Privacy Policy

Last updated: 6 September 2026

The Inkbound Bookshop, part of The Inkbound Society™️, operates this website and online store. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose and protect personal information when you visit www.theinkboundbookshop.com, make a purchase, create an account, subscribe to marketing, contact us or otherwise use our services.

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, The Inkbound Bookshop is the controller of personal information processed in connection with this store. Shopify and other providers may also act as independent controllers for certain processing carried out through their own services, as explained in their privacy notices.

1. Personal Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with the store and may include:

• Contact information: your name, email address, telephone number, billing address and delivery address.
• Account information: your email address, saved addresses, preferences, account settings and order history.
• Order and transaction information: products viewed or purchased, cart activity, returns, cancellations, discounts, gift cards, payment status and fulfilment information.
• Payment information: payment method, billing details, transaction identifiers and payment confirmation. Complete payment-card information is processed securely by Shopify and the selected payment provider and is not made available to us in full.
• Communications: information supplied when you contact us through email, telephone, forms, Shopify Inbox, social media or another support channel.
• Device and technical information: IP address, browser type, device type, network information, cookie identifiers and similar technical data.
• Usage information: information about how you browse and interact with the website, products, searches, filters, emails and advertisements.
• Marketing preferences: whether you have agreed to receive newsletters or promotional messages and any later withdrawal of that consent.

2. How We Collect Personal Information

We may collect personal information:

• Directly from you when you place an order, create an account, join our mailing list, complete a form or contact us.
• Automatically when you use the website, including through cookies and similar technologies, subject to your choices where consent is required.
• From Shopify and service providers that help us operate the store, process payments, prevent fraud, fulfil orders, provide search functions or communicate with customers.
• From delivery and fulfilment providers in connection with the progress or delivery of an order.
• From advertising, analytics or social-media services where permitted by law and your privacy settings.

3. How We Use Personal Information

We may use personal information to:

• Process payments and fulfil purchases.
• Arrange dispatch, delivery, collection, returns, replacements and refunds.
• Create and manage customer accounts.
• Send transactional messages about orders, payments, accounts and deliveries.
• Respond to customer-service enquiries and resolve problems.
• Provide product search, recommendations and a more relevant shopping experience.
• Operate, maintain, secure and improve the website and store.
• Detect and prevent fraud, misuse, security incidents and unlawful activity.
• Measure website performance and understand how customers use the store.
• Send marketing communications where you have consented or where otherwise permitted by law.
• Comply with tax, accounting, consumer-protection and other legal obligations.
• Establish, exercise or defend legal claims and enforce our terms and policies.

4. Legal Bases for Processing

Where the General Data Protection Regulation, the UK GDPR or related law applies, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

• Contract: processing necessary to accept and fulfil an order, take payment, deliver products, manage an account or provide requested support.
• Consent: processing based on a choice you have made, including subscribing to marketing or accepting non-essential cookies. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Legal obligation: processing necessary to meet tax, accounting, consumer-protection, regulatory or other legal requirements.
• Legitimate interests: processing reasonably necessary to operate and improve the store, communicate with customers, prevent fraud, maintain security and protect our rights, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.

5. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We and our service providers use cookies and similar technologies to operate the website, remember choices, maintain security, understand website performance and, where permitted, personalise content or advertising.

Essential cookies are required for functions such as the shopping cart, checkout, security and account access. Where required by law, analytics, personalisation and advertising cookies are used only after you provide consent.

You can manage available choices through the cookie banner or privacy settings displayed on the website. You may also adjust your browser settings, although blocking essential cookies may prevent parts of the store from working correctly.

6. Marketing Communications

If you subscribe to our newsletter or other marketing communications, we may use your name and email address to send information about new releases, limited drops, author news, events and other store updates.

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in a marketing email or by contacting us. Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent us from sending necessary messages about an order, account or customer-service request.

