Your Privacy and Data Protection at Colindale Flowers

Introduction

At Colindale Flowers, your privacy and trust are of the utmost importance. This Privacy Policy sets out how we collect, use, store, and protect the personal data of all customers who place orders with Colindale Flowers in Colindale and the surrounding districts. We are committed to complying fully with the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ensuring your personal information is handled with care and transparency. Please read this policy carefully to understand your rights and how we process your data.

Personal Data We Collect

When you place an order with Colindale Flowers (either directly, online, or by phone), we collect and process the following types of personal data:

  • Contact Details: Your full name, delivery address, order recipient name and address (if different from buyer), and telephone number.
  • Order Information: Details of your flower order, occasion, personalised message (if any), and delivery instructions.
  • Payment Information: We process payment details necessary to complete your purchase. However, we do not store full payment card numbers in our systems.
  • Communication History: Records of any correspondence, complaints, feedback, or queries related to your order.
  • Website Usage Data: If you use our website, we may collect technical data including your IP address, browser type, device type, and cookies (see our separate Cookie Policy).

Lawful Basis for Processing Data

The lawful bases under which Colindale Flowers processes your personal information are as follows:

  • Contractual Necessity: We use your data to fulfil our contract with you, which includes processing your order, arranging for payment, delivering products, and handling after-sales care.
  • Legal Obligations: Some data is processed to comply with UK legal requirements (for example, maintaining records for tax and accounting purposes).
  • Legitimate Interests: We may process certain data to improve our services, protect against fraud, and respond to your queries. These processing activities do not override your rights or fundamental freedoms.
  • Consent: If we wish to send you marketing communications by email or phone, we will always obtain your prior explicit consent. You may withdraw consent at any time.

How We Use Your Data

Your information is used strictly for specified and legitimate purposes connected to your transactions with Colindale Flowers:

  • To process and deliver your order and keep you updated on its status
  • To manage payment and prevent fraudulent transactions
  • To provide customer support and respond to your queries or feedback
  • For internal record-keeping and to fulfil legal or regulatory requirements
  • To improve our website, products, and services based on customer insights (using anonymised data where possible)

Data Retention

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

  • Order records and related communications are retained for up to six years from the date of transaction to comply with legal obligations.
  • Personal data held for marketing purposes is kept only until you withdraw your consent or unsubscribe, after which it will be deleted from marketing lists.
  • Non-essential technical data (such as cookies) is retained according to our Cookie Policy.

Once the relevant retention period has expired, your data will be securely deleted or anonymised.

Data Processors and Third Parties

We work with selected third-party service providers (processors) to help us operate our business and deliver your orders. These may include:

  • Payment processors for secure handling of card payments
  • Delivery partners to fulfil and track your orders
  • IT support providers and website hosting services
  • Marketing and communication service providers (with your consent)

All such processors are bound by contracts to handle your data securely and in compliance with GDPR. We do not sell your data to third parties. Your data is not transferred to countries outside the UK or European Economic Area unless sufficient safeguards are in place as required by law.

Your Data Rights

Under GDPR, you have a number of important rights regarding the personal data we hold about you. You may:

  • Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to Rectification: Request correction of any inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Right to Erasure: Ask us to delete your personal information when it is no longer necessary for the original purposes (restricted by any legal or contractual reasons for retention).
  • Right to Restrict Processing: Request us to halt processing while a dispute is resolved or if you contest the accuracy of your data.
  • Right to Data Portability: Ask for your data to be provided in a commonly used, machine-readable format.
  • Right to Object: Object to processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes or our legitimate interests.
  • Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing relies on your consent (such as marketing), you can withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided on our website. We will respond to valid requests within one month, as required by law.

Policy Scope and Updates

This Privacy Policy applies to all customers placing Colindale Flowers orders in Colindale and the surrounding districts. We may update this policy periodically to reflect changes in applicable laws or in our business practices. The revised policy will be posted on our website with a new effective date. We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your data.

Contact and Complaints

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our handling of your data, you can reach out via the contact details provided on our website. Should you feel we have not addressed your requests appropriately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Your trust matters to us. Thank you for choosing Colindale Flowers.