Privacy Policy

At Helle Store, we extend the same philosophy of precision, excellence, and trust that defines our authentic Japanese culinary tools to how we handle your personal information. Your privacy is of paramount importance to us, and we are committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect several types of information from and about users of our website:

• Personal Identification Information: Name, email address, postal address, phone number when you create an account or place an order.
• Payment Information: Credit card details, PayPal information, and billing address processed through our secure payment gateways.
• Technical Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, and information about your interactions with our website.
• Usage Information: Pages visited, time spent on pages, products viewed, and other browsing behavior.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for several purposes aligned with our commitment to excellence:

• To process and fulfill your orders for our Japanese knives, cookware, and culinary tools
• To provide customer service and respond to your inquiries
• To improve our website, products, and customer experience
• To communicate with you about orders, products, services, and promotional offers
• To prevent fraud and enhance the security of our website
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms of service

3. Information Sharing and Disclosure

True to our philosophy of trust and excellence, we do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: With trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, such as payment processors (including those for Visa, MasterCard, JCB, and PayPal) and shipping carriers.
• Legal Requirements: When required by law or to respond to legal process, to protect our customers, to protect lives, to maintain the security of our services, and to protect our legal rights.
• Business Transfers: In connection with any merger, sale of company assets, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business by another company.

4. Data Storage and Security

We implement security measures designed to protect your information, reflecting the same standard of excellence found in our Japanese craftsmanship:

• All transactions are protected by 256-bit SSL encryption
• We adhere to PCI DSS compliance standards for payment processing
• Real-time fraud monitoring systems detect and prevent suspicious activities
• We do not store complete payment information on our servers
• Data is stored on secure servers with limited access

While we implement these robust security measures, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. International Data Transfers

As a global retailer serving customers worldwide (excluding certain Asian countries and remote regions), your information may be processed and stored in countries outside your residence. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this privacy policy and applicable laws.

6. Your Rights and Choices

You have certain rights regarding your personal information:

• Access and Correction: You can review and change your personal information by logging into your account.
• Data Portability: You can request a copy of your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Deletion: You can request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal obligations.
• Marketing Communications: You can opt-out of receiving marketing emails by following the unsubscribe instructions in those emails.
• Cookies: You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at the information provided below.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly, including processing your orders.
• Performance Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website, allowing us to improve functionality.
• Functionality Cookies: Enable personalized features, such as remembering your preferences.
• Targeting Cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and track campaign performance.

You can control cookie settings through your browser. However, disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of our website.

8. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not intended for children under 16 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16.

9. Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by an updated “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this privacy policy periodically.

10. Contact Information

Thank you for trusting Helle Store with your culinary journey. We appreciate the opportunity to serve enthusiasts and professionals who value authentic Japanese craftsmanship, and we remain committed to protecting your privacy with the same dedication to excellence that defines our products.