Effective Date: 1 January 2024
Last Updated: 3 July 2026
Welcome to Stainless Charm! 🌟 We value your privacy and the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. collects, uses, stores, and protects your information when you visit our websites or use our products and services.
1. Company Information
| Legal Entity | Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. |
| Company Registration | 2025/327773/07 |
| Registered Office | George, Western Cape, South Africa |
| admin@stainlesscharm.co.za | |
| Phone / WhatsApp | +27 83 642 7973 |
| Websites | stainlesscharm.co.za | medalertsa.co.za | LIFEfolio.co.za |
Trading Names
Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. operates under the following trading names:
- Medical Alert SA
- MedAlertSA
- LIFEfolio
- PawPortal
- MediQ-R
These are “Trading As” (T/A) identifiers of Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. and are not separately registered companies. All personal information collected, stored, and processed under any of these trading names is managed solely by Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE: Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. is an independent organisation and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, MedicAlert®. Our mission is to provide high-quality alternative solutions designed to assist first responders in quickly identifying critical medical conditions during an emergency.
2. POPIA Compliance & Information Officer
Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. is registered with the Information Regulator of South Africa in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA).
| Information Officer | Paul Slater |
| Information Regulator Registration Number | 2026-002946 |
| Registration Date | 27 February 2026 |
| Appointed | 1 May 2025 |
| POPIA Contact | admin@stainlesscharm.co.za |
Our Information Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with POPIA, handling data access requests, and liaising with the Information Regulator on all privacy matters. You may direct any privacy-related queries or complaints to the Information Officer at the contact details above.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint directly with the Information Regulator:
- Website: inforegulator.org.za
- Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
- Tel: 010 023 5200 | Toll Free: 0800 017 160
3. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal information in compliance with:
- POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013) — South Africa
- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) — European Union (where applicable)
- South African common law privacy principles
Our legal bases for processing include:
- Consent: You have given explicit consent for us to process your personal information for one or more specific purposes
- Contract Performance: Processing is necessary to provide the products or services you have requested
- Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these do not override your rights
- Legal Obligation: Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation
- Vital Interests: Processing is necessary to protect your vital interests or those of another person (especially relevant for medical data)
4. What Personal Information We Collect
4.1 General Website & E-Commerce Information
- Identity Data: Full name, email address, phone number, physical address
- Transactional Data: Purchase history, payment details (processed by secure third-party payment processors — we do not store full card numbers)
- Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, device information, cookies
- Communications: Contact form submissions, support enquiries, correspondence
4.2 Medical & Health Information (Special Personal Information)
For customers using our medical alert products (QR Medi-Cards, MediQ-R™, LIFEfolio, Medical Alert bracelets), we may collect and store:
- Blood type and organ donor status
- Allergies and medication information
- Chronic conditions and medical history
- DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) status
- Emergency contact details
- Primary healthcare provider information
- Medical aid / insurance information
This information is classified as Special Personal Information under Section 26 of POPIA and is subject to heightened protection. We collect this information solely for the purpose of enabling emergency medical responders to access critical information when you are unable to communicate.
4.3 PawPortal Pet Information
For PawPortal customers, we collect pet-related information including veterinary details, vaccination records, and owner contact information for emergency identification purposes.
4.4 Medical Alert Bracelet Assessment (Online Quiz)
What it is
Medical Alert SA offers a free, educational online assessment (“Do I Need a Medical Alert Bracelet?”) on stainlesscharm.co.za. It helps you understand whether a medical alert ID or ICE (In Case of Emergency) identification may be appropriate for you. It is an educational guide only — not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for personal recommendations.
