PRIVACY POLICY

Last updated: 17 September 2026

1. INTRODUCTION

Bell & Barter respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose and otherwise process personal information when you visit our website, create an account, make a purchase, communicate with us, participate in promotions or community activities, or otherwise interact with Bell & Barter.

For purposes of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”), the responsible party is:

Bell and Barter (Pty) Ltd, trading as Bell & Barter
Registration number: 2026/708041/07
Website: https://bellandbarter.co.za
Physical address: Florida, Johannesburg, 1709
Email: keeper@bellandbarter.co.za

In this Policy, “Bell & Barter”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the responsible party identified above.

This Policy must be read together with our Terms and Conditions, Shipping Policy, Returns and Refunds Policy, Cookie Policy, PAIA Manual and any other notices displayed on our website.

2. LAWS GOVERNING THIS POLICY

We process personal information in accordance with applicable South African law, including where relevant:

the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”);
the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (“PAIA”);
the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (“ECTA”);
the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (“CPA”);
applicable regulations, codes, guidance and directives issued by the Information Regulator or other competent authorities; and
any other legislation applicable to our business and the records we are required to maintain.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy limits any rights afforded to you by applicable law.

3. WHAT IS PERSONAL INFORMATION?

“Personal information” has the meaning given to it under POPIA and generally includes information relating to an identifiable natural person and, where applicable, an identifiable existing juristic person.

Depending on how you interact with us, this may include:

your name and surname;
username;
email address;
telephone or mobile number;
billing address;
delivery address;
company or business details;
account information;
order history;
transaction information;
payment-related information;
communications with us;
customer service records;
IP address;
device information;
browser information;
cookie identifiers;
website activity;
marketing preferences;
wishlist information;
saved products;
reviews or comments;
competition or promotion entries;
fraud-prevention information; and
other information you voluntarily provide to us.

4. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

4.1 Information you provide directly

We may collect personal information when you:

create a Bell & Barter account;
place an order;
check out as a guest;
add or update a billing or delivery address;
join our mailing list;
contact customer support;
complete a contact form;
request a return, refund or exchange;
submit a review;
join a promotion, competition, event or giveaway;
interact with our WhatsApp community or other social channels;
create or use a wishlist;
participate in a claim sale, auction, marketplace or similar Bell & Barter service where offered;
communicate with us by email, telephone, WhatsApp, social media or another channel; or
otherwise provide information to us.

4.2 Information collected automatically

When you access our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, such as:

IP address;
browser type and version;
device type;
operating system;
referral source;
pages viewed;
dates and times of visits;
session information;
approximate geographic region derived from technical information;
cookie and similar technology identifiers;
cart activity; and
website interaction information.

4.3 Information obtained from third parties

We may receive personal information from service providers involved in fulfilling your transaction or interacting with you, including:

payment service providers;
couriers and logistics companies;
fraud prevention providers;
website and hosting providers;
account authentication providers;
marketing platforms;
analytics providers;
social media platforms; and
other service providers you choose to interact with.

We will only process this information where we have a lawful basis to do so.

5. INFORMATION REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A PURCHASE

Certain information is necessary for us to provide products or services to you.

For example, when purchasing physical goods we generally need sufficient information to:

identify you;
communicate with you;
process your order;
receive or confirm payment;
deliver your goods;
issue invoices or transactional records;
provide customer support; and
meet legal, accounting and tax obligations.

If you do not provide information that is reasonably required to perform these functions, we may be unable to process or fulfil your order.

Where information is optional, we will endeavour to make this reasonably clear.

6. WHY WE PROCESS PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may process personal information for purposes including:

Orders and transactions

To:

receive and process orders;
verify transactions;
accept or facilitate payment;
fulfil orders;
arrange shipping and delivery;
send order confirmations;
provide tracking information;
manage returns, exchanges and refunds;
resolve disputes; and
maintain transaction records.

