Privacy Policy

This policy covers abucares.com and the regional storefronts operated under the ABUniverse brand: us.abuniverse.com, ca.abuniverse.com, au.abuniverse.com, uk.abuniverse.com, eu.abuniverse.com and jp.abuniverse.com. It describes what personal information we collect through the support site, the storefronts, and related channels (Telegram, SMS), and how we handle it.

Who operates this site

The entity responsible for your data depends on which storefront you use:

us.abuniverse.com, au.abuniverse.com — Strom Holdings LLC, 3335 Paine Ave, Everett, WA 98201, United States
ca.abuniverse.com — Strom International Corporation, 3915 78 Avenue Southeast, Bay A, Calgary, Alberta T2C 2J6, Canada
uk.abuniverse.com, eu.abuniverse.com — Strom Holdings UK Ltd, Burnside House, Hexham Business Park, Burn Lane, Hexham NE46 3RU, England
jp.abuniverse.com — 株式会社Strom Holdings Japan, 33-4 Yamagawa-cho, Ashikaga, Tochigi 326-0021, Japan

All can be reached at abucares@abuniverse.com. The support site (abucares.com) and its account system are shared across all six storefronts; the operator for a given order or transaction is the entity tied to the storefront it was placed on.

Information we collect

Account information

When you create an account we store your name, email address, and, if you choose to add them, pronouns, date of birth, and a profile photo. Your email address is the sole identifier tied to your account — there is no separate username or account number.

You can create an account with a password, with a one-time sign-in link sent to your email, or by signing in with Google. If you use Google sign-in, we receive and store only your verified email address from Google; we do not receive or store your Google profile, contacts, or any Google access token.

Support tickets

Messages you send us through the support site, and any files you attach to them, are stored and are also shared with our helpdesk provider, FreeScout, which we use to manage and reply to support conversations.

If you link a Telegram account to receive order updates, we store your Telegram chat ID and the messages exchanged with our bot. Linking a Telegram account does not share your phone number with us.

Restock and other SMS notifications

If you sign up for a back-in-stock text alert, we store the phone number you provide and use it, through our SMS provider (BulkVS), solely to send that alert. We do not use this number for any other purpose.

Job applications

If you apply for a role with us, we store the contact details and materials (including your résumé) you submit through the application form. Résumés are stored separately from other account data and are not publicly accessible.

Order information

When you look up or manage an order through your account or through our Telegram bot, we query your order directly from our storefront platform, Shopify, using your order number and email address. We do not keep a separate copy of your order history outside Shopify.

Cookies

We use a small number of cookies:

Region and language preference — remembers which storefront region and language to show you. Lasts 1 year.
Sign-in indicator — records that you have previously signed in on a given site, to streamline sign-in across our sites. Lasts 30 days.
Session — keeps you signed in and secures your session.
Interface preferences (theme, sidebar state) — remembers display choices you've made.

None of these cookies are used for advertising or cross-site tracking, and we do not run any analytics, advertising, or tracking scripts on our sites.

How we use your information

We use the information above to operate your account, fulfil and support your orders, respond to support requests, send the notifications you sign up for (Telegram order updates, restock texts), and secure the site.

We share personal information only as needed to run the service:

FreeScout — our helpdesk software, to manage support conversations.
Shopify — our e-commerce platform, which processes your orders and payments directly.
Telegram — if you link an account, to deliver bot messages.
BulkVS — our SMS provider, to send restock text alerts.
Google — only to verify your email address if you use Google sign-in.
Google Maps / Google Places — to power our store locator; this does not involve your account data.
Our email delivery providers — to send account, order and support emails.
Cloudflare — as our network and content delivery provider, all traffic to our sites passes through its network.

We do not sell or share your personal information with third parties for their own marketing purposes, and we do not use any advertising or analytics tools that would do so.

International transfers

Depending on which storefront and services you use, your information may be processed in a country other than the one you live in. By using our services, you consent to this transfer and processing.

How long we keep your information

We keep your account and order information for as long as your account is active, and support conversations for as long as needed to resolve and document them. You can ask us to delete your account and associated personal information at any time by contacting abucares@abuniverse.com; we will do so except where we are required to keep certain records (for example, order and tax records) for a longer period by law.

Your rights

If you are in the European Union or United Kingdom, you have the right under the GDPR / UK GDPR to access, correct, delete, or export your personal information, and to object to or restrict our processing of it.

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the CCPA/CPRA to know what personal information we hold about you, to request its deletion, and to opt out of its sale or sharing. We do not sell or share personal information as defined by the CCPA.

If you are in Canada, you have rights under PIPEDA to access and correct your personal information.

If you are in Australia, you have rights under the Australian Privacy Act, including access to and correction of your personal information.

If you are in Japan, you have rights under the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) to request disclosure, correction, or deletion of your personal information.

Contact abucares@abuniverse.com to exercise any of these rights.

Children's privacy

Our services are not directed at children, and account holders must meet the age of majority in their state, province, or country of residence, as set out in our Terms of Service.

Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including encryption of data in transit. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Continued use of our services after a change takes effect means you accept the updated policy.

Contact us

Questions about this policy or your personal information: abucares@abuniverse.com.