privacy policy
Introduction: Who We Are
At Garden Machinery Direct, a trading name of Ron Smith & Co Ltd., your privacy is our priority. We are committed to safeguarding your personal information and ensuring compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, May 2018). This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data, as well as your rights. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.
Table of Contents
- What Data We Collect
- How We Use Your Data
- How We Collect Your Data
- Sharing and Disclosure of Data
- Your Rights
- Cookies Policy
- CCTV Use
- How We Protect Your Data
- Data Retention
- Complaints
1. What Data We Collect
We only collect personal data that is necessary for us to provide our products and services. The data we collect may include:
- Identity Information: Name, date of birth.
- Contact Information: Address, email, phone numbers.
- Payment Information: Credit card and billing details.
- Employment Information (if applying for a job): CV, references, and other relevant details.
- Digital Data: IP address, browsing activity, and cookie data (see Cookies Policy).
2. How We Use Your Data
We process your data for the following purposes:
- To fulfil your orders and deliver services.
- To personalise your shopping experience.
- To respond to your enquiries and provide customer support.
- To process payments and manage transactions.
- To send promotional offers and marketing communications (only with your consent).
- To administer surveys, competitions, or promotions.
- To improve our website and customer services.
We are committed to protecting your privacy and will never share or sell your personal data to third parties, except as outlined in this policy or where required by law.
You may withdraw your consent for marketing at any time by following the opt-out instructions in our emails or contacting us directly.
3. How We Collect Your Data
We collect personal data in the following ways:
- When you place an order (online, over the phone, or in-store).
- When you contact us via email, phone, or post.
- Through forms on our website (e.g., contact forms, surveys, competition entries).
- When you browse our website and accept cookies.
- During job applications.
4. Sharing and Disclosure of Data
We only share your data when necessary to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, or improve your experience. Third parties we work with include:
- Delivery Services: To ensure prompt delivery of your orders.
- Payment Processors: For secure payment transactions.
- IT Providers: To support our systems and ensure website functionality.
- Review Platforms (e.g., Trustpilot): To gather customer feedback.
These third parties are bound by confidentiality agreements and GDPR compliance requirements.
Third-Party Websites and Links
Our website may include links to third-party websites, such as those of our machinery partners or service providers. Please note that this privacy policy applies only to Garden Machinery Direct, and we are not responsible for how third-party websites handle your personal information.
- Leaving Our Website: Clicking on a link to an external site means you are leaving our website. These third parties may collect or share data about you based on their own privacy policies.
- No Control or Endorsement: We do not control or endorse third-party websites or their privacy practices, and their policies may differ from ours.
- Your Responsibility: Before sharing your personal data or interacting with a third-party website, we recommend reviewing their privacy policy to understand how your information will be collected, used, and protected.
We may also use Google’s services, including the Customer Match feature, to deliver personalised advertising based on your preferences. By using our services, you consent to the sharing of your data for these purposes, where required by law or applicable Google policies, including their EU User Consent Policy.
- How It Works: Google Customer Match allows us to show tailored ads to existing customers by securely matching your email address with Google’s advertising database.
- Privacy Assurance: All data shared with Google is handled securely and in compliance with relevant regulations. We remain committed to safeguarding your personal information and ensuring it is used only for legitimate and agreed-upon purposes.
We carefully vet all third-party providers to ensure they comply with GDPR and other relevant regulations, and they are only permitted to process your data as instructed by us.
Trustpilot
We work with Trustpilot, a review and feedback platform, to collect customer reviews and improve our services. To facilitate this, we share limited customer and order information with Trustpilot.
- Control Over Data: We retain control over the data shared and authorise Trustpilot to use it solely for sending review invitation emails.
- Data Retention: Trustpilot deletes this data within a maximum of 30 days after the review invitation email has been sent.
- Privacy Assurance: Trustpilot does not have the authority to use your data for any other purposes and will never pass it on to third parties.
- Your Control: You can unsubscribe from Trustpilot communications using the link at the bottom of any Trustpilot email, whether it was sent on our behalf or by another company.
By ordering with us, you consent to us sharing your email address with Trustpilot for the purpose of sending a review invitation.
5. Your Rights
Under GDPR, you have the following rights:
- Access: Request a copy of the data we hold about you.
- Rectification: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Erasure: Request that we delete your personal data (where legally permissible).
- Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data.
- Data Portability: Obtain your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Object to Processing: Stop us from using your data for direct marketing or other purposes.
To exercise these rights, please contact us.
6. Cookies Policy
Cookies are small files stored on your device through your web browser (if you allow them). They help websites recognise your browser and remember information, improving your browsing experience. We use cookies for the following purposes:
- Shopping Experience: To remember and process items in your shopping cart.
- User Preferences: To understand your preferences and tailor your experience based on previous or current site activity.
- Site Improvements: To analyse website traffic and interaction, enabling us to improve site functionality and tools.
- Advertising Effectiveness: To measure the success of advertising campaigns and manage relationships with affiliate sites.
Types of Cookies We Use
- Essential Cookies: Required for core website functionality, such as remembering your shopping cart or logging into secure areas.
- Performance Cookies: Collect anonymous data to help us understand how visitors use our site (e.g., most-visited pages).
- Functional Cookies: Remember choices you make, like language preferences, to enhance your experience.
- Advertising Cookies: Provide personalised ads and track performance. These cookies may include semi-persistent cookies (e.g., lasting up to two weeks).
Third-Party Cookies
We may work with third-party service providers, such as Google Analytics or affiliate networks, to better understand our visitors. These providers are restricted from using your information for anything beyond improving our services or conducting analytics on our behalf.
How to Manage Cookies
You can control cookies through your browser settings:
- Choose to receive a warning each time a cookie is sent.
- Disable all cookies if preferred (note: disabling cookies may impact certain features of our website, such as online shopping).
- Refer to your browser’s “Help” menu for instructions on managing cookies.
Non-Registered Visitors
Anonymous cookies may be sent to non-registered visitors to track browsing patterns and build demographic profiles.
Affiliate and Advertising Cookies
If you click on a Garden Machinery Direct advertisement on another site, a cookie may be placed on your device to analyse the effectiveness of that ad and manage relationships with affiliate partners.
Your Consent
By using our website, you consent to the use of cookies as outlined in this policy. You can adjust your preferences at any time through your browser settings or by clearing cookies from your device.
7. CCTV Use
We operate CCTV systems at our premises for security, crime prevention, and staff safety. Recorded footage may include:
- Visual images, appearance, and behaviour.
This information may be shared with law enforcement or other authorities when necessary.
8. How We Protect Your Data
We take robust measures to secure your personal information, including:
- Data encryption.
- Secure payment gateways.
- Regular cybersecurity reviews.
- Access controls to limit data access.
While no system is completely secure, we strive to implement industry-standard practices to protect your information.
9. Data Retention
We retain your data only as long as necessary.
- Orders and invoices: Kept for six years to comply with UK tax laws.
- Marketing data: Retained until you opt out or withdraw consent.
Data no longer required is securely deleted.
10. Complaints
If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your data, you can lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
- Website: www.ico.org.uk
- Phone: 0303 123 1113
Alternatively, contact us directly for assistance.
Last Updated: January 2025
We encourage you to review this privacy policy regularly, as we may update it to reflect changes in legal requirements or our practices.
