Privacy Policy

At Vanguard Carryworks Inc. ("Vanguard Carryworks", "we", "us", or "our"), respecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal information is fundamental to our craftsmanship philosophy. This Privacy Policy governs the collection, processing, storage, and protection of personal data when you visit our website (the "Site"), communicate with our workshop, or purchase our handcrafted bags, tech sleeves, and carry accessories.

1. Information We Collect

When you interact with Vanguard Carryworks, we collect necessary personal information to process orders, fulfill shipments, and deliver customer support:

• Contact and Identity Information: Full name, billing address, shipping address, email address, and telephone number.
• Payment & Billing Data: Payment card details (card number, expiration date, security code). Note: Payment card processing is handled directly by Stripe Inc. under Level 1 PCI-DSS certification. Vanguard Carryworks does not store or access full credit card numbers on our servers.
• Commercial & Transactional History: Records of products ordered, customization requests, purchase dates, order totals, shipping methods, and lifetime warranty registrations.
• Technical & Browsing Data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, time zones, cookie identifiers, and navigation paths on our Site.

2. How We Use Your Information

We process your data strictly under lawful bases, including contract fulfillment, legal obligations, and legitimate commercial interests:

• To process transactions, generate invoices, and authorize card payments via Stripe.
• To handcraft, pack, and ship physical products to your designated address via insured couriers (FedEx, UPS, USPS).
• To communicate order status, dispatch tracking notifications, and manage warranty repair claims.
• To detect, prevent, and protect against fraudulent transactions and unauthorized card usage.
• To send optional workshop newsletters and exclusive small-batch drop announcements (which you may opt out of at any time).

3. Third-Party Payment Processing & Stripe Compliance

All online payment transactions conducted on Vanguard Carryworks are powered by Stripe, Inc. Stripe adheres to stringent international payment security standards as a certified PCI Service Provider Level 1. By purchasing from us, you acknowledge that your payment details are transmitted directly to Stripe via 256-bit TLS encryption in accordance with Stripe’s Privacy Policy.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties for marketing purposes. We disclose data solely to trusted service providers essential for store operations:

• Logistics and Couriers: Delivery partners (FedEx, UPS, USPS) to transport your handcrafted orders.
• Payment Gateways: Stripe Inc. to authorize and settle financial transactions.
• Legal & Compliance Authorities: When required by applicable federal, state, or international laws, subpoenas, or legal proceedings.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website utilizes necessary cookies to preserve cart sessions, remember wishlist items, and ensure seamless checkout navigation. You can configure your browser to reject cookies, though certain store features (such as the cart slide-over) may experience limited functionality.

6. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Rights

If you are a California resident, you possess specific statutory rights under the CCPA:

• Right to Know: You may request disclosure of categories and specific pieces of personal data collected over the preceding 12 months.
• Right to Deletion: You may request the permanent deletion of your personal information, subject to statutory tax and warranty record-keeping exemptions.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will never deny service, charge different prices, or provide a lower quality of goods for exercising CCPA rights.
• Do Not Sell My Info: We do not sell personal data.

7. Data Retention & Security Measures

We implement industry-standard physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, destruction, or alteration. We retain order records for the duration of product lifetime warranty coverage and applicable US statutory tax compliance requirements.

8. Contact Our Privacy Officer

If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact our workshop: