Privacy Policy for Flowers Loughton Customers

Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Flowers Loughton (“we”, “our”, “us”) collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data relating to customers who place orders with us from Loughton or surrounding districts. We are committed to handling your information responsibly and in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable UK data protection laws.

Scope of the Policy

This document applies to all customers ordering flowers and related products or services from Flowers Loughton who are located in Loughton and the nearby districts. By placing an order with us, you acknowledge and agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

What Data We Collect

We collect personal data in connection with your order to enable us to process and deliver the service effectively. The categories of data we may collect include:

• Name (customer and recipient if different)
• Contact information (e.g., address, phone number)
• Delivery address details
• Order details (products, preferences, messages for flower cards)
• Payment information (processed securely through payment providers; we do not store full card details)
• Customer correspondence (questions, feedback, complaints)
• Technical data (IP address, device information, browser type) if ordering through our website

Lawful Basis for Processing Personal Data

The GDPR requires us to have a lawful basis for every aspect of processing your personal data. Flowers Loughton processes your information under the following bases:

• Contractual necessity: To process your order, take payment, communicate with you, deliver your flowers, and provide customer service.
• Legal obligation: To retain records as required by relevant laws (such as taxation or business regulations).
• Legitimate interests: To improve our services, understand our customer base, respond to enquiries, and ensure the integrity and security of our website and operations.
• Consent: For processing optional marketing communications or using certain website cookies, where you have provided active consent.

How We Use Your Data

Your information is used to:

• Confirm and fulfill your flower orders
• Arrange for delivery or pickup in the Loughton area
• Communicate about your order (confirmations, updates, or issues)
• Answer questions or address concerns you send us
• Process payments securely (through external payment processors)
• Meet legal and financial record-keeping requirements
• Improve our services and understand buying trends (aggregated and anonymised where possible)
• Send marketing communications if you have opted in (you may withdraw consent at any time)

Data Sharing and Processors

We will only share your personal information where it is necessary to fulfil our contract with you, to comply with legal obligations, or where you have given explicit consent. We may share certain data with third parties acting as our data processors, such as:

• Delivery couriers (for local delivery of your orders)
• Payment service providers (to process secure payments)
• IT support and website hosting providers (who may have limited access for maintenance and security)
• Professional advisors (accountants, solicitors), if required for compliance

All third-party processors are reviewed and contractually bound to protect your data, only process it under our instructions, and treat it confidentially.

Data Retention

Your personal data is retained only as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, or as required by law. This retention period will depend on the nature of the information and our legal obligations. Generally:

• Order details and customer information are kept for up to 6 years after your last order (to comply with tax and accountancy regulations).
• Enquiry and communication records are kept for up to 2 years.
• Marketing data is retained while you remain opted in or until you withdraw consent.

After these periods, your data will be securely deleted or irreversibly anonymised.

Your Rights Under GDPR

You have a number of rights regarding your personal data, which may include:

• The right to request access to your own personal data (“subject access request”)
• The right to rectification if your information is inaccurate or incomplete
• The right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) in certain circumstances
• The right to restrict or object to certain types of processing
• The right to data portability (to move your data to another provider in a machine-readable form)
• The right to withdraw any consent you have given (for example, to receive marketing messages)
• The right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you feel your data has not been handled lawfully

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us via the details provided at the end of this policy or use the methods available on our website.

Security of Your Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against accidental loss, theft, unauthorised access, disclosure, or alteration. We regularly review our security procedures and restrict access to personal data to only those employees, agents, or processors with a legitimate need to access it.

Changes to This Policy

We may review and update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law or our business practices. The latest version will always be displayed on our website. We encourage you to check this page periodically to remain informed about how we protect your privacy.

Contacting Flowers Loughton

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal data, or wish to exercise your rights, please use the contact form or methods provided on our website. We will respond to your request promptly and in line with applicable data protection laws.

Thank you for trusting Flowers Loughton with your personal information. We are dedicated to safeguarding your privacy and providing a secure and positive customer experience.