Michi Privacy Policy
Last Updated: 2026-09-28
Michi is a brand operated by Equal Voice Lab Limited (Company No. 16600829 · ICO Reg. No. ZB959895)
Michi ("we") values your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide
Name, email address, contact details (when you contact shoppers or apply as a shopper).
1.2 Automatically Collected
IP address, browser type, visit time, page views.
1.3 Cookie Information
We use essential cookies for site functionality and analytics cookies to improve our service.
1.4 AI Search Data
Your search queries may be used to improve AI product recommendation features.
1.5 Shopper ✓ Verified Review Data
Applicants for the ✓ Verified badge confirm they are in Japan by passing a one-time SMS code (OTP) sent to their Japanese mobile number (070/080/090). Michi does not collect or store government documents, address proof, bank records or any identity documents. We retain only the verified mobile number, the timestamp it passed and a one-line internal note; the code itself is stored briefly as a hash and never in plain text. ✓ Verified is an internal review outcome and not a legal guarantee of identity — users assess transaction risk themselves. When you submit an application we also record your IP address, the country it resolves to and your browser details, used only by our reviewers to verify the application and detect duplicate or fraudulent applications.
1.6 Member registration & preference data
To register as a free member you must provide your name, email address, country/region and at least one product interest category (these fields are required); you may optionally provide a phone number, shipping preference, restock frequency, whether you run a shop, and a monthly purchasing budget. We use this to match you with a suitable shopper and to analyse member profiles in aggregated / anonymised form to improve the service. The registration form lets you choose whether to subscribe to our weekly email pick.
1.7 Shipping (Michi Shipping) data
When you use Michi Shipping to apply for a consolidated shipment, we collect: your email address; the customer's name, phone number and UK postcode/delivery address; the item list (name, quantity, unit price, currency); declared weight; box size and delivery method chosen; the InPost Parcel Locker ID (where applicable); the carrier name and tracking number you use to post the parcel to us; and payment records for the shipping fee (processed by Stripe).
1.8 On-site chat assistant
The site has an automated chat assistant (rule-based; it does not use AI to generate replies). The message content you type into the chat window is processed in real time to return a matching answer; we also log technical data such as your IP address for chat requests, for abuse prevention and rate limiting. If you choose to continue to our Facebook Page / Messenger from the chat assistant, that interaction is handled by Meta Platforms under its own privacy policy.
1.9 Account-abuse prevention
To keep free sign-ups fair, we confirm member email addresses and, at sign-up, store a one-way (hashed) form of the network (IP) address and a device identifier. We do this on the basis of our legitimate interest in preventing fraud and abuse. These signals are used only to detect duplicate or abusive accounts, cannot be reversed into your actual IP address, and are kept while your account exists.
1.10 Member–shopper in-platform messaging
When you message a shopper (or a member) through Michi's built-in chat, we store the message content, timestamps and both parties' identities. We process this data to: (1) provide the chat feature itself; (2) maintain service and conversation records; (3) provide customer support; (4) ensure security and prevent abuse; (5) respond to complaints and resolve disputes; and (6) establish, exercise or defend legal claims. If the two sides are browsing the site in different languages, message content may be sent to OpenAI (a third-party AI service based in the US) for automatic translation — both the original text and the translation are retained. OpenAI states that data submitted through its API is not used to train its models by default, unless we explicitly opt in to such data sharing — see Section 3. A conversation and all its messages are normally deleted automatically once 6 months have passed since the last message was sent (see Section 7); however, where a conversation is relevant to an ongoing complaint, dispute or legal claim, we may pause deletion until that matter is resolved. You can also ask us to delete your message records earlier at any time (see Section 4), but we cannot delete a copy the other party has already seen or saved on their own device. For your own protection, please do not share passwords, payment card details, government identification numbers or other unnecessary sensitive personal information in chat.
