The User’s privacy is important to us. The Privacy Policy provided below allows us to explain how we work to maintain user’s privacy, what information we may collect (if any) and how said information will be used to help improve our services and user experience on The Friendly Couch Website.
1. Scope:
1.1. This website – “The Friendly Couch” (“Website”) is developed and made available by Divija Bhasin (as Sole Proprietor) which may mean and include any of our affiliates, associates, assignees or successors-in-interest as determined by us at our sole discretion and without requiring any prior notice or intimation, from time to time (“Company”, “we” or “us” or “our”)and is committed to protecting and respecting the User’s privacy.
1.2. Anyone below 18 (eighteen) years of age will be considered a minor ("Minor") and requires parental consent to use the Website. The parents/legal guardian of the Minor or users above 18 (eighteen) years of age are hereinafter referred to as "User".
1.3. This policy (this "Privacy Policy"), together with the terms and conditions for the use of the Website ("Terms and Conditions"), outlines the Website’s privacy practices regarding the collection, use and safeguard of the User’s information through the Website and the Services offered thereupon.
1.4. User clicking the “I agree” button and submission of personal information or if the User is a minor, the submission of personal information either by User’s parents/ guardian or with the permission of parents/ guardian will be deemed as acceptance of this Privacy Policy.
1.5. This Privacy Policy is an electronic record in terms of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (as amended/re-enacted from time to time) ("IT Act") and rules thereunder, and, amongst others, is published in accordance with the provisions of Rule 3 (1) of the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2011, as well as Rule 4 of the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, which mandates for publishing of rules and regulations, privacy policy and terms of use for access or usage of a website or any online application. This Privacy Policy is an electronic record, generated by a computer system and does not require any physical or digital signatures.
2. Changes to the Privacy Policy:
2.1. We are obligated to protect User information in accordance with applicable laws, and regulations.
2.2. This Privacy Policy is subject to modification based on changes in the business, legal and regulatory requirements and will be updated online. We will make all efforts to communicate any significant changes to this Privacy Policy to the Users. Continued use of the Website or the Services thereunder shall constitute acceptance of any such amendment.
3. User Consent
3.1. Before we can provide the User with access to the Website and its Services (as highlighted in the Terms and Conditions), we require consent. Under the applicable laws, we cannot collect, process or store any information pertaining to the User without explicit consent. Without consent, we will not be able to collect and process the necessary information, without which we cannot provide access to our Services available through our Website.
3.2. In case the User is a minor, the parent/guardian, will be considered the primary account holder. This means that:
- 3.2.1. The parents/guardians are the person primarily responsible for ordering Services and paying any fees or other charges made to us.
- 3.2.2. The parents/guardians are responsible for deciding whether to share the Minor User’s content with us and third parties.
- 3.2.3. The parents/guardians are responsible for the active monitoring of the Minor user’s content. Minors are expressly prohibited from including any personally identifiable information in any content that they post to us or third parties. Such personally identifiable information will be automatically deleted by us.
4. Information Collection
4.1. The User may provide certain information to us while interacting with the Website or while using the Services.
4.2. The information provided by the User may include, but is not limited to, the User’s name, age, gender, email address, phone number, postal address, and any other information that may be required for the User’s identification.
4.3. We may also collect non-personal information about the User, such as the type of device used, browser type, demographic information, etc.
5. Use of Information
5.1. The information collected from the User may be used for various purposes, including but not limited to:
- 5.1.1. Providing and improving our Services.
- 5.1.2. Customizing the Website according to the User’s interests.
- 5.1.3. Sending periodic emails regarding the User’s order or other products and services.
- 5.1.4. Responding to inquiries, questions, and/or other requests.
- 5.1.5. Administering a contest, promotion, survey, or other site features.
5.2. The User’s information, whether public or private, will not be sold, exchanged, transferred, or given to any other company for any reason whatsoever, without the User’s consent.
6. Information Protection
6.1. We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of the User’s personal information.
6.2. The User’s personal information is stored in secured networks and is only accessible by a limited number of persons who have special access rights to such systems and are required to keep the information confidential.
6.3. All sensitive/credit information supplied by the User is transmitted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology and then encrypted into our databases to be only accessed as stated above.
7. Cookies
7.1. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to the User’s computer’s hard drive through the browser (if the User allows) that enables the site’s or service provider’s systems to recognize the User’s browser and capture and remember certain information.
7.2. We use cookies to understand and save the User’s preferences for future visits, keep track of advertisements and compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future.
8. Third-Party Disclosure
8.1. We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties the User’s personally identifiable information unless we provide advance notice to the User. This does not include website hosting partners and other parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or serving the User, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential.
8.2. We may also release information when its release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others’ rights, property, or safety.
9. Third-Party Links
9.1. Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third-party products or services on our website. These third-party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We, therefore, have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites.
10. User Rights
10.1. The User has the right to ask us not to process their personal information for marketing purposes. We will usually inform the User (before collecting their data) if we intend to use their data for such purposes or if we intend to disclose their information to any third party for such purposes.
10.2. The User can exercise their right to prevent such processing by not checking certain boxes on the forms we use to collect their data.
11. Data Transfer:
11.1. The User’s information collected through the Website may be stored and processed in India or any other country in which we or our subsidiaries, affiliates, or service providers maintain facilities.
11.2. We may transfer, in full compliance with applicable laws, any information that we collect about the User, including Personal Information, to affiliated entities, or to other third parties across borders and from the User’s country or jurisdiction to other countries or jurisdictions around the world. These countries may have data protection laws that are different to the laws of the User’s country and, in some cases, may not be as protective.
11.3. We have taken appropriate safeguards to require that the User’s information will remain protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy such as entering into signed agreements to ensure the adequate protection of the User’s Personal Information.
11.4. If the User is located outside India, by providing the information to us, the User consents to the transfer, processing, and storage of information in India. The User’s consent to this Privacy Policy followed by the submission of information represents the User’s agreement to that transfer.
12. Liabilities:
12.1. We shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or exemplary damage(s) arising due to loss of data or use arising out of or in connection with the User’s access or use of or inability to access or use the Website, including but not limited to any sub-domains.
12.2. We shall not be liable for any third-party products, software, or service provided to the User. The User shall assume all risks arising out of or resulting from any transaction undertaken by the User with such third party on the Website, and the User agrees that we shall not be responsible or liable for any loss to the User due to the User’s usage of such third-party application.
13. Sale of Assets, Merger, Acquisition:
We may share the User’s information with our parent, subsidiaries, and/or affiliates for internal purposes. The Company also reserves the right to disclose and transfer all such information: (i) to a subsequent owner, co-owner or operator of the Website or applicable database; or (ii) in connection with a corporate merger, consolidation, restructuring, the sale of substantially all of our membership interests and/or assets or other corporate change, including, during the course of any due diligence process. The User will be notified via email and/or a prominent notice on our Website of any change in ownership.
14. Third Party Services:
Please note that the User’s internet service provider, operating system provider, third-party applications, social media platforms, and websites that the User access may also collect, use, and share information about the User and the User’s usage. We cannot control how these third parties collect, use, share, or secure this information. For information about third-party privacy practices, please consult their respective privacy policies.
15. Queries and Complaints:
Should the User have questions about the Privacy Policy or information collection, use and disclosure practices
in relation to the Services, The User may contact our Grievance Officer at:
Grievance Officer
Email: admin@thefriendlycouch.com
The Grievance Officer shall redress the User’s grievances expeditiously. Except
where required by law, we cannot ensure a response to questions or comments regarding topics unrelated to the
terms of these Terms and Conditions or the Privacy Policy.