Legal
Privacy Policy
Last updated 16 August 2026
This policy explains what personal data The Useful Shelf collects, why we collect it, who we share it with, and what you can ask us to do about it. It is written to meet the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, and to be readable by a normal person.
1. Who is responsible for your data
The Useful Shelf is an independent publisher based in Nigeria. It is the seller of everything on this website, and the name you will see on your receipt. For anything in this policy, contact theusefulshelf@gmail.com.
We are the data controller for the personal data described below. We are not currently a “data controller of major importance” under the NDPA, so we have not appointed a Data Protection Officer. If that changes, this page changes with it.
2. What we collect, and why
| What | Why we have it | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Your name and email address, given at checkout | To send you what you paid for, and to answer you if something goes wrong | Performance of a contract |
| Payment confirmation from Selar. We never see or store your card details | To confirm your order and process refunds | Performance of a contract |
| Anything you write to us by email | To reply to you and keep a record of the conversation | Legitimate interest |
| Website usage: pages viewed, approximate location, device and browser, IP address, and whether you arrived from an advert | To see whether our adverts are reaching people and whether the pages work | Legitimate interest |
We do not ask for and do not want your bank verification number, your salary, your account numbers, or anything about your health. Please do not send those to us.
3. Cookies and the Meta Pixel
This website runs the Meta Pixel, a small piece of code from Meta Platforms that tells us how many people opened a page after seeing one of our adverts, and how many went on to buy. It sets cookies in your browser and shares technical information with Meta, who may match it to your Facebook or Instagram account if you have one.
You can turn this off. In Facebook or Instagram, open Settings → Accounts Centre → Your information and permissions → Your activity off Meta technologies and disconnect activity from us. You can also block cookies in your browser settings, or use private browsing. Blocking these cookies does not stop you buying or receiving a guide.
4. Who we share it with
- Selar — takes payment and delivers your file. They hold your name, email and payment record under their own privacy policy.
- Meta Platforms — receives the website usage data described above, for advertising measurement.
- Our website host and email provider — they store the data as part of running the service.
- Anyone we are legally required to tell, such as a court or a regulator.
We do not sell your data. We do not rent it, trade it, or hand your email address to any other business to market to you.
5. Data leaving Nigeria
Some of these services store data on servers outside Nigeria. Where that happens we rely on the recipient being subject to laws or contractual terms that give your data protection comparable to the NDPA, as section 41 of the Act allows.
6. How long we keep it
- Order records: six years, because tax and accounting records have to be kept.
- Email conversations: two years after the last message, then deleted.
- Website usage data: according to Meta's own retention periods, which we do not control.
7. Your rights under the NDPA
You can ask us to:
- tell you what we hold about you, and give you a copy;
- correct anything that is wrong;
- delete your data, where we do not need to keep it by law;
- stop or limit what we are doing with it;
- withdraw a consent you gave us, at any time;
- object to processing, including anything that looks like direct marketing;
- have a human review any decision made only by a machine.
Email theusefulshelf@gmail.com and say what you want. We will reply within 30 days. There is no charge.
If you are not satisfied with how we handle it, you can complain to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission at ndpc.gov.ng.
8. Keeping it safe
We use reputable providers, keep accounts protected with strong passwords and two factor authentication, and limit who can see order data to the person running the business. No system is perfectly secure, and we will not pretend otherwise. If a breach happens that puts you at risk, we will tell you and the Commission as the NDPA requires.
9. Children
Nothing here is sold to or aimed at anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has given us data, email us and we will delete it.
10. Changes
If this policy changes, the date at the top changes and the new version replaces this one on this page. We do not change it retroactively.