Privacy Policy

1. Who this policy covers

This policy applies to visitors of santhoshswamiji.com, people who contact Santhosh Swamiji or Om Sri Amma Jyothishalayam, prospective and existing customers, people who ask about Astrology, Vastu, Prashna Shastra, Kundali/Horoscope Analysis or related services, and people who communicate with the practice by phone, WhatsApp, email, video consultation or another channel made available by the practice.

In this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Santhosh Swamiji / Om Sri Amma Jyothishalayam as the practice presented on this website. The business foundation document identifies the trading name, but does not fully confirm the legal constitution, registered legal name, registered office or the individual/entity that will be named as the data fiduciary/controller in formal legal notices. Those details must be verified and inserted where legally required.

This policy concerns personal information. It does not replace service terms, payment terms, cancellation/refund conditions or the separate disclaimer explaining the nature and limits of traditional astrology and spiritual guidance.

2. Information we may collect

The information involved depends on the service you request and the channel you use. It may include the following categories where relevant and voluntarily supplied or otherwise lawfully obtained:

2.1 Contact and identity details

• Full name;
• mobile number and/or WhatsApp number;
• email address;
• gender, where requested and relevant to the consultation;
• preferred language or communication channel, if provided.

2.2 Birth and astrology-related details

• date of birth;
• exact time of birth, if known and supplied;
• place of birth, including city, state and country;
• other details you choose to share that are relevant to the requested consultation.

2.3 Enquiry, appointment and consultation details

• the service you ask about and your stated consultation purpose;
• the main question, concern or issue you describe;
• whether the appointment is a first visit or follow-up;
• preferred consultation mode, date and time;
• appointment confirmation, attendance, reminder and follow-up information;
• messages, documents or other information you choose to send in connection with the enquiry or service.

2.4 Payment and administrative information

We may need to record the service fee communicated to you, amount and date paid, payment status, transaction/reference number, refund or adjustment status, and records needed to reconcile payments and maintain business accounts. We do not need your UPI PIN, card PIN, banking password, one-time password (OTP) or other authentication secret. Never send these secrets to us.

2.5 Technical and usage information

Depending on the website hosting, security, analytics and other tools actually enabled, technical providers may process information such as IP address, browser and device characteristics, pages requested, timestamps, referral information, error logs and security events. The precise tools and data collected have not been confirmed in the business foundation document. This policy must be updated if the actual website uses analytics, advertising pixels, non-essential cookies, embedded media or similar technologies.

3. Birth details and consultation information deserve particular care

Birth details and the personal concerns you share may reveal intimate aspects of your life, relationships, family, employment, finances or property. We ask that you provide only information reasonably necessary for the consultation you choose. Please do not send identity documents, financial credentials, medical records or unrelated sensitive documents unless we have explained why they are required and you have chosen to provide them.

Consultation information may be used to understand the question, prepare for or conduct the requested session, communicate about the appointment, and provide relevant follow-up. We do not intend to use private consultation details as public testimonials, case studies, social-media posts or promotional material without a separate, specific and appropriate permission where required by law.

If you provide information about another person—for example, a family member or prospective spouse—please ensure you have the authority or other lawful basis to share it. Avoid sharing unnecessary identifying details about that person. We may decline to process information where the basis for sharing is unclear or the request is inappropriate.

4. How information is collected

Information may be collected when you fill in a form (if one is available), contact us by phone, WhatsApp or email, request a consultation, choose a service, discuss an appointment, make a payment, participate in a phone/video/in-person consultation, or request follow-up assistance. Information may also be generated as part of appointment coordination, payment reconciliation, website security or legal record-keeping.

The documented customer journey is: service selection → appointment selection → customer details → birth details, where relevant → payment → payment confirmation → appointment confirmation → reminders → consultation → guidance and any relevant follow-up. The actual booking and recordkeeping systems may be manual or digital; the business foundation document does not confirm a particular database, CRM, spreadsheet, booking application or storage location.

Where information is requested directly from you, we should explain which fields are required for the service and which are optional. If a detail is necessary to provide a requested service and you choose not to provide it, we may be unable to complete that service or may need to discuss an alternative with you.

5. Purposes for which information may be used

Subject to applicable law and the choices available to you, information may be used for these limited purposes:

• responding to enquiries and explaining relevant services;
• understanding your consultation request and determining the appropriate appointment arrangements;
• scheduling, confirming, rescheduling or cancelling appointments;
• conducting the consultation and providing the requested guidance;
• sending appointment reminders, payment confirmations and service-related messages;
• providing follow-up communications you request or that are reasonably connected to the service;
• processing, verifying, reconciling or documenting payments and refunds;
• maintaining appropriate accounting, operational and customer-service records;
• protecting the website, communications and business against fraud, misuse, unauthorised access or security incidents;
• responding to requests, disputes, complaints or legal obligations;
• improving service administration and systems in a way consistent with applicable law and this policy.

