Privacy Policy
Last updated: 24 July 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how Formforged (Pty) Ltd, registration number 2026/542800/07, collects, uses, stores and shares personal information when you:
- Visit or use our website;
- Create an account;
- Purchase products;
- Request a quotation;
- Submit equipment for repair;
- Use our 3D-printing or design services; or
- Otherwise communicate with us.
For purposes of this policy, “Formforged”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Formforged (Pty) Ltd and its trading divisions, Formforged 3D and Formforged Tech.
We process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) and other applicable South African laws. POPIA applies to the processing of personal information by public and private bodies and sets minimum requirements for lawful processing.
By using our website or services, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
1. Personal information we collect
The information we collect depends on how you interact with us and may include:
Contact information
- Full name;
- Email address;
- Telephone or WhatsApp number;
- Billing address;
- Delivery address; and
- Company details, where applicable.
Order and account information
- Products purchased or viewed;
- Shopping-cart and wishlist information;
- Order history;
- Account username and encrypted password;
- Delivery instructions;
- Returns and warranty information; and
- Communications relating to an order.
Payment information
Payment providers may collect information required to process your payment, including card, bank-account and billing information.
Formforged will generally receive payment confirmation, transaction references and limited payment information rather than your complete payment-card details.
Formforged 3D information
When you request 3D-printing or design services, we may collect:
- STL, STEP, OBJ and other design files;
- Drawings, images and reference material;
- Measurements and specifications;
- Names, logos or text used for personalisation;
- Material and colour selections; and
- Information about the intended use of the product.
Formforged Tech information
When equipment is submitted for inspection or repair, we may collect:
- Equipment make, model and serial number;
- Fault descriptions and diagnostic information;
- Warranty and proof-of-purchase information;
- Software and operating-system details;
- Login details voluntarily supplied for testing; and
- Information stored on or accessible through the equipment where reasonably necessary to perform the requested service.
We do not intentionally access personal files on repaired devices unless reasonably necessary to diagnose, test or complete the authorised work.
Customers should back up important information and remove confidential information before submitting equipment wherever reasonably possible.
Customer-support information
We collect information you provide when contacting us by email, telephone, WhatsApp, website forms, social media or other communication channels.
2. Information collected automatically
When you use our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:
- IP address;
- Browser type;
- Device type;
- Operating system;
- Pages viewed;
- Referring website;
- Date and time of visits;
- Shopping-cart activity; and
- Website interaction information.
This information may be collected through cookies, server logs and similar technologies.
3. Information obtained from third parties
We may receive information from third parties that assist us with our business, including:
- Payment providers;
- Couriers;
- Distributors and manufacturers;
- Warranty and repair centres;
- Website-hosting providers;
- WooCommerce and WordPress service providers;
- Analytics providers;
- Advertising platforms; and
- Social-media platforms.
Information received from third parties will be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.
4. How we use personal information
We may use personal information to:
- Process and fulfil orders;
- Confirm and process payments;
- Arrange delivery or collection;
- Create and manage customer accounts;
- Prepare quotations and invoices;
- Provide 3D-printing and design services;
- Diagnose, repair and test technical equipment;
- Process returns, refunds and warranty claims;
- Communicate about orders, services and enquiries;
- Provide customer support;
- Verify customer identity where necessary;
- Detect and prevent fraudulent or unlawful activity;
- Improve our products, services and website;
- Maintain accounting, tax and business records;
- Enforce our Terms and Conditions;
- Protect our rights, customers and systems; and
- Comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations.
We will only use personal information for a compatible purpose or where another lawful basis permits its use.
5. Marketing communications
We may send you information about Formforged products, services and promotions where:
- You have consented to receive marketing;
- You are an existing customer and the communication is permitted by law; or
- Another lawful basis applies.
You may unsubscribe at any time by:
- Using the unsubscribe option included in the message; or
- Contacting us using the details at the end of this policy.
Unsubscribing from marketing will not prevent us from sending necessary communications about existing orders, accounts, repairs, warranties or transactions.
The Information Regulator has published guidance concerning direct marketing and the use of personal information for unsolicited electronic communications under POPIA.
6. Cookies
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Operate the shopping cart and checkout;
- Keep you signed into your account;
- Remember preferences;
- Maintain website security;
- Understand how visitors use the website;
- Improve website performance; and
- Support advertising or marketing services where enabled.
Some cookies are necessary for the website and online store to function. Other cookies may be used for analytics or marketing.
You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings or our cookie-consent tools where available. Blocking essential cookies may prevent parts of the website, shopping cart or checkout from working correctly.
7. How we share personal information
We may share relevant personal information with third parties where reasonably necessary to operate our business or provide the requested service.
