Privacy Policy
Who we are
We collect only what we need to run the crew, we never sell it, and we’ll delete it whenever you ask. The rest of this page is the detail.
Last updated: October 26, 2026
This website is run by Restorative Business Services (RBS) for The Chair Syndicate, Massachusetts Chapter, a free club for adult wheelers. RBS is a social enterprise of Restorative Hope Ministries, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. RBS hosts the site, looks after the information on it, and sells the gear in the shop. Restorative Hope Ministries does not have access to your information.
This policy covers chairsyndicatema.org, the shop, and the emails we send you. In this policy, “we” and “us” mean RBS and the Massachusetts chapter.
Information we collect
We collect what you give us when you join, order, or get in touch, plus basic usage data collected automatically.
| When | What we collect |
|---|---|
| You join | Name, email, and town. Whether you’re joining as a member or a supporter. Your confirmation that you’re 18 or over and, for members, that you use a wheelchair. Your email preferences |
| You join (optional) | A supporter to call in an emergency: their name, how you know them, and phone. A note to Ed |
| You send a photo | The photo, caption, description, the name you want credited, and your confirmation that everyone in it agreed. We strip location data from every photo before storing it |
| You buy something | Name, email, shipping address, and what you ordered. Card details go straight to Stripe; we never see them |
| You RSVP | That you’re coming, and how many are with you |
| You contact us | Your name, email, and message |
| You visit the site | Pages viewed, device and browser type, the site that referred you, and approximate location based on your IP address |
What we never ask for. We don’t collect anything about your health, your diagnosis, or how you came to use a chair. We don’t ask for proof of anything, and we don’t store your date of birth. Joining as a member means you’ve told us you use a wheelchair; we take your word for it and ask nothing more. Please leave medical details out of your note to Ed.
How we use your information
We use your information to run the club and the shop, and for nothing else. Specifically, to:
- Run your membership: email sign-in links and access to Club ID gear.
- Let Ed welcome you himself. He reads every signup and writes back personally.
- Make, ship, and support your orders, including returns and refunds.
- Send the emails you’d expect: event details and reminders, and order updates.
- Contact your supporter, but only if something happens to you at a meetup.
- Keep the site safe by blocking spam, bots, fraud, and abuse.
- See which pages are useful so we can improve the site.
- Meet our legal and tax obligations.
We don’t use your information for advertising.
We don’t sell or share your information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information, and we never give it to advertisers. It goes to only three kinds of people:
- Ed Ramstrom and the club’s moderators. They see your signup details, your note to Ed, and your supporter’s contact details. Whoever runs a meetup you’ve RSVP’d to also sees your supporter’s details, in case of an emergency.
- The companies that make the site work. Each gets only what it needs to do its job for us, and may not use it for anything else (see the table below).
- Authorities, when we must. We’ll disclose information if the law requires it, or if someone’s safety depends on it.
| Company | What they receive | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Replit | The site and its database | Hosting the website |
| Stripe | Your payment details, directly from you | Processing payments |
| Gelato | Your name, shipping address, and order | Making and shipping our gear |
| Shipping carriers | Your name and shipping address | Delivering your order |
| Resend | Your email address | Sending emails from the site |
| Google Analytics | Usage data from your visit | Showing us which pages are useful |
| Cloudflare Turnstile | Basic browser and device signals | Stopping bots on our forms |
If the club or the site ever changes hands, your information would move only under this same policy, and we’d tell you first.
Cookies and analytics
We use as few cookies as we can: one keeps you signed in, and Google Analytics uses cookies to count visits. We don’t use advertising cookies, and nothing on this site follows you around the internet.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. If you block the sign-in cookie, you’ll need a fresh sign-in link each visit. To opt out of Google Analytics on every site, use Google’s opt-out browser add-on.
Shop orders and payments
Gear in the shop is sold by Restorative Business Services, so RBS is who you’re buying from and who handles refunds. Gelato makes and ships all of our gear.
- Payments are processed by Stripe. Your card number goes straight to Stripe and never reaches our servers.
- Supporter gear and crew gear need no account. You give us only what’s needed to ship your order.
- Club ID gear requires a free member sign-in, so we know the order comes from a member.
- Order records are kept for seven years, because tax rules require it.
Our Facebook group
Our Facebook group is separate. It runs on Facebook under Facebook’s privacy policy, not this one.
Keeping it safe, and how long we keep it
The whole site runs over an encrypted connection. There are no passwords to steal: you sign in with an email link that works once and expires after 15 minutes. Your note to Ed and your supporter’s details are visible only to Ed and the moderators. Card details stay with Stripe.
No system is perfectly secure. If your information is ever exposed, we’ll tell you promptly, as Massachusetts law requires.
| Information | How long we keep it |
|---|---|
| Membership details | Until you close your account or ask us to delete them |
| Note to Ed and supporter details | Until you delete them or leave, whichever comes first |
| Photos | Until you ask us to take one down |
| Order records | 7 years, for tax purposes |
| Analytics data | 14 months |
Your choices and rights
Email us at melissam@restorativebusiness.com and we’ll do any of the following, free, within 30 days (usually much sooner):
- See it. Get a copy of everything we hold about you.
- Fix it. Correct anything that’s wrong.
- Delete it. Your account, your note, your supporter’s details, or all of it.
- Take it with you. Get your information in a file you can use elsewhere.
- Take down a photo. No reason needed.
To protect your account, we may ask you to write from the email address you joined with. We won’t treat you differently for asking.
Adults only
The Chair Syndicate is for adults 18 and over, and we don’t knowingly collect information from anyone younger. If we learn someone under 18 has joined, we’ll delete the account and everything attached to it. If a photo on the site shows your child and you’d like it removed, tell us and we’ll take it down.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we’ll update the date at the top of this page. If the change is significant, we’ll email members before it takes effect.
Contact us
Questions, requests, or concerns about your information:
Email: melissam@restorativebusiness.com
Mail: Restorative Business Services, PO Box 427, Canaan, NH 03741
A real person reads every message.