Privacy policy

Effective date: September 11, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Santa Cruz Mountain Essentials ("SCME," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and shares personal information when you visit scmessentials.com (the "Site"), buy from us online or at a market or pop-up event, contact us, or sign up for our emails. If you have questions, email us at info@scmessentials.com.

Information we collect

Information you give us. When you place an order, create an account, request an exchange, contact us, or join our email list, we collect details such as your name, email address, phone number, billing and shipping addresses, order details, size or exchange requests, and anything you choose to include in a message or product review.

Payment information. Payments are processed by Shopify and our payment providers (for example, Shop Pay, PayPal, and card networks). We do not store full payment card numbers on our systems.

Information collected automatically. When you use the Site, we and our service providers automatically collect information about your device and browsing, such as IP address, browser type, time zone, pages and products viewed, referring website, search terms, and how you interact with the Site. We collect this using cookies, pixels, log files, and similar technologies.

Information from other sources. We may receive information from payment processors, shipping carriers, marketplaces where we sell (such as TikTok Shop), and verification partners that confirm eligibility for military, first-responder, government-employee, or teacher discounts.

How we use your information

• To process and ship orders, handle returns and exchanges, and send order and shipping updates
• To answer questions and provide customer support
• To send marketing emails or texts when you have agreed to receive them (you can unsubscribe at any time)
• To show you relevant ads and measure how our ads perform
• To operate, secure, and improve the Site, and to prevent fraud
• To comply with legal, tax, and accounting obligations

Cookies, analytics, and advertising

We use cookies and similar technologies that are needed for the Site to work (for example, to keep items in your cart), to understand how the Site is used, and for advertising. Third parties such as Shopify, Meta (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, Pinterest, and Google may collect information about your online activities over time and across different websites when you use the Site, and may use it to show you ads on other sites and apps.

You can control cookies through your browser settings and, where available, through the cookie or privacy choices banner on our Site. You can also learn about opting out of interest-based advertising at optout.aboutads.info.

Do Not Track. Our Site does not currently respond to browser "Do Not Track" signals. Where required by law, we treat Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals as a request to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for that browser.

How we share your information

We share personal information with the following categories of third parties, only as needed for the purposes described above:

• Service providers that help run our business, such as Shopify (our e-commerce platform), payment processors, shipping carriers (such as USPS), email and marketing tools, discount-verification apps, and IT and security providers
• Advertising and analytics partners, as described in the section above
• Professional advisors, such as accountants and attorneys
• Authorities or others when required by law, to protect our rights, or to prevent fraud
• A buyer or successor if our business is sold or reorganized

We do not sell personal information for money. Sharing information with advertising partners for targeted advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" under some state laws; see "Your privacy rights" below for how to opt out.

Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live and whether a law applies to us, you may have the right to:

• Know what personal information we have collected about you and how we use and share it
• Access, correct, or delete your personal information
• Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for targeted advertising
• Not receive discriminatory treatment for exercising these rights

You can review and update your account and order information by signing in to your account on the Site. To make any other request, email info@scmessentials.com with the subject line "Privacy Request." We will verify your request using information we already have, such as your email address and order details. You may use an authorized agent, and we may ask for proof that the agent is authorized. You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the link in any email.

California residents may also ask us, once a year, for information about personal information we shared with third parties for their own direct-marketing purposes.

How long we keep information

We keep personal information for as long as we need it to fulfill orders, provide support, maintain business and tax records, resolve disputes, and meet legal requirements. When we no longer need it, we delete it or de-identify it.

Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children

The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. We do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of consumers under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

Links to other sites

The Site may link to other websites and social media platforms. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies.

Where we process information

We are based in California, United States, and we process information in the United States. Our service providers may process information in other countries.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the updated policy on this page and change the effective date above. If we make material changes, we will provide additional notice, such as a notice on the Site.

Contact us

Santa Cruz Mountain Essentials
Santa Cruz, California
Email: info@scmessentials.com