Customer accounts

To:

create and maintain accounts;
authenticate customers;
save preferences;
display previous orders;
manage saved addresses;
maintain wishlists and other account features; and
provide a personalised customer experience.

Customer service

To:

answer enquiries;
respond to complaints;
provide product or order assistance;
handle warranty matters;
process returns;
resolve account issues; and
maintain records of customer interactions.

Website operation

To:

operate and secure our website;
maintain shopping-cart functionality;
detect technical issues;
prevent abuse;
maintain sessions;
remember preferences;
monitor website performance; and
improve functionality and usability.

Security and fraud prevention

To:

verify orders or account activity;
detect suspicious transactions;
protect accounts;
prevent fraud;
prevent abuse of our systems;
enforce our Terms and Conditions; and
protect Bell & Barter, our customers and third parties.

Business administration

To:

maintain financial and accounting records;
comply with tax requirements;
conduct audits;
manage suppliers and service providers;
perform business analysis;
maintain legally required records;
manage claims and disputes; and
establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

Marketing

Where permitted by law, to:

send information about new products;
announce restocks;
notify you of sales;
promote events;
advertise special offers;
communicate Bell & Barter news;
provide personalised marketing; and
promote products that may be of interest to you.

7. LAWFUL GROUNDS FOR PROCESSING

Depending on the circumstances, we may process personal information where:

you have consented to the processing;
processing is necessary to perform a contract with you;
processing is necessary to take steps requested by you before entering into a contract;
processing is necessary to comply with an obligation imposed by law;
processing protects a legitimate interest of yours;
processing is necessary for the proper performance of a public-law duty where applicable; or
processing is necessary for pursuing our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided your interests and fundamental rights are appropriately protected.

Where we rely upon consent, you may withdraw that consent where permitted by law.

Withdrawal of consent does not necessarily affect processing that took place lawfully before your withdrawal and does not prevent us from continuing processing where another lawful basis applies.

8. PAYMENTS

Bell & Barter may use third-party payment service providers to process transactions.

Depending on the payment option selected, your payment provider may collect information such as:

cardholder name;
payment card details;
bank information;
transaction amount;
transaction reference;
billing information; and
fraud-prevention information.

Bell & Barter does not intend to store complete payment card information on its own systems where payments are processed directly through a third-party payment gateway.

Payment service providers process information in accordance with their own legal obligations and privacy policies.

Our payment providers may include services such as Yoco and any additional payment providers made available at checkout from time to time.

9. SHIPPING AND DELIVERY

When you place an order requiring delivery, we may provide information necessary for delivery to a courier, logistics provider or shipping platform.

This may include:

your name;
delivery address;
telephone number;
email address;
order reference;
parcel information; and
delivery instructions.

Bell & Barter may use shipping and logistics services such as Bob Go, its supported courier partners, or other courier companies appointed from time to time.

These parties receive only the information reasonably required to provide the applicable service.

10. WOOCOMMERCE AND WEBSITE SERVICES

Our online store is operated using WordPress and WooCommerce and may use additional extensions, plugins and integrations to provide store functionality.

These services may process information required to provide functions including:

customer accounts;
shopping carts;
checkout;
orders;
wishlists;
security;
emails;
product recommendations;
analytics;
shipping; and
website administration.

We take reasonable steps when selecting providers that process personal information on our behalf.

11. WISHLISTS AND SAVED PRODUCTS

Where we offer wishlist or saved-product functionality, information about products you save may be associated with your account.

We use this information primarily to:

provide the wishlist service;
retain your selected products;
improve your customer experience; and
where permitted by law, personalise communications or recommendations.

Our website may use third-party functionality such as YITH Wishlist for this purpose.

12. DIRECT MARKETING

We may communicate with you about Bell & Barter products, promotions, events or services where permitted by POPIA and other applicable law.

Where your prior consent is required for electronic direct marketing, we will seek that consent before sending such communications.

Where you are an existing customer, we may, where permitted by law, communicate with you regarding our own products or services that are similar to those you previously purchased, subject to your right to opt out.

