Privacy Policy

At Caron, we value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect information when you visit our website or interact with our services.

This policy complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), Colorado Privacy Act (CPA), Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA), Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA), and other applicable privacy laws.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

We collect information you voluntarily provide when you:

• Contact us: Name, email address, message content, and any other information you choose to share
• Subscribe to our newsletter: Email address and communication preferences
• Create an account: Username, password, email address, and profile information
• Submit yarn project photos: Images, project details, and associated metadata

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information through cookies and similar technologies:

• Device information: Browser type, operating system, device identifiers, mobile carrier
• Usage data: Pages viewed, time spent on pages, links clicked, search queries
• Location data: IP address, general geographic location (city, state, country)
• Referral information: Website that referred you to our site
• Session data: Date and time of visits, browsing patterns

Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from:

• Amazon Associates Program: Tracking information related to product purchases made through affiliate links
• Analytics providers: Google Analytics and similar services that provide aggregated usage data
• Social media platforms: If you interact with our social media profiles or share our content
• Marketing partners: Information about your interactions with our marketing campaigns

2. How We Use Your Information

Caron uses the information we collect for the following purposes:

Website Operation and Improvement

• Provide, maintain, and improve our website functionality
• Personalize your experience and deliver relevant content
• Analyze usage patterns and optimize site performance
• Test new features and troubleshoot technical issues
• Understand how visitors find and use our website

Communication

• Respond to your inquiries, questions, and support requests
• Send you newsletters, product updates, and yarn crafting inspiration (if you’ve subscribed)
• Notify you about changes to our website, policies, or services
• Provide customer service and technical support
• Send administrative information about your account

Marketing and Advertising

• Show you relevant advertisements for Caron yarn products
• Send promotional emails about new yarn collections and patterns (with your consent)
• Measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns
• Identify potential customers interested in yarn crafting

Analytics and Research

• Analyze trends in yarn preferences and crafting interests
• Conduct research to improve our product offerings
• Generate aggregated, anonymized statistics about website usage
• Understand our audience demographics and interests

Security and Legal Compliance

• Protect against fraud, unauthorized access, and security threats
• Enforce our Terms and Conditions and other policies
• Comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements
• Respond to legal requests from law enforcement or government authorities
• Protect Caron’s rights, property, and safety

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Caron uses cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, and similar technologies to collect information and enhance your experience on our website.

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for our website to function properly. They enable core functionality such as page navigation, access to secure areas, and basic operations. You cannot opt out of these cookies as they are required for the website to work.

Analytics Cookies: We use Google Analytics and other analytics services to understand how visitors interact with our website. These cookies collect information about pages visited, time spent on the site, clicks, and user behavior patterns. This data helps us improve our website and content.

Advertising Cookies: As participants in the Amazon Associates Program, we use cookies to track when users click on affiliate links and make purchases. These cookies help us earn commissions on qualifying purchases and measure the effectiveness of our product information.

Functionality Cookies: These cookies remember your preferences and choices (such as newsletter subscription status or contact form information) to provide a more personalized experience.

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You can control cookies through your browser settings:

• Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or delete existing cookies
• You can set your browser to notify you when cookies are being sent
• Disabling cookies may affect website functionality and your user experience
• You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

Caron does not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

Service Providers

We share information with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate our website and business:

• Web hosting providers: Companies that host our website infrastructure
• Email service providers: Platforms that help us send newsletters and communications
• Analytics providers: Google Analytics and similar services for website analysis
• Content delivery networks: Services that help deliver website content efficiently
• Payment processors: If we offer direct purchases in the future

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

Affiliate Partners

We participate in the Amazon Associates Program. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase on Amazon, Amazon receives information about your visit and purchase. This information is subject to Amazon’s privacy policy, not ours. We receive only aggregated reporting about clicks and commissions, not your personal information.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or if we believe disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with legal processes, court orders, or government requests
• Enforce our Terms and Conditions or other agreements
• Protect Caron’s rights, property, or safety
• Protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or the public
• Investigate fraud, security issues, or technical problems

Business Transfers

If Caron is involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or bankruptcy, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or prominent notice on our website before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

With Your Consent

We may share your information for any other purpose with your explicit consent.

5. Data Security

Caron takes the security of your personal information seriously and implements reasonable measures to protect it from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

Security Measures

• Encryption: We use SSL/TLS encryption to protect data transmitted between your browser and our servers
• Access controls: We limit access to personal information to authorized personnel only
• Secure hosting: Our website is hosted on secure servers with industry-standard protections
• Regular monitoring: We monitor our systems for potential security vulnerabilities
• Secure data storage: Personal information is stored in secure, protected databases

Important Security Limitations: While we implement reasonable security measures, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any account passwords and for any activities under your account.

6. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. Caron respects and honors these rights in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

Rights for All Users

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request that we delete your personal information (subject to legal limitations)
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time
• Restriction: Request that we limit how we use your information

GDPR Rights (European Union Residents)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right to access: Obtain confirmation of whether we process your data and access to that data
• Right to rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”)
• Right to restriction: Restrict processing of your personal data in certain circumstances
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format and transfer it to another controller
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
• Right to lodge a complaint: File a complaint with your local data protection authority

CCPA/CPRA Rights (California Residents)

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

• Right to know: Request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we’ve collected
• Right to know about data sharing: Learn whether we’ve sold or shared your personal information and to whom
• Right to opt-out: Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information (note: Caron does not sell personal information)
• Right to deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
• Right to correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Right to limit use of sensitive information: Limit our use and disclosure of sensitive personal information
• Right to non-discrimination: Exercise your privacy rights without discriminatory treatment

State Privacy Law Rights (Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah)

If you are a resident of Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, or Utah, you have rights under your state’s privacy law:

• Right to access: Confirm whether we’re processing your personal data and access that data
• Right to correction: Correct inaccuracies in your personal data
• Right to deletion: Delete personal data you provided to us
• Right to data portability: Obtain a copy of your personal data in a portable format
• Right to opt-out: Opt out of targeted advertising, sale of personal data, and certain profiling
• Right to appeal: Appeal our decision regarding your privacy rights request

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of your privacy rights, you may:

• Email us at: privacy@caronstore.com
• Use our contact form
• Write to us at the address provided in the Contact Us section below

Response Timeline: We will respond to your request within the timeframes required by applicable law (typically 30-45 days). We may request additional information to verify your identity before processing your request. You will not be charged a fee to exercise your rights unless your request is manifestly unfounded, excessive, or repetitive.

7. Children’s Privacy

Caron’s website is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at privacy@caronstore.com. We will take steps to delete such information from our systems.

In compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), if we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verified parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.

8. Third-Party Links and Services

Our website contains links to third-party websites, including Amazon.com and social media platforms. When you click on these links, you will leave our website and be directed to another site.

Important Notice: We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of third-party websites. Each third-party site has its own privacy policy that governs how they collect, use, and protect your information.

Before providing any personal information to a third-party website, we encourage you to review their privacy policy. This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected through Caron’s website.

Third-Party Services We Use

• Amazon Associates: Subject to Amazon’s Privacy Notice
• Google Analytics: Subject to Google’s Privacy Policy
• Social media platforms: Subject to each platform’s respective privacy policy

9. Data Retention

Caron retains your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Retention Periods

• Contact form submissions: Retained for up to 2 years or until you request deletion
• Newsletter subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe
• Account information: Retained while your account is active or as needed to provide services
• Analytics data: Aggregated data retained indefinitely; individual data retained for 26 months (Google Analytics default)
• Legal compliance records: Retained as required by applicable laws and regulations

Deletion After Retention Period

When we no longer need your information, we will securely delete or anonymize it so that it can no longer identify you. Deletion methods may include:

• Permanent deletion from our databases and backup systems
• Anonymization so data can no longer be associated with you
• Aggregation into statistical data that contains no personal identifiers

10. International Data Transfers

Caron operates in the United States, and your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate.

If you are located outside the United States, please be aware that information we collect will be transferred to and processed in the United States. The United States may have data protection laws that differ from those in your country.

Data Protection Safeguards

When we transfer data internationally, we implement appropriate safeguards to protect your information:

• We work with service providers who comply with applicable data protection laws
• We use standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission for transfers from the EEA
• We implement technical and organizational security measures
• We ensure our partners maintain adequate data protection standards

By using our website, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other countries as described in this Privacy Policy.

11. Email Communications and Newsletter

If you subscribe to our newsletter or provide your email address, we may send you:

• Regular newsletters with yarn inspiration, pattern ideas, and crafting tips
• Updates about new Caron yarn collections and products
• Special offers and promotional content (with your consent)
• Important updates about our website or policies
• Responses to your inquiries or support requests

Unsubscribing

You can unsubscribe from our marketing emails at any time by:

• Clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any marketing email
• Emailing us at unsubscribe@caronstore.com
• Contacting us through our contact form

Important Note: Even if you unsubscribe from marketing emails, we may still send you non-promotional emails related to your inquiries, account, or our ongoing business relationship.

12. Do Not Track Signals

Some web browsers include a “Do Not Track” (DNT) feature that signals to websites you visit that you do not want to have your online activity tracked.

Currently, there is no universally accepted standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. At this time, our website does not respond to DNT browser signals or similar mechanisms. We continue to monitor developments in DNT technology and may implement DNT recognition in the future.

You can still control cookies and tracking through your browser settings and the opt-out mechanisms described in the Cookies and Tracking Technologies section above.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

Caron reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our practices, services, legal requirements, or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons.

How We Notify You of Changes

When we make changes to this Privacy Policy:

• We will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page
• For significant changes, we will provide prominent notice on our website
• For material changes affecting your rights, we may notify you by email (if we have your email address)
• In some cases, we may request your renewed consent to continue processing your information

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Your continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

14. Contact Us

Thank you for trusting Caron with your information. We are committed to protecting your privacy while providing you with inspiration and resources for your yarn crafting projects.