Harmondsworth Florist Privacy Commitment

Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Harmondsworth Florist collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data provided by customers placing orders from Harmondsworth and surrounding districts. We are committed to complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ensuring your information is handled lawfully, fairly, and transparently. Your trust is important to us, and we strive to act in your best interest in all matters related to your data.

Scope of this Policy

This policy applies to all individuals who place orders with Harmondsworth Florist, whether through our website, by phone, or in person, serving Harmondsworth and its surrounding areas. Our policy outlines your rights, how your data is used, and the measures we take to keep it secure. Use of our services constitutes acceptance of this Privacy Policy.

What Data We Collect

To process your order and provide our floral services, we may collect the following types of personal data:

Identifying Information: Name, address, and contact details (such as postal address and telephone number)
Order Details: Products ordered, recipient details (if sending to another party), order preferences, and delivery instructions
Payment Information: Transaction details (processed securely by our payment providers; we do not store your full card details)
Correspondence: Communications between you and Harmondsworth Florist (including queries, feedback, or complaints)
Technical Data: When using our website, we may collect anonymised usage data such as IP addresses, browser type, and visit duration

Lawful Basis for Processing Your Data

We only process personal data when we have a legal basis under GDPR, including:

Contractual Necessity: Most personal data is processed to fulfil your order or provide requested services.
Legal Obligations: We may process certain data to comply with laws and regulations, such as accounting or tax laws.
Legitimate Interests: Some processing is necessary for our business operations, such as improving our services or preventing fraud, balanced against your rights and freedoms.
Consent: For direct marketing or optional features, we will only process your data with your explicit consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

How We Use Your Data

Your personal information is used solely for the following purposes:

Processing and fulfilling floral orders
Contacting you regarding your order, delivery, or service updates
Handling customer service communications
Ensuring safe payment transactions
Improving the quality, security, and efficiency of our services
Complying with legal obligations
Sending promotional offers or newsletters only where you have opted in

Retention Periods

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the original purposes for which it was collected. Typically:

Order and transaction data are retained for up to seven years to comply with tax and accounting requirements.
Marketing preferences are retained until withdrawn or updated by you.
Correspondence and feedback may be kept for up to two years.
Technical usage and website data (anonymised) may be stored for up to two years for analytics and security purposes.

After these periods, data is securely deleted or anonymised.

Data Processors and Third Parties

We may engage selected third-party service providers—known as data processors—who process data on our behalf to enable payment processing, order delivery, IT support, or marketing (with your consent). These providers are contractually required to protect your data and must not use it for their own purposes. Examples include:

Payment processing companies
IT system and website hosting providers
Delivery and courier partners (with recipient details only as needed for deliveries)

We do not sell or rent your personal information to any third parties. No data is transferred outside the UK or EEA unless adequate safeguards are in place to ensure GDPR compliance.

Your Rights Under GDPR

You have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

Right to Access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Right to Rectification: You can ask us to correct or update any incomplete or inaccurate data.
Right to Erasure: You may request deletion of your data where there is no longer a legal reason for continued processing.
Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to suspend processing your data in certain circumstances.
Right to Data Portability: You are entitled to request your data in a structured, machine-readable format for transfer to another service provider.
Right to Object: You may object to processing carried out under legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on your consent (such as for marketing), you can withdraw your consent at any time.

We will respond to your requests promptly and within one month, in accordance with GDPR requirements.

Data Security Measures

We have implemented technical and organisational measures to safeguard your data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include secure payment processing partners, access controls, staff confidentiality training, and regular data security reviews. If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will inform you and the relevant supervisory authority as required by law.

Changes to this Policy

We may review and update this Privacy Policy periodically to ensure compliance with legal obligations and best practice. Updated versions will be posted on our website or made available in-store, with changes taking effect upon publication. We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your data.

Contact and Queries

If you have any questions, concerns, or wish to exercise any of your GDPR rights in relation to your data held by Harmondsworth Florist, please contact us using the contact methods provided on our website or ask in-store. We are committed to ensuring your privacy is respected and your personal information is handled responsibly at all times.