PRIVACY POLICY

Custom Cushions and Bears

Last updated: 28 October 2026

1. Introduction

Custom Cushions and Bears (“we”, “us” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and share personal information when you visit our website, place an order, purchase a personalised product, contact us or otherwise interact with our services.

Our online store is hosted by Shopify, which provides the e-commerce platform that enables us to sell our products.

This policy is intended for customers and website visitors in the United Kingdom and should be read alongside our Terms of Service and other applicable store policies.

2. Our Contact Details

Business name: Custom Cushions and Bears

Email: custom.cushions@outlook.com

Address: 10 Patterdale Road, Kingston Upon Hull, HU5 5AR, United Kingdom

For questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us using the email address above.

3. Personal Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with our website and services.

Information you provide to us

This may include:

• Contact information: your name, email address, telephone number and delivery address.
• Order information: products purchased, order history, billing details and transaction references.
• Personalisation information: names, dates, messages, photographs, design instructions and other details you provide when ordering a personalised cushion, memory bear or other custom-made product.
• Customer service information: messages, enquiries, feedback and correspondence relating to your order.
• Account information: details associated with your customer account, if you choose to create one.

Please only provide personal information that is necessary for your order or enquiry. If you submit photographs containing other people, you should have an appropriate reason and permission to provide them for the requested purpose.

Payment information

Payments are processed through the payment methods made available at checkout. Depending on the payment method, relevant information may be processed by Shopify or the applicable payment provider.

We do not need you to send full payment card details by email.

Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, depending on your device, browser, Shopify configuration and the tools enabled on our store.

This may include:

• IP address and device information.
• Browser type and operating system.
• Pages viewed and interactions with our website.
• Referral information and approximate location derived from technical data.
• Cookie identifiers and similar online tracking information, where applicable.

Please see Section 10 for information about cookies and similar technologies.

4. How We Use Your Personal Information

We use personal information for the following purposes.

Processing and fulfilling orders

We use your information to:

• Process and manage purchases.
• Make and personalise products according to your instructions.
• Arrange payments, packaging and delivery.
• Send order confirmations and updates.
• Manage cancellations, returns, refunds and replacements.
• Respond to questions about your order.

Legal basis: Processing is generally necessary to perform our contract with you or to take steps you request before entering into a contract.

Customer service and communication

We use your contact information to respond to enquiries, resolve problems and provide information about your purchase.

Legal basis: Contractual necessity or our legitimate interests in managing customer relationships and operating our business, as appropriate.

Legal, accounting and business obligations

We may use and retain relevant information to maintain accounting records, meet tax and other legal requirements, prevent fraud and establish or defend legal claims.

Legal basis: Compliance with legal obligations or our legitimate interests, depending on the circumstances.

Website operation and improvement

We may use technical information to maintain website security, diagnose errors and understand how our store is used.

Legal basis: Our legitimate interests where appropriate, subject to applicable data protection requirements and your rights.

Marketing communications

We may send promotional emails where we have the appropriate legal basis and any consent required by law.

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by following the instructions in the message or contacting us.

We will not treat a purchase or a request for customer service as automatic consent to receive every type of marketing communication.

5. Personalised Products and Photographs

We understand that customers may provide personal photographs or meaningful personal details when ordering memory bears, personalised cushions or similar products.

We use these materials to fulfil your specific order, communicate with you about the product and provide related customer service.

We aim to limit access to these materials to people and service providers who need them to fulfil the order.

We do not automatically obtain permission to use your photographs, personal stories or finished products in advertising, social media posts, website galleries or other promotional materials simply because you submitted them for an order.

If we wish to use your photographs or finished product for promotional purposes, we will seek appropriate permission or establish another lawful basis where applicable.

Please contact us if you have questions about photographs or other personal materials you have supplied.

6. How We Share Personal Information

We do not share personal information indiscriminately. We share information where necessary to operate our store, fulfil orders, provide services or meet legal obligations.

Depending on the services enabled on our website, recipients may include:

Shopify

Our store is hosted on Shopify. Shopify processes information relating to website visits, orders and transactions to provide its e-commerce services and related functionality.

You can read Shopify's privacy information at:

https://www.shopify.com/uk/legal/privacy

Payment providers, including Klarna

We may share relevant order and transaction information with the payment provider you select at checkout so that your payment can be processed.

