Privacy Policy

Effective Date: February 03, 2026

Formforged 3D (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) and other applicable South African laws. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website (www.ff3d.co.za), use our services, or interact with us. By accessing our website or providing us with your personal information, you consent to the practices described in this policy, subject to your rights under POPIA.

For the purposes of this policy, “personal information” has the meaning given to it in POPIA, which includes any information relating to an identifiable, living natural person or, where applicable, an identifiable existing juristic person, such as name, contact details, identification numbers, location data, online identifiers, or factors specific to physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity.

We act as the “responsible party” under POPIA and are responsible for determining the purposes and means of processing your personal information.

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, or that is necessary for us to provide our 3D printing services. This may include:

Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, postal address.
Service-Related Information: Details about your 3D printing requests, such as design files, specifications, quantities, and preferences (which may contain embedded personal information).
Payment Information: Billing details, credit card information, or bank account details (processed securely via third-party providers).
Technical Information: Automatically collected data such as IP address, browser type, device information, cookies, and usage data (e.g., pages visited, time spent on site).
Marketing Information: Preferences for newsletters or promotions if you opt-in.

We may also collect personal information from third-party sources, such as lead generation services or public databases, but only where lawful and with appropriate consents.

Providing personal information is generally voluntary; however, if you choose not to provide certain information (e.g., contact details for a quote), we may be unable to provide our services or respond to your inquiries. There are no adverse consequences beyond this limitation.

2. How We Collect Information

Directly from You: Through our website forms (e.g., contact, quote requests), emails, phone calls, or in-person interactions.
Automatically: Via cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies on our website. We use these for analytics, functionality, and targeted advertising. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings, but disabling them may affect site functionality.
From Third Parties: Service providers (e.g., payment processors like PayFast) or partners who assist with our operations.

3. Purposes for Processing Your Personal Information

We process your personal information only for specific, lawful, and explicitly defined purposes, in line with POPIA’s principles of purpose specification and processing limitation. These include:

Providing and improving our 3D printing services, including custom printing, prototyping, and production support.
Processing orders, payments, and deliveries.
Communicating with you about inquiries, quotes, updates, or support.
Marketing our services (e.g., newsletters or promotions), but only with your consent or where you have not opted out. You can withdraw consent at any time.
Analyzing website usage to enhance user experience and security.
Complying with legal obligations, such as tax reporting or dispute resolution.
Protecting our legitimate business interests, such as fraud prevention, debt recovery, or internal analytics.

We will not process your personal information for purposes incompatible with those for which it was collected without your consent. Sensitive personal information (e.g., race, health data) will only be processed with your explicit consent or as permitted by law.

4. Disclosure of Personal Information

We may share your personal information with:

Service Providers: Third parties who assist us, such as shipping companies, payment processors, IT providers, or marketing tools. These parties are contractually bound to process data only for specified purposes and in compliance with POPIA.
Affiliates and Partners: For joint services or business operations.
Legal Authorities: If required by law, court order, or to protect our rights, property, or safety.
Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, where the transferee agrees to adhere to this policy.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. Any cross-border transfers (e.g., to cloud servers outside South Africa) will comply with POPIA Section 72, using binding corporate rules, standard contractual clauses, or adequacy decisions to ensure equivalent protection.

5. Security Measures

We implement reasonable technical, organizational, and administrative safeguards to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration, in accordance with POPIA’s security safeguards principle. These include encryption, firewalls, access controls, and regular audits.

However, no system is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You acknowledge this risk when providing information to us.

6. Retention of Personal Information

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law (e.g., for tax or contractual purposes). For example:

Service records: Up to 7 years for tax compliance.
Marketing data: Until you opt out.

Once no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize the information in line with POPIA’s purpose specification.

7. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject, you have the following rights under Section 5 of POPIA:

Access: Request confirmation of whether we hold your personal information and obtain a copy (subject to reasonable fees for excessive requests).
Correction: Request updates or corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information.
Deletion: Request deletion where the information is no longer necessary, consent is withdrawn, or processing is unlawful (subject to legal retention requirements).
Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
Withdrawal of Consent: Withdraw consent at any time, without affecting prior lawful processing.
Complaints: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (details below) if you believe we have violated POPIA.
Portability: In certain cases, request your data in a portable format.

To exercise these rights, contact our Information Officer at the details below. We will respond within a reasonable time (typically 30 days) and may require identity verification.

8. Children’s Information

Our services are not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors without parental consent. If we become aware of such collection, we will delete it promptly.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of material changes via email or a prominent notice on our website. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions, requests, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact our Information Officer:

Name: FormForged 3D
Address: 17 Thring Street, Kroonstad, Free State, South Africa
Email: info@ff3d.co.za
Phone: [Insert if available]

You may also contact the Information Regulator:

Address: JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
P.O. Box: 31533, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017
Complaints Email: PAIAcomplaints@inforegulator.org.za
General Enquiries Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za

This policy is governed by South African law. We aim to resolve any disputes amicably, but you retain your rights under POPIA.