Privacy policy
Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 23, 2026
AncientTao (“we,” “us,” or “our”) provides personal sourcing, purchasing assistance, product inspection, packaging preparation, and international shipping coordination services for products sourced from China.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information when you visit AncientTao.org, submit a sourcing request, communicate with us, or use our services.
By using our website or services, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
1. Personal Information We Collect
The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us.
Information You Provide
We may collect:
- Name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Billing address
- Shipping address
- Destination country
- Product links
- Product images
- Product descriptions and specifications
- Quantity, size, color, model, and other sourcing requirements
- Messages and communications with us
- Order, payment, refund, and shipping information
- Customs or delivery information when required
- Photos or videos provided in connection with a claim
Please do not submit sensitive personal information unless it is necessary for payment, customs clearance, delivery, or another specific service requirement.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, Shopify and other service providers may automatically collect information such as:
- Internet Protocol address
- Browser type
- Device type
- Operating system
- Pages viewed
- Referral source
- Approximate location
- Date and time of access
- Website interactions
- Cookie and similar technology information
Payment Information
Payments may be processed by Shopify, PayPal, or another payment provider made available at checkout.
Payment providers process payment-card, bank-account, authentication, and transaction information according to their own privacy policies.
AncientTao does not normally receive or store your complete payment-card number.
2. How We Use Personal Information
We may use personal information to:
- Review sourcing requests
- Confirm product information and availability
- Prepare quotations and invoices
- Communicate with Chinese sellers
- Purchase approved products
- Receive and inspect products in China
- Send inspection photos or videos
- Prepare and package orders
- Calculate international shipping
- Arrange international delivery
- Provide tracking information
- Process payments, refunds, and claims
- Communicate about orders and customer support
- Detect and prevent fraud or misuse
- Maintain business, accounting, tax, and transaction records
- Comply with legal, customs, payment-provider, and carrier requirements
- Improve the website and customer experience
- Protect our rights, customers, website, and services
We may also use information for another purpose disclosed to you when the information is collected.
3. How We Share Personal Information
We may share personal information only when reasonably necessary to operate our services.
Recipients may include:
Shopify
Our website and online store are hosted by Shopify.
Shopify processes information when customers visit the store, submit information, create orders, or make purchases.
Chinese Sellers and Marketplaces
We may share necessary product, order, recipient, or return information with Chinese sellers and marketplaces to purchase products, confirm specifications, process cancellations, or arrange domestic returns.
We generally do not provide overseas delivery details to a Chinese seller unless they are necessary for the transaction.
Payment Providers
Payment and transaction information may be shared with payment processors, banks, card networks, fraud-prevention services, and financial institutions.
Shipping and Logistics Providers
We may share names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, customs information, and package details with:
- China domestic carriers
- International shipping providers
- Freight forwarders
- Customs brokers
- Postal operators
- Last-mile delivery companies
- Shipping-insurance providers
Technology and Business Service Providers
We may use service providers for:
- Website hosting
- Customer support
- File storage
- Analytics
- Fraud prevention
- Accounting
- Order management
- Security
- Legal or professional assistance
These providers may process information only as necessary to provide their services to us.
Legal and Compliance Disclosures
We may disclose personal information when reasonably necessary to:
- Comply with applicable laws
- Respond to legal requests
- Meet customs or tax requirements
- Enforce our policies
- Investigate fraud
- Protect customers, AncientTao, or third parties
- Establish, exercise, or defend legal claims
Business Transfers
If AncientTao is involved in a merger, restructuring, financing, acquisition, or transfer of business assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to applicable law.
4. Sale and Use of Personal Information for Advertising
AncientTao does not directly sell customer contact information to data brokers.
However, some privacy laws define terms such as “sale,” “sharing,” or “targeted advertising” broadly. Certain cookies, analytics tools, advertising platforms, or Shopify features may be treated as sharing under those laws.
Where required, customers may be able to manage cookie preferences or submit an opt-out request through the privacy controls available on our website.
Do not state that no information is ever shared unless all Shopify apps, analytics tools, advertising pixels, and cookies have been checked.
5. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Our website and service providers may use cookies, pixels, local storage, and similar technologies.
These technologies may be used to:
- Operate the website
- Maintain checkout functionality
- Remember preferences
- Improve security
- Measure website performance
- Understand visitor interactions
- Prevent fraud
- Provide analytics
- Support advertising, where enabled
You can manage cookies through your browser settings and, where available, through the cookie-preference controls displayed on our website.
Blocking certain cookies may affect website, cart, checkout, or form functionality.
6. Marketing Communications
We will send marketing emails or messages only where permitted and where the required consent has been obtained.
You may unsubscribe from marketing emails by using the unsubscribe option included in the message.
Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent us from sending transactional communications about:
- Sourcing requests
- Quotes
- Payments
- Inspections
- Orders
- Shipping
- Refunds
- Customer-support matters
7. Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for purposes such as:
- Completing sourcing orders
- Providing customer support
- Processing refunds or claims
- Maintaining transaction records
- Meeting accounting and tax obligations
- Resolving disputes
- Preventing fraud
- Enforcing agreements
- Complying with legal requirements
Retention periods may differ depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected.
When information is no longer reasonably required, we may delete, anonymize, or securely dispose of it, subject to applicable legal and operational requirements.
8. International Data Transfers
AncientTao operates from China and works with customers, Shopify, sellers, payment providers, carriers, and service providers in different countries.
As a result, personal information may be processed or stored outside your country or region.
Privacy and data-protection laws in those locations may differ from the laws where you live.
Where required, we and our service providers use appropriate measures for international data transfers.
9. Data Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures intended to protect personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.
However, no website, email system, payment system, transmission method, or storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
You should not send payment-card numbers, passwords, identification documents, or other sensitive information through ordinary email unless specifically requested through an appropriate method.
FTC guidance recommends collecting only information the business needs, protecting it appropriately, and disposing of it securely.
10. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights concerning your personal information, including the right to:
- Request access to personal information
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Request deletion of certain information
- Request a copy of certain information
- Object to or restrict certain processing
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
- Opt out of certain data sharing or targeted advertising
- Appeal certain privacy-request decisions
These rights are not absolute. We may need to retain information for orders, payments, taxes, fraud prevention, legal compliance, disputes, or other permitted purposes.
We may need to verify your identity before completing a request.
Shopify also provides tools for merchants to process customer access and deletion requests.
11. Children’s Privacy
Our services are intended for adults.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the website.
If you believe a child has submitted personal information to us, contact us so that we can review and, where appropriate, delete the information.
12. Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including marketplaces, sellers, payment providers, carriers, and tracking services.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security, accuracy, or content of third-party websites.
Review the privacy policy of each third party before providing personal information.
13. Shopify
Our store is hosted by Shopify, which processes personal information to provide and improve its commerce services.
Shopify may process information based on interactions with our store, Shopify, and other Shopify merchants, depending on the features enabled.
Please review the Shopify Consumer Privacy Policy for more information about Shopify’s processing practices.
Shopify specifically requires stores using relevant privacy features to explain that the store is hosted by Shopify and that Shopify processes visitor and customer data.
14. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy when our business practices, service providers, technology, or legal obligations change.
The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.
Material changes may also be communicated through the website or by another appropriate method.
15. Contact Us
For questions, correction requests, deletion requests, or other privacy matters, contact:
Email: service@ancienttao.org
Website: AncientTao.org
Please include enough information for us to understand and verify your request.
We will respond within a reasonable period required by applicable law. Do not promise a 12-hour response.