Privacy policy
PRIVACY POLICY & POPIA NOTICE
Last updated: 3 October 2026
The Cape Brake Co. respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.
This Privacy Policy and POPIA Notice explains how The Cape Brake Co. ("CBC", "we", "us" or "our") collects, uses, stores, shares and protects personal information when you visit our website, purchase products from us, make a workshop or product enquiry, contact us, or otherwise interact with our business.
Our online store is powered by Shopify, which provides the ecommerce platform through which we offer products and services online.
This notice is provided in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA") and should be read together with our other website terms and policies.
1. RESPONSIBLE PARTY
For purposes of POPIA, the responsible party in respect of the personal information described in this notice is:
The Cape Brake Co.
209A Main Road
Strand, 7140
Western Cape
South Africa
Email: thecapebrakeco@gmail.com
Telephone: 021 100 5740
WhatsApp: 067 194 7039
2. PERSONAL INFORMATION WE MAY COLLECT
The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us.
We may collect or process the following categories of personal information:
Contact information
This may include:
- Name and surname
- Email address
- Telephone or mobile number
- Billing address
- Delivery address
- Other contact details you provide to us
Order and transaction information
This may include:
- Products viewed or purchased
- Shopping cart information
- Order history
- Returns, refunds and warranty claims
- Collection or delivery information
- Transaction information
- Payment method and payment confirmation information
Where payments are processed by third-party payment providers, payment information may be processed directly by those providers rather than stored by The Cape Brake Co.
Vehicle information
Where relevant to a product enquiry, fitment enquiry, workshop booking, quotation, order or warranty claim, we may collect vehicle information including:
- Vehicle make and model
- Model year
- Vehicle generation or model code
- Registration information
- VIN or chassis number
- Engine type or engine code
- Transmission
- Drivetrain
- Body configuration
- Mileage
- Vehicle specification or variant
- Diagnostic or technical information
- Other information necessary to identify the vehicle or determine product compatibility
Account information
Where customer accounts are available, we may process:
- Account details
- Login credentials
- Account preferences and settings
- Saved addresses
- Order history
Communications with us
We may collect information contained in communications you send to us through:
- Telephone
- Website forms
- Social media
- Customer service enquiries
- Workshop enquiries
- Product and fitment enquiries
- Warranty or return enquiries
Website, device and usage information
When you use our website, certain information may be collected automatically, including:
- IP address
- Browser type
- Device information
- Network information
- Pages viewed
- Products viewed
- Referring pages or websites
- Date and time of visits
- Interactions with our website
- Cookies and similar technologies
3. HOW WE COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION
We may collect personal information:
- Directly from you when you place an order, create an account, contact us, submit a form, request a quotation or otherwise provide information to us
- When you communicate with us by telephone, email, WhatsApp, social media or other channels
- Automatically when you visit or interact with our website
- Through cookies and similar technologies
- From Shopify and service providers that support our website and ecommerce operations
- From delivery, payment, technical and other service providers where necessary to provide our services
- From suppliers, manufacturers, importers, distributors or vendors where necessary for product, warranty or technical matters
- From other sources where permitted by applicable law
4. WHY WE PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We may process personal information for purposes including:
Providing products and services
We may use personal information to:
- Process and fulfil orders
- Arrange delivery or collection
- Process payments and confirm transactions
- Provide quotations
- Respond to product and fitment enquiries
- Manage customer accounts
- Process returns and refunds
- Provide customer support
- Facilitate warranty claims
- Communicate regarding orders, workshop work or enquiries
Vehicle identification and product compatibility
Vehicle information may be used to:
- Identify the correct vehicle
- Determine product compatibility
- Assist with parts selection
- Provide quotations
- Assist with technical enquiries
- Process warranty claims
- Provide workshop services
Improving our website and services
We may analyse website usage and customer interactions to:
- Understand how our website is used
- Improve website performance
- Improve our products and services
- Identify technical problems
- Improve customer experience
- Understand which products, pages or services are of interest to customers
Security and fraud prevention
We may process information to:
- Protect our website and systems
- Verify transactions
- Detect or prevent fraud
- Investigate suspicious activity
- Protect our business, customers and other persons
Legal and regulatory obligations
We may process or retain information where necessary to:
- Comply with applicable law
- Maintain tax and accounting records
- Respond to lawful requests from authorities
- Establish, exercise or defend legal claims
- Enforce our terms and policies
- Meet other regulatory or legal requirements
5. INFORMATION REQUIRED TO PROVIDE OUR SERVICES
Providing personal information to us is generally voluntary.
