Flowers Wealdstone Privacy Policy

Introduction

This Privacy Policy outlines how Flowers Wealdstone collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data of its customers when they place flower orders in Wealdstone and the surrounding districts. We are committed to complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and safeguarding your rights as a data subject. This policy applies to all individuals and entities placing orders with Flowers Wealdstone, whether through our website, by phone, or in person.

What Data We Collect

To facilitate flower ordering and delivery services, we collect and process the following categories of personal data:

  • Contact Information: Full name, delivery address, billing address (if different), and contact details (such as phone number).
  • Order Details: Information relating to your order, such as order preferences, special instructions, messages for recipients, and purchase history.
  • Payment Information: Transaction details necessary to process payments, such as payment card information (handled securely via our payment processor).
  • Correspondence: Records of communications with you, including queries, feedback, or complaints submitted by any medium.
  • Technical Information: Details about your use of our website, such as IP address, browser type, and device identifiers collected via essential cookies for security and service provision.

Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the GDPR, we process your personal data according to the following lawful bases:

  • Contractual Necessity: To fulfil your orders and deliver our products and services, including processing payments, arranging deliveries, and handling customer service queries.
  • Legal Obligation: To comply with financial, tax, and other statutory obligations requiring us to retain certain transactional information.
  • Legitimate Interests: To improve our services, prevent fraud, manage business risk, and respond to your enquiries or feedback. When relying on legitimate interests, we always assess the impact on your privacy rights and implement safeguards.
  • Consent: Where required, such as for direct marketing communications or the collection of optional data, we ask for and rely on your consent. You have the right to withdraw this consent at any time.

How We Use Your Data

Your personal data is used only for specific and necessary purposes, including:

  • Processing and fulfilling your flower orders
  • Arranging delivery to the recipient address
  • Managing and responding to your queries, feedback, or complaints
  • Processing payments and verifying transactions
  • Maintaining business records in line with legal requirements
  • Improving our services and customer experience

Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including the fulfilment of any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Typically:

  • Order and transaction data is retained for up to seven years for tax and legal compliance.
  • Contact and communication data are retained for up to two years after your last interaction with us unless you request deletion sooner (unless prevented by legal obligation).
  • Payment details are not stored beyond the period necessary to process your payment, with card information handled securely by our payment processor.

Upon the expiry of these periods, or upon your verified request where legally permissible, we securely delete or anonymise your personal data.

Data Processors and Sharing

To facilitate the services you request, we may share your personal data with select third parties who act as data processors under our instructions. These processors include:

  • Payment processing companies that securely handle your payment data
  • Delivery partners or couriers to enable the delivery of your orders
  • IT service providers who manage and support our ordering and communication systems

Each processor is contractually bound to safeguard your data, act only on our instructions, and not use your information for their own purposes. We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal data to any third parties. Data may be disclosed to regulatory authorities or law enforcement bodies only where required by law.

Your Data Protection Rights

As a customer of Flowers Wealdstone, you have various rights under the GDPR regarding your personal data:

  • Right of Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to Rectification: You have the right to have any inaccurate or incomplete data corrected.
  • Right to Erasure: In certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your personal data, except where we must retain it for legal or contractual reasons.
  • Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to limit the way we use your data in specific cases.
  • Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request your data in a machine-readable format and transmit it to another data controller where technically feasible.
  • Right to Object: You can object to certain types of processing, such as direct marketing, at any time.
  • Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you can withdraw this at any time without affecting any prior processing.

To exercise your rights, please contact us directly. We may need to verify your identity to action your request. We aim to respond to all requests within one month, unless the request is complex, in which case we will keep you informed of progress.

How Your Data is Protected

Flowers Wealdstone uses appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. This includes secure servers, encrypted payment processing, and regular assessments of our security protocols. Strict internal policies ensure that only authorised personnel access your data for legitimate business purposes.

International Data Transfers

Your personal information is generally processed and stored within the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area (EEA). If we engage processors outside these regions, we ensure that your data is protected by adequate safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses approved by data protection authorities.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in our business practices, legal obligations, or customer feedback. Any updates will be published on our website with a revised effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to remain informed about how we use and protect your information.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or wish to exercise your data protection rights under this policy, please reach out to us using our standard contact methods. We are committed to addressing your queries and safeguarding your privacy as a valued customer of Flowers Wealdstone.