Privacy Policy

Afrimarket Hub operates the website and online marketplace available at afrimarkethub.com. For the purposes of UK data protection law, Afrimarket Hub will usually be the controller of personal information collected through the website and marketplace. Where vendors process personal information for their own business purposes, they may also be independent controllers and are responsible for complying with applicable data protection laws.

This Policy applies to personal information we collect from customers, prospective customers, vendors, vendor representatives, website visitors, delivery recipients, people who contact us, people who subscribe to marketing, and anyone who interacts with our marketplace. It does not apply to third-party websites, payment platforms, delivery providers, social media platforms or vendor websites that are not controlled by Afrimarket Hub.

We may collect the following categories of personal information, depending on how you use Afrimarket Hub:

• Identity and contact details: name, email address, phone number, billing address, delivery address, business address, vendor trading name, company details and contact preferences.
• Account information: username, password or login credentials, account settings, saved addresses, wish lists, order history and vendor dashboard information.
• Transaction and order information: products viewed or purchased, order numbers, order status, delivery details, returns, refunds, complaints, invoices and customer service records.
• Payment information: payment method details, payment confirmation, billing information and limited payment identifiers. We do not intend to store full card numbers where payments are processed by third-party payment providers.
• Vendor onboarding information: business registration details, tax or VAT information where applicable, identity verification details, bank or payout information, product listings, stock information and compliance documents.
• Technical and usage information: IP address, device type, browser type, operating system, pages viewed, referral source, approximate location, cookie identifiers, session data and website interaction data.
• Communications: messages, emails, reviews, feedback, support tickets, call notes, chat messages and other communications with us or through the marketplace.
• Marketing information: newsletter subscriptions, marketing preferences, campaign engagement, survey responses and promotion participation.
• Fraud prevention and security information: login activity, device signals, transaction risk indicators, blocked activity, dispute information and records needed to protect the marketplace.

We collect personal information directly from you when you create an account, place an order, register as a vendor, list products, contact us, subscribe to marketing, submit reviews or use marketplace features. We also collect information automatically through cookies and similar technologies, and we may receive information from payment providers, delivery partners, fraud prevention providers, analytics providers, advertising platforms, vendors, social media platforms and other third parties where lawful and relevant.

If you are a customer, we use your personal information to create and manage your account, process purchases, arrange delivery, communicate order updates, provide customer support, handle returns or refunds, improve product recommendations, prevent fraud and comply with our legal obligations. We may share relevant order and delivery information with vendors, payment providers and delivery partners so your order can be fulfilled.

If you are a vendor or vendor representative, we use your personal information to assess and approve vendor applications, verify business information, create and manage vendor accounts, enable product listings, process commissions and payouts, communicate marketplace requirements, support customers, monitor performance, prevent fraud and comply with legal or tax obligations. Vendors must only use customer personal information for legitimate marketplace-related purposes, such as fulfilling orders, handling customer service, delivery, returns or legal compliance, and must not use customer personal information for unrelated marketing or resale.

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the website, keep users signed in, remember preferences, measure website performance, understand how the marketplace is used, improve services and support advertising or marketing where permitted. Essential cookies are required for the website to work. Non-essential cookies, such as analytics or advertising cookies, should only be used where we have the required consent. Users can manage cookies through browser settings and, where available, our cookie consent tool. Our Cookie Policy provides further detail about the cookies used, their purpose and duration.

We may send marketing communications about products, promotions, vendors, offers, newsletters or marketplace updates where permitted by law. You can opt out of marketing at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our messages or contacting us. We will still send important service communications, such as order confirmations, delivery updates, account notices, security alerts and changes to our terms or policies.

We may share personal information with vendors, payment processors, delivery and logistics partners, IT hosting providers, website developers, analytics providers, marketing platforms, customer support tools, professional advisers, insurers, banks, fraud prevention services, regulators, law enforcement agencies and other parties where necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. We require service providers to handle personal information securely and only for authorised purposes. We may also share information if we sell, merge, restructure or transfer all or part of our business or assets.

Some of our service providers, vendors, technology systems or support teams may be located outside the United Kingdom. Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take steps designed to protect it in accordance with applicable data protection law, such as using adequacy regulations, approved contractual safeguards, transfer risk assessments or other lawful transfer mechanisms where required.

We keep personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, including providing services, managing accounts, fulfilling orders, supporting vendors, resolving disputes, preventing fraud, complying with legal, tax and accounting duties, and enforcing our rights. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information, legal requirements and operational needs. When information is no longer needed, we will delete it, anonymise it or securely archive it where appropriate.

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, password protection, encryption where appropriate, secure hosting, monitoring, staff or contractor access restrictions and vendor due diligence. No website, marketplace or online transmission is completely secure, so users should also take care to protect their account credentials and notify us promptly of suspected unauthorised access.

Depending on your location and the applicable law, you may have rights to request access to your personal information, correction of inaccurate information, deletion, restriction, objection to certain processing, data portability, withdrawal of consent and review of certain automated decisions. These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exemptions. To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details in this Policy. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

Our marketplace is intended for users who are able to enter into legally binding transactions. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without appropriate consent where required by law. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us without appropriate permission, please contact us so we can review and take appropriate action.

We may use limited automated tools to support fraud prevention, account security, product recommendations, search results, marketing relevance or marketplace operations. Where any automated decision has a legal or similarly significant effect on you, we will provide information required by law and allow you to request human review where applicable.

Our website may contain references to third-party websites, social media pages, payment services, delivery services or vendor pages. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties that we do not control. You should review the privacy notices of those third parties before providing personal information to them.

If you have a concern about how we handle personal information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve it. If you are in the United Kingdom, you may also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK supervisory authority for data protection matters. You may also have rights to complain to another relevant supervisory authority depending on where you live.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our business, website, marketplace, legal requirements or data practices. The updated version will be posted on our website with a new "Last updated" date. Where required by law or where changes are material, we may provide additional notice.