Privacy policy

Hooks & Chains by SG ("we," "our," or "us") operates the website www.hooksandchainsbysg.com (the "Site") and the digital crochet pattern shop accessible through it (together with the Site, the "Services"). This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the rights you have over it. The Site is powered by Shopify, which processes information on our behalf as described below.

By using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with anything in this policy, please do not use the Services.

1. Who we are

Hooks & Chains by SG is a small US-based business owned and operated by Sami G. We sell digital, instant-download crochet patterns in PDF format. We do not ship physical goods. You can reach us anytime at hooksandchainsjd@gmail.com.

2. Information we collect

The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us. It generally falls into the following categories:

Contact details your name, billing address, email address, and (rarely) phone number, collected when you place an order, sign up for our mailing list, or contact us.
Order and payment information items purchased, order amount, payment confirmation, and the last four digits of your payment method. Full payment card numbers are never seen or stored by us; they are handled directly by Shopify Payments and other PCI-compliant payment processors.
Account information if you create an account, your login email, password (hashed), and any preferences or order history associated with your account.
Communications anything you include when you message us, submit a contact form, leave a review, or reply to our emails.
Device and usage information IP address, browser type, device identifiers, pages visited, referring URLs, and how you interact with the Site. This is collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies (see Section 7).
Marketing preferences whether you have opted in to our newsletter and your engagement with marketing emails.

We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal information (such as government IDs, biometrics, or precise location), and we ask that you not send such information to us.

3. How we use your information

We use personal information to:

Process and fulfill your orders, deliver your PDF download, send order confirmations, and provide receipts;
Provide customer support and respond to your messages;
Maintain your account, remember your preferences, and improve your experience on the Site;
Send marketing emails about new patterns and special offers, but only if you have opted in (you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any marketing email);
Detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, unauthorized access, abuse, and security issues;
Comply with applicable law, respond to lawful requests, and enforce our Terms of Service.

4. How we share your information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only with service providers and partners that need it to run the shop, and only for the purposes described below:

Shopify our e-commerce and hosting platform. Shopify processes orders, hosts the Site, handles payments through Shopify Payments, and provides analytics. Shopify's handling of personal information is governed by the Shopify Consumer Privacy Policy.
Payment processors Shopify Payments, Shop Pay, and any other payment methods you choose at checkout (e.g., PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay).
Email and marketing tools services used to send transactional and (where you have opted in) marketing emails on our behalf.
Analytics providers providers that help us understand how visitors use the Site (such as Google Analytics, if enabled). These providers may use cookies as described in Section 7.
Affiliate networks when you click an affiliate link on the Site (for example on our Shop My Supplies page or inside a product description), the destination retailer and affiliate network may collect information about your click and any resulting purchase so they can attribute a commission to us. See Section 8 for more.
Legal and safety purposes we may disclose information if required by law, valid legal process (such as a subpoena), or to protect the safety, rights, or property of Hooks & Chains by SG, our customers, or others.
Business transfers if we ever sell, merge, or transfer all or part of our business, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.

5. Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have some or all of the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access and portability request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Correction ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
Deletion ask us to delete personal information we hold about you, subject to legal record-keeping obligations.
Opt out of marketing unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email, or by emailing hooksandchainsjd@gmail.com.
Opt out of "sale" or "share" of personal information for targeted advertising if you live in a state with this right (such as California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Utah, or Texas), you can opt out by emailing us or by enabling the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal in your browser. We honor GPC signals.
Withdraw consent where we rely on your consent to process information, you may withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hooksandchainsjd@gmail.com. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.

6. Children's privacy

The Services are not directed to children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal information to us, please contact us at hooksandchainsjd@gmail.com and we will delete it.

7. Cookies and similar technologies

We and our service providers use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to keep the Site working, remember your cart, understand traffic, and (where applicable) personalize content and advertising. Most browsers let you control or block cookies through your browser settings. Note that blocking some cookies may break parts of the shopping experience (such as keeping items in your cart).

If you visit the Site with the Global Privacy Control signal enabled, we will treat that as a request to opt out of "sale" or "share" of personal information for targeted advertising for the device and browser used.

9. Security and retention

We rely on Shopify's security infrastructure (which is PCI-DSS compliant) and use industry-standard practices to protect personal information. No system is perfectly secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. We retain personal information only for as long as needed to provide the Services, comply with our legal and tax obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymize it.

10. International transfers

We are based in the United States. If you access the Services from outside the US, your information will be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the US (and potentially in other countries where our service providers operate). By using the Services, you consent to this transfer. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent mechanisms.

11. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, if the changes are material, we will provide additional notice (such as by email or by a notice on the Site) where required by law. Your continued use of the Services after an update means you accept the revised policy.