

Data Protection Officer (if applicable):
If you have a dedicated DPO, include their contact details here.

Complaints

If you're unhappy with how we've handled your personal data, you have the right to complain to the UK's data protection authority:

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Website: www.ico.org.uk
Phone: 0303 123 1113
Address: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF