Privacy Policy

Hi! This is our privacy policy and, if you landed here, it means that you want to learn how we process your personal data and how we protect your privacy at:

ModelTrainStuff.com / M.B. Klein Inc.
7 Glenn Bridge Rd., STE B
Arden, NC 28704

Making sure we are open and transparent about how we use your data is extremely important to us. Keep reading to learn more!

Essential information we collect

In operating our store, it is essential for us to capture some information about your device, such as your IP address and information related to your visit when you browse our store. For example, this might include time-stamp, the last page or product you visited, the indication that you logged in. We do that in order to:

• remember who you are after you log in so that you do not need to authenticate at each click;
• monitor if our website is running with the high performance we are dedicated to providing;
• let you browse between products without having to start back from the home page at each click;
• remember if you put something in your shopping cart before you decide to checkout; and control that your data is processed securely.

We call the information mentioned above “essential information” and we collect it through the use of cookies. Cookies are small text files that most websites uses. A website places cookies in the web browser and then reads the information collected through the cookies every time the user performs an action. We use cookies. Without enabling this mechanism and this kind of cookies (first-party cookies), we could not provide you with the smooth experience that you expect while you are navigating.

Order information you expressly provide

If you buy something from our store, we will need more specific information about you. To fully process your order and ship the merchandise you selected, we need your personal data such as your first and last name, your email address and your shipping and billing address. We also use your contact and order information to send you communication related to the processing of your order. We will ask you to provide this information in our “checkout page” before letting you finalize your purchase with the payment.

Accounts

You can sign up for an account if you’d like. This will make us happy because it confirms your interest in our store. It should also make you happy because we will remember your information and, when you decide to buy our products, you do not have to provide all of your information over again -- you just have to log-in. Before registering your account, we will ask you to expressly provide your consent to this privacy policy. Only if you give us your consent, we will open your account. We also you the possibility to easily withdraw your consent and delete your account. You can connect with us at any time by sending an email to our customer service department at 1.828.341.2295 or by emailing us at customercare@modeltrainstuff.com

Partial Purchases

If you have started to buy one of our products, but have not completed the purchase, you may have provided partial information, such as your email. In that case, we might send you an email to remind you about your interest. If you are not comfortable in receiving further emails of this kind, we will give you a simple opportunity to opt-out. Your privacy means a lot to us and we will stop sending you these communications right away.

Reviews

If you have completed a purchase, we will send you an email to ask you to review the product you bought. We want to be sure that whether you love your purchase or have a complaint, you can share your opinion with other customers.

Emails and Newsletters

If you would like to receive our email newsletters, we only require a valid email address. No additional data is collected. You can revoke consent at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in the newsletter.

Personalization

We also use some specific information related to your visit, such as the timestamp of your visit, the page or the product you viewed, where you are coming from (if you came to our store because you clicked on an advertisement or you just opened a direct link from an email newsletter from us). This is very similar to the “essential information,” but we use it to provide you with a personalized experience. The information on your visit provides us with insights on your interests and allows us to send you relevant communications. We capture this information through cookies, called a "beacon," that we allow you to block. 

How do we process your information

We use an external provider to run our store, BigCommerce. BigCommerce is based in the US and is a participant in the EU-US Privacy Shield Framework and committed to providing best-in-class service and data protection. You can check its participation in the Privacy Shield here on the official site of The International Trade Administration (ITA), U.S. Department of Commerce.

Through BigCommerce, we also use other, highly specialized external providers to provide the most competitive services. For example:

• Payments: Our store is PCI-DSS compliant (a very strict industry standard with requirements for the security of credit card information), but we want to use accredited companies to process your credit card information. We partner with PayPal to process your credit card and PayPal payments
• Shipping: We integrate with a few shipping companies to fulfill your orders. Our packages are shipped via UPS and the United States Postal Service and we use a third-party tool, called ShipStation, to process the orders and print labels.

Partnering with highly specialized external companies allows us to focus on what we do best: providing the best service and having the largest selection of model train products for you to purchase!

How can you control your personal data?

If you are one of our customers who is in the EU, and we are specifically selling our products to the Member State where you are located, you have specific rights that we are honored to enforce without undue delay: Access, Correct, Erasure, Port, Object. If you cannot exercise your choice on your account page or if you do not have an account with us, please reach out to us by phone at 1.828.341.2295 or by email at customercare@modeltrainstuff.com. We will be more than happy to assist you.

How long do we keep your data?

We keep your data for as long as you have an account with us. We also keep some data for security investigation. Most importantly, we have specific obligations for fraud detection and tax reasons. Therefore, we might need to retain certain data even if you ask to delete it.

Do we have any legal obligations when handling your data?

Many. We might need to share your personal information to comply with applicable legal obligations. 

Any update?

If we update our Privacy Policy to reflect a change or improvement of our services or a new legal obligation, we will publish the new version on our website, and we will make it clear on our home page at modeltrainstuff.com so it will be visible as you enter our store. We may also send you an email detailing any changes.

Updated May 25th 2018