Verbosec (Pty) Limited, along with our affiliates and subsidiaries (hereinafter referred to as ‘Verbosec’) are committed to safeguarding the privacy of our customers and users (you).
Verbosec is the data controller of your personal data You can contact us by mail at the above address, by email at [email protected] or by telephone at +267 311 0890. In addition to Verbosec, our affiliates and subsidiaries may also process your personal data. The relevant data controllers of your personal data will depend on where you are located, the Site(s) (as defined in section 2.1 below) you visit and the services you receive.
2.1 This privacy policy tells you about how we use, protect and disclose your personal data that we have collected using both offline means (e.g. via phone, post, in-person meetings and other correspondence) and online means, such as when you use any website or mobile application owned or operated by Verbosec, including Verbosec.com and its local sub-domains and our blogs and programs (collectively, the “Site”).
2.2 You acknowledge that your personal data (including personal data collected through your use of our services, and the Site), will be collected, stored, shared and processed in accordance with this privacy policy.
2.3 The Site may contain links to other third-party websites or applications. Please be aware that these websites and applications may collect information about you. These websites and applications may have their own privacy notices or policies. We encourage you to be aware when you leave the Site and to read the privacy statements of each and every website and application that you use.
2.4 To the extent any linked websites or applications you visit are not owned or operated by Verbosec, please be aware that we are not responsible or liable for the websites’ or applications’ content, any use of the websites or applications, or the privacy and security practices and policies of those websites or applications.
We use your Personal Information for the following purposes:
- to provide better usability, troubleshooting and site maintenance;
- to understand which parts of the website are visited and how frequently;
- to create your user ID;
- to identify you once you register on our website;
- to contact you and respond to your questions or requests; and
- to provide access to desirable content based on your preferences.
- to process job application and alumni related requests, more details about which are available on corresponding portals of this website.
- To know your interest of participation in ideathons or other competitions
- As a participant of the competition, to publish your name and corresponding details to make them available to larger audience on the Internet
3.1 We may collect the following data about you. Please note that we may combine personal data collected about you from one source with personal data that we have collected about you from other sources.
- Personal data provided voluntarily including account registration and interactions (e.g. reviews, feedback, comments, testimonials)
We collect personal data that you voluntarily provide to us, such as when you register for an account on our Site (including signing up as a user, or to our Seller Portal, Vendor Portal or Affiliate Program). This personal data may include your name, email address, other contact details, login/account information, business information, marketing preferences and other information you may provide as part of your account profile.
We also collect personal data you provide to us when you post a testimonial, feedback, review or comment including on our blogs. This personal data may include your name and contact information, photos that you choose to upload and other personal data you may choose to provide as part of your post. We do not access photos on your device or cameras unless you allow us to do so. If you do allow us, you can manage your photos and camera settings at any time by changing the settings on your mobile device.
Please note that personal data that you choose to post in a testimonial, feedback, review or comment may be read, collected and used by anyone. Therefore, please do not post anything you do not wish to be accessed by others.
- Correspondence
We collect personal data where you contact us or we contact you, and we will typically keep a record of such correspondence. This personal data may include your name and contact information, account information, your order information, your queries, and other personal data you may choose to provide to us.
- Purchase order and transaction Information
We collect personal data when you place an order and transact with Verbosec (including tracking orders and managing returns), when you submit forms for tax exemptions, rebates, the Verbosec Price Match Guarantee, when you trade-in used technology and when you transact on our digital platform. This personal data may include biographical information, contact information, delivery information such as shipping address, telephone number, and payment and invoicing information, such as your bank account/card number, billing address, bank card expiration date, and bank card security code.
- Enrollment in Verbosec Programs
We collect personal data that you voluntarily provide to us when you register for programs offered by Verbosec, including, but not limited to, the Verbosec Subscription Program, Verbosec Premier, and Verbosec Points and Rewards Program, and when you verify your academic status for various Verbosec Programs and discounts. This personal data may include your name, email address, other contact details, login/account information, school information, marketing preferences and other information you may provide.
- Credit and anti-fraud information
We may collect personal data relating to your financial situation, your creditworthiness or any criminal or fraudulent activities provided to us by you or third parties, including information which establishes your identity (such as driving licenses, passports and utility bills), information about transactions, credit ratings from credit reference agencies, fraud, offenses, and suspicious transactions, where your details are included.
- Social media information
We maintain a presence on social media platforms including, but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. We collect personal data when you interact with us on social media. Please note that these social media platforms may set cookies and other tracking technologies on your device when you visit their pages and when you navigate from their pages. The output of such information may be provided to us (usually for statistical purposes to see how users interact with our content on social media platforms). These social media platforms will also be data controllers of your personal data. Information about how they collect and use your personal data (and how they use cookies and other technologies, including instructions on how you can disable these) can usually be found in their respective privacy policies and cookies policies on their respective websites.
