How We Protect Your Data – Privacy Policy at Flowers Woolwich

Flowers Woolwich Customer Privacy Policy

Introduction

This privacy policy explains how Flowers Woolwich collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal data. It applies to all customers who place orders with Flowers Woolwich within Woolwich and neighboring districts. Protecting your privacy and ensuring the lawful use of your data is of central importance to us, and we are committed to full compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Scope and Application

This policy applies to all personal data processed by Flowers Woolwich arising from the purchase or inquiry of floral arrangements, bouquets, related products, and delivery services within Woolwich and the surrounding areas. By placing an order or contacting us regarding our products and services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the terms of this policy.

What Data We Collect

When you interact with Flowers Woolwich, we may collect the following types of personal data:

Identity Data: Name, title, and, if applicable, the name of the intended recipient of the flowers.
Contact Data: Billing and delivery addresses, phone numbers, and occasionally notes for delivery (e.g., apartment number, delivery instructions).
Order Information: Details about your order, such as selected floral products, messages to accompany bouquets, and delivery dates.
Financial Data: Payment card details are processed securely via our third-party payment processors; we do not store your full payment card information.
Communication Records: Your correspondence with Flowers Woolwich, including phone communications and order-related queries.

Lawful Basis for Data Processing

Flowers Woolwich only collects and processes personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so. The lawful grounds upon which we process your information include:

Contractual Necessity: Processing your personal data is essential to fulfilling your order, communicating with you about your purchase, or delivering our products to you or your chosen recipient.
Legal Obligations: We are required to retain certain records to comply with relevant legislation, such as taxation and accounting regulations.
Legitimate Interests: We may process your data to improve our services, handle customer queries, prevent fraud, or send order-related communications where these actions do not override your fundamental rights.
Consent: In cases where we may wish to send you marketing materials or newsletters beyond direct order communications, we will only do so with your explicit consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To process and fulfill your flower order, including delivery and customer support.
To communicate with you regarding your order status, delivery arrangements, and after-care service.
To manage payments via secure third-party payment processors.
For internal record-keeping and compliance with accounting or legal obligations.
If you have given your consent, to provide you with information about product updates, special offers, or events.

Data Retention

Flowers Woolwich retains your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Typically, customer data related to orders is retained for up to seven years in compliance with HMRC record-keeping obligations. Communications and correspondence unrelated to accounting may be deleted sooner, unless longer retention is necessary to resolve disputes or enforce our agreements.

Third-Party Data Processors

To provide our services efficiently, we sometimes use trusted third-party processors. These may include payment processing providers, delivery partners, and IT service suppliers. All such processors are carefully vetted and contractually bound to protect your data to GDPR standards. They may only process your data as directed by Flowers Woolwich and for no other purpose. We never sell or rent your personal data to third parties.

International Data Transfers

Flowers Woolwich ordinarily processes personal data within the UK or EEA. If we ever need to transfer your data to a country outside the EEA, we will ensure an adequate level of protection is in place, for example, through standard contractual clauses or equivalent legal safeguards.

Your Data Rights

Under GDPR, you have important rights regarding your personal data, including:

Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to Rectification: Have any inaccurate data corrected promptly.
Right to Erasure: Ask for your data to be deleted where it is no longer necessary for the original purpose, if you withdraw consent, or if it was processed unlawfully. Some exclusions apply where retention is legally required.
Right to Restrict Processing: Request that we temporarily suspend processing if you contest accuracy or object to processing.
Right to Data Portability: Obtain a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used format to transfer elsewhere.
Right to Object: Stop marketing messages at any time or object to processing in certain situations.
Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you can withdraw this at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact details provided on our website. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request.

Security Measures

We take the security of your data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, destruction, or alteration. Access to records is strictly limited to staff who need to process your order.

Policy Updates

This privacy policy may be amended from time to time to reflect changes in the law or how we operate. Any updates will be posted on our website with the date of the latest revision.

Contact and Concerns

Should you have any questions about how your data is handled at Flowers Woolwich, your rights under the GDPR, or wish to make a complaint, please refer to our website for contact options. We are committed to working with you to resolve any privacy-related concerns. You also have the right to contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you feel your rights have been infringed.