Flowers Chigwell Privacy Policy

Introduction

At Flowers Chigwell, we value your privacy and are committed to safeguarding your personal data. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, process, store, and protect your personal data when you place orders with us. This policy is applicable to all Flowers Chigwell customers placing orders from Chigwell and surrounding districts. We operate in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other relevant data protection laws.

What Data We Collect

Flowers Chigwell collects and processes personal data that you provide to us when you make a purchase or interact with our services. The types of data we collect include:

  • Identity Data: Your full name, title, and contact preference.
  • Contact Data: Delivery address, billing address, and any recipient’s name and address as required for your order.
  • Contact Details: Information such as phone number (optional), and other details necessary for communication about your order.
  • Order Information: Details of the flowers or products you have ordered, delivery instructions, and order history.
  • Payment Data: Limited payment information as provided by you (note: payment is processed by third-party providers). We do not store your full payment card details, only transaction references and necessary billing information.
  • Technical Data: Information about your use of our website, such as IP address, browser type, and device information, collected via cookies or similar technologies for website functionality and analytics.

We do not collect sensitive data (such as racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, or health information) unless you explicitly provide such details (for example, in special instructions), in which case they will be treated with the utmost security and only processed as necessary for your order.

Lawful Basis for Processing

Flowers Chigwell processes your personal data only where there is a lawful basis to do so under GDPR. The lawful bases we rely on are:

  • Contractual Necessity: Processing your data is required to perform our contract with you (for instance, to fulfil and deliver your order and provide customer support).
  • Legal Obligation: We may process your data to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as tax and accounting rules.
  • Legitimate Interests: We have a legitimate interest in carrying out certain processing for business administration, improvement of our services, and preventing fraud, provided these interests do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms.
  • Consent: Where we rely on your consent (such as for marketing emails), you have the right to withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of any processing previously carried out.

How We Use Your Personal Data

Your personal data is used by Flowers Chigwell for the following purposes:

  • Processing and fulfilling your flower and gifts orders;
  • Arranging deliveries to the provided address and handling recipient information as required;
  • Processing payments and refunds (through secure third-party payment processors);
  • Communicating with you regarding your order, delivery status, or to handle feedback and queries;
  • Improving our services and customer experience by analysing order trends (using aggregated, non-identifying data);
  • Complying with legal obligations and supporting fraud prevention efforts.

Data Processors and Third Parties

To deliver our goods and services efficiently, we work with selected third-party service providers who act as data processors on our behalf. These include:

  • Payment processing providers (for secure handling of payments);
  • Delivery and courier companies (to ensure timely and accurate deliveries);
  • IT and website hosting providers (to ensure secure and reliable operation of our ecommerce platform);
  • Accounting and administrative service providers to comply with legal and regulatory requirements.

All processors are contractually obliged to comply with data protection laws, treat your data confidentially, process it only as instructed, and take appropriate security measures. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to outside parties for their marketing or commercial purposes.

Data Retention

Flowers Chigwell will retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The retention periods are determined based on:

  • The duration for which your order and transaction data is needed to provide services to you and for after-sales support (typically up to six years for accounting and tax purposes, in accordance with UK statute of limitations);
  • The period required to resolve any disputes or queries relating to your order;
  • Your preferences regarding marketing (data used for marketing purposes is retained until you withdraw consent or opt out).

All personal data is securely deleted or anonymised when no longer needed for these purposes.

Security of Your Data

We are committed to ensuring your information is secure. Flowers Chigwell implements suitable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or disclosure. These include secure servers, encryption, and regular security reviews of both our systems and those of any third-party processors.

Your Rights Under GDPR

As a customer of Flowers Chigwell, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

  • The Right to Access: You can request access to personal data we hold about you, along with information regarding how it is processed.
  • The Right to Rectification: You can request the correction of any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
  • The Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): You may request the deletion of your data in certain circumstances, such as where there is no longer a requirement to process it.
  • The Right to Restrict Processing: You may ask us to suspend the processing of your personal data in limited situations, for example, while a correction is being made.
  • The Right to Data Portability: You may request the transfer of your personal data to another organisation, where applicable.
  • The Right to Object: You have the right to object to processing where our legal basis is legitimate interest or when your data is used for direct marketing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided on our website. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request and aim to respond within the statutory timeframe prescribed by law.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as necessary to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or to improve transparency. The latest version will always be published on our website, and notable changes will be notified to you when appropriate.

Contacting Flowers Chigwell

If you have any questions, requests, or concerns related to this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal data, please contact us through the contact methods provided on our website. We are committed to working with you to resolve any concerns about your data privacy.