We should not use personal information for a materially different purpose without providing any notice or obtaining any consent required by applicable law. We do not offer or sell customers’ personal information as a product. Any future advertising, profiling, automated decision-making or unrelated secondary use must be assessed separately and disclosed before it is introduced where required.

6. Appointments, reminders and follow-ups

The business foundation document describes appointment-based consultations, a typical consultation duration of approximately one hour, full consultation-fee payment at booking, appointment confirmations, reminders and possible post-consultation follow-up. Actual service availability, timing and payment conditions should be confirmed for your specific booking.

Appointment communications may include a confirmation, requested date/time, selected mode, payment status, a reminder before the appointment, a reminder on the appointment day and a relevant follow-up. The documented operating plan refers to a reminder three days before an appointment and reminders on the appointment day; the actual channel, automation and frequency must be verified before implementation. You may ask us to correct an appointment detail or stop optional follow-up communications, subject to messages necessary to administer an appointment or meet legal obligations.

We will aim to avoid including unnecessary birth details or private consultation concerns in reminder messages. Please tell us if a shared device, family phone or email account creates a confidentiality concern, and nominate a safer communication channel where feasible.

7. Payments and transaction records

The business foundation document identifies UPI, Google Pay, PhonePe and bank transfer as payment methods. The exact payment method available for a particular booking will be communicated to you. The document also notes that a website-integrated online payment facility and final payment-gateway configuration were not confirmed. Accordingly, this policy does not claim that a particular gateway or website payment integration is currently active.

Where a payment service provider is used, it may collect and process transaction information under its own terms and privacy policy. Please review the provider’s notice before entering payment details. We may receive limited information such as payment status, amount, date, transaction reference and payer details needed to identify the payment. Card or bank credentials should be entered only into the relevant payment provider’s secure interface, not sent in a chat message.

Payment and refund records may be retained as necessary for accounting, tax, reconciliation, dispute handling and other lawful purposes. Appointment fees, cancellation windows, refund eligibility, deductions and processing times must be clearly communicated before payment and are governed by the relevant service and cancellation/refund terms, subject to non-excludable legal rights.

8. WhatsApp, phone, email and video consultations

Phone, WhatsApp and video consultation are documented communication modes. If you choose one of these channels, the relevant platform or telecom provider may process metadata and content according to its own policies, infrastructure and applicable law. Messages may remain on your device, in your email account, in platform backups or with a service provider according to settings outside our control.

Do not assume that a messaging or video platform provides end-to-end confidentiality in every circumstance. Check your own device privacy, account access and notification settings. We will not ask you to send passwords, PINs or OTPs. If a channel is unsuitable for sensitive information, ask about another available method before sharing it.

We may use the contact channel you supply to reply to your enquiry and manage the appointment. If the practice introduces WhatsApp Business automation, CRM messaging, call recording, session recording, transcription or AI-assisted processing, it must assess the privacy implications, provide any required notice and obtain consent where required. The foundation document describes some of these as future implementation areas; it does not establish that recording or automated processing is currently active. This policy does not state that consultations are recorded.

9. Cookies, website logs and similar technologies

Essential technical functions may require limited data processing by the website host or infrastructure provider. Cookies or similar technologies may also be used for preferences, security, performance measurement or other purposes if those tools are enabled. The exact hosting provider, analytics configuration, cookie inventory and retention settings have not been confirmed in the business foundation document.

Before any non-essential analytics, advertising or tracking technology is enabled, the website operator should identify the technology, document its purpose, update this policy and cookie notice, and obtain consent or provide controls where applicable law requires. Browser settings may permit you to block or delete cookies, but some website functions may then not operate as intended. Do not interpret this section as confirmation that advertising cookies or analytics are currently in use.

10. Sharing information with other people or service providers

We may disclose limited information where reasonably necessary for a purpose described in this policy, where you request or authorise it, or where disclosure is legally required. Depending on actual operations, recipients may include:

• communication providers used for phone, email, WhatsApp or video consultations;
• website hosting, domain, security, maintenance or technical support providers;
• payment providers, banks or payment intermediaries needed to verify or reconcile a transaction;
• accounting, tax, legal or professional advisers bound by appropriate duties of confidentiality;
• authorised staff or service support personnel who need the information to handle an enquiry, appointment, payment or follow-up;
• public authorities, regulators, courts or law-enforcement bodies where disclosure is legally required or lawfully requested.

The list above describes possible categories, not a confirmed inventory of current vendors. We must identify actual providers, review their terms and security practices, limit access and data sharing to what is necessary, and put appropriate contractual or other safeguards in place where required. We do not authorise third parties to use consultation details for their own unrelated marketing merely because they provide a service to us.

