Privacy

Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains in detail the types of personal data we may collect about you when you interact with us.

It also explains how we’ll store and handle that data, and keep it safe.

We know that there’s a lot of information here, but we want you to be fully informed about your rights, and how Floatsation uses your data.

We hope the following sections will answer any questions you have but if not, please do get in touch with us.

It’s likely that we’ll need to update this Privacy Policy from time to time. You’re welcome to come back and check it whenever you wish.

When you are using the Floatsation website, Floatsation is the data controller.

Explaining the legal bases we rely on

The law on data protection sets out a number of different reasons for which a company may collect and process your personal data, including:

Consent

In specific situations, we can collect and process your data with your consent.

For example, when you tick a box to receive cartridge reminder emails.

When collecting your personal data, we’ll always make clear to you which data is necessary in connection with a particular service.

Contractual obligations

In certain circumstances, we need your personal data to comply with our contractual obligations.

For example, if you order an item from us for home delivery, we’ll collect your address details to deliver your purchase, and pass them to our courier.

Legal compliance

If the law requires us to, we may need to collect and process your data.

For example, we can pass on details of people involved in fraud or other criminal activity affecting Floatsation to law enforcement.

Legitimate interest

In specific situations, we require your data to pursue our legitimate interests in a way which might reasonably be expected as part of running our business and which does not materially impact your rights, freedom or interests.

For example, we will send you a customer feedback email after you have purchased from us. This will allow us to improve our services and develop new products/services.

We will also use your email address to send you very occasional offers that we think may interest you.

When do we collect your personal data?

When you make an online purchase and check out. (in which case we just collect transaction-based data).
When you purchase a product by phone.
When you visit our office and purchase a product.
When you engage with us on social media.
When you contact us by any means with queries, complaints, etc. For example through our help-desk system.
When you ask us to email you information about a product.
When you enter prize draws or competitions.
When you choose to complete any surveys we send you.
When you comment on or review our products and customer service.
When you fill in any forms. For example, a returns form.
When you’ve given a third party permission to share with us the information they hold about you.

What sort of personal data do we collect?

If you place an order with us: your name, email, telephone number, billing/delivery address and items ordered.
Details of your interactions with us through the phone, help desk, at our office or online.

For example, we collect notes from our conversations with you, details of any complaints or comments you make, details of purchases you made and how and when you contact us.

Your comments and product reviews.
Your social media username, if you interact with us through those channels, to help us respond to your comments, questions or feedback.

How and why do we use your personal data?

We want to give you the best possible customer experience. One way to achieve that is to get the richest picture we can of who you are by combining the data we have about you.

We may occasionally use this to offer you promotions, products and services that are most likely to interest you.

The data privacy law allows this as part of our legitimate interest in understanding our customers and providing the highest levels of service.

Of course, if you wish to change how we use your data, you’ll find details in the ‘What are my rights?’ section below.

Remember, if you choose not to share your personal data with us, or refuse certain contact permissions, we might not be able to provide some services you’ve asked for.

For example, if you’ve asked us to let you know when an item is back in stock, we can’t do that if you’ve withdrawn your general consent to hear from us.

Here’s how we’ll use your personal data and why:

To process any orders that you make using our website, at our office or over the phone. If we don’t collect your personal data during checkout, we won’t be able to process your order and comply with our legal obligations.

For example, your details may need to be passed to a third party to supply or deliver the product that you ordered, and we may keep your details for a reasonable period afterwards in order to fulfil any contractual obligations such as refunds, guarantees and so on.

To respond to your queries, refund requests and complaints. Handling the information you sent enables us to respond. We may also keep a record of these to inform any future communication with us and to demonstrate how we communicated with you throughout. We do this on the basis of our contractual obligations to you, our legal obligations and our legitimate interests in providing you with the best service and understanding how we can improve our service based on your experience.
To process payments and to prevent fraudulent transactions. We do this on the basis of our legitimate business interests. This also helps to protect our customers from fraud.
If we discover any criminal activity or alleged criminal activity through our use of fraud monitoring and suspicious transaction monitoring, we will process this data for the purposes of preventing or detecting unlawful acts. We aim to protect the individuals we interact with from criminal activities.
With your consent, we will use your personal data, preferences and details of your transactions to keep you informed by email about relevant products including special offers, discounts, promotions, competitions and so on.

Of course, you are free to opt out of hearing from us by any of these channels at any time.

To send you communications required by law or which are necessary to inform you about changes to the services we provide you. For example, updates to this Privacy Policy and legally required information relating to your orders. These service messages will not include any promotional content and do not require prior consent when sent by email. If we do not use your personal data for these purposes, we would be unable to comply with our legal obligations.
To administer any of our prize draws or competitions which you enter, based on your consent given at the time of entering.
To develop, test and improve the systems, services and products we provide to you. We’ll do this on the basis of our legitimate business interests.
To comply with our contractual or legal obligations to share data with law enforcement.
To send your survey and feedback requests to help improve our services. These messages will not include any promotional content and do not require prior consent when sent by email. We have a legitimate interest to do so as this helps make our products or services more relevant to you.

How we protect your personal data

We know how much data security matters to all our customers. With this in mind we still treat your data with the utmost care and take all appropriate steps to protect it.

We secure access to all transactional areas of our website using ‘https’ technology.

Access to your personal data is password protected, and sensitive data such as payment card information is managed by our payment processor and we have no access to it.

