The Orient Gates (“we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect when you visit theorientgates.com, why we collect it, how we use it, and the rights you have over it. We have operations in New York, Beirut, Rome, Damascus, and we make a good-faith effort to align with GDPR, CCPA, and similar privacy frameworks regardless of where you are based.
1. Who we are
The Orient Gates is a family practice operated by the Harb family, trading in rare antiques and handcrafted mother-of-pearl furniture. For any privacy question, the data controller can be reached at info@theorientgates.com.
2. Information we collect
We collect the minimum information needed to respond to your inquiries and to operate the site:
- Contact form data: name, email, phone (optional), country, inquiry details, and any other information you choose to share. We collect this only when you submit the form on /contact.
- Cart and wishlist: the product IDs you save or add to cart are stored in your browser's localStorage. They never leave your device unless you contact us about a specific piece.
- Server logs: like every website, our hosting provider records IP address, browser type, and request URLs for security and debugging. These logs are retained for a limited period and not used to profile visitors.
- Admin sessions: if you log into the administration panel, a signed session cookie is set. This applies only to authorised staff and is not visible to public visitors.
We do not currently use third-party tracking, analytics, or advertising cookies on the public-facing site. If that changes, this policy will be updated and a cookie banner will appear.
3. How we use your information
- To respond to inquiries you initiate.
- To arrange private viewings, shipping, and authentication of pieces.
- To keep records of communications, transactions, and provenance.
- To prevent fraud and secure the site.
We do not sell your personal information. We do not use it to send marketing communications you have not requested.
4. Where your data lives
Our website is hosted by Vercel Inc. (United States). Our product catalogue and any structured data are stored in a database operated by Supabase Inc. (United States). Submitted inquiries are received by us via email and stored in our own correspondence systems.
5. Your rights
Subject to applicable law, you may:
- Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Ask us to correct or update inaccurate information.
- Ask us to delete your personal information.
- Object to or restrict certain uses of your information.
- Withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent).
To exercise any of these rights, email info@theorientgates.com. We will respond within 30 days.
6. Data retention
Inquiry correspondence is kept for as long as is reasonably necessary to respond to you and to maintain a record of the relationship — typically up to seven years for purchase-related records, in line with common commercial and tax obligations. Server logs are kept for a much shorter period (typically 30–90 days).
7. Children
Our site is not directed to children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
8. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be highlighted at the top of the page for at least 30 days after publication.
9. Contact
For any privacy question or to exercise any right described above, contact us at info@theorientgates.com.