Privacy policy

1. Introduction

1.1 Welcome to our privacy policy! Our contact details are in the Contact us section on our site. Please get in touch if you have any questions or feedback about this policy. We’d be delighted to help.

1.2 The idea is that we tell you how we deal with your “personal data”. (This is the technical term for information about any identified or identifiable living person). Please read on to find out what kinds personal data we collect, how we use and protect it, to whom we disclose it and how you can access and rectify it.

1.3 We want you to feel comfortable with what we do. Please don’t use our site unless you are completely happy with this policy. If you do use our site, we’ll assume that you do accept the policy.

2. Might the policy change?

2.1 It may well do and so you should check it whenever you visit our site. We’ll assume you agree to the revised policy if you use the site after the effective date shown at the top of the policy.

3. What personal or other data do we collect?

3.1 We collect and store the information which you give us via forms on our site – such as your name, address, email address, phone number and so on – or when communicating with us by email or in some other way.

3.2 We may receive and store certain information automatically when you interact with us such as the internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the internet.

4. What about cookies?

4.1 Like many websites we use cookies (or may do so in future). A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a web server and stored on your computer’s hard drive so that the site can remember who you are. A cookie will typically contain the name of the domain from which the cookie has come, the “lifetime” of the cookie, and a value, usually a randomly generated unique number. Cookies cannot read your hard drive.

4.2 Session cookies are temporary cookies that remain in the cookie file of your browser until you leave the site. We use session cookies to in a number of different ways:

Session Management Cookies
These cookies are used to manage information about your visit or visits to our site. They may include, but are not limited to: acceptance of our disclaimer, session identification, and ‘shopping cart’ storage.

Personalisation Cookies
These cookies are used to manage preferences for your visit or visits to our site. They may include, but are not limited to: automated username and password login, preferences about site layout, and information about content you have previously accessed.

Third-Party Cookies
When viewing a web page, images or other objects may set cookies in your browser. First-party cookies are cookies that are set by the same domain that is in your browser’s address bar. Third-party cookies are cookies being set by one of these widgets or other inserts coming from a different domain.

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”).  Google Analytics uses “cookies”, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage.  Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.  You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. However please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website.  By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

4.3 Persistent cookies stay in the cookie file of your browser for longer (though how long will depend on the lifetime of the specific cookie). We use persistent cookies to recognize you when you return to the site.

4.4 You can usually modify the settings of your browser to accept or reject all cookies or be notified when a cookie is set. For further information on cookies and cookie settings, including how to delete cookies, visit www.allaboutcookies.org. You can continue to use our site if you reject cookies but its functionality may be limited.

4.5 Like many other sites, we use third party advertisers and/or internet advertising companies working for them to fill ad space on our site (or may do so in future). These third parties may use cookies and other similar technologies (known as action tags, single pixel gifs and web beacons) to assess information about your visits to this and other sites. This is so they can track the effectiveness of their campaigns (including whether these ads are clicked on or viewed by users and later purchases by such users), avoid showing you the same ad repeatedly and display ads on this and other sites tailored to your preferences. We don’t have any access to or control over these third party technologies and they aren’t covered by this policy. If you would like more information about these practices and to know your choices about not having this information used by certain of these companies, please visit www.youronlinechoices.com. Please contact the third parties directly for more information about their privacy practices.

5. How do we use your personal data?

5.1 We use your personal data to send service messages e.g. to communicate with you about content you submit to us.

5.2 We use your personal data to help us communicate with you effectively should you try to contact us via our site including verification of any claims you may make.

5.3 If you have agreed on our site, we may use your personal data to send you emails (or other communications) with details of our or third party goods or services which may be of interest to you such as site-related merchandise.

5.4 We may use cookies, IP addresses or personal data to recognize you when you visit or return to our site so we can show you ads or other content tailored to your preferences, to track anonymised traffic and usage patterns, to prevent or detect fraud or abuses or to help us improve our site.

5.5 We retain personal data from closed accounts in order to comply with legal obligations, enforce our terms and conditions, resolve disputes, troubleshoot problems, assist with any investigations and take other actions as permitted by law.

5.6 We may access, remove, alter or store or otherwise use any personal data if we think you have or may have breached our terms and conditions or to enforce our rights or protect the public or where if we are required to do so by law or appropriate authority.

6. How do we protect personal data?

6.1 Security is a high priority. We take appropriate precautions to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure, alteration or destruction using the same safeguards as we use for our own proprietary information.

6.2 Don’t forget that email and other electronic communications are not secure if they haven’t been encrypted. Your communications may pass through servers in a number of countries before they reach us. So we don’t accept responsibility for any unauthorised access to or loss of personal data that stems from a cause beyond our control. Nor can we be held responsible for the actions or omissions of other users or third parties who may misuse your personal data which they collect from the site.

7. To whom do we disclose personal data?

7.1 If we take payment on the site, payment details including credit card numbers will be supplied direct to our banking partner mentioned on our site. We will not receive such information.

7.2 We may disclose your contact details to third parties (eg couriers) to enable them to fulfil orders for goods.

7.3 We may allow access to your personal data by third parties who supply us with a service – for the purpose of their service only and in accordance with our instructions. Examples include website hosts and businesses which assist us in undertaking communications or monitoring our site.

7.4 Any images or other content which you submit for inclusion on the site, and which we do in fact use on the site, will be available to and searchable by users of our site.

7.5 We may disclose personal data so far as reasonably necessary if we think you have or may have breached our terms and conditions or to enforce our rights or protect the public or where if we are required to do so by law or appropriate authority.

7.6 Except as otherwise specifically included in this policy, this document addresses only the use and disclosure of information we collect from you. If you disclose your information to third parties, whether they are other users of our site or other websites, different rules may apply to their use or disclosure of your information.

8. How can you access and rectify personal data?

8.1 You can access and rectify your personal data by contacting us via the “contact us” page on our website”. We may charge an administration fee in line with data protection laws.

8.2 For information about your rights under UK data protection laws, see the website of the UK Information Commissioner

Version 1.0

Effective Date: 27/07/11