What we collect when you complete the assessment
| Data | Required? | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| First name | Yes | Personalize your Safety Report email |
| Email address | Yes | Deliver your Safety Report by email |
| Assessment answers (18 health/lifestyle questions) | Yes to complete | Generate your outcome and report content |
| Who the assessment is for (self / child / parent / spouse) | Optional | Context for follow-up |
| WhatsApp number | Optional | Only if you opt in below |
| WhatsApp community opt-in | Optional | Invite you to our MedAlert SA WhatsApp safety community |
| Source page URL | Automatic | Record where you completed the assessment |
| IP address (hashed/transient) | Automatic | Rate limiting and abuse prevention (max 5 submissions per IP per hour) |
What we do NOT permanently store
To protect your privacy, we do not keep a permanent record of your individual Yes/No/Unsure answers linked to your identity. Answers are used only at the time of submission to calculate your result and generate your email report, then discarded from our database.
What we store (minimal lead record)
For up to 12 months, we retain a minimal lead record containing: your name, email, outcome category (e.g. “Consider an ICE ID”), reason codes (short identifiers such as “D3” or “E4” — not the full text of your answers), optional WhatsApp number (only if you opted in), opt-in status, submission date, and source URL. This supports customer follow-up and internal reporting.
How we use your assessment information
- Email your personalized Safety Report (delivered to your inbox, not displayed on-screen)
- Send a minimal notification to our team (name, email, outcome, reason codes — not a full medical narrative)
- Provide a duplicate copy of your Safety Report to our admin mailbox for quality and follow-up purposes
- If you separately opt in: contact you via WhatsApp about safety tips, ICE ID products, and community updates
We do not use your assessment answers for unrelated marketing. We do not sell your data.
WhatsApp community (optional)
WhatsApp contact is never required to receive your Safety Report. We only store your WhatsApp number if you tick the separate opt-in checkbox. You may withdraw consent at any time by emailing admin@stainlesscharm.co.za.
Legal basis (POPIA)
- Consent: POPIA checkbox before we email your report; separate consent for WhatsApp community
- Legitimate interest: Fraud/abuse prevention (rate limiting)
- Health-related answers are Special Personal Information under POPIA Section 26; we limit collection to what is necessary for the educational report and minimize retention as described above.
Third-party processors
Emails are sent via our configured SMTP/email delivery service (e.g. WP Mail SMTP). Processors act on our instructions under appropriate data processing arrangements.
Your rights
You may request access, correction, or deletion of your lead record by contacting our Information Officer (Section 16). Deletion requests are subject to legal retention limits.
Important disclaimer: Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. / Medical Alert SA is not affiliated with MedicAlert®.
5. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information to:
- Process and fulfil your orders and deliver products
- Create and manage your online account and QR code profile
- Enable emergency medical responders to access your critical health information via QR code
- Communicate with you regarding orders, enquiries, and account updates
- Send service and security notifications
- Improve our website, products, and services
- Comply with legal and regulatory obligations
- Detect and prevent fraud or misuse of our services
- Send marketing communications (only with your explicit consent — you may opt out at any time)
- Deliver your free Medical Alert Bracelet Assessment Safety Report by email
- Follow up on assessment leads where you have requested contact or opted into WhatsApp
- Improve our educational content and product recommendations based on aggregated outcome trends (not individual medical histories)
We will never use your medical information for marketing purposes.
6. QR Code / Medi-Card Terms of Use
By submitting your information to be linked to a QR Code or Medi-Card product, you acknowledge and accept the following:
6.1 Emergency Access
Your QR code profile is accessible to anyone who scans your QR code, without requiring a login. This is intentional — in a medical emergency, first responders must be able to access your information immediately. By activating your QR code profile, you explicitly consent to this public accessibility of the information you have chosen to include.
6.2 Your Responsibility for Data Accuracy
You are solely responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and currency of all medical information on your profile. Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. does not independently verify, validate, or fact-check any medical information you provide. We are a storage and delivery platform, not a medical records custodian.
You must update your profile immediately if your medical information changes (new allergies, changed medications, updated conditions, altered DNR status). Failure to maintain accurate information may have serious medical consequences for which you bear full responsibility.