- Survey and contest/sweepstake information
We collect personal data where you complete surveys that we may use for research purposes, and where you choose to enter into contests/sweepstakes that we run. This personal data may include your name and contact information and other personal data you may choose to provide us.
- Information stored on a Device
We may access metadata and other information associated with other files stored on your computer, tablet, mobile phone, or any other device (referred to collectively as a “Device”) such as IP address, domain name, browser version and operating system, traffic data, weblogs, and other communication data, and device identifiers. We may also collect photos, videos, Touch ID and Face ID login abilities and session IDs for third-party service providers such as payment providers (“Device Information”). To the extent required by applicable law, we will ask for your consent prior to collecting Device Information. Please note that we may associate Device Information with your account. In addition, we may associate a Device with your account. We may combine this information with other information that we have collected about you
- Location Information
With your permission, which you may provide when you install our mobile application or when you access and use our mobile application, we may collect information about the general location of a Device.
- Collection and use of public information
We may also collect, use, store, transfer, share, and disclose your personal data that is publicly available for the purposes set out in this privacy policy.
- Children
The Site is intended for use by adults only. Verbosec does not sell products intended for purchase by children and does not therefore knowingly or intentionally collect personal data from children. Youth-oriented products are sold for purchase by adults only. Please only use this Site if you are aged 18 or over.
3.2 If you do not provide us with the personal data described in section 4.1 of the privacy policy, some or all of the following may happen:
- we may not be able to provide the requested products or services to you, either to the same standard or at all;
- we may not be able to provide you with information about products and services that you may want, including information about discounts, sales or special promotions; or
- we may be unable to tailor the content of our websites to your preferences and your experience of our websites may not be as enjoyable or useful.
4.1 We may use your personal data for a variety of business purposes, which we have set out below.
- To conduct our business and provide you with our services and access to our Site
To conduct our business, including to enable you to use our services and Site, to respond to your queries, to carry out our obligations arising from any agreements entered into between you and us and to contact you in connection with the foregoing.
This includes processing and fulfilling your orders, returns and exchanges and providing you with information and updates relating to your orders and your account.
- To manage your account and subscriptions
To determine whether to register you as a user of our Site, or to our Seller Portal, Vendor Portal or Affiliate Program, to manage your account and subscriptions (including to manage your customized settings) and to fulfill your benefits that are associated with your use of our services, such as to award points through our loyalty program.
- To communicate with you (about updates and changes) and provide you with customer support
To communicate with you about updates to our terms, services and Site and to provide you with customer support and to respond to your requests, comments, questions, or concerns, and to contact you if we have trouble processing your order or there are issues with your account. Such communications are provided by various means, including emails, SMS and “push notifications” on Devices (where enabled). Calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes.
- To facilitate payments
To take payment from you when you sign-up for certain features, when you order from us, to provide you with refunds and to process payments when you transact on our platform.
- In relation to fraud prevention
To prevent fraud as may be required by applicable law and regulation and best practice at any given time. If false or inaccurate information is provided and fraud is identified or suspected, details may be passed to fraud prevention agencies and may be recorded by us or by them.
- To enable you and other users to communicate and transact with one another, such as via our platform
To facilitate interactions between users, including listing and promotion of products, shipping and payment. This will require disclosure of personal data about each party to one another.
- To allow you to use interactive features of the Site
To allow you to post a testimonial, review or comment including on our blogs. Please note that such testimonial, review or comment may be read, collected and used by anyone.
- To ensure our Site content is relevant and to maintain the security of our Site
To ensure that content from our Sites is presented in the most effective and secure manner for you and for your device.
- For research and development purposes
To analyze your personal data in order to better understand your and our other clients’ services and marketing requirements, to better understand our business and develop our products, services, and Site. In order to do this, we may apply profiles to you based on your personal data and behavioral information (such as the pages on the Site you have visited or interacted with, including by reference to personal data legitimately obtained and shared with us by third parties or publicly available data). Such profiles may be used as part of our advertising, analytics, security, and provision of support.
- To administer contests/sweepstakes
here you have entered into contests/sweepstakes, we will use your personal data to manage and administer such contests/sweepstakes, including to award you with any applicable prizes.
