Privacy Policy

Who We Are

Panama Hats Depot is a family-owned business operated by William Ramirez, specializing in authentic handwoven Montecristi Panama hats sourced directly from Ecuador and shipped worldwide.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you visit our website at panamahatsdepot.com or make a purchase from us.

What We Collect

Information you provide directly

• Your name and email address when placing an order or subscribing to our newsletter
• Your shipping address and phone number for order delivery
• Payment information — processed securely and never stored on our servers
• Messages you send us via our contact form or email

Information collected automatically

• Your IP address and browser type when you visit our website
• Pages you visit and time spent on each page
• How you arrived at our website (search engine, social media, etc.)
• Device type and operating system

How We Use It

We use your personal information only for legitimate business purposes:

• To process and fulfill your orders and arrange DHL shipping
• To send you order confirmations and shipping updates
• To send you marketing emails if you have subscribed — you can unsubscribe at any time
• To respond to your questions and provide customer support
• To improve our website and understand how customers use it
• To comply with our legal obligations

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website. Google Analytics collects anonymous data about your visit including which pages you view, how long you stay, and how you arrived at our site.

What Google Analytics collects

• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Your approximate geographic location (country/city level only)
• Device type, browser, and operating system
• How you found our website (search, social, direct)

What Google Analytics does NOT collect

• Your name or email address
• Your payment information
• Any personally identifying information

Email Marketing

We use Klaviyo to manage our email marketing. If you subscribe to our newsletter or enter your email address on our website, your email address is stored securely in Klaviyo and used to send you marketing communications including promotional offers and new product announcements.

Your email marketing rights

• You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email we send
• You can request that your email be deleted from our list at any time
• We will never share your email address with third parties for marketing purposes
• We only send emails relevant to Panama hats and our products

Sharing Your Data

We only share your personal information with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. We never sell your data.

Third parties we work with

• DHL — your name and shipping address to fulfill delivery
• WooCommerce / WordPress — our e-commerce platform that processes your order
• Payment processors — your payment details are handled securely by our payment provider and never stored by us
• Klaviyo — your email address for marketing if you have subscribed
• Google Analytics — anonymous usage data only

We may also disclose your information if required by law or to protect the rights, safety, or property of Panama Hats Depot or others.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to help the website function correctly and to understand how it is used.

Types of cookies we use

• Essential cookies — required for the website and shopping cart to function. Cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies — Google Analytics uses these to collect anonymous usage data. You can opt out.
• Marketing cookies — used if you subscribe to our email list via Klaviyo.

Your GDPR Rights

If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right to access — you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — you can ask us to correct inaccurate data
• Right to erasure — you can ask us to delete your personal data
• Right to restrict processing — you can ask us to limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability — you can request your data in a portable format
• Right to object — you can object to us processing your data for marketing purposes
• Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time

Data Retention

We keep your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy:

• Order data — kept for 7 years for accounting and legal compliance
• Email subscribers — kept until you unsubscribe or request deletion
• Customer service messages — kept for 2 years
• Analytics data — anonymous and retained per Google's standard retention policy

Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously. Our website uses SSL encryption (HTTPS) to protect data in transit. Payment information is processed by our secure payment provider and is never stored on our servers.

While we take all reasonable steps to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. If you have concerns about a specific data security issue, please contact us immediately.

Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Policy Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website after changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please get in touch. William personally reads and responds to every message.