Cookie & Privacy Policy

1 Who we are

Kpop Central is an independent UK-based online shop selling official K-pop albums, merchandise and mystery boxes. We are the data controller for the personal information described in this policy.

References to “we”, “us” and “our” mean Kpop Central. References to “you” mean anyone visiting or shopping on kpop.org.uk.

Short version: we only load analytics cookies after you say yes, we never sell your data, and you can change your mind at any time using the consent controls below.

2 What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your device (phone, tablet, laptop or desktop). They help websites remember things between page loads — for example, whether you have already accepted a cookie banner or what is in your shopping basket.

Some cookies are set directly by us (first-party cookies). Others are set by services we use, such as Google Analytics (third-party cookies).

We also use your browser’s local storage and session storage. These work in a similar way to cookies but can hold slightly more data. Everything in this policy that applies to cookies also applies to local and session storage.

3 Cookies we use

Essential cookies & storage

These are needed for the shop to work. They cannot be switched off through our banner because the site would not function correctly without them. They do not track you across other websites.

Name	Type	Purpose	Duration
`kpopCentralCart`	Essential	Remembers the items in your basket so they are still there if you refresh or come back.	Until you clear it
`kpopCentralAddress`	Essential	Saves your shipping address on your own device so you don’t have to retype it next time.	Until you clear it
`kpopCentralConsent`	Essential	Stores your cookie choice (“accepted” or “rejected”) so we don’t ask you again on every page.	Until you clear it
`kpopCentralShowPromo`	Essential	Briefly flags that you have just ordered, so we can show a one-time thank-you message.	Removed immediately after use

Analytics cookies (optional)

These help us understand how people use the shop — which pages are popular, where visitors drop off, and how they found us. We use Google Analytics 4 for this. These cookies are only loaded after you click “Accept analytics”. If you reject them, the Google Analytics script is never loaded at all.

Name	Type	Purpose	Duration
`_ga`	Analytics	Google Analytics — distinguishes unique visitors by assigning a random ID.	2 years
`_ga_<container-id>`	Analytics	Google Analytics — keeps the session state for your visit.	2 years

No advertising cookies. We do not run advertising or cross-site tracking cookies on Kpop Central. We do not sell or rent your personal data to anyone.

4 Your consent choices

Under UK PECR, we must ask for your permission before storing or reading non-essential cookies on your device. You can accept or reject analytics cookies, and you can change your choice at any time using the controls below.

What happens when you choose:

Accept analytics — we load Google Analytics 4 and set the _ga cookies so we can measure how the shop is used.
Reject analytics — we do not load Google Analytics at all. No analytics cookies are set. The shop still works normally.

Withdrawing consent is as easy as giving it. If you previously accepted and now reject, we will not load analytics again on future visits.

5 Personal data we collect

When you place an order, we collect the information needed to process and deliver it. This includes:

Name — to address your parcel and your order confirmation.
Shipping address — to deliver your order.
Email address (optional) — to send order updates if you provide one.
Phone number (optional) — only used if the courier needs to contact you.
Order details — what you bought, quantities, prices, shipping cost and order total.
Payment confirmation — we receive confirmation that a payment was made via PayPal, but we never see or store your full card or bank details.

We do not create user accounts, and we do not ask for your date of birth, gender, or any special category data.

Information collected automatically

Like most websites, our server may log basic technical information such as your IP address, browser type and the pages you request. This is used for security, troubleshooting and (only with your consent) analytics. We do not use it to identify you personally.

Children

Kpop Central is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

6 How we use your data

We use your personal data only for these purposes:

Fulfilling your order — packing and shipping your items to the address you gave us.
Payment processing — completing your payment securely via PayPal.
Order communications — letting you know about your order if you gave us an email address or phone number.
Customer support — helping if something goes wrong with your order.
Legal compliance — keeping records as required by UK tax and consumer law.
Analytics — understanding how the shop is used, only if you accepted analytics cookies.

Our lawful bases (UK GDPR)

Contract — processing your order and delivering it to you.
Legal obligation — keeping financial and tax records.
Legitimate interests — securing our site and preventing fraud.
Consent — analytics cookies. You can withdraw this at any time.

7 Who we share data with

We keep your data to the minimum necessary and share it only with the services that help us run the shop:

PayPal — to process your payment. PayPal is an independent data controller for the payment information you give it. See PayPal’s own privacy policy for details.
Delivery couriers — we share your name and shipping address so your order can be delivered.
Google Analytics — only if you accepted analytics cookies. Data is processed in a way designed to minimise identification (IP anonymisation is enabled).
Our hosting provider — stores the website and server logs on our behalf.

We never sell your personal data. We do not share it with advertisers, data brokers or anyone else for marketing purposes.

If we are ever legally required to share data (for example, with HMRC or law enforcement), we will only do so to the extent required by law.

8 How long we keep data

Order records — kept for 6 years from the end of the relevant tax year.
Shipping details — kept only as long as needed to fulfil the order and handle any returns, then deleted or anonymised.
Emails and support messages — kept for up to 2 years, then deleted.
Analytics data — retained by Google Analytics for up to 14 months in our configuration.
Local storage on your device (basket, address, consent) — stays until you clear your browser data or use the consent controls on this page.

9 Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

Be informed — about how we use your data (this page).
Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erasure — ask us to delete your data where we no longer have a lawful reason to keep it.
Restrict processing — ask us to limit how we use your data.
Data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Object — object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Withdraw consent — change or withdraw your cookie consent at any time using the controls above.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in section 12. We will respond within one month. You also have the right to complain to the UK’s data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), at ico.org.uk.

No charge. Exercising your rights is free. We may ask you to confirm your identity so we don’t disclose your data to someone else.

10 Third-party links

Our site links to social media platforms (X, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Chillspace) and to PayPal for payment. Once you follow those links, you are on someone else’s website and their privacy policy applies — not ours. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any site you visit.

11 Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or the law. When we do, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of the page. If the changes are significant, we will make that clear on the site.

Continuing to use Kpop Central after an update means you accept the revised policy. If you do not agree, please stop using the site and clear your stored data.

12 Contact us

If you have any questions about this policy, your data, or how to exercise your rights, get in touch:

Website

kpop.org.uk

X (Twitter)

@KpopOrgUK

ICO (regulator)

ico.org.uk

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