Appalachian Cryptid is operated by Welborn Creative Studio, my sole proprietorship based in Johnson City, Tennessee. This policy explains what information I collect through the site, how I use it, and the services involved in processing it.
Shop orders
Purchases from the Appalachian Cryptid Shop are completed through a Stripe-hosted checkout page.
Stripe collects and processes payment information, including your card details and billing information. I do not receive or store your full card number.
I receive the information needed to process and support your order, which may include your name, email address, shipping address, items ordered, order total, payment status, and limited payment details.
I use this information to fulfill orders, provide customer support, issue refunds when appropriate, maintain transaction records, and meet tax or legal obligations.
Newsletter
If you subscribe to the newsletter, your email address is sent to Loops, the service I use to manage the mailing list and deliver emails.
You can unsubscribe at any time through the link included in each newsletter.
Site analytics
I use a self-hosted installation of Rybbit and Vercel Analytics to understand how the site is being used. This may include information such as pages viewed, referring sites, general browser or device information, and approximate usage patterns.
I use this information to maintain and improve the site, not to build advertising profiles about individual visitors.
Interactive map
The interactive map uses Mapbox GL JS. When the map loads, your browser connects to Mapbox and may send information such as your IP address and technical request data. Mapbox processes that information under its own privacy policy.
Messages and optional submissions
If you email me, request shop support, or submit information through a site form, I receive the information you choose to provide.
The optional sighting form may collect an account of the reported encounter and any name, email address, date, time, location, or other details you choose to include. Submissions are stored in Sanity and reviewed before anything is published. Identifying information may be removed before publication.
Protected forms may use Vercel BotID to identify and block automated submissions.
How I use information
I use collected information only as reasonably necessary to:
- operate and maintain the site;
- process and support shop orders;
- send newsletters you requested;
- respond to messages and requests;
- review optional submissions;
- understand general site usage;
- prevent spam, fraud, and technical abuse;
- comply with legal, tax, or recordkeeping obligations.
Service providers
Information may be processed by services that perform specific functions for the site, including:
- Stripe for checkout and payment processing;
- Loops for newsletter delivery;
- Sanity for site content and optional submissions;
- Vercel for site hosting, analytics, and bot protection;
- Mapbox for the interactive map.
These services process information under their own terms and privacy policies.
What I do not do
I do not sell your personal information.
I do not use sighting submissions for purposes unrelated to reviewing, editing, or potentially publishing them.
I do not currently use third-party behavioral advertising trackers on the site.
Retention
I keep information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including order support, tax and accounting records, site operations, or legal obligations.
Newsletter information remains on the mailing list until you unsubscribe or ask for it to be removed.
Your choices
You may ask to access, correct, or delete personal information you have submitted by emailing dispatch@appalachiancryptid.com.
Some transaction records may need to be retained for tax, accounting, fraud-prevention, or legal purposes even after a deletion request.
Children’s privacy
Appalachian Cryptid is not directed to children under 13, and I do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
Changes
I may update this policy when the site, shop, or services change. The current revision date will appear at the top of this page.
Contact
Privacy questions and requests can be sent to: