Privacy Policy

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Exotix Zoo | exotixzoo.com
Last updated: 1 June 2026

1. Introduction

Exotix Zoo (exotixzoo.com) is a web product operated by AquaHelix.video, a sole proprietorship registered in South Africa. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA).

By registering an account or using our services, you consent to the collection and processing of your personal information as described in this policy.

2. Who We Are

Responsible Party: AquaHelix.video
Website: exotixzoo.com
Contact: info@exotixzoo.com

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Account Registration

When you register an account, we collect:

Full name (Private accounts) or company representative name (Business accounts)
Email address
Phone number (required — see section 4.2)
Account type (Private or Business)
Password (stored in encrypted form)

3.2 Marketplace Listings

When you post an advertisement, we collect:

Listing content (title, description, images, price, category, location)
Your contact details as displayed on the listing

3.3 Store Transactions

When you make a purchase through the Exotix Zoo Store, we collect:

Billing name and address
Order details and transaction history
Payment is processed by third-party payment providers (PayPal, Paystack). We do not store card details.

3.4 Technical Data

We automatically collect:

IP address
Browser type and version
Pages visited on exotixzoo.com and time spent
Referring URLs

This data is used for security monitoring and site performance only.

4. Why We Collect Your Information

4.1 Account Management

To create and manage your account, verify your identity, and communicate with you about your account activity.

4.2 Phone Number

A phone number is required at registration. This is a deliberate anti-fraud and anti-scam measure. Your phone number may be displayed on your public listings to facilitate contact between buyers and sellers. If you have concerns about the visibility of your phone number, please contact us at info@exotixzoo.com and we will do our best to assist within the limitations of our platform.

4.3 Marketplace Operations

To publish and manage your advertisements, facilitate contact between buyers and sellers, and enforce our platform rules.

4.4 Store Operations

To process orders, manage payments, arrange fulfilment, and handle any disputes or returns.

4.5 Security

To detect and prevent fraud, spam, and abuse. We use Wordfence, reCAPTCHA, and related tools for this purpose.

4.6 Marketing Communications

With your explicit consent (opt-in at registration), we may send you newsletters and platform updates. You may withdraw consent at any time by unsubscribing or contacting us at info@exotixzoo.com.

4.7 Legal Compliance

To comply with applicable South African law, including POPIA, and to respond to lawful requests from authorities.

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information on the following grounds under POPIA:

Consent — for marketing communications and optional features
Contractual necessity — to provide the services you have registered for
Legitimate interest — for security monitoring and fraud prevention
Legal obligation — where required by South African law

6. How We Share Your Information

6.1 Public Listings

Information you include in a marketplace listing (name, phone number, listing details) is visible to other users of the platform. You are responsible for what you choose to include in your listing.

6.2 Service Providers

We share data with trusted third-party service providers necessary to operate the platform, including:

Hostinger — web hosting
PayPal / Paystack — payment processing
Google — reCAPTCHA, Analytics
MaxMind — geolocation

These providers are bound by their own privacy policies and data processing agreements.

6.3 No Sale of Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

6.4 Legal Disclosure

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or lawful request by a South African authority.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for the following periods:

Data Type	Retention Period
Active accounts	Duration of account
Inactive accounts	3 months after last activity
Pending orders	5 days
Cancelled orders	7 days
Refunded orders	12 months
Completed orders	18 months

After these periods, data is deleted or anonymised unless retention is required by law.

8. Your Rights Under POPIA

You have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
Delete your personal information (subject to legal retention obligations)
Object to the processing of your information
Withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time
Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@exotixzoo.com. We will respond within a reasonable time and no later than 30 days.

Information Regulator of South Africa
Website: inforegulator.org.za
Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za

9. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

Maintain your login session
Remember your preferences
Analyse site traffic (Google Analytics)
Protect the site from bots (reCAPTCHA)

You may disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may affect the functionality of the site.

10. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including:

SSL/TLS encryption on all data transmission
Encrypted password storage
Firewall and intrusion detection (Wordfence)
Two-factor authentication for administrative access
Regular security scans

No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. While we take all reasonable steps to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Children

Exotix Zoo is intended for users aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from persons under the age of 18.

If you have reason to believe that a registered user may be under the age of 18, please report this to us at info@exotixzoo.com with any supporting information. We take such reports seriously and will investigate each one. Our process is as follows:

We will review the reported account, including profile information, listing activity, and account behaviour.
We will contact the reported user directly by email and request confirmation that they are 18 or older.
If no satisfactory response is received within 7 days, the account will be suspended pending further review.
If we are satisfied after investigation that the user is under 18, the account and associated data will be deleted.

We will not delete an account solely on the basis of a report without conducting a reasonable investigation first.

12. Third-Party Links

Our platform may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be published on this page with a revised date. Continued use of the platform after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.