Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

We are HOUSE OF WORD, incorporated under the Bangladeshi Companies Act (Act XVIII) of 1994, with the Trade Lic. No: 1230041703 and TIN: 166988939871. At HOUSE OF WORD, we are deeply committed to safeguarding the privacy of your personal information. As a leading IELTS training and study abroad platform, we understand the importance of protecting the data you entrust to us. This Privacy Policy outlines how HOUSE OF WORD (referred to as "We," "Us," "Our") collects, uses, protects, and shares your information when you access or use our website (henceforth "the Website") and our related services, including our IELTS courses, mock tests, and study abroad counselling.

By accessing or using the Website and our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, you must not use our Website or services.

For any questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at info.houseofword@gmail.com.



1. DEFINITIONS

  • "We," "Us," "Our" - Refers to HOUSE OF WORD, the creators and providers of this Privacy Policy and the Website.

  • "You," "Your," "Yourself," "User" - Refers to any natural or legal individual who accesses or uses the Website and our services.

  • "Website" - Refers to the official website of HOUSE OF WORD.

  • "Personal Information" - Refers to any information that identifies, relates to, describes, or is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular user. This includes, but is not limited to, your name, address, email address, phone number, academic history, payment details, and other contact or identifying details.

  • "Third Parties" - Refers to any website, company, individual, or entity other than the User and HOUSE OF WORD.



2. OVERVIEW OF INFORMATION COLLECTION

We prioritize your privacy and acknowledge the need to preserve and handle your personal information responsibly. This policy applies to information collected from all users, including those who register for our services and those who simply browse the Website. We collect information necessary to provide our services efficiently and to enhance your experience.



3. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We collect information through two primary methods:

  • Information You Provide to Us: When you register for our services, apply for a course, book a mock test, engage in study abroad counselling, or contact us for support, you may provide us with Personal Information. This typically includes:


    • Contact and Profile Information: Your name, age, email address, physical address, phone number, password, and educational interests.

    • Application-Related Information: Details about your academic background, qualifications, test scores (if any), financial information (for scholarship applications or loan guidance, if applicable), and preferred universities/courses.

    • Transaction Information: Details related to purchases of courses, mock tests, or other paid services.

    • Communication Information: Content of your communications with us when you seek help or participate in discussions.

    • Course Engagement: Information you provide when taking tests, submitting assignments, or interacting with course materials.



  • Information We Collect Automatically (Usage Data): When you visit our Website, certain information may be collected automatically to improve functionality and understand user behavior. This includes:


    • Device Information: Type of device you use, unique device ID, operating system, browser type.

    • IP Address: Used for diagnostics, website administration, and to gather broad demographic information.

    • Browse Information: Pages viewed, duration of visits, navigation paths, and interactions with our Website features.

    • Course Progress Data: Within our learning platforms, we may collect data on your course progress, including completed videos, quizzes, assignments, and mock test attempts/results.

    • Location Data: General geographical location inferred from your IP address, not a precise GPS location.



4. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We use the collected information for various purposes to provide and improve our services, including:

  • To Provide and Manage Services: Delivering your chosen IELTS courses, mock tests, study abroad counselling, and managing your account. This includes tracking your course progress and results.

  • To Personalize User Experience: Customizing content, recommending relevant courses or universities, and improving Website functionality based on your interactions.

  • For Communication: Sending essential service-related notifications, updates, and responding to your inquiries. With your consent, we may also send promotional emails about new courses, special offers, or relevant news.

  • For Internal Operations: Analyzing usage patterns, troubleshooting technical issues, improving our content and service offerings, and enhancing the security of our Website.

  • For Admissions and Partnership Facilitation: With your explicit consent, we may share relevant portions of your profile and application information with our partner universities and educational institutions to facilitate your study abroad applications.



5. DATA SECURITY

We consider your data a valuable asset and implement robust security measures to protect your Personal Information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our security practices include:

  • Encryption: Using industry-standard encryption and security protocols (e.g., SSL/TLS) to secure data during transmission.

  • Access Controls: Restricting access to your Personal Information to only authorized personnel who are required to maintain strict confidentiality.

  • Regular Audits: Periodically reviewing our security practices to ensure compliance and effectiveness.

While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. You also acknowledge that any security lapse outside our standard security procedures is at your own risk. We advise against sharing sensitive financial information (like credit card numbers) directly through unencrypted public communication channels on the Website.



6. SHARING YOUR INFORMATION

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

  • Service Providers: We engage trusted third-party service providers to perform functions on our behalf, such as payment processing, data analytics, cloud hosting, email delivery, and customer support. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and are only authorized to use it for the specific purposes for which we disclose it to them.

  • University Partners: For study abroad services, and with your explicit consent, we may share necessary application-related data with universities, colleges, and other educational institutions for admissions purposes.

  • Legal Compliance and Protection: We may disclose your information when required by law, court order, or governmental regulation, or if we believe it is necessary to enforce our site policies, protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others, or in cases of suspected fraud or illegal activities.

  • Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your Personal Information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you via email or a prominent notice on our Website if such a transfer occurs and your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

We do not sell or rent your Personal Information to third parties for their marketing purposes without your explicit consent.



7. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

We use "cookies" and similar tracking technologies on our Website to enhance your experience. Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help us:

  • Provide Customized Services: Remember your preferences and login details, and deliver personalized content.

  • Analyze Website Usage: Understand how you interact with our Website, track user behavior, and improve our services.

  • Deliver Targeted Advertising: Work with third-party providers (e.g., Google) to serve ads based on your interests.

You have the option to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser settings to decline cookies if you prefer. However, this may prevent you from fully utilizing the Website. You can typically opt out of interest-based advertising by visiting the third-party provider's website or industry-specific opt-out pages.



8. EXTERNAL LINKS ON WEBSITE

Our Website may contain hyperlinks to other websites, content, or resources provided by third parties. We do not control these external websites or resources and are not responsible for their content, privacy practices, or any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party website you visit to understand their information collection and usage practices.



9. YOUR CHOICES AND RIGHTS

You have certain rights regarding your Personal Information:

  • Access and Update: You can access, review, and edit much of your Personal Information by logging into your account settings on the Website. If you need assistance with this, please contact us.

  • Opt-Out of Marketing: You have the option to opt out of receiving promotional communications from us by following the unsubscribe instructions provided in our emails or by contacting us directly.

  • Data Retention: We will retain your Personal Information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Please note that due to technical and legal constraints, including backups, it may not be possible to completely remove all historical data from our systems immediately upon request.



10. CHILDREN’S PRIVACY

Our services are not directed at individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under 13 years of age. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with Personal Information, please contact us at info.houseofword@gmail.com so that we can take appropriate action to remove such information and terminate the child's account.



11. DISCLAIMER

While we strive to protect your privacy, you should be aware that we can't guarantee the absolute privacy of your online communications and other Personal Information. Factors beyond our reasonable control, such as unlawful interception by third parties or misuse of information by other users, may occur. You, as a user of this Website, acknowledge and accept that you assume all responsibility and risk for your actions on this Website and the Internet.



12. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time without prior notice. We will notify you of any changes by posting the revised policy on our Website with a new "Effective Date." Your continued use of our Website and services after any changes are made constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. We strongly advise you to review this policy periodically for any amendments.



13. CONTACT US

If you have any questions, concerns, suggestions, or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please do not hesitate to contact us at:

Email: info.houseofword@gmail.com