Privacy Policy - Mellow Tech Services

01Introduction

Mellow Tech Services ("Mellow Tech," "we," "us," or "our") provides technology support, creative, and business digitisation services to clients in Polokwane and remotely across South Africa, including via our website at mellowtech.co.za (the "Site"), WhatsApp, email, and social media.

We are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA"). This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what rights you have.

By using our Site, contacting us, or engaging our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Policy.

02Who We Are (Responsible Party)

Mellow Tech Services is the "responsible party" for personal information processed under this Policy.

03Personal Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

a) Information you give us directly

• Full name
• Phone number / WhatsApp number
• Email address
• Service(s) requested and project/message details you submit via our contact form, WhatsApp, or email
• Payment-related information necessary to process a transaction (we do not store full card details; these are handled by our payment provider, if applicable)

b) Information collected when we perform services
Certain services require us to access your device, accounts, or files. This may include:

• Device information (make, model, serial number/IMEI, condition)
• Login credentials or account access you provide for the purpose of completing a job (e.g., installing software, removing a password, troubleshooting)
• Files, documents, or data stored on a device brought in for repair, where incidental access is unavoidable while diagnosing or fixing the issue
• Proof-of-ownership documents where required for services such as password removal or FRP (Factory Reset Protection) bypass

We only access what is reasonably necessary to complete the requested service and do not review, copy, or use your personal files for any purpose beyond the job itself.

c) Information collected automatically

• Standard website usage data (pages visited, browser type, device type, approximate location based on IP address)
• Interactions with the on-site chat assistant ("MellowTech Assistant")
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 5 below)

d) Information from third parties

• Messages or enquiries received via Facebook, TikTok, or WhatsApp Business, which are subject to those platforms' own privacy terms in addition to this Policy

04Why We Process Your Information

We process your personal information to:

• Respond to enquiries and provide quotes
• Deliver the services you request (repairs, installations, design, development, CV/assignment assistance, business digitisation)
• Communicate with you about bookings, progress, and completed work
• Process payments and keep basic financial records as required by law
• Improve our Site and services
• Comply with legal, tax, and regulatory obligations
• Protect our business against fraud, misuse, or unlawful requests (e.g. verifying ownership before unlocking a device)

We process your information on the basis of your consent, the necessity to perform a contract with you (i.e., delivering the service you requested), and our legitimate business interests, in each case only to the extent permitted under POPIA.

05Cookies and Tracking

Our Site does not use tracking cookies or third-party advertising/analytics trackers. It uses localStorage and sessionStorage for a small number of site functions:

• Your consent choice: the optional-analytics decision is stored in localStorage under mellowtech.analytics.consent.v1. The older cookieConsent key remains synchronised for the homepage banner; an earlier value from before analytics existed is not treated as fresh analytics consent;
• An "intro played" flag: stored in sessionStorage under mellowLoaderDone, so the loading animation only plays once per visit;
• An anonymous chat session ID: a random identifier stored in sessionStorage under mellowbot.session.v1 to preserve chatbot context during your visit. The browser copy is deleted automatically when you close the tab;
• Optional analytics storage: only after you select Allow analytics, a random tab-scoped identifier and limited campaign attribution labels may be stored in sessionStorage to measure first-party website activity.

Optional first-party website analytics is off until you consent. If enabled, it records events such as page views, selected calls to action, outbound-link clicks and the fact that a contact form was submitted. Event metadata may include the page path and title, a generic link label, an internal path or external hostname, broad device category, referrer hostname and campaign labels supplied through UTM URL parameters. We do not read or send contact-form field values or chatbot message contents to the analytics endpoint. The analytics event/session tables do not contain a visitor IP-address field, and the server removes recognisable email-address and phone-number patterns from event labels and campaign labels. Please do not put personal information in campaign URL parameters.

Analytics event and session records are stored in MellowTech's Supabase-backed website database. When analytics events are being received, a daily maintenance check removes event/session records older than 180 days. Hosting and database providers may process operational request logs under their own terms. Choosing Essential only, or withdrawing consent through the Cookie settings link in the Site footer, stops future optional analytics collection; it does not automatically delete records already collected. You can request deletion by contacting us using the details in Section 2.

The Site also loads web fonts from Google Fonts, which is subject to Google's privacy terms. WhatsApp and social media platforms receive information only if you choose to follow those links. Any information you actively send us through the contact form or chatbot is handled separately from website analytics and is covered by Section 4 above.

06Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share it with:

• Service providers who help us operate (e.g., website hosting, email providers, WhatsApp Business/Meta, accounting software), bound by confidentiality obligations
• Payment processors, where applicable, to complete transactions
• Law enforcement or regulators, where required by law, or where we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to prevent fraud, protect someone's safety, or address suspected unlawful device ownership
• Professional advisors (e.g., accountant, attorney) where necessary for our legitimate business purposes

Where information is transferred to a service provider located outside South Africa (for example, WhatsApp/Meta or cloud-hosting infrastructure), we take reasonable steps to ensure it receives a level of protection consistent with POPIA.

07Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to:

• Fulfil the purpose for which it was collected,
• Meet our legal, accounting, or tax obligations, and
• Resolve disputes or enforce our agreements.

Optional first-party analytics event and session records are subject to the 180-day maintenance process described in Section 5. Other records are kept only for as long as needed for the purpose for which they were collected, legal/accounting obligations, security, or dispute resolution.

Device data and files accessed during a repair or unlocking service are not retained after the job is completed and the device is returned, unless you separately request backup or storage services.

08Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted over the internet or messaging platforms such as WhatsApp.

09Children's Privacy

Our services (e.g., CV design, assignment assistance) may be used by students who are minors, typically with parental or guardian awareness. Where a client is under 18, we rely on the involvement or consent of a parent/guardian for the processing of that minor's personal information, in line with POPIA's requirements for processing children's information.

10Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

• Be informed about what personal information we hold and why
• Request access to the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction or deletion of inaccurate, irrelevant, or unlawfully processed information
• Object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances
• Withdraw consent, where processing is based on consent, at any time
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe your rights have been infringed

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Information Officer using the details in Section 2.

Information Regulator (South Africa)
Website: https://inforegulator.org.za
Email: complaints.IR@justice.gov.za

11Data Breach Notification

If we become aware of a security compromise that has resulted, or is reasonably likely to result, in unauthorised access to your personal information, we will notify the Information Regulator and affected individuals as required by POPIA.

12Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The "Last Updated" date at the top will indicate the most recent revision. Continued use of our services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

12AAI Assistant and Chatbot Data

Our website includes MellowBot, an AI-powered assistant. Messages you send to the assistant may be processed by our AI service provider to generate a response. Where you explicitly ask MellowBot to submit an enquiry or request follow-up and provide consent, the relevant contact details and enquiry information may be stored in our business database for follow-up.

We may also store limited technical context such as the page you were visiting, a pseudonymous session identifier, and a hashed IP address for security, troubleshooting, abuse prevention, and service improvement. We do not intentionally store raw IP addresses in the MellowBot database.

Do not submit passwords, payment card numbers, authentication codes, or other highly sensitive information through MellowBot. AI-generated answers can be inaccurate; verify important information with Mellow Tech before acting on it.

13Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, contact us at:

📧 info@mellowtech.co.za
📱 +27 72 046 5993
📍 Limpopo, Polokwane, Kalkspruit