Acton Flowers Privacy Policy

Introduction

Welcome to Acton Flowers’ Privacy Policy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you place an order with Acton Flowers in Acton and the surrounding districts. We are committed to handling your personal information in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and taking your privacy seriously.

Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to anyone placing an order with Acton Flowers, whether online, by phone, or in person, within Acton and the surrounding districts. By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.

What Data We Collect

To fulfil your order and provide our services, we may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

• Identity Data: Your full name, title, and, when necessary, proof of identity for certain payment methods.
• Contact Data: Delivery address, billing address, contact phone number, and any alternative recipient’s details as provided by you.
• Order Data: Details of the products you’ve ordered, delivery instructions, occasion (e.g. birthday, anniversary), and gift messages.
• Payment Data: Payment method, transaction references, partial card numbers (processed securely via payment providers).
• Communication Data: Any correspondence with us through forms, messages, or verbal requests.
• Technical Data: Device and usage information including IP address, browser type, and other information collected from our website to ensure secure operation.

Lawful Basis for Processing Data

We process your personal data only when we have a valid lawful basis under Article 6 of the GDPR. Depending on the context, we rely on one or more of the following grounds:

• Performance of Contract: Most information is collected and processed to fulfil our contract with you when you place an order.
• Legal Obligations: In certain cases, we may need to collect or retain data to comply with statutory or regulatory requirements, including recordkeeping and tax obligations.
• Legitimate Interests: As a business, we process specific data to improve our service, safeguard our platform, and communicate updates or changes relevant to your order, provided it does not override your rights.
• Consent: For optional communications, such as email newsletters or promotions, we only send these where we have your explicit consent. You can withdraw this consent at any time.

How We Use Your Data

Your data is used for the following purposes:

• Processing and delivering your orders accurately and efficiently.
• Contacting you regarding your order or delivery queries.
• Personalising gift messages or special instructions for your recipient.
• Handling payment transactions securely with our payment providers.
• Complying with accounting, tax, and regulatory requirements.
• Improving our products and customer service by analysing anonymised order trends.
• Preventing fraud and ensuring the security of your information.

Data Retention

We retain your data only as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Generally:

• Order and transaction records are retained for up to seven years in accordance with UK tax and financial regulations.
• Personal account details are removed after account closure unless we have a legal obligation to retain them.
• Correspondence is held for no more than two years after last contact, unless relevant to a dispute or regulatory obligation.

Once the relevant retention period expires, your data will be permanently deleted or anonymised.

Third Party Processors

We may use trusted third-party processors to help us deliver services effectively. These include:

• Payment processors: Securely handle credit/debit card payments and prevent fraud. Your card details are never stored or accessible by Acton Flowers employees.
• IT and Hosting Providers: Ensure our website and order system operate smoothly and securely.
• Delivery Partners: When necessary, we share delivery information with our local couriers solely for fulfilling your order.

All third-party processors are contractually bound to handle your data securely and only as instructed by Acton Flowers, in compliance with GDPR requirements.

Your Rights Under GDPR

As a customer within the scope of this policy, you have rights under the GDPR including:

• Right of Access: Request a copy of your personal data held by us.
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of any incorrect or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data where there is no lawful reason for us to retain it.
• Right to Restrict Processing: Ask us to pause processing while a correction or objection is investigated.
• Right to Data Portability: Obtain your data in a structured, commonly used format and have it transferred to another provider, where technically feasible.
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: If processing is based on consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of your rights, please contact us using the methods available on our website or store. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request to protect your data security.

Data Security

We apply strict technical and organisational measures to keep your personal data safe, including encryption, secure payment systems, access controls, and regular staff training. In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting your personal data, we will notify you and the appropriate regulatory authorities where legally required.

Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our practices or legal requirements. Any changes will take effect once published on our website, with a clear indication of the revised date. Continued use of our services after a policy update indicates acceptance of those changes.

Contact and Further Information

For further information on how we process your data, or if you have any concerns about your privacy, please refer to our website for up-to-date contact details and information about how to get in touch.