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Privacy Policy

Last updated: 29/06/2026

The Staks is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

By using The Staks website at thestaks.com, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

1. Who We Are

The Staks is an Australian online marketplace connecting indie authors, bookish creators, and readers. We are based in Australia and this policy is governed by Australian law.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

From buyers:

  • Name, email address, and delivery address (for processing orders)
  • Payment details — note: we do not store your full card details; these are handled securely by Stripe and/or PayPal
  • Purchase history and wishlist items
  • Account login credentials if you create an account

From sellers:

  • Name, email address, and contact details
  • Store name, bio, and product information
  • Bank account or payout details for processing seller payments
  • Identity information required for marketplace compliance

From all users:

  • IP address and browser/device information collected via Google Analytics
  • Email address if you subscribe to our newsletter or marketing communications
  • Any information you voluntarily provide when contacting us

3. How We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information:

  • Directly from you when you place an order, create an account, or contact us
  • When you sign up to our newsletter or marketing emails
  • Automatically through cookies and analytics tools when you browse our site (see Section 7)
  • From third-party platforms such as Stripe, PayPal, and Google Analytics

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

  • Process and fulfil orders, and communicate order updates
  • Manage your buyer or seller account
  • Process seller payouts
  • Send transactional emails (order confirmations, shipping updates)
  • Send marketing and newsletter emails, where you have opted in
  • Improve and personalise your experience on our site
  • Comply with our legal obligations
  • Detect and prevent fraud or misuse of the platform

5. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share it with:

  • Stripe — for payment processing. Stripe’s privacy policy is available at stripe.com/au/privacy
  • PayPal — for payment processing. PayPal’s privacy policy is available at paypal.com/au/legalhub/privacy-full
  • Google Analytics — for website analytics. Google’s privacy policy is available at policies.google.com/privacy
  • Email marketing provider — for sending newsletters and promotional emails to subscribers
  • Sellers on The Staks — your delivery name and address are shared with the seller fulfilling your order, solely for the purpose of shipping your purchase
  • Law enforcement or regulatory authorities — where required by law

All third-party providers are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

6. Storing and Protecting Your Information

Your information is stored on secure servers. We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access. However, no internet transmission is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law.

7. Cookies and Analytics

We use cookies and Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site. This data is collected in aggregate and is generally non-identifying. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though this may affect some site functionality.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal information we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal obligations
  • Opt out of marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email we send

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [insert contact email].

9. Complaints

If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles, you may contact us at hello@thestaks.com to make a complaint. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.

11. Contact Us

For any privacy-related questions, please contact us at: Email: hello@thestaks.com Website: thestaks.com/contact