Your Data and Privacy at Florist Forest Hill

Florist Forest Hill Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Florist Forest Hill collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal data when you place an order with us from Forest Hill and the surrounding districts. We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and ensuring your information is handled in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and relevant UK data protection laws.

Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to all individuals who place flower orders with Florist Forest Hill, whether for themselves or on behalf of others, from Forest Hill and the surrounding districts. By making a purchase or engaging with our business, you agree to the practices described herein.

What Personal Data We Collect

We collect and process various types of personal data depending on the services you use, including:

• Identification information: Your full name.
• Contact details: Address (delivery and billing), phone number, and where provided, your email address.
• Order information: Details of floral products purchased, special instructions, order history, and payment method (note: payment details such as card numbers are processed by our payment provider and not stored by us).
• Recipient information: Name, address, and sometimes contact details of the person receiving the flowers (if different from yourself).
• Communications: Records of correspondence made via forms, letters, or customer service inquiries.
• Technical information: IP address, browser details, and usage data gathered via cookies (necessary for website operation, order processing, and customer experience improvement).

Lawful Basis for Processing

Florist Forest Hill processes your personal data on the following lawful bases:

• Contractual necessity: To process your order, deliver products, manage payments, and provide customer support.
• Legitimate interests: For business operations, such as maintaining records, handling queries, or improving our products and services. We consider your interests and fundamental rights when using this basis.
• Legal obligation: To comply with accounting, taxation, fraud prevention, and other legal requirements.
• Consent: Where required for specific activities, such as sending marketing communications (if you sign up for them), we expressly request your consent, which you may withdraw at any time.

How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your data for the following purposes:

• Fulfilling your floristry orders and related services.
• Delivering items to you or your nominated recipient.
• Providing customer assistance and notifications related to your order.
• Handling and resolving questions and complaints.
• Managing our business operations, record-keeping, and administration.
• Complying with UK laws and regulations.
• On occasion, where you have agreed, updating you with service and promotional information.

Who Processes Your Data and Data Sharing

In the course of fulfilling your order and running our business, we may share your personal data with trusted suppliers and service providers ("processors") acting on our behalf, such as:

• Courier and delivery service providers.
• Payment processing companies for secure card transactions.
• IT, hosting, and website maintenance providers.
• Accountants or legal advisors (for statutory compliance, as required).

These processors have access only to the information necessary for their contractual obligations and must adhere strictly to our data protection requirements and UK law. We do not sell or share your data with third parties for their independent marketing.

In rare situations, we may be required to disclose your personal data to authorities for the purposes of fraud prevention, law enforcement, or to comply with a legal obligation.

International Data Transfers

Your personal data is generally processed and stored within the United Kingdom. If there is a need to transfer your data outside the UK or European Economic Area (EEA), we ensure that appropriate safeguards, as required under data protection law, are put in place to protect your privacy and rights.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes indicated above, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Typically, we keep:

• Order and transaction records, including relevant contact details, for up to seven years in accordance with UK tax and accounting regulations.
• Correspondence and customer service records for up to two years after your last interaction with us or sooner if requested by you and no longer required for business or legal purposes.
• Data processed only on the basis of your consent (e.g., marketing preferences) will be retained until you withdraw your consent.

When data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymised.

Your Rights Under GDPR

Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to be informed – about how your data is used, as we explain in this policy.
• Right of access – to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification – to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data when there is no lawful reason for us to continue processing it.
• Right to restrict processing – to limit how we process your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability – to request we transfer your data in a structured, commonly used format to you or another provider, where applicable.
• Right to object – to processing, particularly if we rely on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
• Rights in relation to automated decision-making – Florist Forest Hill does not use personal data for automated decision-making which produces legal effects or similarly significant consequences.

To exercise your rights, you may contact us using the methods specified on our website or by post. We will respond in line with UK law. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office if you have concerns regarding our use of your data.

Security of Your Data

We place great emphasis on the security of your personal data. Physical, technical, and organisational measures are employed to protect your data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, or alteration. Where we use service providers or processors, we ensure through agreements that they also adopt robust safeguards.

Cookies and Website Usage

Our website uses cookies necessary for its operation, such as managing your order basket and preferences. With your consent, we may also use cookies to improve website functionality and analyse visitor behaviour for service enhancement purposes. You can manage or block cookies through your browser settings; however, some features may not function optimally if cookies are disabled.

Updates to This Policy

We may review and update this policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The revised policy will take effect when posted on our website. Please check back periodically for any updates as your continued use of our services constitutes acceptance of any amendments.

Contacting Florist Forest Hill

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please use the contact form provided on our website or write to our business address. We are always happy to address your concerns regarding the safeguarding of your personal data.