Privacy Policy

At HiCart.com, we're committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and safeguard your data when you use our website www.hicart.com and our mobile application HiCart that's available on Android's Google Play and Apple's App Store. By using our Platform, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

1. Introduction: Building Trust Through Transparency

As a leading e-commerce marketplace in Lebanon, we understand the importance of trust. This Privacy Policy is designed to be clear, concise, and easy to understand, so you can feel confident about how your information is handled. We want you to know exactly what data we collect, why we collect it, and how we protect it.

2. What Information Do We Collect? A Detailed Overview

We collect information to provide you with a seamless and personalized shopping experience, to facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers, and to continually improve our Platform. Here's a breakdown of the types of information we collect:

2.1 Information You Provide Directly:

• Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, phone number, and password. This information is essential for account management and security.
• Profile Information: You may choose to provide additional information such as your address, date of birth, and gender to enhance your profile and personalize your experience.
• Seller Information: If you're a seller, we collect your business name, address, tax identification number (if applicable), and bank account details to facilitate transactions and comply with legal requirements.
• Transaction Information: When you make a purchase or sale, we collect information about the transaction, including product details, order amount, shipping address, and payment information. Please note that payment information is processed by our trusted third-party payment processors, and we take steps to ensure their security.
• Communication: When you contact our customer support team or communicate with other users through our Platform, we collect the content of your communications to provide assistance and improve our services.
• User-Generated Content: We collect information you post on our Platform, such as product reviews and ratings. This information helps other users make informed decisions and allows us to understand user preferences.
• Marketing Information: If you subscribe to our newsletters or participate in our promotions, we collect your email address and other relevant information to keep you updated on our latest offers and news.
• Feedback and Surveys: We may collect your responses to surveys and feedback requests to improve our Platform and services.

2.2 Information We Collect Automatically:

• Device and Browser Information: We collect information about your device and browser, including your IP address, device type, operating system, browser type, and unique device identifiers. This information helps us optimize our Platform for different devices and troubleshoot technical issues.
• Usage Information: We collect data on how you use our Platform, including the pages you visit, the products you view, the searches you perform, and the date and time of your activity. This information allows us to understand user behavior, personalize your experience, and improve our Platform's functionality.
• Location Information: With your consent, our mobile application may collect precise location data to provide location-based services. We may also infer your general location from your IP address.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, personalize content, and display targeted advertisements. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.

2.3 Information from Third Parties:

• Social Media: If you connect your social media account to our Platform, we may receive information from that platform, such as your name and email address, in accordance with their privacy policies. This allows for easier account creation and social sharing.
• Payment Processors: Our payment processors provide us with transaction details to facilitate order processing and reconciliation.
• Analytics Providers: We work with third-party analytics providers to understand how users interact with our Platform and to improve our services.
• Advertising Partners: We may receive information about your interactions with our advertisements on other websites and platforms to measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns.

3. How We Use Your Information: Enhancing Your Experience

We use your information to provide you with a world-class e-commerce experience, to connect buyers and sellers, and to grow our business. Here's how we use your data:

• To Provide and Improve Our Platform:
  • Operate, maintain, and enhance our website and mobile application.
  • Provide customer support and respond to your inquiries.
  • Troubleshoot technical issues and fix bugs.
  • Develop new features and services to meet your needs.
  • Ensure the security and stability of our Platform.
• To Facilitate Transactions:
  • Process and fulfill orders between buyers and sellers.
  • Manage payments and ensure secure transactions.
  • Facilitate communication between buyers and sellers regarding orders and product inquiries.
  • Provide tools and features to help sellers manage their listings and sales.
• To Personalize Your Experience:
  • Personalize your shopping experience by recommending products and services that match your interests.
  • Customize the content and layout of our Platform based on your preferences.
  • Provide you with relevant search results and product suggestions.
• To Communicate with You:
  • Send you order confirmations, shipping updates, and other transactional emails.
  • Respond to your customer service inquiries and provide assistance.
  • Send you important updates about our Platform, such as changes to our terms of service or this Privacy Policy.
  • Provide you with marketing and promotional materials, such as newsletters, special offers, and event invitations (you can opt out of these communications at any time).
• For Marketing and Advertising:
  • Display targeted advertisements on our Platform and other websites based on your interests and browsing behavior.
  • Measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns and optimize our advertising strategy.
  • Personalize our marketing communications to provide you with relevant offers.
• For Security and Fraud Prevention:
  • Detect and prevent fraud, unauthorized access, and other illegal activities.
  • Protect the security of our Platform and your account.
  • Enforce our terms of service and other policies.
• For Legal Compliance:
  • Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes in Lebanon.
  • Respond to requests from government authorities and law enforcement agencies.
  • Protect our legal rights and interests.
• For Analytics and Research:
  • Analyze user behavior and trends to improve our Platform and services.
  • Conduct market research to understand user needs and preferences.
  • Generate aggregated and anonymized data for statistical purposes.

