Privacy Policy: Cotopaxs — Protecting Your Data as You Explore the Outdoors

At Cotopaxs, we’re as committed to safeguarding your personal information as we are to crafting durable outdoor gear. When you shop for hiking boots, tents, or camping apparel on our site, you trust us with details that let you plan your adventures seamlessly—and we take that trust seriously. Below, we break down exactly what data we collect, how we use it, and how we keep it safe—no confusing jargon, just clear, honest details for our outdoor community.

1. What Personal Data We Collect (And Why We Need It)

We only gather information that helps us deliver a smooth, personalized shopping experience and support your outdoor journeys—never more than we need. Here’s what we collect and the purpose behind it:

  • Order & Account Information: When you place an order or create a Cotopaxs account, we ask for your full name, email address, shipping/billing address, phone number, and payment details (e.g., credit card info). This lets us process your order, ship your gear (whether it’s a backpack for your hike or a sleeping bag for your camping trip), send delivery updates, and confirm purchases.
  • Payment Data: We never store your full credit card or payment details. Instead, we work with trusted third-party payment processors (e.g., Stripe, PayPal) who handle payment security—they encrypt your data and follow global standards to prevent fraud.
  • Browsing & Usage Data: We collect non-personal info like your device type (e.g., smartphone, laptop), browser, IP address, pages you visit (e.g., “hiking tents,” “waterproof jackets”), and how you navigate our site. This helps us fix glitches (e.g., a broken product page for camping stoves), improve site speed, and show you gear that matches your interests (e.g., recommending backpacks if you’ve viewed hiking apparel).
  • Voluntary Information: If you sign up for our newsletter (to get updates on new gear, sale alerts, or outdoor tips), leave a product review, or reach out to customer service, we’ll keep details like your feedback, newsletter preferences, or trip plans (e.g., “I need a tent for a mountain camping trip”) to communicate with you and tailor our support.
  • Location Data (Optional): If you allow location access (e.g., via our site or app), we may use it to suggest gear suited to your climate (e.g., cold-weather sleeping bags for users in snowy regions) or local outdoor retailers—but you can disable this anytime in your device settings.

2. How We Use Your Data (No Shady Business)

Your information works for you—not for unrelated third parties. We use it only for these specific reasons:

  • Fulfill Your Orders: Process payments, print shipping labels, and deliver your gear on time (critical for last-minute trip prep). We also use your email/phone number to send order confirmations and tracking links.
  • Improve Our Site & Gear: Analyze browsing data to fix issues (e.g., making it easier to find camping cookware) and stock more of the gear our community loves (e.g., restocking popular hiking boots based on demand).
  • Personalize Your Experience: Recommend products that align with your outdoor interests (e.g., showing waterproof jackets if you’ve searched for “rainy-day hiking gear”) and send newsletter content tailored to your preferences (e.g., camping tips if you’ve bought a tent).
  • Provide Customer Support: Use your order history and conversation details to help you faster (e.g., troubleshooting a defective backpack or helping you return a mismatched sleeping bag).
  • Keep You Safe: Detect and prevent fraud (e.g., stopping fake orders for expensive gear) to protect both you and our business—so you don’t have to worry about unauthorized charges.

3. Who We Share Your Data With (And Who We Don’t)

We hate sharing your info as much as you hate a leaky tent—so we only pass data to trusted partners who help us serve you, and we never sell it to third parties for marketing. Here’s who gets access:

  • Payment Processors: Stripe, PayPal, or other processors handle your payment data to process transactions—they don’t use it for their own marketing and encrypt all details.
  • Shipping Partners: Carriers like USPS, UPS, or DHL get your name and shipping address to deliver your gear. We don’t share more than they need to do their job.
  • Service Providers: A small team of trusted tools (e.g., email platforms for newsletters, analytics tools to improve our site) may access non-personal data (e.g., how many users viewed “winter camping gear”). These tools are bound by contracts to keep your data private.
  • Legal Reasons: We’ll only share data if required by law (e.g., a court order) or to protect our rights (e.g., stopping fraud related to stolen gear)—but this is a last resort, not a habit.

4. How We Keep Your Data Safe (Your Info Is Our “Weatherproof Layer”)

We protect your data with the same care we put into making gear that resists wind, rain, and wear. Here’s how:

  • Encryption: All data you share (e.g., addresses, payment info) is encrypted with SSL technology (look for the little padlock in your browser) so hackers can’t read it—even if they intercept it.
  • Secure Storage: We store your data on servers with firewalls and regular security updates, and we delete old data (e.g., order info from 3+ years ago) when we no longer need it.
  • Limited Access: Only a small team of Cotopaxs staff (who’ve signed privacy agreements) can access your personal info—no random employees snooping on your camping gear wishlist.
  • Your Role: You can help keep your data safe too—use a strong password for your Cotopaxs account, don’t share your login info, and log out if you’re shopping on a public computer (e.g., at a campground visitor center).

5. Your Rights (You’re in Control of Your Data)

You own your info—so you get to call the shots. Here’s what you can do:

  • Access Your Data: Email us at [email protected] to get a copy of the info we have about you (e.g., past orders, newsletter preferences).
  • Update or Correct Info: Log into your account to change your address, email, or phone number. If you need help, just reach out—we’ll fix it fast.
  • Delete Your Data: Ask us to delete your account and all associated data (we’ll do it within 30 days, unless we need to keep some for legal reasons, like tax records).
  • Unsubscribe: Click the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any newsletter email to stop getting updates—no hard feelings, and you can resubscribe anytime.
  • Opt Out of Personalization: If you don’t want us to recommend gear based on your browsing history, email us to opt out—we’ll still show you great gear, just not tailored to your past searches.

6. Kids’ Privacy (Adventure Is for Everyone—But Data Protection Starts Young)

Cotopaxs gear is for outdoor lovers of all ages, but we don’t intentionally collect data from kids under 13. If we find out we’ve accidentally collected info from a child, we’ll delete it immediately. Parents/guardians can contact us at [email protected] if they think their kid’s data was shared with us.

7. Changes to This Policy (We’ll Tell You Before We Update)

If we ever modify this privacy policy (e.g., to add new security measures or comply with new laws), we’ll post the new version on our site and send a heads-up to anyone subscribed to our newsletter. The date at the bottom of this page will show when it was last updated—so you can check back anytime.

8. Contact Us (Got Questions? We’re Here to Help)

If you have questions about your data, think we’re not following this policy, or want to exercise your rights, email our team at [email protected]. We reply within 24 hours on weekdays (48 hours on weekends/holidays) and will walk you through every step—no automated bots, just real people who love the outdoors as much as you do.

— The Cotopaxs Team