Bellingham Flowers Privacy Policy

Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Bellingham Flowers collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal information when you place orders with us. This policy applies to all customers placing orders for flowers and related products from Bellingham and surrounding districts. We value the privacy and security of your personal data in line with our commitment to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

What Data We Collect

When you place an order with Bellingham Flowers, we collect the following types of personal data where necessary to provide our products and services:

• Contact Information: Your name, delivery address, and billing address.
• Order Details: Information about the products ordered, delivery instructions, and messages for recipients.
• Payment Information: Payment method details and billing information (note: we do not store full credit or debit card numbers).
• Communication Data: Any correspondence between you and Bellingham Flowers, including order queries and customer service interactions.
• Technical Data: IP address, device information, and usage data when accessing our website for order placement or browsing.

Lawful Basis for Processing

We ensure that all personal data is processed in accordance with GDPR and only where we have a lawful basis to do so. The core lawful bases on which we collect and process your data include:

• Contractual Necessity: Processing your data is necessary to fulfil your flower order and provide customer support as part of our contract with you.
• Legitimate Interests: We may process your data for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our services, responding to queries, or detecting fraud, but only when these interests are not overridden by your data rights.
• Legal Obligation: Where it is necessary for us to comply with legal or regulatory requirements.
• Consent: If we wish to use your data for specific additional purposes, such as sending you promotional offers, we will seek your consent, which you may withdraw at any time.

How We Use Your Data

Bellingham Flowers uses your personal information for the following purposes:

• To process and deliver your orders effectively.
• To communicate with you regarding your order status, any issues, or customer support inquiries.
• To improve our services based on customer feedback and usage patterns.
• To fulfil our legal and regulatory obligations.
• To provide updates or marketing communications, where you have given consent.

Retention of Your Data

We retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes described in this policy and to comply with applicable laws:

• Order information and customer correspondence are retained for a period necessary to resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and provide after-sales support. This is typically up to seven years for accounting and tax records.
• Where we process data for marketing purposes based on your consent, we will retain that data until you withdraw your consent.
• Technical data is usually retained only for a short period to ensure technical functionality and security.
• Once data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.

Processors and Third Parties

Bellingham Flowers works with trusted third-party service providers (processors) to support our operations. These may include:

• Payment processing providers for secure handling of transactions.
• IT service providers for website hosting, maintenance, and technical support.
• Delivery and logistics partners who assist with fulfilling your orders.
• Accountancy and legal professionals for compliance and business operations.

All processors only process your information as necessary to perform their services for us, are subject to contractual obligations under GDPR, and take appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard your data. We do not sell or share your personal data with unauthorised third parties.

Your Data Protection Rights

Under GDPR, you have several important rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right of Access: You may ask for copies of your personal data held by Bellingham Flowers.
• Right to Rectification: You can request that any incorrect or incomplete data we hold about you be corrected.
• Right to Erasure: In certain circumstances, you can request that we delete your personal data.
• Right to Restriction: You can ask us to restrict the processing of your data in some situations.
• Right to Object: You have the right to object to our processing of your data, particularly where the lawful basis is legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request transfer of your data to another provider, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• If you are not satisfied with how your data is handled, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the appropriate supervisory authority.

How We Protect Your Information

We use a range of security measures to protect your information, including encrypted transactions, secure storage, and regular review of our information handling processes. Access to your data is limited to authorised personnel and service providers who require it to fulfil their tasks.

Changes to This Policy

This Privacy Policy is reviewed periodically and may be updated to reflect changes in our processes or legal requirements. Any significant updates will be prominently communicated on our website. The date of the most recent revision will always be shown at the top of this policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise any of your rights, please use the contact form on our website or write to us at our business address in Bellingham. We will respond to all requests and queries in a timely manner, in accordance with applicable data protection laws.