Privacy Policy

Effective date: October 9, 2026
Last updated: October 9, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information Schimke Studios collects when you visit schimkestudios.com or buy from us, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. We’ve tried to keep it short and in plain English.

1. Who we are

Schimke Studios is operated by David Schimke in Wisconsin, USA. We sell digital products (Obsidian plugins and other software downloads, plus shader packs and other graphics and shader files) and offer creative and web services.

Contact for anything privacy-related: support@schimkestudios.com
Mailing address: Wisconsin, USA (street address available on request)

2. What we collect

Information you give us

  • Account details. If you create an account: your name, email address, and password. We store passwords only in hashed form and can’t read them.
  • Order and billing details. When you buy: your name, email address, and billing country, plus your billing state/region and ZIP/postal code when our checkout asks for them. We use your location to work out sales tax (see section 3). For download-only orders we don’t need your street address or phone number.
  • Payment details. Card and wallet payments are handled by our payment processors (section 4). We never see or store your full card number or security code. We receive limited information back from the processor, such as the payment method type, the last four digits, the card brand, expiry date, the transaction ID, and whether the payment went through.
  • Messages. If you use our contact form or email us: your name, email address, the service you’re asking about, and whatever you write. The contact form emails submissions to us and does not store them in the website database.
  • Support and refund requests. Your order number, email address, a description of the problem, and any screenshots you send.

Information collected automatically

  • Download records. When you download a purchased file, our store records the product, the date and time, your account or order, and the IP address used. This helps us deliver your files, help when a download fails, and spot abuse of download links.
  • Visit source for orders. Our store software (WooCommerce) uses short-lived cookies to note how you reached the site, for example a search engine, another website, or a campaign link, plus basic device and browser type. This is read only if you place an order, and it’s then saved with that order. It isn’t used to follow you across other sites.
  • Server and security logs. Like most websites, our host’s servers log technical details of each request, such as IP address, browser type, page requested, and time. The host’s security system also uses them to block bots and attacks. Sometimes it may show you a “verify you’re human” page before letting you in.
  • Chat assistant. Our site has an automated chat assistant (provided by our host, SiteGround). If you type in it, your messages and basic technical details such as your IP address and browser are processed by SiteGround and the AI service it uses to answer you. Please don’t enter payment details or other sensitive information in the chat.
  • Cookies. See section 9.

We do not knowingly collect sensitive information (such as health or financial account details beyond what’s described above), and we don’t buy personal information from data brokers.

3. Why we use it

  • To fulfill your order: process payment, deliver your download links, and send order emails and receipts.
  • To manage your license and downloads: let you download your files again from your account, and enforce our license terms (for example, revoking a license after a refund or chargeback).
  • To comply with tax and legal rules: we use your billing location (country, and state/region and ZIP/postal code when collected) to charge the right sales tax and keep the records tax authorities require.
  • To provide support: answer messages, troubleshoot problems, and handle refunds.
  • To answer questions through the chat assistant: generate replies to what you type in the chat.
  • To prevent fraud and keep the site secure: our payment processors and host use payment, device, and log data to detect fraud and block attacks.
  • To understand which channels bring in orders: using the order-source information described above.
  • To send marketing emails, only if you opt in. We do not currently send a newsletter. If that changes, we will name the tool here and require opt-in.

For visitors in the EU/UK (legal bases): we process your information to perform our contract with you (orders, downloads, support); to meet legal obligations (tax and accounting records); for our legitimate interests in running a secure, working store and understanding sales (security logs, fraud prevention, order source); and with your consent where the law requires it (for example, marketing emails, if we ever start sending them). We don’t use analytics or advertising cookies, so we don’t ask for cookie consent. You can withdraw any consent at any time.

4. Who we share it with

We share personal information with service providers that help us run the store, and only as needed for them to do that work:

  • Payment processors. These receive your payment details directly and use them under their own privacy policies:
    • WooPayments (by Automattic/WooCommerce), which is powered by Stripe. It handles card payments and the Apple Pay and Google Pay express-checkout buttons on our cart and checkout pages.
    • PayPal, for PayPal checkout.
  • Website host: SiteGround hosts our website and its databases, and provides server security and caching.
  • WooCommerce/Automattic: our store software and its connected services (for example, payment processing through WooPayments).
  • Google Fonts: our pages load typefaces from Google’s font servers. Your browser asks Google for the font files, which shares your IP address and browser details with Google.
  • Chat assistant: SiteGround’s AI chat tool, and the AI service provider it uses, process what you type in the chat in order to reply. Their own privacy terms also apply.
  • Tax authorities, courts, and law enforcement: when the law requires it, such as sales tax reporting and audits, valid legal requests, or to protect our rights, our customers, or others.
  • A buyer or successor: if the business (or the store) is sold, reorganized, or transferred to a new company we own, customer records would transfer with it under this policy.

