Star Empire Comics

Last updated: 10/11/2025

Welcome to Star Empire Comics (“we”, “our”, or “us”).
Your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you visit [www.starempirecomics.com], make a purchase, or interact with our services.

We comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), the Irish Data Protection Act 2018, and other relevant international data protection standards.

1. Who We Are

Star Empire Comics is an online comic book and pop culture retailer based in Ireland.
Our website is powered by WordPress and WooCommerce, which provide our online shop functionality.

Data Controller:
Star Empire Comics
Email: Contact@starempirecomics.com
Website: Starempirecomics.com
Address: 2 Blackhall Wood, Termonfeckin, Co.Louth, A92W2D6

We are responsible for deciding how and why your personal data is processed.

2. Information We Collect

We collect and process the following personal data when you use our website:

a) Information you provide

• Name, billing and shipping address
• Email address and phone number
• Payment information (processed securely via third-party providers)
• Account login details (if you create an account)
• Communication content (if you contact us)
• Newsletter signup information (if you subscribe)

b) Information collected automatically

When you browse our site, we automatically collect:

• IP address and approximate location
• Browser type and device data
• Pages visited and time spent on site
• Referring URLs and session data

This data is collected via cookies and analytics tools.

3. Payment Data

We do not store your full payment card details.
Payments are securely processed by:

• PayPal – PayPal Privacy Policy
• Revolut – Revolut Privacy Policy
• Stripe (if used) – Stripe Privacy Policy

These processors handle your payment information according to strict security and PCI-DSS compliance standards.

4. How We Use Your Information

We process your personal data to:

• Process and deliver your orders
• Manage your customer account and order history
• Send order confirmations and updates
• Provide customer service and support
• Improve our website and services
• Send marketing communications (only if you’ve consented)
• Comply with legal and tax obligations

5. Legal Bases for Processing (under GDPR)

We process your personal data under the following lawful bases:

• Contractual necessity – to complete and deliver your purchases.
• Consent – when you opt in to newsletters or marketing emails.
• Legitimate interest – to improve our website, prevent fraud, and maintain security.
• Legal obligation – for tax, accounting, and compliance purposes.

6. Sharing Your Data

We only share your data with trusted third parties as needed to provide our services, including:

• Payment processors (PayPal, Revolut, Stripe)
• Shipping and delivery companies
• Website hosting and analytics providers (WordPress, Google Analytics, Elementor, Mailchimp)
• IT and security partners

All third parties are required by contract to protect your data and may not use it for their own purposes.

We never sell your personal information.

7. Cookies and Analytics

Our website uses cookies to:

• Enable site functionality (cart, checkout, account login)
• Analyze website traffic and performance (via Google Analytics)
• Personalize user experience and remember preferences

You can manage or delete cookies through your browser settings.
For more information, please see our Cookie Policy (if separate).

Google Analytics collects anonymized usage data; we do not use it for advertising or profiling.
Google’s Privacy Policy

8. Data Retention

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

• Orders and accounts: typically 6 years, to comply with Irish tax law.
• Marketing data: until you unsubscribe.
• Inactive accounts: may be deleted after 24 months of inactivity.

After these periods, data is securely deleted or anonymized.

9. Your Rights (Under GDPR)

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access – request a copy of your data.
• Rectification – correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Erasure – request deletion (“right to be forgotten”).
• Restriction – limit how we process your data.
• Data portability – receive your data in a machine-readable format.
• Objection – object to certain processing activities.
• Withdraw consent – opt out of marketing communications at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at Contact@starempirecomics.com.
We will respond within 30 days in accordance with GDPR.

10. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including:

• SSL encryption across our website
• Secure hosting with firewalls and malware protection
• Limited internal access to personal data
• Regular software and plugin updates

However, no system is 100% secure, and we encourage you to use strong passwords and protect your account credentials.

11. International Data Transfers

Our service providers (like Google or Mailchimp) may store or process data outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
When data is transferred internationally, we ensure adequate safeguards (such as EU Standard Contractual Clauses) are in place to protect your rights.

12. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not directed toward children under 16.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors.

13. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.
The updated version will always include the latest revision date at the top of this page.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, requests, or complaints regarding your personal data or this policy, please contact:

Star Empire Comics
Email: Contact@starempirecomics.com
Website: Starempirecomics.com

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (DPC) in Ireland:
https://www.dataprotection.ie/