Privacy Policy

1. About this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Furnix UG collects, uses, stores, shares and protects personal information when customers, visitors, vendors, delivery partners or other users interact with the Furnix UG website, marketplace, checkout, payment, support and delivery services.

Furnix UG operates as an online furniture marketplace and commerce platform focused on furniture, woodwork, doors, storage, office furniture, home furnishings and related products or services in Uganda. This policy should be read together with the Terms & Conditions, Payment Terms, Delivery Policy, Refund & Returns Policy, Marketplace & Buyer Protection Terms, Vendor Terms, Cookie Policy, Acceptable Use Policy and Security Policy published on this site.

2. Who is responsible for your information

For information processed through this platform, the responsible Furnix UG business entity should be identified in the Legal & Policies section of Super Admin.

Before production launch, the Super Admin must complete the legal entity name, registration number, service address and privacy contact details. Until those details are completed, references in this policy to “Furnix UG”, “we”, “us” or “our” refer to the operator of this Furnix UG marketplace platform.

Privacy contact: use the privacy email published on the site or the Contact page.

3. Ugandan data-protection framework

Furnix UG intends to handle personal information in accordance with applicable Ugandan law, including the Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019 and the Data Protection and Privacy Regulations, 2021, together with other laws that may apply to electronic commerce, payments, taxation, accounting, fraud prevention and consumer transactions.

The platform is designed around the principles of lawful and fair processing, transparency, purpose limitation, minimal collection, accuracy, appropriate retention, accountability and reasonable security safeguards.

4. Information we may collect

Depending on how you use Furnix UG, we may collect the following categories of information:

•Identity and account information such as your name, username, account role and authentication records.

•Contact information such as email address, telephone number and preferred communication details.

•Delivery and location information such as delivery address, district, town, landmarks, directions, access instructions and contact details needed to complete delivery or installation.

•Order information such as products selected, quantities, prices, vendor, order number, order status, delivery choice, returns, refunds and support history.

•Payment-related information such as payment method, transaction reference, payment-request status, receipt number, amount paid, amount outstanding, refund information and payment-verification records.

•Vendor information such as business or trading name, contact details, catalogue data, payout information, fulfilment records and compliance information supplied during onboarding.

•Furniture-specific information such as measurements, finish preferences, room or doorway dimensions, installation notes, photographs, drawings, customisation instructions or other information needed to quote, manufacture, deliver or install a product.

•Communications such as customer-service messages, enquiries, complaints, dispute information, vendor correspondence and records of transactional emails.

•Technical and security information such as IP address, browser/device information, session data, login history, timestamps, error logs, audit logs and indicators used to protect the platform against abuse or fraud.

•Cookie and local-storage information used for sign-in, cart continuity, security, preferences and, where enabled, analytics.

5. Information we do not intend to collect

Furnix UG does not intend to collect or store your mobile-money PIN, full bank-card number, card security code or similar secret authentication credentials.

Mobile-money approvals should take place through the relevant MTN MoMo or Airtel Money provider process. Visa and Mastercard payments should be completed through an approved hosted payment gateway or acquiring partner so that sensitive card information is handled by the payment provider rather than stored in the Furnix UG database.

Do not send passwords, mobile-money PINs, card security codes or other secret credentials to Furnix UG by email, chat or support message.

6. How we collect information

We may collect information:

•directly from you when you register, order, pay, request delivery, contact support, apply as a vendor or update your account;

•automatically through the website when necessary for security, sessions, cart operation and technical diagnostics;

•from an approved vendor where that vendor is fulfilling your Furnix UG order;

•from payment, banking or mobile-money providers when they return a payment status, transaction reference or settlement confirmation;

•from delivery or installation partners where they provide fulfilment updates;

•from lawful public or third-party sources where permitted and reasonably necessary for fraud prevention, dispute resolution or legal compliance.