2. How We Use Information
- Provide and maintain platform services
- Process shopper applications
- Improve user experience and platform features
- Send service-related notifications
- Comply with legal requirements
- Analysing member and usage data in aggregated or anonymised form to understand demand trends and improve the service
- Where you have consented, sending you Michi's weekly Japan trend email (new drops, trends and offers); every email has one-click unsubscribe. Withdrawing consent only stops these emails — it does not affect your access to shopper details or chat
- To fulfil the shipping/forwarding service, including customs declarations, matching incoming parcels to applications, and arranging delivery
Our legal bases: providing the platform and matching service (including viewing shopper details and using in-app chat once your email is confirmed) is “performance of a contract” and does not depend on whether you consent to marketing emails; aggregated analytics and service improvement is “legitimate interests”; sending the weekly email is “consent” (new members opt in via the registration form; members who registered before this policy update are emailed under the UK PECR “soft opt-in” and invited to re-confirm). You can withdraw consent at any time via the unsubscribe link in any email or by emailing hello@michiproject.com.
3. Information Sharing
We do not sell your personal information. We may share in these situations:
When you contact a shopper, your contact info (name and email) is shared with that shopper for communication. Buyer membership is completely free and involves no payment. Payments for the Michi Shipping service are processed by our payment provider Stripe, which receives only the email and payment details needed to complete the transaction under its own privacy policy; Michi never stores your full card number.
Shipping fee payments are also processed by Stripe. To complete the shipping service, the customer delivery details you provide (name, address, contact details) and the item declaration are shared with our Japan-to-UK forwarding partner and with InPost UK (which handles UK last-mile delivery), solely to arrange delivery and complete customs declarations.
Third-party platforms: if you choose to contact us via Facebook / Messenger, or click through to our social media pages, that data is collected and processed by Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. under its own privacy policy, outside Michi's control. You can also contact us by email instead (hello@michiproject.com).
We use the following processors, bound by contract to process data only on our instructions: Supabase (database hosting), Vercel (site hosting), Resend (email delivery), Stripe (payments), PostHog (usage analytics), Sentry (error monitoring) and OpenAI (used to translate shopper profile content and member–shopper in-platform messages).
4. Your Rights
- Access: You can request to see the personal information we hold about you.
- Correction: You can request correction of inaccurate information.
- Deletion: You can request deletion of your personal information.
- Restrict Processing: You can request we limit how we process your information.
- Data Portability: You can request your information in a common format.
To exercise these rights, contact us using the details below.
5. Cookie Policy
We use the following types of cookies:
6. Data Security
We take the following measures to protect your information:
- SSL/TLS encrypted transmission
- Regular security audits
- Principle of least privilege
- Encrypted data storage
7. Data Retention
We only retain personal information as long as necessary. Shopper applications are kept 12 months after processing. Contact records are kept 24 months. Member registration and preference data is kept for as long as your membership is active; after you unsubscribe or request deletion we remove you from the marketing list within 30 days and delete the data unless we must keep it for another legal reason.
Shipping applications and related transaction records (including payment, customs and logistics data) are retained for 6 years, in line with UK tax and accounting record-keeping requirements.
Member–shopper in-platform chat: if a conversation receives no new message for 6 months, we automatically and permanently delete the entire conversation and all its message content.
8. Jurisdiction-Specific Terms
🇬🇧 UK Users (UK GDPR)
Under UK GDPR, you have full data subject rights including access, rectification, erasure, restriction, and portability. You may also lodge a complaint with the ICO.
ICO Registration No.: ZB959895 | To lodge a complaint: ico.org.uk
🇭🇰 Hong Kong Users
Under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, you have the right to access and correct your personal data.
🇪🇺 EU Users (GDPR)
You have all data subject rights under GDPR including access, rectification, erasure, restriction, and portability.
🇯🇵 Japan Users (APPI)
Under Japan's Act on Protection of Personal Information, you may request disclosure, correction, or deletion.
9. Contact Us
For questions about this policy:
Company: Equal Voice Lab Limited
Company Registration No.: 16600829 (England & Wales)
ICO Registration No.: ZB959895
Registered Address: Office 19544, 182-184 High Street North, East Ham, London E6 2JA, United Kingdom
Email: hello@michiproject.com
Response Time: Usually within 5 business days
10. Policy Updates
We may update this policy from time to time. Updates will be posted on this page with the updated date.
By using Michi, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.
Michi is a trading brand of Equal Voice Lab Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (Company No. 16600829). Registered office: Office 19544, 182-184 High Street North, East Ham, London E6 2JA. Registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO Reg. No. ZB959895). As a UK-registered data controller, we comply with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.