Braids By Lin (“we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company”) operates the website https://braidsbylin.com and provides professional braiding and hairstyling services from our studio located at 6523 Landover Rd, Cheverly, MD 20785.

This Privacy Policy has been created to inform you about our practices regarding the collection, use, storage, protection, disclosure, and transfer of your personal information when you visit our website, book an appointment, communicate with us, or otherwise interact with our services. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your information responsibly and in compliance with applicable laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) where applicable, and general U.S. privacy principles.

By accessing or using our website and services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please do not use our website or book services with us.

1. Information We Collect

We collect several categories of information to provide high-quality braiding services and improve your experience:

Personal Information you voluntarily provide, including:

• Full name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Mailing or physical address
• Date of birth (if required for certain services)
• Any health or allergy information related to hair products or scalp sensitivity you choose to share

Appointment and Service-Related Information, such as:

• Selected services (e.g., knotless braids, passion twists, boho braids, box braids, regular braids, color services, etc.)
• Preferred appointment date and time
• Hair type, texture, length, and condition notes
• Special requests, style references, or photos you upload
• Previous service history with Braids By Lin

Payment Information: When you pay the required deposit or final balance, we collect transaction details. We do not store full credit card or banking information on our servers; payments are processed through secure third-party payment processors.

Automatically Collected Information (Usage Data):

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Referring website and pages visited on our site
• Date and time of access
• Clickstream data and interaction with our booking forms

Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use essential cookies, analytics cookies, and similar technologies to remember your preferences, analyze website traffic, and improve functionality.

We may also collect information from third parties, such as reviews or testimonials you publicly post about our services.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• To process, confirm, and manage your appointments
• To communicate with you regarding bookings, reminders, changes, cancellations, or important updates
• To provide personalized hairstyling recommendations based on your hair type and preferences
• To process payments and apply the required non-refundable deposit
• To send marketing communications, promotions, and special offers (you can opt out at any time)
• To improve our services, website user experience, and overall operations
• To respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
• To maintain internal records and comply with legal obligations
• To protect the security and integrity of our business

3. Legal Basis for Processing (Where Applicable)

We process your information based on:

• Your consent (where required)
• Performance of a contract (to fulfill your booking)
• Legitimate business interests (e.g., preventing no-shows, improving services)
• Legal compliance

4. Sharing and Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following limited situations:

• With trusted service providers who assist us (booking software, payment processors, email marketing platforms, hosting providers) under strict confidentiality and data protection agreements
• With law enforcement, regulators, or courts when required by applicable law, subpoena, or court order
• In the event of a business transfer (merger, acquisition, or sale of assets), your information may be transferred as part of that transaction
• To protect our rights, property, safety, or the safety of our clients and staff

5. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include secure servers, encrypted connections (HTTPS), and limited access to data on a need-to-know basis.

However, no security system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and you acknowledge that you transmit information to us at your own risk.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Typically, appointment-related data is kept for 2–5 years after your last service for record-keeping and rebooking purposes.

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location and applicable laws, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to access the personal information we hold about you
• Right to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to request deletion of your information (subject to legal exceptions)
• Right to opt out of marketing communications
• Right to restrict or object to certain processing
• Right to data portability (where technically feasible)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@braidsbylin.com. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe.

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