Privacy policy

Last updated: 22 August 2026

This online store and website, houby.me, are operated by Vivid Plants (ABN 14 734 013 351), trading as HOUBY ("HOUBY", "we", "us" or "our"). HOUBY is an Australian skincare brand based in New South Wales. Our online store is hosted by Shopify.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information when you visit or use our website, purchase our products, contact us, subscribe to marketing or otherwise interact with us (collectively, the "Services").

By using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy should be read together with our Terms of Service and other store policies. If there is a conflict concerning the handling of personal information, this Privacy Policy will apply to that issue.

We manage personal information in accordance with applicable Australian privacy laws and the commitments described in this Privacy Policy. Where the Australian Privacy Principles apply to us, we handle personal information consistently with those principles.

1. Personal Information We Collect

"Personal information" means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable. The information we collect depends on how you interact with HOUBY and may include:

• Identity and contact information, such as your name, email address, telephone number, billing address and delivery address.

• Order and transaction information, such as products ordered, order value, payment status, returns, refunds, discounts and delivery details.

• Payment information, such as payment method, payment confirmation and transaction details. Complete payment-card information is processed by Shopify and its payment providers and is not ordinarily stored by HOUBY.

• Account information, if customer accounts are available, such as login details, saved addresses, preferences and account activity.

• Communications, including information you provide when you contact us, submit a question, make a complaint or request customer support.

• Reviews and user-submitted content, including product reviews, ratings, photographs or other material you choose to provide.

• Marketing preferences, including whether you have subscribed to or unsubscribed from promotional communications.

• Device and technical information, such as your IP address, browser type, device type, network connection, cookie identifiers and similar technical data.

• Website-use information, such as pages viewed, links selected, products viewed, referring pages, interactions with our website and items placed in your cart.

We do not intentionally collect more personal information than is reasonably necessary for our business activities and the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

2. 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 review, subscribe to marketing or otherwise provide information;

• automatically when you use our website, including through cookies and similar technologies;

• from Shopify and service providers that support our store, payments, deliveries, analytics, marketing, customer service or fraud prevention; and

• from third parties where you have authorised the disclosure or where collection is otherwise permitted by law.

If you do not provide information required to complete an order, we may be unable to process payment, deliver the products or provide the requested customer service.

3. How We Use Personal Information

We may use personal information to:

• provide, operate and improve the Services;

• process payments and fulfil, deliver and track orders;

• provide order confirmations, delivery notifications and other transactional communications;

• manage customer accounts, returns, refunds and customer-service requests;

• respond to questions, complaints and privacy requests;

• display and administer customer reviews;

• understand how customers use our website and improve its performance and content;

• remember preferences and provide relevant product information;

• detect, investigate and prevent fraud, misuse, security incidents or unlawful activity;

• maintain business, tax and transaction records;

• enforce our Terms of Service and store policies;

• comply with applicable laws, lawful requests and legal processes; and

• send marketing communications where we have your consent or are otherwise permitted to do so.

We may use aggregated or de-identified information for analysis and business improvement where that information no longer reasonably identifies an individual.

4. Marketing Communications

We send electronic marketing communications only where we have your consent or are otherwise permitted to do so. You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link in our marketing emails or by contacting us at marketa@houby.me.

We will action unsubscribe requests as required by applicable law. Unsubscribing from marketing will not prevent us from sending necessary non-promotional communications about an order, payment, delivery, account, product-safety matter or customer-service request.

5. Cookies, Analytics and Similar Technologies

We and our service providers use cookies and similar technologies to:

• operate essential website and checkout functions;

• remember settings and privacy choices;

• maintain website security and prevent fraud;

• understand website traffic and customer interactions;

• measure and improve website performance; and

• measure or personalise advertising where permitted and, where required, with your consent.

Some cookies are necessary for the website to function. Other analytics or advertising cookies may depend on your location and privacy choices. You can manage available choices through our cookie banner, browser settings or any privacy-choice link displayed on our website. Blocking certain cookies may affect website functionality.

Where supported and required by applicable law, Shopify may recognise a Global Privacy Control signal as a request to opt out of certain data sharing or targeted advertising for that browser or device. You may also use our data-sharing opt-out page, where available.