- To provide you with marketing materials
To provide you with updates and offers, where you have chosen to receive these. We may also use your information for marketing our own and our selected business partners’ products and services to you by post, email, SMS and phone and fax. We may also use personal data to market to you via social media. Where required by law, we will ask for your consent at the time we collect your data to
conduct any of these types of marketing. You can opt-out of receiving marketing emails by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link located at the bottom of all Verbosec marketing emails or by sending an email to [email protected] with a request to be removed, or by contacting us as per section 1 above. If you are a registered user of the Site, you can also opt-out of receiving marketing emails by updating your email preferences under the “Email Notifications” section of My Account. Please allow up to thirty (30) days for your request to be processed. Please note that even if you opt-out of receiving marketing emails, you may still receive communications from us that are important and/or related to your interactions with us, or otherwise as required by law.
Please also note that our marketing-related emails may contain a campaign-unique “web beacon pixel” to tell us how you interact with our communications. We may use this information for purposes including determining which of our emails are more interesting to you and to query if you should continue receiving emails if you do not open them. The pixel will be deleted when you delete the email.
Where you subscribe to an online service, the accompanying emails similarly include a pixel. We track your interaction with these emails and our online services to validate attendance for accreditation purposes, to help determine which information is of interest to you and to customize the advertisements you see on our Sites.
If you do not wish the pixel to be downloaded to your Device, you should opt-out of email marketing or review emails in plain text format. This information may be connected to your personal identity. For further information about tracking technologies, please see section 6 below.
- Mobile applications and website analytics
To understand and analyze your online experiences and to determine what events, products and services are likely to be of interest to you, we may combine your visitor session information or other information collected through tracking technologies (whether you are logged in or not) with personal data.
Where you consent to the use of your location data, certain mobile applications may use location data.
- To enforce our terms and in connection with legal or regulatory obligations
We may process your personal data to enforce our terms and to comply with our legal and regulatory requirements or dialogue with regulators/judicial proceedings/court orders as applicable which may include disclosing your personal data to third parties, the court service and/or regulators or law enforcement agencies in connection with inquiries, proceedings or investigations by such parties anywhere in the world or where compelled to do so.
- To reorganize or make changes to our business
In the event that we: (i) are subject to negotiations for the sale of our business or part thereof to a third party; (ii) are sold to a third party; or (iii) undergo a re-organization, we may need to transfer some or all of your personal data to the relevant third party (or its advisors) as part of any due diligence process for the purpose of analyzing any proposed sale or re-organization. We may also need to transfer your personal data to that re-organized entity or third party after the sale or reorganization for them to use for the same purposes as set out in this policy.
We use cookies and similar technologies (including device identifiers) in relation to the Site.
5.1. What are cookies?
A cookie is a small text file that is generated by a website, including the Site, and is stored on your device. When you access the Site, a number of cookies used by Verbosec and third parties are sent to your browser and stored on your device. When you next visit the Site, Verbosec and the third parties will use this information to recognise and remember your device. Third parties may also use this to recognise you when you are on other websites and mobile applications.
Cookies are useful for a variety of purposes. For example, they allow you to navigate between pages efficiently and allow us to remember preferences and generally improve your user experience. They are also used to tailor advertising to your interests through tracking your browsing across websites. For example, when you view certain products on our Site or have interacted with certain pages on our Site, we may use this information to show you advertisements which may interest you. Similarly, third parties that place cookies on our Site may use this type of information to present you with tailored advertising when you other their websites.
Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your device after you close your browser. Cookies set by Verbosec are first-party cookies. Cookies set by third parties are third-party cookies. Please note that Verbosec has no access to or control over third-party technologies and information about their data collection practices should be found on their respective websites.
5.2. What cookies does Verbosec use?
We describe below the categories of cookies that are set by Vebosec and its partners when you visit the Site.
- Strictly Necessary cookies
These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the Site and use its features and cannot be turned off. Without these cookies, services you have asked for (such as navigating between pages, placing an order and using a shopping cart or e-billing services) cannot be provided. Therefore, you cannot disable these cookies. - Performance cookies
We make use of performance cookies to analyse how our visitors use the Site and to monitor the Site’s performance. This allows us to provide a high quality experience by customising our offering, and quickly identifying and fixing any issues that arise.
For example, we might use performance cookies to keep track of which pages are most popular, which method of linking between pages is most effective, and to determine why some pages are receiving error messages. We might also use these cookies to highlight articles or site services that we think will be of interest to you based on your usage of the Site. The information collected by these cookies is not associated with your personal data by us or by our contractors. - Functional cookies
These cookies are used to provide you with certain functionality on the Site. For example, to improve the performance of our services and the Site, to maintain security on the Site and to prevent and detect fraud, to customise your account, to display certain web page content based upon your browser type and other device information. - Advertising cookies
Subject to your cookie settings, Verbosec and various third party ad partners may use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect information about the browsing habits associated with your device to further personalise your experience such as through the use of targeted advertisements and special offers that are more relevant to you and your interests.
