UBC Bookstore Privacy Policy

Last Updated: December 10th, 2025

The UBC Bookstore collects personal information under the authority of section 26(c) and (e) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). This information will be used for the purpose of processing your orders, managing your account, improving our services and providing you with information about our products and services. To provide these capabilities we leverage third-party services such as Shopify. To learn more about how your information is handled, please read our privacy policy. Questions about the collection of this information may be directed to bookstore.privacy@ubc.ca. 

How do we collect your personal information? 

We collect your information when you interact with us. This includes when you: 

We also monitor how visitors use our website to help us understand how it could be improved, and to make product suggestions. 

What information do we collect about you? 

We only collect the information that's necessary to process your orders, manage your account, operate our website, and keep you informed about products and services that may interest you. 

The type of information we collect depends on how you interact with us: 

When you create an account or make a purchase: 

Optional information you can choose to provide: 

Information collected automatically when you visit our website: 

There are occasions when you can choose not to give us certain information (like date of birth or course of study), but some information is necessary to process your order and create your account. 

Why does the Bookstore collect this information, and what do we do with it? 

The main reasons we collect information are to: 

Provide the services you've requested: 

Keep you informed: 

Improve our services: 

Marketing and advertising: 

Maintain security: 

Who do we share your information with? 

We work with trusted third-party companies to help us operate our business. Depending on your interactions with us, these companies may access your information to provide specific services and potentially other purposes: 

When do we disclose your information? 

Shopify, Klaviyo, Google, Meta, and some other service providers use your information for targeted advertising. This means they may: 

The Bookstore will never sell your personal information for money. Except for the third-party services listed above that are primarily used for operating our online store and marketing our products, we will not share, sell, rent, or trade your personal information with any third parties for marketing purposes without your consent. 

We or our third parties may also share your information: 

How long do we keep your information for? 

We retain your information only for as long as is reasonably necessary to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. 

For active accounts: We keep your information as long as your account remains active or as needed to provide you with services. 

For inactive accounts: In accordance with CASL, if, after 24 months, you haven't made any additional purchases, given explicit consent or have yet to delete your email subscription, you will be removed from any email delivery software. 

After account deletion: When you request account deletion, we will delete or anonymize your information, except where we are required to keep it for legal or business purposes (such as transaction records for accounting). 

Important note: Shopify does not provide merchants with a way to completely remove customer accounts from their systems. To permanently remove your information from Shopify's records, you will need to submit a separate deletion request directly to Shopify at: https://privacy.shopify.com/en 

How can you manage your personal information? 

You have the following rights regarding your personal information: 

Access your information: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. 

Correct your information: Request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete information. You can also update most information directly in your account settings. 

Delete your information: Request that we delete your personal information. Please note: 

Opt out of marketing emails: You can unsubscribe at any time by: 

You will still receive important transactional emails related to your orders and account. 

Opt out of targeted advertising: You have several options to limit targeted advertising: 

Note that blocking advertising cookies may not completely prevent you from seeing ads, but the ads will be less personalized to your interests. 

Withdraw consent: If we are processing your information based on your consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time. 

Please note that no security system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. We recommend that you contact us immediately if you believe your account has been compromised 

How to exercise your rights 

You may exercise your rights by contacting us at: 

UBC Bookstore 
bookstore.privacy@ubc.ca 
(604) 822-2665 
6200 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 

We will comply with your requests unless we have a lawful reason not to do so. 

If you believe we have not handled your personal information appropriately, you can also contact: 

UBC Access & Privacy Office 
access.and.privacy@ubc.ca 
604 822 1897 
6328 Memorial Road, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6T 1Z2 

You also have the right to contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia. 

Are you under 18? 

Our website is not intended for individuals under 18. If you are under 18, please ensure that you obtain your parent/guardian's consent before providing personal information to our website. If you don't have that consent, you must not provide personal information to us. 

Cookies and tracking technologies 

Like most websites, we use cookies and similar tracking technologies (small text files and code stored on your device or in your browser) to: 

Types of cookies and tracking we use: 

Essential cookies: Necessary for the website to function (shopping cart, checkout, account login) 

Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website (Google Analytics) 

Advertising cookies and pixels: Used to show you relevant ads and measure ad performance (Google Ads, Meta Pixel for Facebook and Instagram) 

Marketing cookies: Track your interactions with our marketing emails and website (Klaviyo) 

Managing cookies and tracking: 

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to: 

Please note that blocking cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our website, such as staying logged in or keeping items in your shopping cart. 

You can also use the cookie settings tool on our website: [Cookie Settings Link] 

For more information about cookies used by Shopify, visit: https://www.shopify.com/legal/cookies 

Advertising tracking:

To opt out of personalized advertising across the web, you can visit: 

External Third-party websites 

Our website may contain links to other websites that we don't operate, including links to social media platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party websites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information. 

Changes to this Privacy Policy and your duty to inform us of changes 

We may make changes to this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. We will post any changes on our website and update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We may notify you of material changes by email. 

It is important that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal information changes by updating your account information or contacting us using the contact details above. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Why does UBC Bookstore share my information with Google, Facebook, and other advertising companies? 

We use Google and Meta (Facebook/Instagram) to show you relevant advertisements about our products and services. This helps us reach customers who have shown interest in our products and measure how effective our marketing is. While we work with trusted partners, these advertising platforms may use your information for their own business purposes as well. 

Will I see ads for UBC Bookstore on Facebook and Instagram? 

If you visit our website, you may see ads for UBC Bookstore products on Facebook, Instagram, Google, and other websites. This is called "retargeting" and helps us remind you about products you viewed. You can opt out of these ads using the methods described in the "How can you manage your personal information" section. 

Why does UBC Bookstore share my information with Shopify, Klaviyo, and other companies? 

We use Shopify as our e-commerce platform, Klaviyo for email marketing, and other service providers to process payments, fulfill orders, and improve our services. While we work with trusted partners, some (including Shopify, Klaviyo, and payment processors) may use your information for their own business purposes, including marketing and advertising. 

Will I receive marketing emails from UBC Bookstore? 

If you sign up for our newsletter or opt in during checkout, we may send you marketing emails about products and promotions. You can unsubscribe anytime. If you make a purchase, you’ll receive order-related emails like receipts and shipping updates; these are necessary and can’t be unsubscribed from. 

Will my purchase history at UBC Bookstore be visible to other Shopify stores? 

Shopify allows users to link their accounts across multiple storefronts, allowing users to manage all Shopify orders in one central Shop Pay app. Shopify does not share information between merchants - UBC Bookstore can only see the orders you have placed with us. 

How do I completely delete my account? 

To fully delete your account: 

Is my payment information secure? 

Yes. We do not store your complete credit card information. Payment processing is handled by Stripe, a secure payment processor certified to the highest security standards (PCI-DSS Level 1). Your payment information is encrypted during transmission. 

How do I stop seeing personalized ads? 

You can opt out of personalized advertising by: 

This Privacy Policy was last updated on December 10, 2025.