Privacy Policy for Flower Delivery St Albans Customers

Introduction

This Privacy Policy outlines how Flower Delivery St Albans (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, and protects personal information in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and relevant UK data protection legislation. This policy applies to all customers who place orders with Flower Delivery St Albans from St Albans and the surrounding districts.

What Personal Data We Collect

When you interact with Flower Delivery St Albans to place an order, contact us with an enquiry, or otherwise use our services, we collect and process the following types of personal data:

• Identification Data: Name, surname, and address details (including delivery address).
• Contact Data: Telephone number and, where provided, email address.
• Order and Transaction Details: Details of any flower orders placed, including specific messages, recipient details, purchase history, and order preferences.
• Payment Information: Please note that direct payment happens via secure payment processors and we do not store full payment card details on our servers. We may collect transaction references or confirmations for payment verification.
• Correspondence: Information you provide when contacting us for customer service, feedback, or complaints.
• Technical Data: Limited website usage data (such as IP address, access times, and browser information) may be collected for security and analytics purposes.

Lawful Basis for Data Processing

Flower Delivery St Albans processes your personal data only where there is a valid legal basis under the GDPR. The relevant lawful grounds we rely on include:

• Performance of a Contract: Processing your personal information is necessary to fulfil the contract of flower purchase and delivery you enter into when placing an order.
• Legal Obligations: We may process and retain certain information to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as accounting and taxation laws.
• Legitimate Interests: For purposes such as improving our services, handling queries, resolving complaints, and fraud prevention, we may process certain data based on our legitimate business interests. When doing so, we always assess that your rights and interests do not override our legitimate interests.
• Consent: In cases where we process data based on your consent (such as for marketing communications), you are free to withdraw your consent at any time.

How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

• To process, confirm, and deliver your flower orders.
• To communicate with you regarding your order, delivery updates, and customer service enquiries.
• To meet legal requirements (e.g., tax and anti-fraud obligations).
• For internal record keeping, product improvement, and analysing sales trends.
• To send you marketing and promotional information only if you have expressly opted in.

Data Retention Periods

We retain your personal data only for as long as it is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with legal, regulatory and accounting obligations, or until you request its erasure where applicable. Typically, order and transaction data is retained for up to seven years to comply with tax and accounting standards. Customer account or contact details may be held for up to two years following your last interaction with Flower Delivery St Albans, unless you request earlier deletion. Information used for marketing purposes will be kept until you withdraw your consent or opt out.

Data Processors & Sharing Your Information

We only share your data with third parties when it is necessary to provide our services, comply with the law, or when you have given your explicit consent. Categories of data recipients include:

• Payment Processors: To securely handle online payments.
• Delivery Partners: To ensure your flowers are delivered as ordered.
• IT Service Providers: For web hosting, security, and data management.
• Accountants and Legal Advisers: In relation to lawful record keeping and dispute resolution if necessary.

All third-party processors acting on our behalf are contractually obligated to handle your information securely, confidentially, and exclusively for the outlined purposes, in compliance with GDPR requirements.

Your Rights under GDPR

You have specific rights regarding how Flower Delivery St Albans uses your personal data:

• Right to Access: You can request a copy of your personal data held by us.
• Right to Rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure: You may request deletion of your personal data where there is no longer a legal justification to retain it.
• Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to temporarily stop processing your data while issues are investigated.
• Right to Data Portability: Where applicable, you can request that we provide your data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format for transfer to another controller.
• Right to Object: You can object to our processing of your data based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
• Withdrawal of Consent: Where we process your data based on consent, you may withdraw this at any time.

To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details provided on our website or in your customer documentation. We will respond to all requests as required by law, typically within one month.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, or access. These measures may include data encryption, regular security reviews, staff training, access controls, and secure storage solutions.

International Data Transfers

Your data is generally stored within the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area. If for technical reasons data is transferred outside the UK or EEA, we ensure such data transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards in line with GDPR requirements, such as through Standard Contractual Clauses.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our procedures or legal requirements. The most current version will always be available on our website, and significant changes will be communicated to you as required.

Contact and Complaints

If you have any questions, concerns, or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact Flower Delivery St Albans using the contact details available on our website. If you are dissatisfied with our response, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office.