1. Who We Are

IntioGEN Bookstore is an independent digital bookstore and publishing platform founded by Lovick B. Intiomale and operated under IntioGEN Global Solutions, based in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. We publish, distribute, and sell digital books available for purchase and rental worldwide.

For all privacy-related enquiries, please contact us at: contact@intiogen.co.za

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal information:

Payment Security: We do not store your card number, CVV, or banking credentials on our servers. All payment transactions are processed by certified third-party payment providers.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Process your purchases and rentals and deliver digital books
• Manage your account and personal library
• Respond to your enquiries and provide customer support
• Send transactional emails such as order confirmations and receipts
• Send newsletters or promotional content where you have given consent
• Improve and personalise your experience on our platform
• Detect fraud and maintain the security of our platform
• Comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations

You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or contacting us directly.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information on the following legal grounds:

• Contract performance — to fulfil your orders and deliver purchased or rented books.
• Legitimate interests — to operate and improve our platform, prevent fraud, and communicate service updates.
• Consent — for marketing emails and newsletters, which you may withdraw at any time.
• Legal obligation — to comply with applicable laws, tax regulations, and lawful requests.

5. Digital Products & Licensing

Digital books purchased through IntioGEN Bookstore are licensed to the purchaser for personal, non-commercial use only, unless otherwise specified in the product listing.

Redistribution, resale, copying, screen-capturing for distribution, or any unauthorised sharing of digital publications is strictly prohibited and may result in account suspension and legal action.

Rented books are accessible for the duration specified at the time of rental and are automatically removed from your library upon expiry.

6. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service providers — trusted third parties who assist us in operating our platform (payment processors, email services, hosting providers, analytics). These parties are contractually bound to handle your data securely and only for the purpose of providing their services.
• Legal requirements — when required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of IntioGEN Bookstore or others.
• Business transfers — in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the successor entity under equivalent privacy protections.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including legal, accounting, and reporting obligations. Specifically:

• Account information is retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period afterwards.
• Purchase records are retained for a minimum of 5 years for legal and tax compliance.
• Contact form submissions are retained for up to 2 years or until the enquiry is resolved.

You may request deletion of your personal information at any time, subject to our legal retention obligations.

8. Information Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include encrypted connections (HTTPS), access controls, and secure payment processing.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no online system can guarantee absolute security. We will notify you promptly in the event of a data breach that may affect your rights.

9. Cookies & Tracking

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep you logged in and remember your preferences (language, cart contents)
• Improve website performance and load times
• Analyse visitor traffic and understand how our platform is used
• Deliver a personalised browsing experience

We use the following types of cookies: Essential cookies (required for core functionality), Functional cookies (for preferences and personalisation), and Analytics cookies (to understand usage patterns).

You may manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

10. Your Rights

Subject to applicable laws (including POPIA — the Protection of Personal Information Act applicable in South Africa), you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction — request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion — request erasure of your personal information where no longer necessary or lawfully required.
• Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests or for marketing purposes.
• Withdraw consent — withdraw consent for marketing at any time without affecting prior processing.
• Data portability — request your data in a structured, machine-readable format where technically feasible.
• Complaint — lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@intiogen.co.za. We will respond within 30 days.

11. Children's Privacy

IntioGEN Bookstore is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or applicable laws. When we make significant changes, we will update the Effective Date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email. Continued use of our platform after changes are published constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.