6.3 Security of Your QR Code
You are responsible for keeping your QR code and login credentials secure. Do not share your QR code with unauthorised individuals. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at admin@stainlesscharm.co.za.
6.4 Limitation of Liability for Medical Outcomes
Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. is not liable for any medical outcomes, complications, injuries, or adverse events resulting from:
- Inaccurate or outdated information you provided
- Failure of emergency responders to scan or access your QR code
- Technical failures beyond our reasonable control
- Misinterpretation of your data by healthcare providers
7. How We Protect Your Information
7.1 Technical Security Measures
- Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using TLS/SSL (HTTPS)
- Encryption at Rest: Medical and personal data is encrypted using AES-256 encryption — the same standard used by financial institutions
- Access Controls: Strict access controls ensure only authorised personnel can access personal data, and only for legitimate purposes
- Password Security: Strong password requirements and optional two-factor authentication (2FA) protect your account
- Secure Hosting: Data is hosted on secure infrastructure with firewall protection, intrusion detection, and regular security patching
- Regular Backups: Automated encrypted backups protect against data loss
7.2 Organisational Measures
- Staff are trained in POPIA compliance and data protection obligations
- Access to personal data is limited to staff who need it to perform their duties
- All access to sensitive data is logged and audited
- Third-party service providers who handle your data are bound by Data Processing Agreements
Important: While we implement industry-standard security measures, no digital system can be guaranteed to be completely immune from breaches. By using our services, you acknowledge that Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. cannot be held liable for damages arising from security incidents beyond our reasonable control, such as third-party cyberattacks.
8. Sharing of Your Information
8.1 We Do NOT Sell Your Data
We will never sell, rent, trade, or otherwise disclose your personal or medical information to third parties for commercial or marketing purposes.
8.2 When We May Share Your Information
We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:
- With Your Consent: When you activate your QR code profile, you consent to emergency responders accessing your medical information when scanning your code
- Service Providers: Trusted third-party companies that assist us in operating our business (cloud hosting, payment processing, email delivery). These providers are contractually bound to process data only as instructed by us and to maintain appropriate security standards
- Legal Requirements: When required to comply with a court order, subpoena, or other legal process; to comply with POPIA or other regulatory obligations; or to protect our legal rights
- Emergency Situations: When necessary to protect your vital interests or those of another person in a life-threatening situation
- Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred. You will be notified in advance and given the opportunity to exercise your rights
9. Data Retention
| Data Type | Retention Period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Customer purchase records | 10 years | Legal / tax obligation |
| Medical profile data (active account) | Duration of account + 7 years after deletion | Legal defence; medical claims may arise years later |
| Audit logs (data changes, confirmations) | Permanently | Legal defence and regulatory compliance |
| Contact form submissions | 2 years | Customer service records |
| Analytics data | 1 year | Service improvement |
| Email marketing opt-ins | Until opt-out + 3 years | Proof of consent |
| Medical Alert Assessment lead records | 12 months from submission | POPIA-minimal lead follow-up; then anonymize or delete |
| Assessment raw answers | Not retained | Processed in memory only at submission |
| Information Officer | Paul Slater |
| Company | Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. |
| admin@stainlesscharm.co.za | |
| Phone / WhatsApp | +27 83 642 7973 |
| Address | George, Western Cape, South Africa |
| Information Regulator Reg. No. | 2026-002946 |
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to the Information Regulator of South Africa:
- Website: inforegulator.org.za
- Email: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
- Tel: 010 023 5200 | Toll Free: 0800 017 160
- Address: Woodmead North Office Park, 54 Maxwell Dr, Woodmead, Johannesburg, 2191
© 2026 Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. T/A Medical Alert SA, MedAlertSA, LIFEfolio, PawPortal, MediQ-R. All rights reserved.
Stainless Charm (Pty) Ltd. is not affiliated with or endorsed by MedicAlert®.