Privacy policy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 20 October 2026

Xen Hilpert, a sole proprietor trading as Electronics Lounge ("we", "us"), respects your privacy. This policy explains how we process your personal information when you visit https://www.electronicslounge.co.za, buy from us, or contact us, in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). We are the responsible party for your personal information.

1. Our Information Officer


Information Officer	Xen Hilpert
Email	info@electronicslounge.com
Phone	+27 79 511 2020
Address	15a Kivido Street, Station Hill, Port Alfred, 6170, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Contact the Information Officer with any privacy question, request or complaint.

2. What we collect

Identity and contact details: name, email address, phone number, delivery and billing addresses.
Order information: items bought, model, colour and plug or connector options chosen, order value, delivery preferences, returns, warranty claims (including photos or videos of faults you send us) and correspondence.
Payment information: payment method and status. Card details are entered directly with our payment provider. We don't see or store full card numbers. For EFT refunds we temporarily keep the bank details you give us.
Account information: login details and order history, if you create an account.
Device and usage data: IP address, browser, device type, pages viewed and how you reached the Store, collected through cookies (see section 9).
Marketing preferences: whether you've opted in to newsletters or SMS/WhatsApp messages.
Special personal information: we don't ask for or need it. If you choose to share any with us, we process it only to handle your query or complaint, with your consent (POPIA s27(1)(a)), and keep it only as long as needed.

We don't knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 without the consent of a competent person (POPIA s35).

3. Why we process it, and the lawful basis (POPIA s11)

Purpose	Lawful basis
Processing and delivering your order, returns, refunds and warranty claims	Performance of a contract with you (s11(1)(b))
Customer service and replying to messages	Contract and legitimate interest (s11(1)(b), (f))
Fraud prevention and payment security	Legitimate interest and legal obligation (s11(1)(c), (f))
Accounting, tax and VAT records, and CPA/ECTA record-keeping	Legal obligation (s11(1)(c))
Running and improving the Store, analytics	Legitimate interest (s11(1)(f)), with cookie consent where required
Direct marketing (newsletters, SMS, WhatsApp)	Your consent, or existing-customer exception (s69), see section 8

We only collect what we need for these purposes (s10, s13) and don't use your information for unrelated purposes without telling you (s15).

4. Who we share it with (operators, POPIA s20–s21)

We share personal information only with service providers ("operators") that process it on our behalf, under written agreements that require them to keep it confidential and secure:

Shopify (e-commerce platform and hosting): Shopify International Limited (Ireland) and its affiliates
Payment providers: our 3rd party payment processors.
Couriers and delivery partners: CJ Dropshipping & Aliexpress, our supplier, which packs and ships orders from China, and the couriers it uses, name, address and phone only
Email/SMS marketing tools: We don't currently use these. If we start, we'll update this policy, and use them only with your consent.
Analytics and advertising tools: We don't currently use these. If we start, we'll update this policy, and use them only with your consent.
Authorities, when the law requires it

We don't sell your personal information.

5. Transfers outside South Africa (POPIA s72)

Some operators, including Shopify and some payment, email and analytics providers, store or process data outside South Africa (for example in Canada, the United States, Ireland or the EU). We also send order data to CJ Dropshipping in China so it can pack and ship your order. We only transfer personal information where the recipient is bound by law, binding corporate rules or a binding agreement that gives it substantially similar protection to POPIA, or where the transfer is needed to perform our contract with you or you have consented.

6. How long we keep it (POPIA s14)

Order, invoice and tax records: 5 years after the transaction (Tax Administration Act).
Customer account data: while your account is active, then 12 months after you ask us to close it.
Marketing lists: until you unsubscribe. We then keep only a suppression record so we don't contact you again.
Customer-service messages: 2 years.
EFT refund bank details: deleted once the refund is paid.
After this, we delete, destroy or de-identify the information.

7. Your rights (POPIA s5, s23–s25)

You have the right to:

ask whether we hold your personal information and get a copy of it (s23),
ask us to correct, update or delete inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out-of-date, incomplete, misleading or unlawfully obtained information (s24),
object to processing based on legitimate interest, and object to direct marketing at any time (s11(3)),
withdraw your consent at any time (this doesn't affect processing that was lawful before),
not be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing that have legal or similarly significant effects (s71),
be told if your information is compromised (s22), and
complain to the Information Regulator.

To exercise these rights, email info@electronicslounge.com. We may ask you to verify your identity. We'll respond within a reasonable time, and within 30 days where possible. Access requests are free for basic confirmation; reasonable fees may apply for copies, as allowed under PAIA. A copy of our PAIA information is available on request.

Information Regulator (South Africa) Woodmead North Office Park, 54 Maxwell Drive, Woodmead, Johannesburg, 2191 P.O. Box 31533, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017 Phone: 010 023 5200 · Toll-free: 0800 017 160 General enquiries: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za Complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za, or the eServices portal at https://eservices.inforegulator.org.za Website: www.inforegulator.org.za

8. Direct marketing (POPIA s69)

We only send marketing emails, SMSes or WhatsApp messages if you've opted in (for example by ticking the sign-up box, which is never pre-ticked), or if you're an existing customer and we're marketing our own similar products. In that case you'll have been given the chance to opt out when you bought.
Every marketing message tells you who it's from and includes an easy, free way to unsubscribe.
If you opt out, we stop and won't contact you for marketing again.
We'll never ask for your consent to marketing more than once if you've said no (s69(2)).
We don't buy or rent marketing lists.

9. Cookies and similar technologies

The Store uses cookies:

Strictly necessary cookies (Shopify) for the cart, checkout, login and security. These are always on.
Preference cookies, for example to remember your region.
Analytics cookies, to understand how the Store is used, only with your consent.
Marketing cookies, for example Meta or Google ads, only with your consent.

You can manage your choices in our cookie banner and in your browser settings. Blocking some cookies can affect how the Store works.

10. Security (POPIA s19)

Returned devices: please remove your personal data from any device you send back to us (see our Returns Policy). If a returned device still holds personal data, we only use it to identify the device or fault, and we delete it when we reset the device.

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your personal information. These include SSL encryption, PCI-DSS-compliant payment providers, access controls, strong passwords and two-factor authentication on our accounts, and confidentiality agreements with operators. If a security breach affects your personal information, we'll notify you and the Information Regulator as POPIA s22 requires.

11. Changes

We may update this policy. The current version, with its "last updated" date, is always on this page. Where changes are significant, we'll tell you by email or with a notice on the Store.