Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 25, 2025

This Privacy Policy explains how Boston Harbor Tea Works ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you visit or interact with our website, make a purchase, or communicate with us in connection with bostonharborteaworks.com (the "Site"). Together, these interactions are referred to as our "Services."

For the purposes of this policy, “you” refers to any person who uses the Services—whether as a customer, a visitor, or anyone whose personal information we may collect through lawful means.

By accessing or using the Services, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, we kindly ask that you do not use the Services.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices, the law, or for other operational reasons. When we do, we’ll revise the “Last Updated” date above and publish the updated version on this page. If required by law, we’ll notify you of material changes.

How We Collect and Use Your Personal Information

We collect personal information from you and about you in order to provide our Services, communicate with you, improve your experience, and meet our legal obligations. The specific information we collect and how we use it depends on how you interact with us.

In general, we use personal information to:

  • Fulfill and manage your orders
  • Operate and improve our website and Services
  • Communicate with you, including support inquiries and order updates
  • Meet legal or regulatory requirements
  • Detect and prevent fraud or abuse

What Personal Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

When you interact with our Site or Services, you may voluntarily provide information such as:

  • Contact details (e.g., name, email, phone number, address)
  • Order details (e.g., billing and shipping information)
  • Account details (e.g., username, password, security questions)
  • Customer support communications (e.g., messages you send to us)

Some features of the Services may require this information in order to function properly. If you choose not to provide it, certain features may be unavailable.

Information Collected Automatically

We may automatically collect certain information related to your interaction with our Services (“Usage Data”) using cookies, pixels, or similar technologies. This includes:

  • Your device and browser type
  • IP address and location (based on IP)
  • Pages viewed and actions taken on our site
  • Referring URLs and links clicked

This data helps us understand how visitors use our site and improve your experience.

Information We Collect Directly from You

Information that you directly submit to us through our Services may include:

  • Contact details including your name, address, phone number, and email.
  • Order information including your name, billing address, shipping address, payment confirmation, email address, and phone number.
  • Account information including your username, password, security questions and other information used for account security purposes.
  • Customer support information including the information you choose to include in communications with us, for example, when sending a message through the Services.

Some features of the Services may require you to directly provide us with certain information about yourself. You may elect not to provide this information, but doing so may prevent you from using or accessing these features.

Information We Obtain from Third Parties

We may receive personal information from third-party services who assist us in providing our Site and Services, including:

  • Our ecommerce platform (Shopify) and their related tools
  • Payment processors, for handling secure transactions
  • Advertising and analytics tools, which help us tailor content and monitor performance

All data received from third parties is treated in accordance with this Privacy Policy. For more details, see the “Third-Party Websites and Links” section below.

How We Use Your Personal Information

  • To Provide Services:
    We use your information to process transactions, fulfill orders, manage accounts, send order updates, and ensure your experience is smooth and secure. Shopify may enhance your experience by connecting your account with their broader ecosystem, where applicable. For details, see Shopify’s Privacy Policy.
  • For Marketing and Promotions:
    We may use your information to send you updates, special offers, or relevant product suggestions by email, text, or mail. This also includes serving relevant ads on our Site or elsewhere—but we do not sell or share your data for others to use outside our defined purposes.
  • To Prevent Fraud and Ensure Security:
    We monitor activity to detect and investigate potential misuse, fraud, or abuse. We recommend keeping your login credentials private and notifying us immediately of any suspicious activity.
  • To Improve Our Services and Communication:
    We may use your data to respond to your questions and improve how we deliver our Services. This is part of our ongoing commitment to providing you with an experience rooted in trust, transparency, and respect.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Like many websites, we use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, remember your preferences, and help us improve how our site functions. These technologies also allow us to better understand how visitors interact with the Site and make it possible to display relevant content or promotions—both here and occasionally elsewhere online.

For specific information about the cookies used through our store platform, please refer to Shopify's Cookie Policy.

We may also work with trusted service providers and advertising partners who use cookies on our behalf to help us improve your experience and tailor promotions. These partners are bound by strict usage limits and do not have permission to use your information for their own marketing.

Your browser may automatically accept cookies by default, but you have control. You can choose to block or delete cookies at any time through your browser settings. Please note, disabling cookies may affect certain site features or performance.

