Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Beads of Hope T1D LLC ("Beads of Hope," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards your information when you visit beadsofhopet1d.com (the "Site"), purchase products, make donations, submit stories, or otherwise interact with us. By using the Site you agree to the practices described below.

1. Information we collect

We collect information you provide directly and information collected automatically.

• Order & payment information: name, shipping and billing address, email address, phone (optional), order contents, and shipping selections. Card details are entered directly into our payment processor (Stripe) and are never stored on our servers.
• Account information: email, display name, password hash, and authentication identifiers if you sign in with Google or another provider.
• Donation information: amount, optional name, email, and dedication.
• Story submissions: only the fields you choose to provide, plus photos you upload.
• Communication preferences and consent records: every permission you grant (email, SMS, story usage), with timestamp and IP address.
• Automatic data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, referring URL, pages viewed, and timestamps, collected via cookies and similar technologies for analytics and fraud prevention.

2. How we use your information

• Process and ship orders, handle returns, and provide customer support.
• Process donations and (where applicable) issue acknowledgments.
• Send transactional messages (order confirmation, shipping updates, account notices) that you cannot opt out of while you have an active order or account.
• Send marketing emails, SMS, or — when separately enabled — AI-assisted phone calls, only if you have given express opt-in consent for that specific channel.
• Share community stories on our Site and social channels only with explicit per-channel permission.
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms.

3. Cookies and analytics

We use first-party cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember cart contents, measure traffic, and improve the Site. You can disable cookies in your browser, but parts of the Site (such as checkout) may not function correctly without them.

4. How we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only with:

• Service providers that operate our infrastructure, payments, shipping, email/SMS delivery, analytics, and fraud prevention, under contracts that restrict their use of your data to providing those services.
• Shipping carriers (such as USPS) to deliver your order.
• Authorities when required by law, subpoena, or to protect rights, property, or safety.
• A successor entity in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, subject to this Policy.

5. Data retention

We retain order and donation records for as long as required for tax, accounting, and legal obligations (typically at least seven years in the United States). Account information is retained while your account is active. Story submissions are retained until you ask us to remove them.

6. Your rights

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information, request a portable copy, or object to certain processing. To exercise these rights, email info@beadsofhopet1d.com. We will respond within 30 days. You may also unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in any message, and reply STOP to opt out of SMS. Residents of California, the EU/UK, and certain other jurisdictions may have additional rights under their local law.

7. Children's privacy

The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with information, contact us and we will delete it.

8. Health and story content

Your Type 1 Diabetes story is personal. We treat health-related submissions with extra care, never publish them without explicit permission, and never use them to draw medical conclusions. Beads of Hope shares awareness information, not medical advice.

9. Security

We use industry-standard administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. No method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. International users

The Site is operated from the United States. If you access it from outside the U.S., you understand that your information will be processed in the U.S., where data-protection laws may differ from those in your country.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. We will post the new effective date above and, for material changes, notify you by email or a notice on the Site.

12. Contact

Questions or requests? Contact us at info@beadsofhopet1d.com or by mail at:

Beads of Hope T1D LLC
14703 Keyes Meadow Way, Huntersville, NC 28078, USA