Effective Date: July 8, 2025
Last Updated: July 8, 2025
At The Blue Bale, accessible from https://hub.bluebales.com, we are committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information.
1. Who We Are
The Blue Bale is an aquarium-focused e-commerce and content platform based in Chennai, India. This privacy policy applies to our main site and any subdomains under bluebales.com.
2. What Personal Data We Collect and Why
a. Comments
When visitors leave comments, we collect the data shown in the comment form, along with the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string for spam detection.
We may use the Gravatar service. After comment approval, your profile picture may be publicly visible.
b. Media Uploads
If you upload images to the website, please avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Visitors to the site can download and extract location data from uploaded images.
c. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies to improve user experience. The types of cookies used include:
- Comment cookies: Save your name, email, and site details for future comments (lasts 1 year).
- Session cookies: Used during login and expire when the session ends.
- Login cookies: If “Remember Me” is selected, cookies persist for 14 days.
- Content editing cookies: Track article edits and expire after 1 day.
You can control or delete cookies via your browser settings at any time.
d. Embedded Content
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, maps). Embedded content from third-party sites behaves as if the user has visited that external site. These third-party sites may collect data, use cookies, and monitor your interaction with their embedded content.
e. Account and Order Information
If you create an account or place an order, we collect:
- Full name
- Email address
- Billing/shipping address
- Phone number
- IP address
- Transaction details
This information is used to fulfill orders, provide support, and comply with legal obligations.
3. Who We Share Your Data With
We do not sell or rent your personal data. Your data may be shared with:
- Payment gateways (for secure processing)
- Shipping providers
- Spam detection and security tools
- Regulatory or legal authorities, if required by law
4. How Long We Retain Your Data
- Comments and their metadata are retained indefinitely.
- User accounts store provided data unless the user requests deletion.
- Order and transaction data may be retained for up to 7 years to comply with tax and legal obligations.
5. Your Rights Over Your Data
You have the right to:
- Request access to the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction or deletion of your data
- Object to or restrict processing in certain cases
- Request data portability
You may contact us at thebluebale@gmail.com to make such requests. We will respond within 30 days.
6. International Data Transfers
We are based in India. However, some of our service providers (e.g., cloud storage, analytics) may process data outside your jurisdiction. We ensure such transfers are compliant with applicable data protection laws (e.g., GDPR).
7. How We Protect Your Data
- SSL encryption on all data transfers
- Secure servers and firewalls
- Restricted access to admin-level data
- Periodic backups and security audits
8. Children’s Privacy
Our website is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect data from minors.
9. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this policy periodically. We encourage users to review this page regularly for changes. Your continued use of the site constitutes acceptance of any updates.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, contact us at:
The Blue Bale
📧 Email: thebluebale@gmail.com
🌐 Website: https://hub.bluebales.com
📍 Sholinganallur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India