You may unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time by:

using the unsubscribe link provided in an email;
following the opt-out mechanism provided in a message; or
contacting us using the details in this Policy.

We will not charge you a fee for requesting that direct marketing communications cease.

Opting out of marketing does not prevent us from sending necessary transactional or service communications relating to your account, orders, payments, deliveries, returns, security or other transactions with us.

13. COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES

Our website may use cookies, pixels, local storage and similar technologies.

These technologies may be used for:

keeping you signed in;
maintaining a shopping cart;
remembering preferences;
website security;
fraud prevention;
measuring website traffic;
analytics;
improving website performance;
understanding customer behaviour;
measuring advertising effectiveness; and
personalising content or advertising where applicable.

Cookies may be categorised as:

Strictly necessary cookies

Required for essential website functions such as security, checkout, shopping-cart functionality and account login.

Functional cookies

Used to remember choices and provide enhanced features.

Analytics and performance cookies

Used to understand how visitors interact with our website and identify areas for improvement.

Advertising or marketing cookies

Where used, these may assist us or advertising partners in measuring campaigns or displaying advertising based on interests or website activity.

Where consent is legally required for a particular technology, we will seek consent before activating it.

You can also manage cookies through your browser settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect website functionality.

Further information may be provided in our Cookie Policy or cookie preferences tool.

14. ANALYTICS

We may use analytics services to understand how customers use our website.

Analytics information may include:

pages viewed;
interaction events;
general device information;
traffic sources;
approximate location;
session information; and
website performance information.

We may use this information to understand customer behaviour, improve website performance and make business decisions.

Where required, analytics technologies will be subject to the choices available through our cookie consent system.

15. SOCIAL MEDIA AND THIRD-PARTY PLATFORMS

Bell & Barter may maintain pages, communities or accounts on third-party services such as:

WhatsApp;
Facebook;
Instagram;
TikTok;
YouTube; and
other social or community platforms.

When you interact with Bell & Barter using those platforms, the relevant platform may independently process your information under its own privacy policy.

Information you choose to post in public or group environments may be visible to other users.

You should avoid posting sensitive or unnecessary personal information in public discussions or community groups.

16. WHATSAPP AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

Where Bell & Barter provides communities, groups, broadcasts or customer communication through WhatsApp, your participation may result in information being processed by both Bell & Barter and WhatsApp or its associated service providers.

Depending on the relevant WhatsApp feature and your privacy settings, certain information may be visible to other participants.

Bell & Barter may use information communicated through these channels to:

provide customer support;
administer community activities;
facilitate sales or events;
enforce community rules;
prevent abuse; and
respond to enquiries.

Participation in optional community groups is voluntary.

17. CLAIM SALES, AUCTIONS AND MARKETPLACE ACTIVITIES

Where Bell & Barter offers claim sales, auctions, consignment services, marketplace functionality or services involving third-party sellers, we may process additional information necessary to:

identify buyers and sellers;
administer listings;
facilitate sales;
communicate offers or claims;
confirm transactions;
arrange payment;
arrange delivery;
resolve disputes;
detect abuse or fraud; and
maintain appropriate transaction records.

Where information must be shared between transaction participants or service providers, we will endeavour to limit this to information reasonably necessary for the transaction.

Additional terms or privacy notices may apply to these services.

18. PRODUCT REVIEWS AND USER-GENERATED CONTENT

If you submit a product review, comment, image or other content intended for public display, information associated with that submission may be publicly visible.

Do not include information in public content that you do not wish to make publicly available.

We may moderate or remove content in accordance with our Terms and Conditions.

19. CHILDREN

Bell & Barter sells products that may appeal to children, but our online purchasing services are not intended to require children to independently provide personal information without appropriate authorisation.

Where POPIA requires the consent of a competent person before processing the personal information of a child, we will seek that authorisation or rely on another lawful ground specifically permitted under POPIA.

Parents or guardians who believe that a child has provided personal information to us inappropriately may contact us so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.