These parties may include:
Payment providers
To process payments, refunds and fraud checks.
Couriers and delivery providers
To collect or deliver products and provide delivery updates.
Distributors and manufacturers
To order products, confirm stock, register warranties and process product-support or warranty claims.
Repair and warranty centres
To assess, repair or replace products covered by a warranty or service agreement.
Website and technology providers
To host, secure, maintain and operate our website, email, online store and business systems.
Professional advisers
Including accountants, auditors, insurers and legal advisers where reasonably necessary.
Authorities
We may disclose information where required by law, court order or a lawful request from a regulator, law-enforcement agency or other authorised body.
We do not sell customers’ personal information.
8. International processing
Some website, cloud, payment, analytics or technology providers may process information outside South Africa.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that it is protected through appropriate contractual, legal or security safeguards as required by applicable law.
9. Customer files and intellectual property
Files, designs, photographs, logos, measurements and other materials supplied for 3D-printing or design work will be used only as reasonably necessary to:
- Prepare quotations;
- Assess manufacturability;
- Complete the requested design or production work;
- Communicate with the customer; and
- Maintain necessary business and transaction records.
We will not knowingly publish customer-supplied confidential designs without permission.
Customers should clearly inform us before submission where a file or design is confidential or commercially sensitive.
10. Information contained on repaired devices
Computers, laptops, printers and storage devices may contain personal, confidential or business information.
Formforged Tech will take reasonable measures to avoid accessing information unrelated to the authorised service. However, access to certain system information, user accounts, files or settings may be necessary to diagnose or test the device.
Customers are responsible for:
- Backing up important information;
- Removing highly confidential information where possible;
- Providing only the access credentials reasonably required; and
- Informing us of special confidentiality requirements before work begins.
Any access credentials provided for a repair will be used only for the authorised service and should be changed by the customer after the equipment is returned.
11. Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against:
- Loss;
- Unauthorised access;
- Misuse;
- Destruction;
- Alteration; and
- Unlawful disclosure.
These measures may include access controls, passwords, encryption, secure payment providers, security software and restricted access to customer information.
No electronic transmission or storage system is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security.
Where a qualifying security compromise occurs, Formforged will take reasonable steps to contain and investigate it and will provide notifications where required by POPIA. The Information Regulator’s guidance requires affected data subjects and the Regulator to be notified where the statutory requirements are met.
12. Retention of personal information
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to:
- Complete the purpose for which it was collected;
- Maintain customer, warranty and transaction records;
- Meet accounting and tax requirements;
- Resolve disputes;
- Prevent fraud;
- Enforce agreements; and
- Comply with applicable law.
When information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to delete, destroy or de-identify it.
13. Children’s information
Our online store and services are not specifically directed at children.
We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children without the consent of a competent person or another lawful basis.
A parent or guardian who believes that a child has provided personal information without appropriate consent may contact us to request that the information be reviewed or deleted.
14. Your rights
Subject to POPIA and other applicable laws, you may have the right to:
- Ask whether we hold personal information about you;
- Request access to your personal information;
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
- Request deletion or destruction where Formforged is no longer authorised to retain the information;
- Object to certain processing;
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
- Object to direct marketing;
- Request that we stop sending marketing communications; and
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator.
The Information Regulator provides prescribed forms for objections and requests for the correction or deletion of personal information.
We may request reasonable proof of identity before granting access to, correcting or deleting information.
Some requests may be declined where Formforged is legally required or entitled to retain or process the information.
15. Public reviews and user content
Reviews, comments or photographs submitted to a public section of our website or social-media pages may be visible to other users.
Please do not include confidential or sensitive personal information in public reviews or comments.
Where you submit a review for publication, you permit Formforged to display and moderate that content in accordance with our Terms and Conditions.
16. Third-party websites
Our website may contain links to websites operated by manufacturers, distributors, payment providers, couriers or other third parties.
We do not control the privacy or security practices of those websites. You should review their privacy policies before providing personal information to them.
17. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to:
- Our website or services;
- The technologies we use;
- Our business operations; or
- Applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
The updated policy will be published on our website with a revised “Last updated” date.
18. Contact details
Questions, objections and requests concerning personal information may be directed to:
Formforged (Pty) Ltd
Registration number: 2026/542800/07
Privacy contact: Ben Staples
Email: ben@formforgedsa.co.za
Telephone: 076 806 1576
Physical address: 17 Thring Street, Kroonstad, Free State, 9499, South Africa
Website: formforgedsa.co.za
Division-specific enquiries may also be sent to:
Formforged Tech: tech@formforgedsa.co.za
Formforged 3D: 3d@formforged.co.za
Please use “Privacy Request” as the email subject.