SITE TERMS

Last Updated: July 2026

RETURNS POLICY

Please make sure you really want what you decide to purchase before hitting that final payment button. All products purchased via this website are non-returnable and non-refundable, except in the case where the product is faulty, is delivered damaged, or your order is fulfilled incorrectly.

TERMS OF SERVICE

Welcome to my website - I hope you enjoy looking round! Now for the usual boring legal stuff …

By browsing this website or purchasing products from my store, you agree to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions:

1. Intellectual Property

All content on this website—including book excerpts, cover art, text, graphics, images, logos, and digital downloads—is the property of Mark Sommerset and is protected by copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or resell any content without express written permission.

2. Purchases and Payments

  • Payment Security: All financial transactions are processed securely through our third-party payment processors (Stripe/PayPal). We do not store your credit card information.

  • Pricing: We reserve the right to change prices for our products at any time without prior notice.

  • Order Rejection: We reserve the right to refuse or cancel any order for reasons including product availability, errors in product descriptions, or suspected fraudulent activity.

3. Shipping and Delivery

  • Physical Goods: Shipping times are estimates and cannot be guaranteed. Buyers are responsible for providing accurate shipping addresses and paying any applicable customs fees or import taxes.

4. Returns and Refunds

  • Physical Goods: If your book or merchandise arrives damaged or defective, please contact us at studio@sommerset.co.nz within 14 days of delivery with a photo of the damage to arrange a replacement or refund.

5. Limitation of Liability

This website and its shop items are provided on an "as is" baseline. Mark Sommerset will not be held liable for any direct, indirect, or incidental damages resulting from your use of, or inability to use, this website or the products purchased here.

6. Governing Law

These terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of New Zealand.

7. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to update or modify these Terms of Service at any time. Your continued use of the website following any changes constitutes acceptance of those new terms.

Contact Information

For questions regarding these Terms of Service, please contact us at: studio@sommerset.co.nz

That’s it! Thanks again for stopping by. I hope you enjoy your visit!

PRIVACY POLICY

Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you visit our website or purchase items from our shop.

1. Information We Collect

We only collect the minimum amount of personal information necessary to run our author platform and fulfill your store orders:

  • Order & Billing Details: When you buy a book or merchandise, we collect your name, billing address, shipping address, email address, and phone number. The phone number is only required as it is now a requirement of New Zealand post for all international orders and there is no option to turn it off for national orders.

  • Mailing List Information: If you sign up for our newsletter we collect your name and email address.

  • Device Data: Like most websites, we automatically collect basic technical data when you browse, such as your IP address, browser type, and how you navigate our site.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your data strictly to provide you with a great user experience, including:

  • Processing payments and shipping your books or merchandise.

  • Sending you author updates, book release news, and exclusive content (only if you explicitly opted-in to our newsletter).

  • Improving our website layout, shop products, and customer service.

3. Sharing Your Information

We never sell, rent, or trade your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes. We only share information with essential service providers who help us run our business:

  • Payment Gateways: Secure processors (like Stripe or PayPal) handle your financial data. We never see or store your credit card numbers.

  • E-commerce Platform: Our website is hosted by Squarespace, which securely stores order details so we can fulfill them.

  • Shipping Carriers: Your name and address are shared with postal services (like NZ Post / USPS, FedEx, or Royal Mail) strictly to deliver your packages.

  • Email Marketing: If you join our mailing list, your email is securely stored by our newsletter provider, Squarespace

4. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies to make our website work smoothly. For example, cookies allow our store to remember what items you put into your shopping cart as you browse different pages. You can choose to disable cookies in your web browser settings, though some shop features may stop working correctly.

5. Data Retention & Security

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to process your orders or manage your newsletter subscription. We use industry-standard security measures through Squarespace to keep your data safe.

6. Your Rights

Depending on where you live (such as the UK, EU, or California), you have rights regarding your personal data. You can request to view the data we have on file for you, ask us to correct inaccuracies, or request that we completely delete your information from our database at any time.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or want to update your information, please email us at: studio@sommerset.co.nz

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