Privacy Policy
Know your rights and terms of using the website.
Privacy Policy & Terms of Service
Last Updated: October 10, 2025
Who We Are
Our website address is: https://paulsvaultmembers.com
Paul’s Vault Members provides digital Obsidian vault templates, tools, and resources for personal knowledge management.
What Data We Collect and Why
Reviews
When visitors leave reviews on the site, we collect:
- Data shown in the review form
- Visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string (for spam detection)
After comment approval, your profile picture is visible to the public alongside your comment.
Contact Forms
Information submitted through contact forms is used solely to respond to your inquiry and is not stored permanently unless required for support purposes.
Cookies
Login Cookies
- Temporary cookie set when visiting login page to test browser compatibility (discarded when browser closes)
- Login cookies last for two days
- Screen display preference cookies last for one year
- “Remember Me” extends login to two weeks
- Logout removes all login cookies
Editing Cookies
When you edit or publish content, a cookie containing the post ID (no personal data) is saved for one day.
Embedded Content
Articles may include embedded content (videos, images, etc.) from other websites. These behave as if you visited those websites directly and may:
- Collect data about you
- Use cookies
- Include third-party tracking
- Monitor your interaction with embedded content
Payment Information
Payment Processing
- WooCommerce: Processes credit card payments via Stripe/PayPal
- Ko-fi: Handles alternative payment processing and automates through to Pauls Vault Members.
- We do NOT store or access credit card details
- Payment processors maintain financial data according to PCI compliance standards
Stored Payment Data
- Email address (primary account identifier)
- First and last name
- Country (optional)
- Purchase history and transaction records
Who We Share Your Data With
Third-Party Services
- Payment Processors: Stripe, PayPal, Ko-fi (financial transactions only)
- Email Service: For transactional emails and updates
- MemberPress: Membership management system
What We DON’T Share
- We do NOT sell your data to marketing companies
- We do NOT share personal information with data brokers
- We do NOT provide member lists to third parties
Password Resets
If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email for security purposes.
How Long We Retain Your Data
Comments
Reviews and metadata are retained indefinitely to auto-approve follow-up reviews and prevent spam.
User Accounts
- Personal information in user profiles is stored as long as account is active
- Users can view, edit, or delete their information anytime (except username)
- Administrators can view and edit user information for support purposes
Purchase Records
- Transaction history retained for tax and legal compliance
- Minimum 7 years retention for financial records
Account Deletion
Upon request, we will delete your account and personal data, except:
- Data required for legal, tax, or administrative purposes
- Anonymous transaction records
- Public comments (can be anonymized upon request)
Your Rights Over Your Data
You have the right to:
- Access: Request an exported file of personal data we hold
- Correction: Update incorrect personal information
- Deletion: Request erasure of personal data (except legally required records)
- Portability: Receive your data in machine-readable format
- Objection: Object to processing of your personal data
To exercise these rights, contact: [email protected]
Where Your Data Is Sent
- Visitor reviews may be checked through automated spam detection services (Akismet)
- All data transmission is encrypted with TLS 1.3
- Hostinger Servers located in Boston, USA
- No data transferred to countries with inadequate data protection laws
Security Measures
- All data encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest
- Regular security updates and patches
- Firewall protection and DDoS mitigation via Cloudflare
- No known data breaches, current or historical
- We do NOT track or store: IP addresses (except for security), browser fingerprints, or device identifiers
Product Usage Terms
Digital Downloads
- Products for personal, non-commercial use only
- Modification for personal use is permitted
- Redistribution, resale, or sharing is prohibited
- Commercial use requires written permission
Subscriptions (Vault Explorers/Supporters)
- Monthly billing via Stripe/PayPal
- Cancel anytime through account dashboard
- Access continues until end of billing period
- No partial-month refunds
Refund Policy
Digital Products
Due to the instant-access nature of digital downloads:
- Refunds generally not provided after access granted
- Exceptions within 7 days for:
- Fundamentally broken or unusable products
- Significant misrepresentation
- Technical issues preventing download
Subscriptions
- No pro-rated refunds for monthly subscriptions
- Cancel before next billing cycle to avoid charges
Prohibited Activities
Users may NOT:
- Share, redistribute, or resell purchased products
- Use automated scraping or bulk download tools
- Violate intellectual property rights
- Engage in fraudulent activities
- Use content for commercial purposes without permission
Violations result in account termination without refund.
Children’s Privacy
Services are not intended for users under 18. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us immediately for deletion.
Email Communications
By creating an account, you agree to receive:
- Transactional: Order confirmations, receipts, access information
- Service Updates: Important account or product changes
- Optional Marketing: New products, tips (opt-out available)
Unsubscribe from marketing emails anytime while still receiving transactional messages.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy to reflect:
- Changes in services or features
- Legal or regulatory requirements
- Privacy best practices
Significant changes will be communicated via email. Continued use constitutes acceptance.
GDPR Compliance (EU Users)
Legal Basis for Processing
- Contract Performance: Processing necessary to fulfill product delivery
- Legitimate Interest: Fraud prevention, service improvement
- Consent: Marketing communications (opt-in)
EU User Rights
- Right to access, correct, delete, or port your data
- Right to withdraw consent
- Right to lodge complaint with supervisory authority
California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
California residents have the right to:
- Know what personal information is collected
- Know if personal information is sold (we do NOT sell data)
- Opt-out of sale of personal information (not applicable)
- Request deletion of personal information
- Non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights
Contact & Data Requests
General Inquiries:
[email protected]
Privacy/Data Requests:
[email protected]
By using Paul’s Vault Members, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to this Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.