This Privacy Notice explains in detail the types of personal data we may collect about you when you interact with us. It also explains how we’ll store and handle that data, and keep it safe in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679.
We know that there’s a lot of information here, but we want you to be fully informed about your rights, and how we use your data.
It’s likely that we’ll need to update this Privacy Notice from time to time. We’ll notify you of any significant changes, but you’re welcome to come back and check it whenever you wish.
The GDPR (EU) 2016/679 law on data protection sets out a number of different reasons for which a company may collect and process your personal data, including:
Consent:
In specific situations, we can collect and process your data with your consent.
For example, when you tick a box to receive email newsletters.
When collecting your personal data, we’ll always make clear to you which data is necessary in connection with a particular service.
Contractual obligations:
In certain circumstances, we need your personal data to comply with our contractual obligations.
For example, if you order an item from us for home or yard delivery, we’ll collect your address details to deliver your purchase, and pass them to our courier.
Legal compliance :
If the law requires us to, we may need to collect and process your data.
For example, we can pass on details of people involved in fraud or other criminal activity affecting Thunderbrook to law enforcement.
Legitimate interest :
In specific situations, we require your data to pursue our legitimate interests in a way which might reasonably be expected as part of running our business and which does not materially impact your rights, freedom or interests.
When you visit any of our websites, and use your account to buy products and services or redeem vouchers.
When you create an account with us.
When you purchase a product or service by phone but don’t have (or don’t use) an account.
When you engage with us on social media.
When you contact us by any means with queries, complaints etc.
When you enter prize draws or competitions.
When you choose to complete any surveys we send you.
When you comment on or review our products.
Any individual may access personal data related to them, including opinions. So if your comment or review includes information about one of our suppliers, it may be passed on to them if requested.
When you’ve given a third party permission to share with us the information they hold about you.
When you visit our trade stands or premises which usually have CCTV systems operating for security. These systems may record your image during your visit.
Accounts:
If you have a web account with us: your name, gender, date of birth, billing/delivery address, orders and receipts, email and telephone number. For your security, we’ll also keep an encrypted record of your login password and payment card(s) information.
Details of your interactions with us through our office, on trade stands, online or by using one of our websites.
For example, we collect notes from our conversations with you, details of any complaints or comments you make, details of purchases you made, items viewed or added to your basket, wish list choices, voucher redemptions, brands/products you show interest in, web pages you visit and how and when you contact us.
Customer Experience :
Your social media username, if you interact with us through those channels, to help us respond to your comments, questions or feedback.
We want to give you the best possible customer experience. One way to achieve that is to get the richest picture we can of who you are by combining the data we have about you.
We then use this to offer you promotions, products and services that are most likely to interest you.
The data privacy law allows this as part of our legitimate interest in understanding our customers and providing the highest levels of service.
Of course, if you wish to change how we use your data, you’ll find details in the ‘What are my rights?’ section below, and this can be done at anytime.
Remember, if you choose not to share your personal data with us, or refuse certain contact permissions, we might not be able to provide some services/orders you’ve asked for.
Here’s how we’ll use your personal data and why :
To process any orders that you make by using our websites or on a trade stand. If we don’t collect your personal data during checkout, we won’t be able to process your order and comply with our legal obligations.
For example, your details may need to be passed to a third party to supply or deliver the product or service that you ordered, and we may keep your details for a reasonable period afterwards in order to fulfil any contractual obligations such as refunds, guarantees and so on.
To respond to your queries, refund requests and complaints. Handling the information you sent enables us to respond. We may also keep a record of these to inform any future communication with us and to demonstrate how we communicated with you throughout. We do this on the basis of our contractual obligations to you, our legal obligations and our legitimate interests in providing you with the best service and understanding how we can improve our service based on your experience.
To protect our business and your account from fraud and other illegal activities. This includes using your personal data to maintain, update and safeguard your account.
To process payments and to prevent fraudulent transactions. We do this on the basis of our legitimate business interests. This also helps to protect our customers from fraud.
To send you relevant, personalised communications by post in relation to updates, offers, services and products. We’ll do this on the basis of our legitimate business interest.
You are free to opt out of hearing from us by post at any time.
To send you communications required by law or which are necessary to inform you about our changes to the services we provide you. For example, updates to this Privacy Notice, product recall notices, and legally required information relating to your orders. These service messages will not include any promotional content and do not require prior consent when sent by email or text message. If we do not use your personal data for these purposes, we would be unable to comply with our legal obligations.
To administer any of our prize draws or competitions which you enter, based on your consent given at the time of entering.
Here’s more information on how we share personal data with third parties
We secure access to all transactional areas of our websites and apps using ‘https’ technology.
Access to your personal data is password-protected, and sensitive data such as payment card information) is secured and tokenised to ensure it is protected.
We regularly monitor our system for possible vulnerabilities and attacks, and we carry out penetration testing to identify ways to further strengthen security.
Whenever we collect or process your personal data, we’ll only keep it for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
At the end of that retention period, your data will either be deleted completely or anonymised, for example by aggregation with other data so that it can be used in a non-identifiable way for statistical analysis and business planning.
Some examples of customer data retention periods:
Orders –
When you place an order, we’ll keep the personal data you give us for five years so we can comply with our legal and contractual obligations. In the case of certain products, we may be obliged to keep the data for 10 years.
Warranties –
If your order included a warranty, the associated personal data will be kept until the end of the warranty period.
We sometimes share your personal data with trusted third parties.
For example, delivery couriers, for fraud management, to handle complaints, to help us personalise our offers to you and so on.
Here’s the policy we apply to those organisations to keep your data safe and protect your privacy:
We provide only the information they need to perform their specific services.
They may only use your data for the exact purposes we specify in our contract with them.
We work closely with them to ensure that your privacy is respected and protected at all times.
If we stop using their services, any of your data held by them will either be deleted or rendered anonymous.
Examples of the kind of third parties we work with are:
IT companies who support our website and other business systems.
Operational companies such as Royal Mail and delivery couriers.
Direct marketing companies who help us manage our electronic communications with you.
Google/Facebook to show you products that might interest you while you’re browsing the internet. This is based on either your marketing consent or your acceptance of cookies on our websites. (See our Cookies Notice for details)
If you feel that your data has not been handled correctly, or you are unhappy with our response to any requests you have made to us regarding the use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
You can contact them by calling 0303 123 1113.
Or go online to www.ico.org.uk/concerns (opens in a new window; please note we can’t be responsible for the content of external websites)
Nothing in this Privacy Notice restricts, excludes or modifies or purports to restrict, exclude or modify any statutory consumer rights under any applicable law including the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth).
If you have any questions, please contact our Data Protection Officer.