4. How We Share Your Information: Carefully and Securely

We understand that your personal information is important, and we only share it with trusted third parties who help us provide our services and operate our business. Here's who we share your information with and why:

• With Buyers and Sellers: To facilitate transactions, we share necessary information between buyers and sellers, such as contact details and shipping addresses.
• With Service Providers: We work with trusted third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as:
  • Payment processing:To securely process your payments.
  • Shipping and logistics:To deliver your orders.
  • Marketing and advertising:To help us reach new customers and personalize our marketing campaigns.
  • Analytics:To analyze user behavior and improve our Platform.
  • Hosting and infrastructure:To ensure the smooth operation of our Platform.
  • Customer support:To provide you with assistance and resolve any issues. We carefully select our service providers and ensure that they have robust security measures in place to protect your information. They are contractually obligated to use your information only for the purposes we specify and to keep it confidential.
• With Business Partners: We may partner with other businesses to offer you joint products, services, or promotions. If you participate in such offerings, we may share your information with the relevant business partners.
• For Legal Reasons: We may disclose your information to government authorities, law enforcement agencies, or other legal bodies when required by law or legal process, or when we believe it is necessary to:
  • Protect our rights, property, or safety.
  • Protect the rights, property, or safety of others.
  • Comply with a legal obligation.
• In Case of Business Transfers:If our business is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.
• With Your Consent:We will only share your information with other third parties with your explicit consent.

5. Your Rights and Choices: Empowering You to Control Your Data

We believe that you should have control over your personal information. Here's a summary of your rights and choices::

• Access: You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you. You can request a copy of your data and information about how we use it.
• Correction: You have the right to correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you.
• Deletion: You have the right to request that we delete your personal information in certain circumstances, such as when the data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
• Objection: You have the right to request that we delete your personal information in certain circumstances, such as when the data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
• Restriction: You have the right to request that we delete your personal information in certain circumstances, such as when the data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
• Data Portability: You have the right to request that we delete your personal information in certain circumstances, such as when the data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
• Withdrawal of Consent: You have the right to request that we delete your personal information in certain circumstances, such as when the data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided in Section 8. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable Lebanese law.

You also have the following choices:

• Cookies: You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies.
• Marketing Communications: You can opt out of receiving marketing emails from us by following the unsubscribe instructions in the emails or by adjusting your account settings.
• Location Services: You can disable location services on your mobile device in your device settings.

6. Data Security: Protecting Your Information is Our Priority

We take the security of your personal information very seriously. We implement a variety of technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect your data from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. These measures include:

• Encryption: You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies.
• Access Controls: You can opt out of receiving marketing emails from us by following the unsubscribe instructions in the emails or by adjusting your account settings.
• Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems: We use firewalls and intrusion detection systems to protect our systems from unauthorized access and cyberattacks.
• Regular Security Assessments: We conduct regular security assessments and audits to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
• Employee Training: We train our employees on data privacy and security best practices.

While we take extensive measures to protect your data, please be aware that no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information.

7. Data Retention: How Long We Keep Your Information

We will retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. The retention period will vary depending on the type of information and the purpose for which it was collected. Here are some general guidelines:

• Account Information: We typically retain your account information as long as your account is active. If you deactivate your account, we may retain your information for a reasonable period to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and prevent fraud.
• Transaction Information: We retain transaction information for as long as necessary to process orders, provide customer support, and comply with accounting and tax regulations.
• Marketing Information: We retain your marketing preferences until you opt out of receiving marketing communications.
• User-Generated Content: We may retain user-generated content for as long as it remains relevant to our Platform and services.

8. Contact Us: We're Here to Help

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

[email protected]

We are committed to addressing your inquiries in a timely and professional manner.

9. Children's Privacy: Protecting Our Youngest Users

Our Platform is not intended for children under the age of [Specify Age, e.g., 18], and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under this age. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to delete such information.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy: Staying Updated

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our data practices, legal requirements, or business operations. We will post any revised Privacy Policy on our Website and App and update the "Effective Date" at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Your continued use of the Platform after the posting of a revised Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the changes. We may also notify you of significant changes to this Privacy Policy by email or other means, as required by law.