Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how NovaMentra ("NovaMentra," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and protects information when you visit https://novamentra.com (the "Site") or register for a class, masterclass, or course we offer (collectively, the "Services"). By using the Site or Services, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

Information you provide directly: When you register for a class, contact us, or subscribe to our newsletter, we collect information such as your name, email address, phone number, the class(es) you're interested in, and any message or notes you choose to include.
Automatically collected information: Like most websites, our server and hosting provider may log standard technical information such as your IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and timestamps, for security and operational purposes.
Messages: If you write to a tutor — or a tutor writes to you — through the Site, we store the conversation so you can both read it. It is private to the two of you, but members of our staff can read it if a problem is reported or where needed to keep people safe, and may remove messages that break our Terms.
Account recovery: If you ask us to move your account to a new e-mail address, we keep what you tell us (your names, the two addresses, your phone number if you give one, and the details you give us to show the account is yours) together with our decision, and delete it a year after the request is decided. Backup sign-in codes, if you make them, are stored only as one-way hashes — we cannot read them.
Tutor applications: If you apply to become a tutor, we keep what you write (your name, e-mail address, phone number if you give one, what you teach, your About text, your qualifications and experience, and a link if you add one), the photo you upload, the messages between you and our team about the application, and our decision, so our team can review it. Your photo is private — only you and our team can see it — until you are approved; location data inside the picture is removed when it is saved. An application that is never confirmed is deleted after 30 days, one that is waiting for your changes after 60 days, and a decided one a year after the decision, each together with its photo; if you are approved, the profile details and the photo become your tutor profile, which you can edit or ask us to remove at any time.
Local browser storage: We use your browser's local storage to remember your light/dark theme preference. This information stays on your device and is never transmitted to us.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Process and confirm class registrations and communicate with you about them, including processing payments through PayPal and sending payment confirmations;
Respond to inquiries submitted through our contact form;
Deliver messages between students and tutors, and check an account-recovery request against the account it concerns;
Send newsletter emails to people who opt in and confirm their address — announcements of new classes and articles (limited to the class formats you choose to follow) and an optional weekly digest — which you can adjust or stop at any time using the preferences and unsubscribe links in every message;
Send you service emails about classes you are registered for, such as reminders shortly before a class starts and a single follow-up if a paid seat was started but not completed (you can turn class reminders off in My Account), and email tutors about the classes they teach;
Improve our Services, classes, and Site experience;
Maintain the security and integrity of our Site, including detecting and preventing spam or fraudulent submissions (our forms use a hidden field and a short automatic check that runs in your browser on our own pages — it does not send your information to another company);
Comply with applicable legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

3. How We Share Information

We do not share your personal information with third parties except in the following limited circumstances:

Service providers: We may share information with vendors who help us operate the Site and Services, such as our web hosting provider, email delivery infrastructure, and PayPal, which processes payments for paid classes (PayPal receives the information needed to complete your payment, and we do not see or store your card or PayPal login details). These providers are only permitted to use your information as needed to provide services to us.
Instructors: If you register for a specific class, the assigned instructor sees your first name and the first letter of your last name, the class, and whether your seat is confirmed — enough to teach you. Your e-mail address and phone number are not shared with them; you and your instructor write to each other through Messages on the Site, and either of you can stop that conversation.
Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law, or in good faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with legal process, protect our rights, or protect the safety of our users or the public.
Business transfers: If NovaMentra is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to standard confidentiality protections.

4. Cookies & Similar Technologies

We keep what the Site stores on your device to a minimum. It falls into two groups:

Essential (always on): a session cookie that keeps you signed in and protects forms against forgery (it is removed when you close your browser), a small cookie that remembers your answer to the cookie question below, and your light/dark theme preference in your browser's local storage. The Site cannot work without the first of these, and none of them is used to track you.
Analytics (only if you allow it): to understand which pages are visited and where visitors give up, we may use Google Analytics. It loads only after you choose "Allow analytics" in the cookie bar — until then nothing from Google is requested and no analytics cookie is set. If you allow it, Google Analytics sets cookies named _ga and _ga_… (they last up to two years) and receives technical details such as your browser, device and approximate location (worked out by Google from your IP address), the pages you view and whether a registration was completed. You can change your mind at any time with "Cookie settings" in the footer or the box at the end of this page; choosing "No thanks" removes those cookies again, and the Site works exactly the same either way.

We do not use advertising or retargeting cookies, and we do not sell information collected through cookies. Outside services are part of how pages are built: fonts are fetched from Google Fonts (so Google's servers see your IP address when a page loads); on the checkout page PayPal's own payment buttons load and are governed by PayPal's privacy statement; and, where it is switched on, the forms that anyone can reach (sign-up, log-in, contact, account recovery and the newsletter box) use Cloudflare Turnstile to tell people from automated programs. Turnstile's script is requested only when you first touch one of those forms, not when a page loads; Cloudflare receives your IP address and some technical details about your browser to reach its decision, and Cloudflare's own privacy policy applies. It is a security measure, not advertising, and we do not use it to track you. If a browser cannot run it, the Site uses a built-in check instead. If we ever start using another cookie, we will update this policy first.

5. Children's Privacy

Our Services are intended for use by students, parents, and professionals, and registration is intended to be completed by an adult (18 years or older), including when registering a minor for a class. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 without the involvement of a parent or guardian. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information without appropriate parental consent, please contact us at info@novamentra.com so we can address it promptly.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, including maintaining business records, complying with legal obligations, resolving disputes, and enforcing our agreements. Registration and billing-related records may be retained longer to comply with standard recordkeeping and tax requirements.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your state of residence, you may have rights regarding your personal information, including the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of the personal information we hold about you, and the right to opt out of certain uses of your information. California residents may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@novamentra.com, and we will respond within a reasonable timeframe.

8. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites (such as video conferencing platforms used for online classes). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third-party sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies directly.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. Continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

NovaMentra
123 Main Street, West Columbia, South Carolina 29170
United States
Email: info@novamentra.com