However, certain information may be necessary for us to provide a requested product or service.
For example, we may require your:
- Name and contact information to process an order
- Delivery address to deliver goods
- Payment information or proof of payment to complete a transaction
- Vehicle information to confirm compatibility or investigate a fitment issue
- Order and product information to process a return or warranty claim
If information necessary to provide a requested service is not supplied, we may be unable to complete the transaction or provide the requested service.
6. SHOPIFY
Our website and online store are powered by Shopify.
Shopify provides the ecommerce infrastructure that enables us to operate our online store.
Information submitted through our website may therefore be collected, stored or otherwise processed by Shopify in order to provide ecommerce functionality and related services.
Shopify may also process certain information about how customers interact with our store in accordance with its own privacy practices.
Where Shopify processes personal information for its own purposes, its processing is governed by Shopify's applicable privacy terms and policies.
7. GOOGLE ANALYTICS & WEBSITE ANALYTICS
We use Google Analytics 4 ("GA4") and may use other analytics technologies to help us understand how visitors interact with our website.
Analytics services may collect information such as:
- Device and browser information
- IP address or approximate location information derived from technical data
- Pages viewed
- Time spent on pages
- Referring websites
- Website interactions
- General usage information
We use this information to understand website performance, improve the customer experience and make informed decisions about our website, products and services.
Analytics information may be collected through cookies or similar technologies.
8. COOKIES & SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies.
Cookies may be used to:
- Keep the website functioning correctly
- Remember customer preferences
- Maintain shopping cart functionality
- Enable customer accounts
- Improve website performance
- Understand website usage
- Support analytics
- Prevent fraud and improve security
- Support advertising or marketing where applicable
Some cookies are necessary for the operation of the website, while others may relate to analytics, preferences or marketing.
Where required by applicable law, customers will be provided with appropriate choices regarding non-essential cookies.
9. MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Where permitted by law, we may use contact information to communicate with customers about products, services, promotions, news or other information relating to The Cape Brake Co.
Electronic direct marketing will be conducted in accordance with applicable South African law, including POPIA.
Where consent is required, we will seek the necessary consent.
Where permitted by law to communicate with an existing customer regarding our own similar products or services, customers will be provided with an appropriate opportunity to opt out.
You may unsubscribe from marketing communications using any unsubscribe mechanism provided or by contacting us directly.
Opting out of marketing communications will not prevent us from sending necessary transactional or service communications relating to orders, accounts, workshop work, warranty claims or other existing transactions.
10. WHEN WE MAY SHARE PERSONAL INFORMATION
We do not sell personal information as part of our ordinary business operations.
We may share personal information where reasonably necessary with service providers and third parties including:
- Shopify
- Payment service providers
- Banks and financial institutions where relevant
- Courier and delivery companies
- IT and website service providers
- Cloud hosting or data-storage providers
- Analytics providers
- Marketing service providers where applicable
- Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors or legal advisers
- Suppliers, manufacturers, importers, distributors and vendors where necessary for warranty, technical or product matters
- Government, regulatory or law-enforcement authorities where required by law
We may also disclose information where:
- You request or consent to the disclosure
- It is necessary to fulfil an order or provide a requested service
- It is required to protect our legal rights
- It is necessary in connection with a legal claim or dispute
- We are legally required to do so
- The ownership or structure of our business changes, subject to applicable legal requirements
We require service providers handling personal information on our behalf to process that information appropriately and in accordance with applicable requirements.