We allow some third parties, including Facebook to set cookies both when you visit our Site and when you use certain features on our Site (such as clicking “Like”, “Share” and “tweet” buttons).
These third parties link the information that they collect through the use of these cookies with the information that they hold about you through your use of their service in order to present you with targeted advertising via their platforms. For example, where you have provided permission, we allow Facebook to place a cookie on your device. When you return to Facebook, Facebook can identify you as a user of the Verbosec Site and can therefore provide you with advertising messages from us.
In other situations, third parties use cookies so that they can retarget Verbosec’s products to you when you visit other websites or mobile applications, or to predict what advertisements about third party products are likely to be of interest to you based on your browsing activities.
Please note that if you opt out of advertising cookies, you will still be presented with advertisements online. These advertisements will just not be tailored to you.
5.3. Other tracking technologies
In conjunction with cookies, we may utilise other tracking technologies to understand how you access and use our Site and services. These tracking technologies may include:
- Log files and IP addresses
We use device information and IP addresses (and ask for confirmation if this is correct) to analyse trends, administer the Site, track user movement, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. An IP address is a numeric code that identifies your computer on the internet. We may store the information in log files (i.e. files which record events), or other types of files, which may be combined with other information that we have collected about you. - Web beacons and pixels
The Site and our emails and advertisements may contain web beacons. A web beacon is a small graphic image, such as a pixel or GIF, which is placed on a web page, email, or advertisement and is used to provide information on when and how you access and use the Site, and services and emails. We may use this information for various purposes, including to develop statistical information and to determine features that most interest you for the purpose of providing more personalized content. With respect to emails, we may use this information to determine which of our emails are more interesting to you and to whether you wish to continue receiving such emails if you do not open them. The pixel will be deleted when you delete the email. If you do not wish the pixel to be downloaded to your device, you should select to receive emails from us in plain text rather than HTML, and you should not click links that we send you. You can opt-out of receiving marketing emails by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link located at the bottom of all Vebosec marketing emails or by sending an email to [email protected] with a request to be removed, or by contacting us as per section 1 above. If you are a registered user of the Site, you can also opt-out of receiving marketing emails by updating your email preferences under the “Email Notifications” section of My Account. Please allow up to thirty (30) days for your request to be processed. Please note that even if you opt-out of receiving marketing emails, you may still receive communications from us that are important and/or related to your interactions with us, or otherwise as required by law. - Apps – SDKs and Ad-IDs
We also use software development kits (SDKs) and advertising IDs (Ad-IDs) which function like pixels and cookies in our mobile app. These SDKs may include third party code that allows the third party partner to collect information about your interaction with the app and information about your device and network information generally for advertising purposes or to assist us analysing how our apps are used.
We may link data stored in cookies or collected by similar tracking technologies to other personal data we collect about you as you use the Site.
5.4. “Do not track signals”
Some web browsers have a “Do Not Track” feature that, when turned on, signals to websites the user visits that the user does not want to be tracked. At this time, the Site does not respond to “Do Not Track” signals or similar mechanisms.
5.5. Consent
In some countries, by using the Site, you consent to the use of cookies and other similar tracking technologies in accordance with this policy.
In other countries, we are required to collect your consent for many of the cookies and tracking technologies we use. Where this is the case, you will have seen a pop- up to this effect on your first visit to the Site.
Although the pop-up may not usually appear on subsequent visits, you may withdraw your consent at any time by following the instructions below.
5.6. Managing and disabling cookies on the Site and on our App
Our website
You can manage cookies through your browser’s settings (allaboutcookies.org provides explanations as to how to do this). Please note that some of the uses of the Site and the services provided on the Site may not function if cookies are disabled.
If you use a smart phone, you can usually prevent cross-site tracking and block Cookies in the settings section on your device. You may also be able to visit websites without leaving a history by turning private browsing on. You should visit the support section of the website of your device for more information on how to do this.
Our app
On mobile you have controls in your device Operating System that enables you to choose whether to allow cookies or share your advertising ID (an identifier that allows advertisers to track you across websites and apps on mobile) with us or third party partners. For information on controlling your mobile choices in respect of advertising tracking you can visit networkadvertising.org/mobile-choices. Also, in some regions you can block mobile ads through third party ad blockers. For example, you can use the DAA mobile app at youradchoices.com/appchoices.