How long will we keep your personal data?

Whenever we collect or process your personal data, we’ll only keep it for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

At the end of that retention period, your data will be deleted.

Some examples of customer data retention periods:

Orders

When you place an order, we’ll keep the personal data you give us for five years so we can comply with our legal and contractual obligations.

Warranties

If your order included a warranty, the associated personal data will be kept until the end of the warranty period.

Who do we share your personal data with?

We sometimes share your personal data with trusted third parties.

For example, delivery couriers, suppliers and so on.

Here’s the policy we apply to those organisations to keep your data safe and protect your privacy:

We provide only the information they need to perform their specific services.
They may only use your data for the exact purposes we specify in our contract with them.
We work closely with them to ensure that your privacy is respected and protected at all times.
If we stop using their services, any of your data held by them will either be deleted or rendered anonymous.

Examples of the kind of third parties we work with are:

IT companies who support our website and other business systems.

Operational companies such as delivery couriers.
Suppliers where we use their drop shipping services.
Google and social media sites to show you products that might interest you while you’re browsing on the internet.

We do not share your data with third parties for their own purpose.

To help personalise your journey through the Floatsation website we currently us the following companies, who will process your personal data as part of their contracts with us:

Google
Yahoo
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Websites Designed 4U (a trading name of ISD COnsultants ltd.)

What are your rights over your personal data?

You have the right to request:

Access to the personal data we hold about you, free of charge in most cases.
The correction of your personal data when incorrect, out of date or incomplete.
That we stop using your personal data for direct marketing. For example cartridge reminder and feedback emails.

You have the right to request a copy of any information about you that Floatsation holds at any time and also to have that information corrected if it is inaccurate. To ask for your information, please contact Data Protection Officer, Floatsation, Kiln House, Windyridge, Lossiemouth IV31 6RX, or email martin@floatstation.com To ask for your information to be amended, please contact martin@floatstation.com If we choose not to action your request we will explain to you the reasons for our refusal. Your right to withdraw consent Whenever you have given us your consent to use your personal data, you have the right to change your mind at any time and withdraw that consent. Where we rely on our legitimate interest In cases where we are processing your personal data on the basis of our legitimate interest, you can ask us to stop for reasons connected to your individual situation. We must then do so unless we believe we have a legitimate overriding reason to continue processing your personal data. Direct marketing You have the right to stop the use of your personal data for direct marketing activity through all channels, or selected channels. We must always comply with your request. Checking your identity To protect the confidentiality of your information, we will ask you to verify your identity before proceeding with any request you make under this Privacy Policy. If you have authorised a third party to submit a request o your behalf, we will ask them to prove they have your permission to act.

How can you stop the use of your personal data for direct marketing?

Click the ‘unsubscribe’ link in any email communication that we send you. We will then stop any further emails being sent to you.
Write to Data Protection Officer, Floatsation, 38 Norbriggs Rd, Woodthorpe, Chesterfield, S43 3BU, or email martin@floatstation.com

Please note that you may continue to receive communications for a short period after changing your preferences while our systems are fully updated.

Contacting the regulator

If you feel that your data has not been handled correctly, or you are unhappy with our response to any requests you have made to us regarding the use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office. You can contact them by calling 0303 123 1113. Or go online to https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ (opens in a new window; please note we can’t be responsible for the content of external websites)

Any questions?

We hope this Privacy Policy has been helpful in setting out the way we handle your personal data and your rights to control it.

If you have any questions that haven’t been covered, please contact our Data Protection Officer who will be pleased to help you:

Email us at martin@floatstation.com
Or write to us at Data Protection Officer, Floatsation, 2 Post, Office Cottage, Dulnain Bridge, Grantown-on-Spey, PH26 3LT

Cookies

Some websites use “cookies” which are text only strings of information that the website you are visiting transfers to the cookie file of the browser on your computer. Their purpose is to identify users and to enhance the user’s experience by customising web pages. A cookie will usually contain the name of the domain from which the cookie has come, an expiry date for the cookie, and a value, which is usually a random generated unique number.

Types of cookies

Cookies may be either first party cookies or third party cookies. First party cookies are used by the website owner and third party cookies are used by a third party such as an advertiser or a web designer or a website host.

Cookies may be session cookies, that are temporary cookies that remain in the cookie file of your browser until you leave the site or persistent cookies, that remain in the cookie file for much longer. How long persistent cookies remain in your browser depends on the duration given to the cookie.

Cookies may record personal data such as name, and email address and/or non-personal data such as IP address and unique but anonymous customer identity.

This site uses first party cookies to record on an anonymous basis:

items placed in the shopping basket
Please note that our cookies will not store your personal details.

This site uses third party cookies (Google Analytics) to record:

the precise time that you visit this site;
the precise web pages that you view and the websites visited by you before and after you visit this site;
to compile anonymous, aggregated statistics that allow us to understand how users use this site to help us to improve the operation of this site.

Refusing cookies

You are entitled to refuse the use of cookies on this site. However, search and shopping basket functionality will not work.

You can refuse cookies by making modifying the settings in your browser.

For more information about how to manage cookies visit https://www.allaboutcookies.org/

I.P. Address

This site logs your Internet Protocol (I.P.) address. All computers that are linked to the Internet have an I.P. number. An I.P. address does not provide identifiable personal information.

This policy was last updated on 14/06/2023