Respecting Your Privacy Choices

Our site supports the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal. If your browser sends this signal, we treat it as a valid opt-out request from any data uses that may legally be classified as “sales” or “targeted advertising”—for that browser or device. Where possible, if your visit is tied to a Shopify account, we’ll apply the request to that account as well.

You can learn more about GPC at https://globalprivacycontrol.org.

Outside of GPC, we do not currently respond to other “Do Not Track” signals. If this changes, we will update our policy accordingly.

How We Disclose Personal Information

At Boston Harbor Tea Works, we believe personal information is just that—personal. We do not sell your data to third parties, and we do not allow your information to be used in ways that we wouldn’t be comfortable with ourselves.

We only disclose your information in the following limited and necessary circumstances:

  • With trusted service providers who help us operate our website and fulfill your orders (such as payment processors, shipping services, and our ecommerce platform, Shopify). These providers may only use your information to perform services on our behalf.
  • With advertising platforms to deliver relevant content—not to sell or resell your data. We work only with partners who agree to limit their use of your information strictly to the purpose we define, such as showing you Boston Harbor Tea Works promotions.
  • When required by law, such as in response to valid legal requests or to protect our legal rights.
  • If you’ve given explicit permission (e.g., entering a giveaway where a partner is involved).

We have not and will not sell your personal data, license it, or provide it to others for their independent marketing or profiling.

Third Party Websites and Links

Our Site may include links to websites or online services operated by third parties. These external sites are not owned or controlled by Boston Harbor Tea Works, and we are not responsible for how they collect, use, or protect your information.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies and terms of any third-party websites you visit, especially before sharing any personal information. Just because we link to something doesn’t mean we endorse the content or practices behind it—unless we’ve clearly stated otherwise.

Please note that anything you share on public or semi-public platforms, including social media, may be visible to others and outside of our control. Use good judgment when posting or engaging on third-party platforms.

Children's Data

Our Services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 16. We believe in protecting privacy at every level, especially when it comes to minors.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has shared personal information with us, please reach out using the contact information below. We will review and delete the information as required.

As of the date of this policy, we have no actual knowledge of any “sale” or “sharing” of personal information belonging to individuals under 16, as those terms are defined under applicable law.

Security and Retention of Your Information

We take data security seriously and use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information. However, no method of transmission or storage is ever 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute protection. For your own safety, please avoid sending sensitive information through unsecured channels like email or contact forms.

We retain your information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected. This includes:

  • Maintaining your account
  • Providing and improving the Services
  • Complying with legal obligations
  • Resolving disputes
  • Enforcing our terms and policies

When your information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it as required by law.

You may also contact us at any time to request that your personal information be deleted. We will review your request and take appropriate action in accordance with applicable laws and our internal data policies.

Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have certain rights regarding the personal information we hold about you. While these rights may vary by jurisdiction, we’re committed to honoring your requests whenever legally required—and in many cases, even when we're not.

You may have the right to:

  • Access / Know – Request the personal information we have about you, including how it's used and shared
  • Delete – Ask us to delete your personal information
  • Correct – Request corrections to any inaccurate or outdated information
  • Port – Request a copy of your personal information or ask us to transfer it to another service
  • Restrict – Ask us to limit or stop how we use your information
  • Withdraw Consent – Revoke any permissions you've given us where consent is the legal basis for processing
  • Appeal – If we decline a rights request, you may have the right to appeal the decision
  • Manage Communications – Opt out of promotional emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in any message. (We may still send transactional emails related to orders or account activity.)

You can exercise these rights by contacting us through the methods listed at the end of this policy or using any applicable tools on our site.

We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights. To protect your privacy, we may ask you to verify your identity before responding to a request. If you choose to have an authorized agent make a request on your behalf, we may require proof of authorization and still ask you to confirm your identity directly.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, we encourage you to reach out. You can contact us using the details provided at the end of this policy, and we’ll do our best to address your concerns promptly and respectfully.

If you’re not satisfied with our response, you may have the right—depending on your location—to appeal our decision or submit a complaint to your local data protection authority.

Contact

Should you have any questions about our privacy practices or this Privacy Policy, or if you would like to exercise any of the rights available to you, please call or email us at info@bostonharborteaworks.com