Privacy policy

 

Last updated: April 2026

Hotaru Culture operates this store and website, including all related information, content, features, tools, products and services, in order to provide you, the customer, with a curated shopping experience (the "Services"). Hotaru Culture is powered by Shopify, which enables us to provide the Services to you. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and disclose your personal information when you visit, use, or make a purchase or other transaction using the Services or otherwise communicate with us. If there is a conflict between our Terms of Service and this Privacy Policy, this Privacy Policy controls with respect to the collection, processing, and disclosure of your personal information.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using and accessing any of the Services, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy and understand the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy.

Personal Information We Collect or Process

When we use the term "personal information," we are referring to information that identifies or can reasonably be linked to you or another person. Personal information does not include information that is collected anonymously or that has been de-identified, so that it cannot identify or be reasonably linked to you. We may collect or process the following categories of personal information, depending on how you interact with the Services:

  • Contact details including your name, address, billing address, shipping address, phone number, and email address
  • Financial information including credit card, debit card, payment card information, transaction details, form of payment and other payment details
  • Account information including your username, password, security questions, preferences and settings
  • Transaction information including the items you view, put in your cart, purchase, return, exchange or cancel and your past transactions
  • Communications with us including information you include when sending a customer support inquiry
  • Device information including information about your device, browser, or network connection, your IP address, and other unique identifiers
  • Usage information including information regarding your interaction with the Services

Personal Information Sources

We may collect personal information from the following sources:

  • Directly from you when you create an account, visit or use the Services, or communicate with us
  • Automatically through the Services from your device, and through the use of cookies and similar technologies
  • From our service providers when we engage them to enable certain technology
  • From our partners or other third parties

How We Use Your Personal Information

We may use personal information for the following purposes:

  • Provide and Improve the Services. To process your payments, fulfil your orders, manage your account, arrange shipping, facilitate returns and exchanges, and create a customised shopping experience for you
  • Marketing and Advertising. To send marketing and promotional communications by email or other channels, and to show you relevant advertisements based on your activity on the Services
  • Security and Fraud Prevention. To authenticate your account, provide a secure shopping experience, and detect or take action regarding fraudulent or malicious activity
  • Communicating with You. To provide customer support and maintain our business relationship with you
  • Legal Reasons. To comply with applicable law, respond to legal process, and enforce our terms or policies

How We Disclose Personal Information

We may disclose your personal information in the following circumstances:

  • With Shopify, vendors and third parties who perform services on our behalf (e.g. payment processing, data analytics, customer support, cloud storage, fulfilment and shipping)
  • With business and marketing partners to provide marketing services and advertise to you
  • When you direct or consent to our disclosure of certain information to third parties
  • Within our corporate group or affiliates
  • In connection with a business transaction such as a merger, or to comply with legal obligations, enforce our terms, or protect our rights

Relationship with Shopify

The Services are hosted by Shopify, which collects and processes personal information about your access to and use of the Services. Information you submit may be transmitted to and shared with Shopify as well as third parties. To learn more about how Shopify uses your personal information, visit the Shopify Consumer Privacy Policy or the Shopify Privacy Portal.

Third Party Websites and Links

The Services may provide links to websites or platforms operated by third parties. We do not guarantee and are not responsible for the privacy or security of such sites. Our inclusion of such links does not imply any endorsement of their content or operators.

Children's Data

The Services are not intended to be used by children under 18 years of age. If you are the parent or guardian of a child who has provided us with their personal information, please contact us at info@hotaruculture.com.au to request that it be deleted.

Security and Retention of Your Information

No security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and we cannot guarantee perfect security. How long we retain your personal information depends on factors such as whether we need it to maintain your account, provide the Services, comply with legal obligations, or resolve disputes.

Your Rights and Choices

In accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal information:

  • Right to Access. You may request access to personal information we hold about you
  • Right to Delete. You may request that we delete personal information we maintain about you
  • Right to Correct. You may request that we correct inaccurate personal information we hold about you
  • Right of Portability. You may request a copy of your personal information in certain circumstances
  • Managing Communication Preferences. You may opt out of promotional emails at any time using the unsubscribe option in our emails. We may still send non-promotional emails related to your account or orders

You may exercise any of these rights by contacting us at info@hotaruculture.com.au. We will not treat you adversely for exercising any of your privacy rights. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

Complaints

If you have complaints about how we handle your personal information, please contact us at info@hotaruculture.com.au. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.

International Transfers

Your personal information may be stored and processed outside of Australia, including by Shopify and other service providers. We take reasonable steps to ensure your information remains protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices or for legal or regulatory reasons. We will post the revised Privacy Policy on this website and update the "Last updated" date.

Contact

For any questions about our privacy practices or this Privacy Policy, or to exercise any of your rights, please contact us at info@hotaruculture.com.au.

HOTARU. BUILT DIFFERENT.