If you choose Klarna, Klarna may process relevant personal information under its own privacy policy and applicable terms. Klarna determines its own eligibility and payment decisions.

Klarna's UK website:

https://www.klarna.com/uk/

Delivery and fulfilment providers

We may share your name, delivery address, contact details and relevant order information with delivery companies or other fulfilment providers so that your products can be delivered.

Professional advisers and authorities

We may disclose information to accountants, legal advisers, regulators, law enforcement agencies or other authorities where reasonably necessary or legally required.

Other service providers

We may use service providers to support our website, communications, security or business operations. Where they process personal information on our behalf, we will take appropriate steps to ensure that the processing is handled in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.

We do not sell customers' personal information to third parties.

7. International Transfers

Some service providers, including Shopify or payment and technology providers, may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take the steps required by applicable data protection law. Depending on the circumstances, these may include relying on an adequacy decision or putting appropriate safeguards in place.

If you require further information about international transfers relevant to your information, please contact us.

8. How Long We Keep Your Information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including fulfilling orders, maintaining records, meeting legal obligations and resolving disputes.

Retention periods vary according to the type of information and why it is held.

For example:

• Order and accounting records: retained for the period required by applicable tax, accounting and other legal obligations.
• Customer correspondence: retained for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to enquiries, manage the customer relationship and address potential disputes.
• Personalisation photographs and design files: retained for as long as needed to make and fulfil the product, provide relevant after-sales support and meet any applicable legal obligations. We will review whether continued retention is necessary.
• Marketing information: retained in accordance with applicable marketing and data protection requirements, including where you withdraw consent or unsubscribe.
• Technical and security information: retained for the period reasonably necessary for security, troubleshooting and legitimate operational purposes.

When information is no longer required, we will take appropriate steps to delete it or securely dispose of it, subject to any legal requirements to retain it.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to:

• Access: request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Rectification: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Erasure: request deletion of your information in certain circumstances.
• Restriction: ask us to restrict the use of your information in certain circumstances.
• Objection: object to certain processing based on legitimate interests and to direct marketing.
• Data portability: request certain information in a commonly used, machine-readable format where the legal conditions apply.
• Withdraw consent: where processing is based on your consent, withdraw it at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

These rights are subject to applicable legal conditions and exceptions. We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.

To exercise your rights, contact:

custom.cushions@outlook.com

We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

You can also complain to the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe your personal information has been handled unlawfully.

ICO website: https://ico.org.uk/

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the online store, remember preferences, support checkout, maintain security and, where enabled, measure website performance or provide marketing features.

Some cookies and technologies may be provided by Shopify or third-party applications integrated into our store.

Where required by law, we will seek your consent before using non-essential cookies or similar technologies. You can manage available cookie preferences through the controls provided on our website and through your browser settings.

Blocking certain cookies may affect some website features, including shopping cart or checkout functionality.

The exact cookies and tracking technologies used depend on our current Shopify settings, applications and integrations. We will review our cookie information to ensure it reflects the technologies actually used on our website.

11. Marketing Preferences

If you receive marketing communications from us, you can opt out at any time by using the unsubscribe link in the email or contacting us directly.

Opting out of marketing does not prevent us from sending essential communications about an existing order, payment, delivery, refund or other customer service matter.

We will respect your marketing preferences in accordance with applicable law.

12. Children's Privacy

Our website and products are intended to be used and purchased by people who are legally able to enter into the relevant purchase contract.

We do not knowingly collect children's personal information for marketing purposes without an appropriate legal basis and any required permissions.

If you believe a child has provided personal information to us inappropriately, please contact us so that we can assess the situation and take appropriate action.

13. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

However, no method of transmitting or storing information electronically can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

You should avoid sending sensitive information through unsecured channels and should contact us promptly if you believe your personal information has been compromised in connection with our services.

14. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including Shopify, Klarna and other service providers.

If you follow these links, your use of those websites will be governed by their own privacy policies and terms.

We are not responsible for the independent privacy practices of websites that we do not control.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our business, website, service providers, legal obligations or data handling practices.

The latest version will be published on our website with the relevant revision date.

If a change materially affects how we use personal information, we will take any notification or other steps required by applicable law before introducing the new processing.

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us.

Custom Cushions and Bears

Email: custom.cushions@outlook.com

Address: 10 Patterdale Road, Kingston Upon Hull, HU5 5AR, United Kingdom

We are committed to handling your information responsibly and treating your privacy with care.