20. SPECIAL PERSONAL INFORMATION

Bell & Barter does not generally seek to collect special personal information as defined by POPIA.

Please do not provide sensitive information to us unless it is reasonably necessary for a specific matter.

Where special personal information is processed, we will only do so where permitted by POPIA or another applicable law.

21. WHO WE SHARE INFORMATION WITH

We do not sell personal information as a commodity.

We may disclose or make personal information available to parties including:

payment processors;
banks or financial service providers;
courier and logistics companies;
hosting providers;
website technology providers;
WordPress and WooCommerce service providers;
email providers;
customer support systems;
analytics providers;
security and fraud-prevention providers;
marketing providers where permitted;
accountants;
auditors;
legal advisers;
insurers;
suppliers where necessary for fulfilment;
government bodies or regulators where legally required;
law-enforcement agencies where lawfully required; and
prospective purchasers, investors or advisers in connection with a legitimate corporate transaction, subject to appropriate safeguards.

Where another person processes information on our behalf as an operator, we take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate privacy and security obligations apply.

22. OPERATORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS

Some service providers process personal information on our behalf.

Where required by POPIA, we seek to ensure through written arrangements that operators:

process information only with our knowledge or authorisation;
treat personal information confidentially;
establish and maintain appropriate security safeguards; and
notify us of suspected unauthorised access or processing where required.

23. CROSS-BORDER TRANSFERS

Some technology, cloud, payment, communications, marketing or other service providers may operate outside South Africa or store information in other countries.

Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the transfer complies with section 72 of POPIA.

This may include transferring information where:

the recipient is subject to a law, binding corporate rules or binding agreement that provides an adequate level of protection;
you consent to the transfer;
the transfer is necessary for the performance of a contract with you;
the transfer is necessary for the implementation of pre-contractual measures taken at your request;
the transfer is necessary for a contract concluded in your interests; or
another lawful basis under POPIA applies.

24. INFORMATION SECURITY

We take reasonable and appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information in our possession or under our control against:

loss;
damage;
unauthorised destruction;
unlawful access;
unauthorised processing;
interference; and
misuse.

Measures may include, where appropriate:

HTTPS encryption;
access controls;
authentication controls;
password protections;
restricted administrative access;
software updates;
security monitoring;
backups;
malware protection;
hosting security measures;
payment gateway security;
staff or contractor confidentiality requirements; and
service-provider security controls.

No electronic system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we will take reasonable measures required by applicable law.

25. SECURITY COMPROMISES AND DATA BREACHES

If we have reasonable grounds to believe that personal information has been accessed or acquired by an unauthorised person, we will investigate the incident and take appropriate steps.

Where required under POPIA, we will notify:

the Information Regulator; and
affected data subjects,

as soon as reasonably possible after discovery of the compromise, subject to any lawful delay required by law-enforcement authorities or the Information Regulator.

Notifications may be made by an appropriate communication method permitted by law.

26. HOW LONG WE KEEP INFORMATION

We do not intend to retain personal information longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or subsequently lawfully processed, unless retention is:

required or authorised by law;
reasonably required for lawful purposes related to our business;
required by a contract;
necessary for evidentiary purposes;
required for dispute resolution;
necessary to protect legitimate interests; or
otherwise authorised by you or applicable law.

Different categories of information may therefore have different retention periods.

For example, transaction, accounting and tax records may need to be retained for periods prescribed by applicable legislation.

Where personal information is no longer required, we will destroy, delete, de-identify or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with applicable law and our operational processes.

27. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER POPIA

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

know whether we hold personal information about you;
request access to personal information we hold about you;
request a description or record of that information;
request information concerning the identity of third parties who have had access to your information where applicable;
request correction of inaccurate information;
request completion of incomplete information;
request deletion or destruction of information where permitted;
object to processing in prescribed circumstances;
withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
object to direct marketing;
request that direct marketing communications cease;
lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator; and
exercise rights available to you under PAIA.