We may share or disclose your personal data for the purposes set out in section 4 above to third parties. These third parties include:
- Service Providers
Such service providers may include:
- merchant banks for authorization and approval, in order to process your credit card information to complete your orders/transactions. This process is protected by an enhanced security system. See section 9 below for more details on security measures and procedures;
- third-party companies to perform functions on our behalf e.g. order fulfillment, package delivery, marketing assistance, postal and email delivery, customer service, data analysis, and credit processing; and
- IT cloud and hosting providers.
- Advisors
Such advisors may include legal, financial, business or other advisors.
- Marketplace platform sellers/users
Third-party sellers offer products for sale through Verbosec platform, and we will share your personal data with such sellers when you use the Marketplace platform.
- Other users of the Site
As mentioned above, any personal data you make available publicly such as by your reviews, comments or testimonials will be shared with other users of the Site.
- Affiliated companies
We may share your personal data we collect with all Verbosec subsidiaries and affiliates.
As our business continues to evolve, we may acquire, establish or sell business units or subsidiaries. Customer data is one of the business assets that would be transferred in these types of transactions. In such a situation, your personal data would only be used in a manner consistent with this privacy policy.
- Third parties as required by law or regulation
We may disclose your personal data as required by law or regulation, and when we believe that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights and/or comply with a judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process served on Verbosec.
- Third-party companies for marketing
Subject to your marketing preferences and settings, we may share your personal data with third-party companies that may, among other things, use your personal data to provide you with targeted advertisements and special offers. You can opt-out of receiving marketing emails by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link located at the bottom of all Verbosec marketing emails or by sending an email to [email protected] with a request to be removed, or by contacting us as per section 1 above. If you are a registered user of the Site, you can also opt-out of receiving marketing emails by updating your email preferences under the “Email Notifications” section of My Account. Please allow up to thirty (30) days for your request to be processed. Please note that even if you opt-out of receiving marketing emails, you may still receive communications from us that are important and/or related to your interactions with us, or otherwise as required by law.
We may collect, use, store, transfer, share, and disclose non-personal information for any purpose (subject to applicable law).
Security
9.1. No data transmission over the Internet or websites can be guaranteed to be secure from intrusion. However, Verbosec takes commercially reasonable efforts to protect its customers’ personal data.
9.2. If you wish to have your financial information (including payment card details (such as card number, CVV2, expiration date) and related billing information (such as billing address, billing phone, billing contact)) removed at the time of your order, you may opt to have your financial information deleted from our records upon completion of your order. Otherwise, you may contact us at [email protected], or call +267 311 0890, to request that your financial information be deleted from our database. For future transactions, you will be required to re-enter your information.
9.3. If you have any questions or concerns about Verbosec’s security practices, you can send us an email at [email protected] Safeguarding account information
9.4. To ensure that your username and password remain confidential, we request that you DO NOT share this information with anyone.
10.1. Our servers and offices are located in Botswana & the United States of America, and as a result, we may collect, process, store, share, and transfer your personal data in Botswana and the United States. As a global organization, we may also share your personal data elsewhere globally.
10.2. As such, you understand and acknowledge that your personal data may be accessed by staff or suppliers in, transferred to, and/or stored at, a destination outside the country in which you are located, including to our servers and offices in Botswana and the United States.
10.3. These countries may not provide the same level of data protection as your home country; however, we will take steps to ensure that your personal data that is transferred outside your home country is safeguarded as in line with this privacy policy.
10.1. Our retention periods for personal data are based on business needs and legal requirements.
10.2. We will retain your personal data while we are using it, for purposes described in section 5 above. We may continue to retain it after we have ceased such uses for certain legitimate business purposes. For example, if you have opted out of marketing communications from us, we will retain limited details about you to ensure we can honor your opt-out request. We may also continue to retain your personal data to meet our legal requirements or to defend or exercise our legal rights.
10.3. The length of time for which we will retain your personal data will depend on the purposes for which we need to retain it. After we no longer need to retain your personal data, we will delete it or securely destroy it in accordance with our records retention policy.
Cookie Settings
11.1. You can manage cookies through your browser’s settings.
Push Notifications
11.2. If you currently receive “push notifications” and wish to stop receiving “push notifications”, you can deactivate these notifications at any time by changing the settings on your mobile device.
Uninstall Mobile Application
11.3. You can stop all further collection of information by our mobile application by uninstalling our mobile application. You may use the standard uninstall process to remove our mobile application from your mobile device.
We regularly review and, if appropriate, update this privacy policy from time to time, and as our services and use of personal data evolves. If these changes are material, we will take steps to inform you of these.
We will update the date of this document each time it is changed.