Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement

Welcome to Post van Plons. In plain language, here's how our subscription works and what you and we can expect from each other. The second part of this document is our Privacy Statement. By signing up, you agree to both.

1. Who we are

Post van Plons is offered by:

Questions, comments or complaints? Email us at plons@postvanplons.nl. We aim to reply within 5 business days.

2. When these terms apply

These terms apply to postvanplons.nl and to every subscription or gift you arrange through us. Only these terms apply; any different arrangement is valid only if we confirm it in writing (for example by email).

3. A few definitions

• We / us: Post van Plons.
• You / subscriber: the adult who takes out or manages the subscription and pays for it.
• The child: the child the mail is intended for.
• Subscription: the agreement under which the child receives an envelope every month.

4. What you get

Every month, the child receives a personal envelope from Plons de Otter containing a travel booklet, a postcard and themed stickers. The large world map is included once, in the very first envelope.

We send the envelopes in the middle of each month. Your first envelope goes out in the middle of the month in which your subscription is scheduled to start, regardless of the date you paid.

5. Prices and payment

Current prices are shown on postvanplons.nl, in euros, including VAT and shipping within the Netherlands.

• Monthly subscription: we charge the fee per month, in advance, via the method you choose (iDEAL, credit card, SEPA direct debit, Apple Pay or Google Pay). You authorise us to collect it automatically each month until you cancel.
• Gift: you pay once, up front, for the agreed number of months. A gift is not renewed automatically.
• If a payment fails, we'll let you know and give you a chance to pay. If it isn't paid, we may pause delivery and end the subscription, and may charge reasonable collection costs within the limits of the law.

6. Term and cancellation

How long your subscription runs depends on how you bought it.

• Monthly subscription: runs from month to month and renews automatically until you cancel. You're never tied to a longer term.
• Gift: runs for the number of months paid for and then ends. We'll let the giver know beforehand in case they'd like to continue.
• Cancelling: you can cancel a monthly subscription at any time by emailing plons@postvanplons.nl or fill in the cancellation form in the contact page on our website. As long as you cancel before the end of your current billing cycle, you won't be charged for the next month; the month you're in still runs and that envelope is still sent. We don't refund the running month, except where the law requires it. We always confirm your cancellation by email.
• Pausing: prefer to pause instead of cancel? Email us and we'll see what's possible.

7. Cooling-off period (right of withdrawal)

If you buy online, you generally have a 14-day cooling-off period in which you can cancel without giving a reason, and we'll refund what you've paid. One exception: because each envelope is made and personalised specially for your child, the right of withdrawal no longer applies to an envelope once we've started making it. If you ask us to start within those 14 days, you accept that you lose this right for that first, personalised envelope. After the cooling-off period, the rules in article 7 apply.

8. Delivery

We deliver by post to the address you give us. Shipping within the Netherlands is included; delivery outside the Netherlands is possible on request for an extra charge.

• Please keep your delivery address correct and up to date.
• We do our best to deliver on time, but delivery is partly in the hands of the postal service, so delay or loss by the carrier is beyond our control.
• We are responsible for delivery until the envelope is received at the address you provided. Postal delays can happen, but if an envelope is lost or does not arrive, we will offer a fair solution, such as a replacement or refund where legally required.

9. Writing back

The child can write back, and we love that. To get a reply, simply take a photo of the child's letter and email it to plons@postvanplons.nl. We'll create a personal reply from Plons (AI-assisted, always checked by a person) and include it with the next month's envelope.

• By emailing us the photo, you allow us to use it to create the reply and run the subscription, and you confirm you're allowed to share it (for example a drawing or photo of the child).
• We never share or publish the child's letter, drawing or photo without your permission, and we may refuse content that is inappropriate or unlawful.

10. Privacy and your child's data

We handle personal data with care, including your child's. What we collect and why is set out in our Privacy Statement, the second part of this document. As a parent or guardian, you give permission on behalf of the child to process his or her data to create and deliver the mail. We process no more than necessary, in line with the GDPR. By submitting a child profile, you confirm that you are the child's parent/legal guardian or have permission from the parent/legal guardian. Please do not send sensitive information about the child, such as health, religion, school problems, or photos showing the child's face, unless we specifically ask for it.

11. Content may vary

Plons travels the world and likes to surprise, so the route, the countries and the exact contents of each envelope may differ from month to month and from what's shown on the website. We always keep the envelope of comparable quality and value.

12. Intellectual property

Plons de Otter, the name Post van Plons, the booklets, illustrations, texts, photos, the world map and all other materials are ours (or our licensors') and protected by copyright. You may enjoy them for personal, non-commercial use within the family, but not copy, imitate, sell or use them commercially without our written permission.