7. Why we use your information

Furnix UG may use personal information to:

•create and manage customer, vendor and administrator accounts;

•maintain your cart and checkout session;

•process, confirm and fulfil furniture orders;

•allocate an order to Furnix UG or an approved marketplace vendor;

•coordinate delivery, assembly, installation, collection or return of bulky goods;

•create payment requests and check payment status;

•verify bank, offline, mobile-money, card or Pay After Delivery transactions;

•generate order confirmations, receipts, invoices and payment records;

•communicate order, payment, delivery, refund and account updates;

•provide customer support and resolve complaints or disputes;

•detect suspicious transactions, misuse, account compromise or fraud;

•maintain accounting, tax, audit and transaction records;

•administer vendor onboarding, catalogue management and payouts;

•improve the usability, reliability and security of the Furnix UG platform;

•comply with legal obligations, lawful requests and enforcement requirements.

8. Lawful grounds for processing

Depending on the circumstances, Furnix UG may process personal information because:

•it is necessary to perform a contract with you or take steps you request before entering into a contract, such as preparing an order or quotation;

•you have given valid consent where consent is the appropriate basis;

•processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation;

•processing is reasonably necessary for legitimate operational or security interests that do not override your rights, such as fraud prevention, platform security, support, record integrity and marketplace administration;

•another lawful ground under applicable Ugandan law applies.

Where consent is relied on, it should be specific, informed and capable of being withdrawn where the law allows. Withdrawal does not automatically invalidate processing that was lawful before withdrawal.

9. Customer and vendor marketplace sharing

Furnix UG may operate both as a direct seller and as a marketplace connecting customers to approved vendors.

Where a marketplace vendor needs to fulfil an order, Furnix UG may provide that vendor only with the information reasonably needed to prepare, manufacture, customise, deliver, install or support the item. This may include your name, phone number, delivery information, order details and furniture specifications.

Vendors are expected to use customer information only for Furnix UG fulfilment and related support, not for unrelated marketing or independent resale of customer data.

10. Payment information and payment providers

When you choose MTN MoMo, Airtel Money, card, bank transfer, verified offline payment or Pay After Delivery, Furnix UG may share or receive information required to create, confirm, reconcile or refund the transaction.

This can include your phone number, order reference, amount, currency, payment-method choice, payment-request identifier, transaction reference and payment status.

Payment providers, banks, acquiring institutions and gateways process information under their own legal and security obligations. Their privacy terms may also apply when you use their service.

11. Delivery, assembly and installation information

Furniture often requires more delivery information than ordinary small parcels. Furnix UG may therefore collect details such as building access, gate or floor information, landmarks, stair/lift access, room dimensions, installation location, access restrictions or a delivery contact person.

Where necessary, those details may be shared with the relevant vendor, driver, courier, installer or fulfilment partner strictly to complete the order.

12. Transactional emails and communications

Furnix UG may send service-related communications including order acknowledgements, payment requests, payment receipts, Pay After Delivery notices, processing updates, dispatch notifications, delivery confirmations, refund messages, security notices and responses to support enquiries.

These communications are operational and may be necessary to perform the transaction or protect your account. Marketing messages, where used, should be handled separately and should include an appropriate method to opt out where required.

13. Cookies and browser storage

Furnix UG may use essential cookies, session identifiers and browser storage to keep you signed in, preserve your cart, prevent cross-site request forgery, remember necessary preferences and help secure the service.

Optional analytics or marketing technologies should only be enabled in accordance with the Cookie Policy and any consent requirements that apply.

You can control cookies through your browser, but disabling essential cookies may prevent account, cart or checkout features from working properly.

14. Who we may share information with

Where reasonably necessary, Furnix UG may share limited personal information with:

•approved Furnix UG vendors fulfilling your order;

•delivery, logistics, installation or collection partners;

•payment gateways, mobile-money providers, banks and acquiring partners;

•hosting, email, security, backup, analytics or technical-service providers;

•accountants, auditors, insurers, legal advisers or other professional advisers;

•regulators, courts, law-enforcement bodies or public authorities where disclosure is lawfully required;

•a successor entity in a lawful business restructuring, merger or transfer, subject to appropriate protection of the information.

Furnix UG does not intend to sell personal information as a standalone commercial product.

15. Processing or storage outside Uganda

Some hosting, email, payment, security or technical providers may process or store information outside Uganda.

Where personal information is processed or stored outside Uganda, Furnix UG should apply the safeguards required under Ugandan data-protection law, including appropriate assessment of protection in the destination country or obtaining consent where required.

