Who we are
BooksReading.com is operated by BooksReading. In this policy, "we", "us" and "our" refer to that company. We are the controller of the personal data described below.
Questions about this policy, or about your data, go to service@booksreading.com.
What we collect
Information you give us directly
- Account details. Your name, email address, and a password. Passwords are stored encrypted and are never visible to us or to our staff.
- Order details. Titles purchased, order numbers, dates, amounts, and currency.
- Billing details. Billing name, address, and country, where required for tax or fraud checks.
- Reviews and wishlists. Review text, ratings, display name, and saved titles.
- Support correspondence. Emails, WhatsApp messages, and attachments you send us.
- Marketing preferences. Whether you have opted in to promotional email, and the date you did so.
Information collected automatically
- IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, and language settings.
- Pages viewed, items clicked, time on site, and the site or advertisement that referred you.
- Download activity linked to your account, used to confirm delivery and detect abuse.
- Cookie and similar identifiers, described in the cookies section below.
File identifiers
Ebook files you download may contain an embedded identifier linking the copy to your account. We use this solely to trace unauthorised distribution of our titles. It does not track your reading, your device, or anything you do after download.
What we never store
We do not store your full card number, expiry date, or security code. Card details are entered into a payment form hosted by Stripe and never reach our servers. We receive only confirmation of payment, the card brand, and the last four digits.
Why we use it, and on what legal basis
| Purpose | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Creating and running your account | Performance of a contract |
| Processing payments and delivering your files | Performance of a contract |
| Sending order confirmations and download links | Performance of a contract |
| Responding to support requests | Contract, legitimate interests |
| Preventing fraud, abuse, and unauthorised file sharing | Legitimate interests |
| Improving the site and understanding what readers want | Legitimate interests, consent where cookies require it |
| Sending promotional email | Consent |
| Meeting tax, accounting, and legal obligations | Legal obligation |
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with third parties for their own advertising purposes.
Marketing email
Order confirmations, download links, and service notices are sent to every customer, because they are necessary to deliver what you bought. You cannot opt out of those while you hold an account.
Promotional email is separate. We send it only to customers who tick the marketing box at checkout or subscribe elsewhere on the site. That box is never pre-ticked. You can withdraw consent at any time using the unsubscribe link in any promotional email, or by emailing us. Withdrawing consent does not affect your account or your access to purchased books.
Who we share it with
We share data only with providers who need it to run the business:
- Stripe, our payment processor, which handles card processing, fraud screening, and refunds. Stripe's own privacy policy governs data it collects directly from you.
- Our hosting and infrastructure provider, which stores the site and its database.
- Our email provider, which sends order confirmations, download links, and promotional email to subscribers.
- Google Analytics, which reports aggregate traffic and usage.
- Meta Pixel, which measures advertising performance where we run Facebook or Instagram ads.
- Professional advisers, such as accountants and lawyers, where necessary.
- Authorities, where legally required, or where disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, our customers, or the public.
If the business is sold or restructured, customer data may transfer to the acquiring party under the same commitments set out here.
International transfers
We operate globally and our providers may store or process data outside your country, including in the United States. Where data is transferred out of the UK or the European Economic Area, we rely on legally recognised safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses.
How long we keep it
- Account and purchase records: while your account is open, then up to 7 years, because tax and accounting law requires us to retain transaction records.
- Support correspondence: up to 3 years.
- Marketing contacts: until you unsubscribe, after which we keep a suppression record so we do not email you again.
- Analytics and cookie data: up to 26 months.
Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies for three purposes:
- Essential cookies which keep you signed in, remember your cart, and secure checkout. The site cannot function without these.
- Analytics cookies which show us which pages and titles perform.
- Marketing cookies which measure advertising performance, where we run advertising.
You can refuse non-essential cookies through the banner on your first visit and change your choice at any time. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser, though blocking essential cookies will break sign-in and checkout.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct data that is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Request deletion, subject to records we are legally required to keep.
- Object to, or restrict, certain processing.
- Withdraw marketing consent at any time.
- Receive your data in a portable, machine readable format.
- Complain to your local data protection authority.
California residents: we do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under the California Consumer Privacy Act, and we do not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
To exercise any right, email service@booksreading.com from the address on your account. We respond within 30 days and may ask you to verify your identity first, so that we do not hand your data to someone else.
Security
We protect data with encryption in transit, encrypted password storage, restricted internal access, and payment handling that keeps card data off our systems entirely. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we will notify you and the relevant regulator if a breach affects your data and the law requires it.
Children
BooksReading.com is not intended for children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect their data. If you believe a child has given us their information, contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
We update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows the current version. If we make a material change, we will notify account holders by email before it takes effect.
Contact
BooksReading
Email: service@booksreading.com