11. WARRANTY CLAIMS & SUPPLIERS
Because The Cape Brake Co. acts as a retailer and reseller for various automotive and 4x4 products, certain warranty claims may require information to be shared with the relevant:
- Manufacturer
- Importer
- Distributor
- Supplier
- Vendor
- Technical representative
Information shared may include:
- Customer contact information where necessary
- Proof of purchase
- Product information
- Photographs or video
- Vehicle information
- VIN or chassis information
- Installation details
- Diagnostic information
- Information regarding the reported fault
We will only share information reasonably necessary to investigate or facilitate the relevant warranty or technical matter.
12. DELIVERY & COURIER PROVIDERS
Where an order requires delivery, we may provide necessary information to our courier or delivery provider.
This may include:
- Customer name
- Delivery address
- Telephone number
- Email address where necessary
- Order or parcel information
This information is provided for purposes including delivery, tracking and communication regarding the shipment.
13. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
Some of the service providers we use, including ecommerce, analytics, cloud and technology providers, may process or store information outside South Africa.
Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, we will process such transfers in accordance with applicable requirements under POPIA.
Where required, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient is subject to appropriate legal, contractual or other protections for personal information.
14. SECURITY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against:
- Loss
- Damage
- Unauthorised destruction
- Unauthorised access
- Unlawful processing
- Unauthorised alteration or disclosure
Our website also relies on security measures provided by Shopify and other technology providers.
No internet transmission, electronic storage system or security measure can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Customers should therefore take appropriate care when communicating sensitive information electronically and should keep account credentials secure.
15. RETENTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or subsequently processed, or as required or permitted by law.
Retention periods may depend on factors including:
- Whether you have an active customer account
- Our ongoing relationship with you
- Order and transaction records
- Warranty periods
- Tax and accounting obligations
- Legal and regulatory requirements
- Potential or actual disputes
- Fraud prevention and security requirements
When personal information is no longer required and there is no lawful reason to retain it, it will be deleted, destroyed or de-identified as appropriate.
16. YOUR RIGHTS UNDER POPIA
Subject to applicable law and any lawful limitations, you may have the right to:
- Ask whether we hold personal information about you
- Request access to personal information we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information
- Request deletion or destruction of personal information where applicable
- Object to certain processing of your personal information
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, subject to applicable legal consequences
- Object to direct marketing
- Lodge a complaint regarding the processing of your personal information
We may need to verify your identity before processing a request relating to your personal information.
Certain information may need to be retained despite a deletion request where we are required or permitted to retain it by law.
17. CHILDREN'S PERSONAL INFORMATION
Our online store and services are not directed at children.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children through our online store without appropriate authority where such authority is required by law.
If you believe that a child has provided personal information to us without appropriate authorisation, please contact us so that we can investigate the matter.
18. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES & SERVICES
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms or other external services.
The Cape Brake Co. does not control the privacy practices of those third parties.
When you leave our website or interact with a third-party service, that third party's own privacy policy and terms may apply.
We encourage customers to review the privacy practices of third-party services they use.
19. SOCIAL MEDIA & WHATSAPP
If you contact or interact with The Cape Brake Co. through WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram or another third-party communication platform, information may also be processed by the operator of that platform in accordance with its own privacy practices.
We may retain relevant communications where reasonably necessary for customer service, quotations, orders, workshop matters, warranty claims, dispute resolution or legitimate business records.
20. COMPLAINTS & THE INFORMATION REGULATOR
If you have a concern about how The Cape Brake Co. processes your personal information, please contact us first so that we can investigate and attempt to resolve the matter.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa) where applicable.
Information Regulator (South Africa)
Woodmead North Office Park
54 Maxwell Drive
Woodmead
Johannesburg, 2191
South Africa
Telephone: 010 023 5200
Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
21. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
We may update this Privacy Policy and POPIA Notice from time to time to reflect changes to:
- Our business
- Our website or services
- Technology we use
- Service providers
- Legal or regulatory requirements
- Our privacy practices
When we update this policy, we will publish the revised version on our website and update the "Last updated" date.
22. CONTACT THE CAPE BRAKE CO.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise a privacy right, or have a concern about how we process your personal information, please contact:
The Cape Brake Co.
209A Main Road
Strand, 7140
Western Cape
South Africa
Email: thecapebrakeco@gmail.com
Telephone: 021 100 5740
WhatsApp: 067 194 7039