16. Data retention

Furnix UG will aim to keep personal information only for as long as it is reasonably required for the purpose for which it was collected or for a lawful related purpose.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information. Order, payment, receipt, refund, accounting, tax, fraud-prevention, warranty, vendor and dispute records may need to be retained longer than ordinary browsing or support data.

When information is no longer required and there is no lawful reason to retain it, Furnix UG should securely delete, destroy or de-identify it in a manner appropriate to the medium and risk.

17. Security safeguards

Furnix UG uses or intends to use reasonable technical and organisational measures appropriate to the platform, including password hashing, role-based access, administrator authentication, CSRF protection, restricted access to sensitive files, secure payment-provider handoff, activity logging, security headers and other controls designed to reduce unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction.

No internet service can guarantee absolute security. Users should use strong passwords, protect their email and mobile-money accounts, avoid sharing one-time codes or PINs, and contact Furnix UG promptly if they believe their account or order information has been compromised.

18. Data breaches and security incidents

If Furnix UG becomes aware of a personal-data security incident, it should investigate, contain and document the incident and take any notification or remedial steps required under applicable Ugandan law and the circumstances of the breach.

Customers and vendors should promptly report suspected account takeover, fraudulent payment requests, leaked credentials or suspicious communications claiming to be from Furnix UG.

19. Your privacy rights

Subject to applicable law and appropriate identity verification, you may have rights to:

•ask what personal information Furnix UG holds about you;

•request access to personal information held about you;

•ask for inaccurate, incomplete, outdated or misleading information to be corrected;

•request deletion or destruction where Furnix UG no longer has authority or a lawful basis to retain the information;

•object to or request restriction of certain processing in circumstances recognised by law;

•withdraw consent where processing depends on consent;

•object to direct marketing;

•raise a complaint about how your personal information has been handled.

Some requests may be limited where Furnix UG must retain information to complete a contract, comply with law, maintain accounting records, prevent fraud, establish or defend legal claims, or protect the rights of other people.

20. Children and minors

Furnix UG is intended primarily for adults who can enter into commercial transactions. We do not knowingly seek to create marketplace accounts for young children or knowingly collect children's information for independent marketing.

Where a minor's information is necessarily involved in a delivery, family transaction or other legitimate purpose, the information should be limited to what is necessary and handled with appropriate care and lawful authority.

21. Direct marketing and preferences

Furnix UG may send marketing messages only where there is an appropriate lawful basis. Where required, customers should be able to opt out of marketing without losing access to essential transactional communications about existing orders, payments or accounts.

An unsubscribe request does not prevent Furnix UG from sending necessary service messages such as payment receipts, security alerts, delivery updates or responses to support requests.

22. Automated decisions and fraud controls

Furnix UG may use technical rules or risk indicators to flag unusual logins, duplicate payment references, suspicious orders, excessive failed payment attempts or other activity requiring manual review.

Where a significant decision is based substantially on automated processing and applicable law gives you a right to request review, Furnix UG should provide an appropriate channel for human review.

23. Links and third-party services

The Furnix UG site may link to payment providers, vendors, maps, social platforms or other third-party services. Furnix UG does not control the independent privacy practices of third-party websites or applications. Review the privacy terms of the third party before providing information directly to it.

24. Changes to this policy

Furnix UG may update this Privacy Policy when the platform, payment methods, marketplace operations, legal requirements or data practices change.

The latest published version will appear on this page with the effective date configured in Super Admin. Material changes should be communicated in an appropriate manner where required.

25. Contact and complaints

For privacy questions, access/correction requests, complaints or security concerns, contact Furnix UG using the privacy contact published in the Legal & Policies section or the Contact page.

Please include enough information for Furnix UG to identify your account or transaction without sending passwords, PINs or card security information.

If a privacy concern is not resolved satisfactorily, you may also have the right to contact the relevant Ugandan data-protection authority or pursue another remedy available under applicable law.

26. Final implementation note

Before the site is used commercially, Furnix UG should complete its actual legal entity details, registration information, physical/service address, privacy contact, processor arrangements and any registration or compliance steps required by Uganda's data-protection framework. This policy is an operational website draft and should be reviewed against Furnix UG's actual business practices and by qualified Ugandan legal counsel before final adoption.