Flowers Upminster GDPR Privacy Policy

Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Flowers Upminster collects, uses, and safeguards the personal information of customers placing orders from Upminster and the surrounding districts. We are dedicated to upholding your privacy rights in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and all applicable data protection laws. By choosing to order from Flowers Upminster, you agree to the practices outlined in this Privacy Policy.

Scope of Policy

This Policy applies to all individuals and customers who engage with Flowers Upminster, including but not limited to making enquiries, placing orders, or purchasing floral products and related services in Upminster and the neighbouring areas.

What Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data, depending on your interaction with us:

• Contact Information: Name, delivery address, billing address, telephone number, and details necessary for order fulfilment.
• Order Details: Purchase history, product preferences, order amounts, and special instructions for delivery.
• Payment Information: Transaction details (note: we do not store complete payment card information, as payments are processed by third-party payment providers).
• Communication Data: Correspondence, feedback, and messages exchanged via our website or other communication channels.
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device information, and usage data collected via cookies and similar technologies (for website performance and security purposes).

Lawful Basis for Processing Data

Flowers Upminster ensures all processing of personal data is lawful, transparent, and aligned with GDPR requirements. Our primary lawful bases for collecting and processing your data are as follows:

• Contractual Necessity: Processing is necessary to fulfil your orders and provide associated customer services.
• Legal Obligation: We may need to process certain data to comply with legal or tax obligations.
• Legitimate Interests: We process data to enhance our services, manage our business, prevent fraud, and ensure the security of our website and operations, provided these interests do not override your privacy rights.
• Consent: For marketing communications and certain optional data uses, we will seek your explicit consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

Purposes for Collecting Personal Data

Your personal data is used for the following purposes:

• Processing and fulfilling your orders, including delivery to specified recipients.
• Communicating order confirmations, delivery updates, and issues related to your transaction.
• Managing payments, refunds, and resolving billing queries.
• Improving our services, website, and customer experience based on feedback and usage data.
• Complying with legal requirements, such as tax records and business accounting.
• Where you have opted in, providing updates, special offers, or marketing information relevant to Flowers Upminster.

Data Retention

Your data is kept only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Policy and to comply with legal and regulatory obligations. Typically, we retain order and transactional data for up to seven years, as required by tax authorities. Where data is used for marketing purposes, it will be retained until you opt out or withdraw consent. After retention periods expire, data is securely deleted or anonymised.

Data Processors and Sharing

Flowers Upminster does not sell your personal data. On occasion, we may share your information with carefully selected data processors or service providers that help facilitate key business functions. Examples include:

• Payment processors who handle payment card transactions securely.
• Delivery services supporting the fulfilment of orders within Upminster and surrounding districts.
• IT support providers ensuring secure operation of our website and electronic systems.

All data processors are contractually obligated to handle your information only as instructed, in accordance with GDPR, and employ appropriate technical and organisational security measures. We do not transfer your personal data outside of the United Kingdom or European Economic Area without ensuring adequate protection measures are in place.

Security of Your Data

We employ appropriate measures designed to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. These measures include physical security, encryption, access controls, and regular audits to ensure systems are up to date with security best practices.

Your Rights Under GDPR

You have several important rights in relation to your personal data under GDPR. These include:

• Right of Access: Obtain confirmation of whether we process your personal data and request a copy of that data.
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure: Ask for your information to be deleted, under certain circumstances.
• Right to Restriction: Restrict the processing of your data in specific situations.
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, commonly used format so you can transfer it to another organisation.
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent to processing where reliance is on consent, without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

To exercise any of your rights, or if you have questions about your data, you can contact us using the contact information provided on our website. We may require you to provide certain information to verify your identity before we respond to requests. All requests will be considered in accordance with applicable laws and responded to within stipulated timelines.

Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We occasionally review and update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. The most current version will always be available on our website. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

Further Information

If you have any concerns or complaints regarding how we process your personal data, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office or your local supervisory authority.

Thank you for choosing Flowers Upminster. We are committed to protecting your privacy and providing transparent information about how your data is handled.