A. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Thank you for visiting www.smartdoko.com (Platform, we, us, our). Your privacy is very important to us. SmartDoko is committed to protecting your personal information and complying with the laws of Nepal, including the E-commerce Act, 2025 (the "Act") and the Consumer Protection Act, 2075.

This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your data when you use our e-commerce platform in Nepal. By accessing our Platform or using our services, you agree to the practices described in this Policy and consent to the processing of your personal information as set out herein.

We value your trust and are committed to safeguarding the confidentiality of the personal information you provide. We collect only the data necessary for fulfilling your orders, enhancing your shopping experience, and meeting our legal obligations. We retain your information only as long as required by law or for the purposes for which it was collected.

You may browse our Platform without providing personal details. We do not identify you personally unless you create an account and log in with your credentials.

B. Scope of this Policy

This Policy applies to any person within Nepal or residing anywhere outside Nepal offering or availing goods and services in Nepal through the SmartDoko e-commerce platform.

C. Information We Collect

To provide and improve our services, we may collect the following types of information:

I. Personal Information You Provide:

1. Account & Profile Data: Name, title, gender, date of birth, email address, contact address (billing and delivery), phone and mobile numbers.
2. Transaction Data: Details of products/services purchased, order history.
3. Payment Information: Payment or banking details are collected and processed securely by our third-party payment gateway providers for order processing. SmartDoko itself may store partial, tokenized, or reference payment information for user convenience and compliance but does not store full sensitive payment card details.
4. Communications: Information provided when you contact customer support, participate in surveys, or provide reviews/feedback.

II. Information Collected Automatically (Non-Personal/Technical Information):

1. Browser type, IP address, device type, operating system.
2. Cookies and usage data (e.g., pages visited, products viewed, time spent on site). This helps us analyze traffic and improve user experience.

D. How We Use Your Information

Your personal information is used for the following purposes, in line with the E-commerce Act, 2025:

I. Order Fulfillment & Service Provision:

1. Processing, fulfilling, and delivering your orders.
2. Managing your account, including access to purchase history and personal details.
3. Verifying and completing online payment transactions through our trusted payment processors.
4. Facilitating returns, exchanges, and refunds in accordance with our Return Policy and the Act.

II. Platform Improvement & Personalization:

1. Improving website functionality, user experience, and service offerings.
2. Conducting demographic analysis and customer insights (often using aggregated or anonymized data).
3. Personalizing your experience (e.g., recommending products).

III. Communication & Marketing:

1. Sending essential service-related communications (e.g., order confirmations, delivery updates, responses to inquiries).
2. Sending promotional materials, product updates, or information you’ve requested, only if you have explicitly opted in. You can opt-out at any time (see Section 11: Choice/Opt-Out).

IV. Legal & Compliance Obligations:

1. Complying with applicable laws, including the E-commerce Act, 2025, Consumer Protection Act, 2075, and tax regulations.
2. Maintaining secure records of transactions for the period required by applicable tax laws.
3. Preventing fraud, ensuring the security of our Platform, and enforcing our Terms and Conditions.
4. Cooperating with government authorities or law enforcement as required by law.
5. Addressing grievances as per our Grievance Redressal Mechanism (see Section 13).

V. Disclosure of Your Information

SmartDoko does not sell or rent your personal data to third parties for their marketing purposes. We may share your information only in the following circumstances and in accordance with the law:

1. Service Providers (Agents & Subcontractors): We share necessary information with trusted third-party service providers who perform functions on our behalf, such as:

• Delivery and logistics companies (for order fulfillment).
• Payment gateway providers (for secure payment processing).
• Data analysts and technology providers (for website maintenance, analytics, and security).
• Customer service support providers.

   These providers are contractually bound to protect your data and use it only for the specific purposes for which it was disclosed.

2. Group Companies:  We may share your data with affiliated companies within our business group to support operations, provided they adhere to this Privacy Policy or similar protective standards.

3. Legal Requirements & Authorities: We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or other governmental request (e.g., tax authorities, Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection) or to protect the rights, property, or safety of SmartDoko, our users, or the public. This includes transaction-related data transfers necessary for compliance.

4. Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction, subject to the commitments made in this Privacy Policy.

5. With Your Consent: We may share your information for other purposes not listed here only with your explicit consent.

Our Platform may contain links to third-party websites. These external sites operate independently and are not governed by this Privacy Policy. We are not responsible for their privacy practices or content.

VI. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

•  Store session information and remember your preferences.
• Personalize your user experience.
•  Analyze Platform traffic, usage trends, and the effectiveness of promotions.

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of certain parts of our Platform.

VII. Data Security and Storage

A. We treat your personal information as a valuable asset and are committed to protecting it. We implement industry-standard technical and organizational security measures, aligned with recognized practices where feasible, to safeguard your information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or destruction. This includes:

1.  Use of secure servers and SSL encryption for data transmission where appropriate.
2. Access controls to limit access to personal data to authorized personnel.
3. Regular review of our security practices.

B. All payment-related transactions are handled by trusted, compliant payment processors. While order details are stored securely, direct access to full payment details by SmartDoko is limited for security reasons. You can view your order history and manage your address information by logging into your SmartDoko account.

C. However, no system is completely secure. While we take all reasonable steps to protect your privacy, we cannot guarantee that your personal information or private communications will always remain completely secure. Third parties may unlawfully intercept data. You are also responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials (see Section 8: Account Protection).

D. Your personal data is stored on our secure servers, which may include those located outside Nepal if required for our business operations and service delivery, always in compliance with applicable data protection laws ensuring adequate levels of protection. By using our Platform, you consent to such transfer, storage, and processing.

VIII. Account Protection

Your SmartDoko account is secured by your password. To ensure the security of your account:

1. Use a strong, unique password.
2.  Do not share your password or login credentials with anyone.
3. Be cautious when accessing your account on shared or public devices and always log out.

If you share your account details or password, you are responsible for all actions taken in the name of your account. If you believe your account has been compromised, please immediately change your password and notify our support team.

IX. Your Rights Regarding Your Personal Information

Under the E-commerce Act, 2025, and other applicable laws, you have certain rights regarding your personal information

1. Right to Access and Modify: You can access and update most of your personal details directly through your account settings on the Platform. You may also request access to other personal data we hold about you.
2. Right to Correction: You can request corrections to any inaccurate or outdated information we hold about you, free of charge.
3. Right to Withdraw Consent (for Marketing): You have the right to ask us to stop using your data for direct marketing purposes at any stage. (See Section 11: Choice/Opt-Out).
4. Right to Disable Source of Identification / Data Deletion: You have the right to request the disabling of the source of your identification or the deletion of your personal data, subject to certain conditions. To request data deletion, please contact us (see Section 16). We will verify your identity and process your request within a 7-10 working days, unless retention is required by law (e.g., for tax records, ongoing legal proceedings, fraud prevention) or for other legitimate business purposes as permitted by the Act.
5. Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint regarding the handling of your personal information through our Grievance Redressal Mechanism (see Section 13).

To exercise these rights, please contact our customer support team or the Grievance Officer.

X. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including:

1. While your account is active.
2. To provide services to you.
3. To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations (e.g., maintaining transaction records for the period required by tax laws under the E-commerce Act, 2025).
4. To resolve disputes, prevent fraud or future abuse, or enforce our agreements.
5. For legitimate business or analytical purposes.