7. How We Share Personal Information

We disclose personal information only where reasonably necessary to operate the store, fulfil orders, comply with law or protect our rights. Recipients may include:

• Shopify: website hosting, ecommerce services, checkout, customer accounts, analytics, fraud prevention, Shopify Inbox and related store functionality.
• Payment providers: Shopify Payments, PayPal, Google Pay and other payment methods selected at checkout.
• Fulfilment providers: Printify and relevant production partners for merchandise that is made and dispatched through Printify.
• Delivery providers: An Post and other carriers used to deliver or return purchases.
• Store technology providers: services used for search, filtering, hosting, communications, security, analytics and technical support, including Rapid Search where enabled.
• Email and form providers: services used to collect newsletter registrations, send communications or process enquiries, including Tally where used.
• Professional advisers: accountants, legal advisers, insurers and other advisers where necessary.
• Authorities and other parties: courts, regulators, law-enforcement bodies or other recipients where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect legal rights.

We may also disclose information when you direct us to do so, when you consent, or in connection with a sale, restructuring or transfer of the business, subject to applicable law.

8. Relationship With Shopify

The store is hosted by Shopify. Shopify processes information about your access to and use of the store to provide and improve its services. Information submitted through the store may be transmitted to Shopify and relevant service providers in other countries.

For more information about Shopify’s processing and the rights available to you, see the Shopify Consumer Privacy Policy and the Shopify Privacy Portal.

9. International Transfers

Some service providers may process personal information outside Ireland, the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom.

Where required, transfers are protected through an adequacy decision, the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum, or another lawful transfer mechanism. Additional safeguards may be used where appropriate.

10. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including fulfilling orders, maintaining accounts, providing support, resolving disputes and complying with legal, tax and accounting obligations.

Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected. Order and transaction records may be retained for the period required by tax and accounting law. Customer-service records are retained for as long as needed to resolve the enquiry and manage related legal obligations. Marketing information is retained until you unsubscribe or the information is no longer needed, subject to keeping a minimal suppression record so that your preference can be respected.

When information is no longer required, it will be deleted, anonymised or securely retained where deletion is not immediately possible.

11. Security

We use reasonable organisational and technical measures designed to protect personal information. However, no method of transmission or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Please do not send passwords, complete payment-card details or other highly sensitive information through ordinary email, social media or store chat.

12. Children’s Privacy

The store sells children’s books but is not intended for children to make purchases or create accounts without the involvement of a parent or guardian. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children who are not legally able to provide valid consent in their jurisdiction.

If you believe a child has provided personal information without appropriate permission, contact us so that we can review and, where appropriate, delete it.

13. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on where you live and subject to applicable conditions and exceptions, you may have the right to:

• Request access to personal information held about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion of personal information.
• Request restriction of processing.
• Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Receive certain information in a portable format.
• Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
• Complain to the relevant data protection authority.
• Ask about safeguards used for international transfers.
• Exercise rights relating to qualifying automated decisions, where applicable.

These rights are not absolute. We may need to verify your identity and request enough information to locate the relevant records. We will respond within the period required by applicable law.

You will not be discriminated against for exercising a privacy right.

14. Targeted Advertising and Data-Sharing Choices

Depending on your location and the services enabled on the store, you may have the right to opt out of certain targeted advertising or disclosures described as a sale or sharing under applicable privacy law.

You can use the store’s cookie and privacy controls where available or contact us using the details below. Where supported and legally required, Shopify may recognise a valid Global Privacy Control signal sent by your browser.

15. Third-Party Websites

The website may contain links to websites or platforms operated by third parties. Their privacy and security practices are governed by their own notices. We are not responsible for third-party websites merely because the store links to them.

16. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our services, technology, legal obligations or business practices. The updated policy will be posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date. We will provide additional notice where required by law.

17. Contact Us

To ask a privacy question or exercise a data protection right, contact:

The Inkbound Bookshop
Market Square
Ballyhugh
Gort
Co. Galway
H91 VW27
Ireland

Email: summon@inkboundsociety.com

Telephone: +353 89 274 2414

18. Complaints

If you have a concern about how we process personal information, please contact us first so that we can try to resolve it.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission or the supervisory authority in the country where you live or work.

Data Protection Commission
Website: www.dataprotection.ie