The only outside services we use to run the store are WooCommerce, WooPayments/Stripe (including Apple Pay and Google Pay), PayPal, SiteGround (including its chat assistant), and Google Fonts. We don’t use any third-party analytics, advertising, newsletter, or tax-calculation services.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not “share” it for cross-context behavioral (targeted) advertising, as those terms are used in U.S. state privacy laws.

5. How long we keep it

  • Order, payment, and tax records: at least 4 years, because Wisconsin requires sales and use tax records to be kept for the 4-year period open to audit (Wis. Admin. Code Tax 11.92(4); Wis. Stat. 77.59(3)). We keep them longer if an audit or dispute requires it. Federal income-tax rules may also require us to keep business records for several years.
  • Account details: for as long as your account is open. If you ask us to delete your account, we delete or anonymize it, but we keep the order records described above for the required period.
  • Download records: for as long as the related order record is kept.
  • Contact and support messages: up to 2 years after the conversation ends, unless they relate to an order.
  • Chat assistant conversations: kept by SiteGround under its own retention settings; ask us and we’ll help delete yours where we can.
  • Visit-source cookies: short-lived. The order-source details saved with an order are kept with that order.
  • Server logs: for the period our host keeps them (SiteGround’s standard log retention; details available on request).

6. How we protect it

The site uses HTTPS encryption. Card details are entered into the payment processor’s secure fields and never touch our server. Admin access to the store is limited and protected by passwords, and our host runs firewall and bot protection. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information and will notify you if a breach affects you where the law requires.

7. Your choices and rights

You can:

  • See the personal information we have about you and get a copy.
  • Correct information that’s wrong. You can also update your account details in My Account at any time.
  • Delete your information or close your account. We’ll delete what we can and tell you what we have to keep by law (such as tax records).
  • Opt out of marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link or emailing us. Order and download emails aren’t marketing and will still be sent.
  • Control cookies through your browser settings (section 9).

To make a request, email support@schimkestudios.com from the address on your account or order. We may ask you to confirm your identity before acting. We’ll respond within 30 days (or sooner if a law that applies to you requires it), and we won’t treat you differently for exercising your rights.

U.S. state privacy rights: some U.S. states (for example California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and others) give residents rights to know, access, correct, delete, and opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal information. Many of these laws apply only to businesses above certain size or data-volume thresholds, which a small studio like ours may not meet. We honor these requests from anyone, wherever they live. If we deny a request, you can reply to ask us to reconsider.

EU/UK residents also have the right to object to or restrict certain processing, to data portability, and to complain to your local data protection authority.

8. Children

Our site and products are not directed to children under 13, and we don’t knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child under 13 has given us personal information, contact us and we’ll delete it.

9. Cookies

Cookies are small files stored by your browser. We use:

  • Essential cookies (always on): these keep you logged in, remember your cart, let checkout work, and protect the site. They include WordPress login cookies, WooCommerce cart and session cookies, and cookies set by our host’s security system to confirm you passed a bot check.
  • Payment cookies (checkout only): Stripe (through WooPayments) and PayPal may set their own cookies when their payment forms or buttons load, mainly to prevent fraud.
  • Order-source cookies: WooCommerce’s order attribution cookies (names starting with sbjs_) record how you arrived. They’re short-lived and are used only if you place an order.
  • Analytics or advertising cookies: none.

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. If you block essential cookies, login, cart, and checkout may not work.

Links to other sites: our pages link to other sites and platforms (such as YouTube, Etsy, Obsidian, and GitHub). Their own privacy policies apply once you leave our site.

10. International visitors

We’re based in the United States, and our host and service providers may process information in the U.S. and other countries. Data protection laws there may differ from those where you live. Where the law requires, we rely on our providers’ standard safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) for transfers out of the EU/UK.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when our store, tools, or the law changes. We’ll post the new version here with a new “Last updated” date. If the changes are significant, we’ll take reasonable steps to let customers know, such as a notice on the site or an email.

12. Contact us

Questions or requests about your privacy: support@schimkestudios.com
Schimke Studios, Wisconsin, USA