We do not sell personal information. If the business is reorganised, transferred or otherwise changes ownership, any transfer of personal information must be assessed under applicable law, limited to a legitimate purpose and accompanied by required notice or safeguards.

11. Marketing messages and your preferences

Service-related messages—such as appointment confirmations, reminders, payment status and a response to an enquiry—are different from optional promotional messages. We should send promotional messages only where we have a lawful basis and any consent required by law. We will not treat your request for a consultation as blanket permission to send unrelated promotions through every available channel.

If you receive optional promotional communication, you may ask us to stop it by replying through the same channel or contacting us at the details below. We may retain a minimal suppression record so that we can honour your opt-out. Stopping promotional messages does not necessarily stop essential messages about an active appointment, payment, refund or legal matter.

12. Confidentiality and access to information

We recognise the importance of keeping personal, birth and consultation information confidential. Access should be limited to the people who genuinely need it to respond to you, arrange or provide the requested service, administer payment, maintain lawful records or resolve a legitimate issue. Information should not be casually discussed in public areas, exposed in shared messages or used as promotional content without appropriate permission.

The business foundation document identifies confidentiality as an important operational requirement but does not confirm the current staff structure, role-based permissions, written confidentiality agreements or technical access controls. The practice should formalise these controls and review them periodically. Anyone who handles customer information should be instructed to use it only for authorised purposes and to report suspected loss, disclosure or misuse promptly.

13. Security safeguards and incident response

Reasonable safeguards should be selected according to the nature and sensitivity of the information and the actual systems used. Appropriate measures may include strong unique passwords, multi-factor authentication where available, restricted account access, secure device locking, software updates, careful sharing permissions, encrypted connections and storage where supported, secure handling of paper records, staff confidentiality instructions, backups, vendor due diligence and a documented incident-response process.

This list describes recommended safeguards; it is not a representation that every measure is currently implemented or that any system is completely secure. The current data-storage method, backup arrangements, access controls and incident-response procedure have not been confirmed in the foundation document. Before publishing this policy, the business should assess the actual setup, adopt proportionate controls and avoid making unsupported security certifications or absolute promises.

If a suspected data loss, unauthorised access or disclosure occurs, the practice should investigate promptly, contain the issue, preserve relevant evidence, assess the likely impact, take corrective action and notify affected people or authorities where required by applicable law. A specific incident contact and response timeline should be set in the operational procedure; this policy does not invent a guaranteed response deadline.

14. Retention, deletion and record management

Personal information should be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including service delivery, customer-requested follow-up, payment reconciliation, accounting, dispute resolution, legal claims and any applicable statutory retention obligations. Different records may need different retention periods.

The business foundation document does not specify a final retention schedule, deletion method, backup lifecycle or record-storage system. We therefore do not state a fixed number of days or years. The practice should approve a retention schedule covering enquiry records, birth details, consultation notes, appointment history, payment/accounting records, complaint correspondence, marketing preferences and technical logs. Once information is no longer needed, it should be securely deleted, anonymised or otherwise disposed of where lawful and technically feasible, subject to legitimate legal retention requirements.

Deletion from an active system may not immediately remove every copy from backups, archived records, third-party platforms or records that must lawfully be retained. Where full deletion is not immediately possible, the practice should restrict further use and complete deletion in accordance with its documented schedule and applicable law.

15. Your choices and privacy requests

Subject to applicable law, identity verification, the rights of other people and legitimate record-retention obligations, you may ask us to:

• confirm whether we hold personal information about you;
• provide access to, or a description of, relevant information where required;
• correct inaccurate or incomplete contact, birth or appointment details;
• withdraw consent where processing relies on consent, noting that withdrawal does not undo lawful processing already carried out and may affect our ability to provide a service;
• request deletion or erasure where applicable law provides that right and no lawful retention exception applies;
• object to or restrict certain uses where such rights are available;
• stop optional marketing communications;
• raise a concern about confidentiality, sharing, retention or the handling of your request.

Send your request using the contact details in Section 22. Please identify the relevant enquiry or appointment and specify what you want us to do, but do not send passwords, PINs or OTPs. We may request reasonable information to verify your identity and prevent unauthorised access or disclosure. If we cannot fulfil a request in full, we will aim to explain the reason, subject to legal restrictions.

The exact rights and process available to you depend on the laws applicable to the processing and your circumstances. Nothing in this policy removes any mandatory right or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded.

16. Children and information about other people

This website and service description are not intended to invite children to submit personal information without appropriate involvement of a parent or lawful guardian. If a consultation relates to a child, the person arranging it should provide only information reasonably necessary and confirm that they are authorised to do so. The practice must apply any additional notice, consent, age-verification or other safeguards required by applicable law, including rules applicable to children’s personal data.

