How to handle the Data Deletion Requests
Customers have the right to request that all their personal data be erased from your store's records. This is known as the "Right to be Forgotten." Here's how customers can initiate this request and how you can manage it using the Pandectes GDPR Compliance app.
Note: If a customer does not have an account or has never placed an order on the store, they won't have any data registered. In this case, there will be nothing to delete, so any deletion request made through the Customer Data Requests page will not proceed.
If the customer has an account but is currently logged out, they can still submit a deletion request. The customer needs to navigate to the Customer Data Requests page, select the Right to be Forgotten option, and enter their E-mail address.
After entering their email address, the customer clicks Submit. The customer will receive a verification email like this:
Upon clicking Verify Request, the customer will see a message stating: If you are registered as a customer of this store, you will soon receive an email with instructions on how to proceed.
The unverified request will be logged in the store's system. In such cases, the merchant may need to contact the customer to verify their identity before proceeding with the data deletion. This step ensures that only valid deletion requests are fulfilled, protecting against fraudulent requests.
If the customer is logged in, the process is quicker. They will go directly to the Customer Data Requests page on the store. There, they will select the Right to be Forgotten option. Since they are logged in, their email will be pre-filled automatically. Afterward, they click Submit.
A confirmation email will be sent to the customer, acknowledging their request for data deletion.
As a merchant, after a customer requests data deletion, the app will send an email notification to the store's merchant email address:
To view and manage these requests, start by accessing your Shopify Admin dashboard. From there, click on Apps in the left-hand menu, and select the Pandectes GDPR Compliance app. Next, navigate to the Customer Data Requests section and click on View report to see all customer data requests.
The unverified requests (which may occur if a logged-out customer with an account submits a request, without verifying his action from the email he has received) are marked as unverified on the list.
In the following screenshot, the customer request is categorized by Type, Data Requested, Status, Date Fulfilled, and Comment. The Type indicates the request (e.g., Data Erasure), and in our case, we need to fulfill the "Data Erasure" request while monitoring the status and keeping records in the comment section.
From the list of requests you can click on the customer name and you will be redirected to this profile page. Alternatively you can navigate directly to the Customers page from the left-hand menu and search for the customer using their email or name. Once you locate the customer, click on their name to open their profile. Finally, click the Erase personal data option to complete the deletion.
At this stage, ensure that you’ve accessed the deletion request list in the app, selected the request, and marked it as fulfilled. Keeping track of completed requests is essential for managing GDPR compliance.
Once the data has been deleted, it’s important to send an email to the customer confirming that their data has been erased according to their request. Additionally, inform them that they will no longer be able to access their account, as all their personal data has been permanently removed.
Note: If a customer does not have an account or has never placed an order on the store, they won't have any data registered. In this case, there will be nothing to delete, so any deletion request made through the Customer Data Requests page will not proceed.
How Customers Make a Data Deletion Request
When the Customer is Not Logged In or Has a Guest Account
If the customer has an account but is currently logged out, they can still submit a deletion request. The customer needs to navigate to the Customer Data Requests page, select the Right to be Forgotten option, and enter their E-mail address.
After entering their email address, the customer clicks Submit. The customer will receive a verification email like this:
Upon clicking Verify Request, the customer will see a message stating: If you are registered as a customer of this store, you will soon receive an email with instructions on how to proceed.
The unverified request will be logged in the store's system. In such cases, the merchant may need to contact the customer to verify their identity before proceeding with the data deletion. This step ensures that only valid deletion requests are fulfilled, protecting against fraudulent requests.
When the Customer is Logged-In to the Store
If the customer is logged in, the process is quicker. They will go directly to the Customer Data Requests page on the store. There, they will select the Right to be Forgotten option. Since they are logged in, their email will be pre-filled automatically. Afterward, they click Submit.
A confirmation email will be sent to the customer, acknowledging their request for data deletion.
Managing Deletion Requests as a Merchant
Checking Customer Requests
As a merchant, after a customer requests data deletion, the app will send an email notification to the store's merchant email address:
To view and manage these requests, start by accessing your Shopify Admin dashboard. From there, click on Apps in the left-hand menu, and select the Pandectes GDPR Compliance app. Next, navigate to the Customer Data Requests section and click on View report to see all customer data requests.
The unverified requests (which may occur if a logged-out customer with an account submits a request, without verifying his action from the email he has received) are marked as unverified on the list.
In the following screenshot, the customer request is categorized by Type, Data Requested, Status, Date Fulfilled, and Comment. The Type indicates the request (e.g., Data Erasure), and in our case, we need to fulfill the "Data Erasure" request while monitoring the status and keeping records in the comment section.
Processing the Deletion
From the list of requests you can click on the customer name and you will be redirected to this profile page. Alternatively you can navigate directly to the Customers page from the left-hand menu and search for the customer using their email or name. Once you locate the customer, click on their name to open their profile. Finally, click the Erase personal data option to complete the deletion.
At this stage, ensure that you’ve accessed the deletion request list in the app, selected the request, and marked it as fulfilled. Keeping track of completed requests is essential for managing GDPR compliance.
Notifying the Customer
Once the data has been deleted, it’s important to send an email to the customer confirming that their data has been erased according to their request. Additionally, inform them that they will no longer be able to access their account, as all their personal data has been permanently removed.
Updated on: 03/10/2024
Thank you!