13. Gift subscriptions

• You (the giver) pay once for the agreed number of months and are our contracting party; the recipient's parent completes the personalisation profile.
• We print your personal message as a card and add it to the first envelope.
• A gift doesn't renew automatically; it ends after the paid months unless you choose to continue.
• The cooling-off period in article 8 also applies; once a personalised envelope is made, the exception there applies to it.

14. Closing the business

We may decide to stop offering Post van Plons and close the business at any time. If we do, we'll let you know in good time and your subscription will end. You won't pay for any months that are no longer delivered: for a monthly subscription we refund any amount already paid for envelopes you won't receive, and for a gift subscription we refund the giver for the remaining, undelivered months. Wherever possible, we'll return the money using the same payment method you originally used.

15. Liability

We work with care, but to the extent the law allows:

• we are only liable for direct damage caused by an attributable shortcoming on our part;
• we are not liable for indirect damage, such as consequential loss or disappointment;
• our total liability is limited to the amount you paid us in the twelve months before the damage occurred.

These limits don't apply in case of intent or deliberate recklessness on our part, or where the law prescribes liability. Your statutory rights as a consumer are unaffected.

16. Force majeure

Sometimes things go wrong through no fault of ours, such as postal strikes, outages, extreme weather or supplier problems. During such force majeure we may pause our obligations for as long as it lasts, without owing compensation. If it lasts a long time, we'll look for a reasonable solution together.

17. Changes to terms and prices

• If we raise the price of a running subscription, we'll tell you in advance, as a rule at least one month beforehand.
• If you don't agree with a price increase or a material change to your disadvantage, you may cancel before it takes effect.

18. Suspension or termination by us

We may pause or end a subscription if you repeatedly fail to pay, seriously breach these terms, or misuse the service (for example by uploading inappropriate content). Where possible we'll warn you first and give you a chance to put things right.

Dutch law applies, and disputes go to the competent court in the Netherlands unless the law says otherwise.

19. Final provisions

• If a provision is invalid or unenforceable, the rest stays in force and we'll replace it with a valid one as close as possible to its intention.
• This document is written in English and is the version that applies to your subscription.

Privacy Statement

Post van Plons cares about your privacy and your child's. This statement explains what data we collect, why, who we share it with and your rights. It forms part of these terms.

1. Who is responsible

OV Ventures – Post van Plons (a sole proprietorship), James Wattstraat 60-1, 1097 DM Amsterdam, the Netherlands, KvK 42084248, is the controller for the data described here. Reach us at plons@postvanplons.nl.

2. What data we collect

• About you: your name, email address, delivery address, and the details needed to process your payment.
• About the child: first name, age, city and language preference, plus any optional details you add (pronoun preference, hobbies, favourite animal or colour, pet name, a friend's or sibling's name, free-text notes).
• Write-back content: the photo of the child's letter or drawing that you email us.
• Technical data: basic information your device sends when you visit postvanplons.nl (such as your IP address) and data from cookies (see section 7).

3. Why we use it and our legal basis

• To run your subscription — creating, personalising and sending the envelopes and preparing Plons' replies. Basis: performance of our agreement.
• To handle payments and our administration, including tax and bookkeeping. Basis: legal obligation and performance of the agreement.
• To process your child's data and what you send us, we rely on your consent as parent or guardian, which you can withdraw any time. Basis: consent.
• To contact you and handle questions or complaints. Basis: performance of the agreement and our legitimate interest in good service.

4. AI and human review

We use AI-assisted tools to help draft Plons' letters and replies, but a person always reviews and approves them before printing. We don't sell your or your child's data, and we don't publish anything you send us without your permission.

5. Who we share data with

We share data only with providers that help us run Post van Plons, and only as far as needed: our hosting and IT providers, payment service provider, printing and fulfilment partner, the postal service, and our email provider. They act on our instructions under a processing agreement. If a provider processes data outside the European Economic Area, we ensure appropriate safeguards. We never sell personal data.

6. How long we keep it

• Subscription and child-profile data: while your subscription is active; deleted or anonymised within 12 months after it ends.
• Write-back photos: kept only as long as needed to prepare the reply, then deleted within 12 months.
• Invoices and payment records: kept for 7 years, as Dutch tax law requires.

7. Cookies

postvanplons.nl uses functional cookies needed for the site to work, and may use analytics cookies. We ask permission for any non-essential cookies, and you can manage or refuse them in your browser.

8. Your rights

You can see the data we hold about you and your child, have it corrected or deleted, limit or object to its use, receive it in a portable form, and withdraw any consent. To use a right, email plons@postvanplons.nl. If you're not happy with how we handle your data, contact us first.

9. Security and changes

We take appropriate measures to keep personal data secure. We may update this statement from time to time; the version that applies is always the one published with these terms, dated at the top.