Flowers South Hackney Privacy Policy

Introduction

At Flowers South Hackney, we are dedicated to respecting and safeguarding the privacy of our customers. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The policy applies to all individuals placing orders with Flowers South Hackney from South Hackney and surrounding districts.

What Data We Collect

When you place an order or interact with our services, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

• Identity Information: Your full name
• Contact Information: Delivery address, billing address, and postcode
• Order Details: Products ordered, delivery instructions, and special request notes
• Payment Information: Debit or credit card details (processed securely by our payment processor), payment method, and transaction references
• Communication Records: Any communication you make with us, such as order enquiries, compliments, or complaints
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, and information collected from cookies (to improve website functionality)

We only collect information necessary for the purpose of providing our services and improving your customer experience.

Lawful Basis for Processing

We will only process your personal data when the law allows us to. The main legal bases under GDPR that we rely on include:

• Contractual Necessity: Processing your order and delivering our products to you requires us to collect specific information such as your name, address, and payment details.
• Legitimate Interests: For internal administration, quality control, fraud prevention, and to improve our services.
• Legal Obligations: Retaining records for tax, accounting, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Consent: Where we seek your agreement, for example, to send promotional communications, we will request your explicit consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

How We Use Your Data

Your personal information may be used for the following purposes:

• Processing, fulfilling, and delivering your flower orders
• Managing payments and refunds
• Communicating with you regarding your order status or customer service enquiries
• Improving our products and services through analysis and feedback
• Meeting legal, tax, or regulatory requirements
• Sending service-related information and, where permitted, marketing offers (only with your prior consent)

How We Store and Protect Your Data

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to secure your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. This includes restricted access controls, encryption for payment processing, and secure data storage procedures. Our staff are trained in data protection principles and understand the importance of confidentiality.

If paper copies of information are created (e.g., delivery records), they are stored securely and disposed of safely when no longer required.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Generally, customer order records are kept for a period of up to six years to meet tax and contractual obligations. After this period, personal data is securely deleted or anonymised.

If you provide consent for marketing communications, we retain contact details for this purpose only until you withdraw consent, or for a maximum of three years after your last interaction with our services.

Third Party Data Processors

To operate efficiently, we may share your data with trusted third-party service providers (data processors) who assist us in:

• Processing payments
• Delivering orders
• Managing IT and website hosting infrastructure
• Providing customer feedback or review platforms

Whenever we use external service providers, we ensure they are contractually bound to comply with data protection regulations and use your information only for the purposes specified by us. We do not sell or share your data with third parties for their own marketing.

Your Rights Under GDPR

You have the following rights in respect of your personal data:

• Access: You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Rectification: You may ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Erasure: You are entitled to request deletion of your personal information, where there is no lawful reason for us to continue processing it.
• Restriction: You can request us to suspend processing of your data under specific circumstances.
• Portability: You can request the transfer of your data to another service provider in a structured, commonly used format.
• Objection: You may object to our processing where we rely on legitimate interests, especially in relation to direct marketing.
• Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on your consent to process data, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact us using the contact details provided on our website. We will respond to all requests within the applicable legal timescales and may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

Policy Scope and Updates

This Privacy Policy applies to all Flowers South Hackney customers placing orders from South Hackney and the surrounding districts. We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements or our data practices. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Any significant changes will be communicated via our website or through your preferred contact method if available.

Contact and Complaints

Should you have any questions, concerns, or wish to make a complaint regarding your personal data or how it has been handled, details on how to contact our data protection officer can be found on the contact page of our website. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues.

We are committed to ensuring your privacy is respected at every stage of your order and experience with Flowers South Hackney.