Privacy Policy
Effective date: April 8, 2026 · Cigar Sommelier Academy · cigarsommelieracademy.netlify.app
Your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect when you use the Cigar Sommelier Academy ("the Academy"), how we use it, who we share it with, and what rights you have over it. By purchasing or using the Academy, you agree to the practices described here.
Who We Are
The Cigar Sommelier Academy is operated by Garber Digital, an independent education platform based in the United States. We are an extension of cigarsommelier.club. You can reach us at hello@cigarsommelier.club.
What Information We Collect
We collect only what we need to deliver the course and issue your credential. Specifically:
- Email address — collected at the time of purchase through Stripe. Used to deliver your course access link, send exam results, and issue your certificate. We do not add you to any marketing list without your explicit consent.
- Payment information — handled entirely by Stripe, our payment processor. We never see, store, or have access to your credit card number, CVV, or banking details. Stripe's own privacy policy governs how your payment data is handled.
- Full name — requested voluntarily when you complete the final exam. This is used only to print your Cigar Sommelier Certified Taster certificate. We do not use your name for any other purpose.
- Exam submission data — your exam answers are submitted to the Claude AI API (Anthropic) for automated grading. Your answers are not stored after grading is complete. We retain only your score, pass/fail result, attempt number, and timestamp.
- Access records — we maintain a record of your purchase email and course access status in our database (Supabase). This is required to validate your access link and manage your exam attempt count.
What We Do Not Collect
- We do not use tracking cookies, advertising pixels, or third-party analytics
- We do not build behavioral profiles or sell data to advertisers
- We do not collect your phone number, mailing address, or date of birth
- We do not track your reading progress within course materials once downloaded
How We Use Your Information
- To deliver your course access link immediately after purchase
- To validate your access link when you return to the course
- To grade your exam submission and email you your results
- To generate and email your Cigar Sommelier Certified Taster certificate upon passing
- To manage your exam attempt count and process reset requests
- To respond to support inquiries you send us directly
We do not send marketing emails. The only emails you receive from us are your course access link, your exam results, your certificate, and direct replies to your support requests.
Third-Party Services We Use
We use a small number of trusted third-party services to operate the Academy. Each has its own privacy policy that governs its handling of your data.
- Stripe — processes all payments. Stripe stores your payment method and purchase record. We receive only a confirmation that payment was successful and the email address you provided. Stripe Privacy Policy
- Brevo — delivers transactional emails including your access link, exam results, and certificate. Brevo stores your email address as a contact record. Brevo Privacy Policy
- Netlify — hosts the Academy website and runs our serverless functions. Netlify may collect standard server access logs including your IP address and browser type. Netlify Privacy Policy
- Supabase — stores your email address, access status, and exam records in a secure database. Data is stored in the United States. Supabase Privacy Policy
- Anthropic Claude API — used to automatically grade your final exam. Your exam answers are transmitted to the API, graded, and the response is returned. Anthropic does not store exam submissions for training purposes under our API usage. Anthropic Privacy Policy
Data Security
We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information. All data in transit is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS. Our database (Supabase) uses row-level security. Payments are handled by Stripe, which is PCI-DSS compliant. Your course access link uses HMAC-SHA256 cryptographic tokens to prevent unauthorized access.
No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we do our best to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Retention
We retain your email address and exam records for as long as you hold an active course access record. If you request deletion, we will remove your data from our database within 10 business days. Note that Stripe retains transaction records independently in accordance with their own policies and legal obligations.
Your Rights
Depending on where you are located, you may have rights including:
- Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction — request correction of inaccurate data (for example, your name on your certificate)
- Deletion — request deletion of your data from our systems
- Portability — request your data in a portable format
- Objection — object to how we process your data
To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@cigarsommelier.club. We will respond within 30 days.
Children's Privacy
The Academy is intended for adults aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has submitted personal information to us, please contact us immediately and we will delete it.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the effective date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Academy after any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. For significant changes, we will make a reasonable effort to notify active users by email.
Contact Us
Questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy should be directed to:
hello@cigarsommelier.club
Cigar Sommelier Academy / Garber Digital