Some rights are subject to statutory limitations or exceptions.

We may need to verify your identity before giving effect to a request.

28. ACCESS, CORRECTION AND DELETION REQUESTS

You may request access to, correction of or deletion of personal information by contacting our Information Officer.

We may require:

sufficient information to confirm your identity;
details of the information concerned;
details of the correction or deletion requested; and
any prescribed documentation required by POPIA or PAIA.

We will deal with valid requests in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Where we cannot comply with a request, we will provide such information concerning our decision as may be required by law.

29. PAIA — ACCESS TO RECORDS

The Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 gives persons rights to request access to certain records held by private bodies where the statutory requirements for access are met.

Bell & Barter maintains or will maintain a PAIA Manual prepared in accordance with section 51 of PAIA.

Our PAIA Manual explains, among other matters:

the categories of records held by Bell & Barter;
records that may be available without a formal PAIA request;
how a person may submit a request for access;
applicable request procedures;
prescribed forms;
applicable fees;
the contact information of our Information Officer; and
remedies available where access is refused.

The PAIA Manual may be requested from our Information Officer.

A request under PAIA must comply with the applicable statutory requirements and may be subject to prescribed fees.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy guarantees that access to every requested record will be granted. PAIA contains grounds upon which access may or must be refused.

30. OUR INFORMATION OFFICER

Bell & Barter’s Information Officer is responsible for supporting compliance with POPIA and PAIA.

Information Officer: Brandon Alberts
Entity: Bell and Barter (Pty) Ltd trading as Bell & Barter
Email: keeper@bellandbarter.co.za

The Information Officer will perform their functions subject to POPIA, PAIA and applicable regulations.

31. COMPLAINTS

If you believe that Bell & Barter has processed your personal information improperly, we encourage you to contact our Information Officer first so that we can investigate the matter.

You also have the right to submit a complaint to the Information Regulator of South Africa.

Information Regulator (South Africa)

Website: https://inforegulator.org.za

Telephone: 010 023 5200

Toll-free: 0800 017 160

Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za

The Information Regulator may prescribe particular forms, processes or contact channels for particular types of complaints or requests. Current instructions should be obtained from the Information Regulator’s official website.

32. AUTOMATED PROCESSING AND PERSONALISATION

Our website or service providers may use automated systems for limited purposes such as:

fraud screening;
security monitoring;
spam detection;
product recommendations;
website personalisation;
marketing segmentation; and
transaction risk assessment.

Bell & Barter does not intend to make decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal consequences or similarly substantial effects on a person unless such processing is permitted by POPIA.

33. LINKS TO THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES

Our website may contain links to websites or services operated by third parties.

Bell & Barter does not control how independent third parties process personal information.

You should review the privacy notices of those services before providing personal information to them.

34. CHANGES OF BUSINESS OWNERSHIP

If Bell & Barter or the business operating Bell & Barter undergoes a merger, acquisition, reorganisation, sale of assets, transfer or similar corporate transaction, personal information may form part of the relevant business records.

Any processing or transfer will remain subject to applicable law.

35. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

changes to our services;
changes to our technology;
new service providers;
legal or regulatory changes;
changes to our business operations; or
improvements to our privacy practices.

The latest version will be published on our website together with its effective or last-updated date.

Where a change materially affects the way we process personal information, we may provide additional notice where appropriate or required by law.

36. CONTACT US

For general privacy enquiries:

Bell & Barter
Bell and Barter (Pty) Ltd

Email: keeper@bellandbarter.co.za

For POPIA and PAIA matters:

Information Officer: Brandon Alberts
Email: Keeper@bellandbarter.co.za

Website: https://bellandbarter.co.za

37. YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

By interacting with Bell & Barter, you acknowledge that you have been provided with this Privacy Policy explaining how we process personal information.

Where consent is required by law, we will request consent separately where appropriate.

Use of our website alone will not be treated as consent for processing where POPIA requires specific consent.