6. How We Disclose Personal Information

We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary to operate HOUBY, including to:

• Shopify, which hosts our online store and processes information required to operate and improve Shopify services;

• payment processors and financial-service providers that process payments, refunds and fraud checks;

• delivery, postal, courier and fulfilment providers that require information to deliver and track orders;

• customer-review, email, customer-service and website-support providers that help us administer the store and communicate with customers;

• analytics and advertising providers, where used and permitted, to measure website performance, understand advertising results or provide relevant advertising;

• professional advisers, such as accountants, insurers, legal advisers or consultants, where reasonably necessary;

• government authorities, regulators, courts or law-enforcement bodies where required or authorised by law; and

• a buyer, adviser or relevant party in connection with a genuine sale, transfer or restructuring of all or part of the business, subject to appropriate confidentiality and legal requirements.

We may also disclose information when you direct or consent to the disclosure, or where necessary to protect our lawful rights, customers, systems or Services.

Service providers may use personal information only for the services they provide to us or as otherwise described in their own applicable privacy notices and terms.

7. Relationship with Shopify

Shopify hosts the HOUBY online store and processes personal information relating to your access to and use of the Services. Information submitted through our store may be shared with Shopify and Shopify service providers to provide functions such as hosting, checkout, payments, fraud prevention, analytics and customer privacy controls.

Shopify may also process information in accordance with its own responsibilities and privacy terms. You can learn more in the Shopify Consumer Privacy Policy and use the Shopify Privacy Portal where applicable.

8. International Processing and Disclosure

Shopify and some of our other service providers operate internationally. As a result, personal information may be processed or stored outside Australia, including in countries where Shopify and our other service providers maintain facilities or engage service providers. The countries involved may vary depending on the provider, service and customer location.

Where applicable law requires it, we take reasonable steps in the circumstances to ensure that overseas handling of personal information is subject to appropriate privacy and security protections.

If personal information relating to a person in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom is transferred internationally, the responsible service provider may use recognised safeguards such as adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses or another lawful transfer mechanism.

9. Security

We take reasonable administrative, technical and organisational measures appropriate to our business to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

However, no internet transmission or storage system is completely secure. Please do not send sensitive or confidential information through insecure channels. If you have a customer account, you are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential and should contact us if you believe your account has been compromised.

10. Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to:

• provide the Services and maintain customer accounts;

• complete and document orders, refunds and customer-service matters;

• meet tax, accounting, record-keeping and legal obligations;

• prevent fraud and maintain security; and

• resolve disputes and enforce agreements.

Retention periods vary according to the type of information, why it was collected and applicable legal requirements. When information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to delete, destroy or de-identify it, subject to technical and legal limitations.

11. Access, Correction and Other Privacy Choices

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights or choices relating to your personal information, including the ability to:

• request access to personal information we hold about you;

• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;

• request deletion of certain information;

• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;

• object to or request restriction of certain processing;

• request a portable copy of certain information; or

• opt out of certain data sharing, targeted advertising or marketing communications.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exceptions. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. We will not discriminate against you for exercising a privacy right available under applicable law.

To make a request, contact marketa@houby.me. Please provide enough information for us to identify the relevant records and understand your request. You are not required to use a particular form.

12. Children's Privacy

Our website and products are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe a child has provided personal information to us, please contact us so we can consider an appropriate deletion request.

13. Third-Party Websites and Social Media

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, social-media platforms or services. Those third parties are responsible for their own privacy and security practices. We recommend reviewing their privacy policies before providing personal information. A link from HOUBY does not mean that we control or are responsible for the third party's handling of information.

Information you choose to post publicly, including through reviews or social media, may be visible and used by others. Please consider this before publishing personal information.

14. Privacy Complaints

If you have a concern about how we have handled personal information, please contact us at marketa@houby.me. Include enough information for us to understand and investigate the concern. We will acknowledge your complaint and aim to provide a response within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response and the Australian Privacy Act applies to your complaint, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

If you are located outside Australia, you may also have the right to contact the privacy or data-protection authority in your place of residence.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices, technology, service providers, legal obligations or business operations. The revised policy will be published on this page with an updated revision date. We will provide additional notice where required by law.

16. Contact Us

This website is operated by Vivid Plants (ABN 14 734 013 351), trading as HOUBY.

For questions about this Privacy Policy, privacy requests or complaints, contact:

Email: marketa@houby.me
Phone: +61 450 491 307
Postal address: 5 Cotton Palm Drive, North Nowra NSW 2541, Australia

We may need to verify your identity before processing an access, correction or deletion request.