If you believe a child’s information has been submitted without appropriate authority, contact us so that the circumstances can be reviewed. We will take appropriate steps in accordance with applicable law. We cannot promise deletion where a legal obligation requires retention, but we will assess the request carefully.

If you provide details about a spouse, family member, colleague, business partner or any other person, you are responsible for ensuring that sharing is appropriate and lawful. Please minimise the details you provide and avoid sending another person’s sensitive information without a legitimate reason and appropriate authority.

17. International and cross-border processing

Online consultations may be requested from Telangana, elsewhere in India or other countries. The location from which a customer contacts the practice does not by itself establish where the information is stored or processed. Third-party communication, hosting, payment or technical providers may process information in locations determined by their own infrastructure and contracts.

The business foundation document does not identify the current providers, data-hosting locations or international transfer arrangements. We therefore do not claim that information is stored exclusively in India or that a particular international transfer mechanism is in place. Before using a provider that transfers personal information across borders, the practice should review the applicable legal requirements, provider terms and available safeguards and provide any required notice.

18. External links and third-party policies

This website may link to external websites or platforms, including communication services, payment services and the Om Sri Amma Jyothishalayam community at community.santhoshswamiji.com. When you leave this website or use a third-party service, that provider’s own terms, privacy notices, security practices and account settings may apply.

We do not control independent third-party websites and cannot guarantee their content, availability or privacy practices. Review the relevant provider’s notice before submitting information. A link or reference does not automatically mean that the provider is our agent or that we endorse every statement it makes.

19. Legal, regulatory and safety-related disclosures

We may preserve or disclose information where we reasonably believe it is necessary to comply with a binding legal obligation, lawful request or court order; establish, exercise or defend legal claims; protect the rights, safety or property of a person; investigate suspected fraud or misuse; or respond to an emergency, in each case subject to applicable law and any limits on disclosure.

Where legally permitted and appropriate, we will aim to disclose only the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose. We will not treat an informal request as automatically authorising unrestricted access to customer records.

20. Complaints and escalation

If you have a privacy concern, please contact us with a description of the issue, the communication channel involved and any relevant appointment or transaction reference. Please do not include unnecessary sensitive details in your first message. We will review the concern and, where appropriate, seek clarification, correct records, restrict access, investigate the matter or explain the action taken.

The business foundation document does not confirm a formal privacy grievance officer, complaint escalation chain or fixed response deadline. We will not invent a named officer or promise an unverified response time. Before publication, the business should nominate the responsible contact, define escalation and recordkeeping steps, and insert any grievance details required by applicable law. You may also have the right to approach a competent authority or seek another remedy available under applicable law.

21. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may revise this policy to reflect changes in the services offered, communication channels, data-handling practices, technology, business structure or applicable law. The “Effective date” and “Last reviewed” labels at the top should be updated when a material revision is published. Where required, we will provide additional notice or seek consent for a material change.

A revised policy applies prospectively from its stated effective date to the extent permitted by law. If a change materially affects how information already collected will be used, the practice should assess what notice, consent or other action is required rather than relying solely on posting an updated page.

22. Contact us about privacy

For a privacy question, correction request, deletion request, consent withdrawal or confidentiality concern, please contact the practice through the official email address below. If your request relates to an appointment or payment, include the relevant reference where available.

The business foundation document identifies the practice name and an email address, but it does not fully confirm the formal legal entity, registered office or designated privacy grievance officer. These details should be verified and added if required by law.

23. Business verification and launch checklist

To make this policy accurate and operational—not merely aspirational—the business owner should verify and document the following before or as part of publication:

• Confirm the legal name, business constitution, data fiduciary/controller identity and any address or registration details that must appear.
• Inventory the live website host, domain services, form tools, booking tools, CRM, spreadsheets, messaging systems, payment providers, video platforms and analytics/cookie technologies.
• Confirm which personal and birth-detail fields are actually required, which are optional, and how consent or other applicable legal basis is recorded.
• Set and implement access permissions, confidentiality instructions, device/account security and provider access restrictions.
• Approve a record-by-record retention schedule, deletion procedure, backup handling and legal-hold exceptions.
• Identify the privacy contact or grievance officer if required, and approve a complaint escalation and response procedure.
• Document the process for data-access/correction/deletion requests, consent withdrawal, identity verification and requests involving children or third-party data.
• Verify cookie/analytics behaviour, external links, international processing and vendor terms; provide any separate notices or consent controls required.
• Approve an incident-response procedure, including assessment, documentation, containment and any legally required notifications.
• Ensure appointment, payment, cancellation/refund and marketing practices match this policy and the separate published policies.
• Have the final version reviewed by an Indian privacy/consumer-law professional against the laws in force and the business’s actual operating model.

These are implementation requirements and verification steps, not claims that each system or safeguard is already active. If actual practice differs from this document, update the policy before relying on it.