Data Retention Policy
Effective date: October 10, 2026 · Version 1M
This policy describes the intended retention periods for categories of information associated with Ridgestone Research Labs (“Ridgestone,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). Retention depends on the features actually used, applicable law, and legitimate recordkeeping needs. This policy should be reviewed against the live systems and vendors before publication.
1. Principles
- Minimize: collect information reasonably needed for stated purposes.
- Justify: retain information for legal, contractual, security, or operational reasons.
- Expire: when the applicable period ends, delete or de-identify information where reasonably practicable and legally permitted.
- Restrict: restrict access to sensitive information according to actual system permissions and security controls.
2. Retention schedule
| Data category | Retention period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Account profile | Life of account + up to 30 days after verified deletion request, unless retention is required | Account access and request handling |
| Authentication records | 90 days, where collected | Security and fraud detection |
| Order records | 7 years where needed for tax/accounting records | Legal and financial recordkeeping |
| Payment metadata | Up to 7 years where retained and needed for reconciliation or disputes | Accounting and chargebacks |
| Full card numbers, CVV, bank credentials | Ridgestone does not intend to store these; payment provider handles payment fields | Payment security |
| Shipping and tracking records | Up to 2 years, where retained | Customer service and carrier claims |
| Affiliate tax forms and payout records | Relationship duration plus up to 4 years after final payout, or longer if required by law | Tax and audit needs |
| Affiliate commission ledgers | Up to 7 years where applicable | Tax and reconciliation |
| Discount-code redemption records | Up to 3 years, where collected | Fraud review and attribution |
| Cart recovery records and tokens | Up to 30 days, where this feature is enabled | Cart recovery |
| Support tickets and chat | Up to 3 years after closure, where retained | Quality and dispute handling |
| Marketing subscription and suppression records | Until unsubscribe, plus up to 2 years on a suppression list where needed | Honor opt-outs and compliance |
| Cookie consent records | Up to 24 months, where collected | Consent records |
| Server access logs | Up to 30 days, where available | Security investigations |
| Function/audit logs | Up to 90 days, where available | Incident response |
| Encrypted backups | Target rolling window of up to 35 days, subject to actual backup configuration | Disaster recovery |
3. Account deletion
Submit a verified request by email. We will review it and delete or de-identify eligible profile information where reasonably practicable. Transaction, tax, security, and dispute records may be retained for the applicable periods when required or permitted by law. We cannot promise that every record will be anonymized within 48 hours; timing depends on the systems involved and legal requirements. You may ask us to restrict or freeze account access where that option is available.
4. Backups and de-identification
Deletion from active systems may not immediately remove copies in protected backups. Backup copies are removed through the applicable rotation process. Where appropriate, direct identifiers may be removed or transformed when records must be retained for analytics, security, or legal reasons.
5. Public and internal data
We aim to expose only information needed for the relevant public website function. The exact fields visible in storefronts, receipts, shipping labels, discount tools, and any partner features depend on the production implementation and should be checked before launch. Do not submit sensitive information through public forms.
6. Requests and verification
Email ridgestonehelp@gmail.com. We may verify your identity using the email address associated with the request or other reasonable means. We aim to respond within 30 days, subject to applicable law and any permitted extension with notice.
7. Changes
Material changes will be posted on this page with a revised effective date.
Contact: Ridgestone Research Labs · ridgestonehelp@gmail.com