1. Who we are
ZS Trader ("we", "us") operates this website. We are an independent, reader-supported product guide. We are the data controller for any personal data described in this policy. You can reach us at the email address on our contact page.
2. What we collect and why
2.1 Data stored in your browser (not sent to us)
To make the site work we save a few things in your browser's local storage. This data stays on your device, is never transmitted to our servers, and you can clear it at any time from your browser settings:
- Cart and wishlist — the IDs of products you've added or saved.
- Recent orders — the numbers of orders you placed from this browser, so the Track order page can list them.
- Recently viewed — the IDs of the last products you looked at.
- Theme preference — whether you chose light or dark mode.
- Newsletter sign-up — the email address you entered, so we can show you a confirmation. (See section 2.3.)
2.2 Analytics
If analytics is enabled on this site we use Google Analytics 4 with IP anonymisation to understand which pages and products are popular. Google Analytics sets cookies and processes usage data on Google's servers under Google's privacy policy. We do not use analytics data to identify individuals, and we do not enable advertising features or cross-site tracking. You can opt out with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on or by blocking third-party scripts.
2.3 Newsletter
When you subscribe to our newsletter your email address is used only to send you the newsletter. Every email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can also ask us to remove your address at any time. We never sell or rent email addresses.
2.4 Orders
When you place an order for one of our own products we collect your name, phone number, delivery address, email (optional), the items ordered and your payment-method choice, and store them in our order database so that we can deliver the order, contact you about it and meet our accounting obligations. Order records are kept for as long as required by tax law and then deleted. Your cart contents are stored in your browser only until you check out.
2.5 Contact form
Our contact form opens your own email application. The message is sent from your email account to ours, and we keep it only as long as needed to reply and resolve your query.
2.6 Server logs
Our hosting provider may keep standard web-server logs (IP address, browser type, pages requested, timestamps) for security and troubleshooting. These are retained for a limited period according to the provider's policy and are not used for profiling.
3. Affiliate links and AliExpress
When you click a product link you leave this site and go to AliExpress.com. Our link contains an affiliate tracking code so AliExpress can attribute any purchase to us. From that point AliExpress (Alibaba Group) is the data controller; their handling of your data is governed by the AliExpress privacy policy. AliExpress reports to us only aggregated commission data — never your name, address or what you bought.
4. Cookies
This site sets one essential cookie, used only to keep the store administrator signed in. Google Analytics (if enabled) sets cookies as described in section 2.2. Fonts are loaded from Google Fonts, which logs requests but does not set cookies. Product images may be loaded from image CDNs (such as Unsplash or AliExpress's own CDN), which see your IP address when serving the image.
5. Legal basis (GDPR / UK GDPR)
We process order data to perform the contract of sale with you (Art. 6(1)(b)) and to comply with legal obligations (Art. 6(1)(c)). We process analytics data on the basis of our legitimate interest in understanding and improving the site (Art. 6(1)(f)). We process newsletter subscriptions on the basis of your consent (Art. 6(1)(a)), which you may withdraw at any time. We process contact-form messages to respond to your request (Art. 6(1)(b) and (f)).
6. Your rights
Depending on where you live you may have the right to access, correct, delete or restrict the processing of your personal data, to object to processing, to data portability, and to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. To exercise any of these rights, contact us. We will respond within 30 days.
California residents: we do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA/CPRA, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioural advertising.
7. Children
This site is not directed at children under 16 and we do not knowingly collect personal data from them.
8. Security
The site is served over HTTPS. Order data is stored in a password-protected database that only the store administrator can access. We never store card numbers — payment is by cash on delivery, bank transfer or as agreed with you directly. For AliExpress purchases we recommend a strong, unique password and two-factor authentication on your AliExpress account.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date below will change, and significant changes will be announced on the homepage.
Last updated: 19 September 2026