Privacy Policy
This policy explains what personal information we collect when you use this website or get in touch, why we use it, and the choices you have.
Who we are
Fern Painting Co is a painting and decorating business based in Basingstoke, run as a sole trader. We are the controller of the personal information described here. Our address is Beaconsfield Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 3DQ.
For anything about your personal information, email privacy@fernpainting.co.uk. For general enquiries, email hello@fernpainting.co.uk or call 07946 545533.
What we collect
- Enquiries. When you use our contact or quote form, or email or phone us, we receive the details you give: typically your name, email address, phone number and your message, plus anything else you choose to tell us about the job.
- Technical data. Like any website, our hosting provider handles your IP address and basic request details (such as the page requested, browser type and time) to deliver the site and keep it secure.
- Analytics data. We use Google Analytics to count visits and see which pages are used. It records pages viewed, approximate location, device and browser information, and uses cookies. See our cookie policy.
We do not ask for payment details on this website, and we do not knowingly collect information from children.
Why we use it, and our lawful basis
- To reply to your enquiry, discuss the work and prepare a quote. This is a step you have asked us to take before entering into a contract, and, if you go ahead, it is needed to carry out the contract.
- To keep records of our work and meet legal obligations, such as accounting and tax rules.
- To run and secure the website and deal with misuse. This is our legitimate interest in running a reliable and safe website.
- To understand how the website is used and improve it, through analytics. Our cookie policy explains how this currently works and the change we are planning.
We do not use your information for automated decision-making and we do not sell it.
Who we share it with
We use a small number of service providers who handle information on our behalf or provide parts of the website:
- Google. Our contact and quote forms are Google Forms, so what you enter is received and stored in our Google Workspace account (Google Forms and Google Sheets). Google also provides Google Analytics (a separate Google service), Google Maps (shown on the contact page) and Google Fonts. Your browser connects to Google when these load, which means Google receives your IP address and may set cookies.
- Cloudflare. Cloudflare hosts the website, delivers it to you and provides security protection. It processes your IP address and request details and keeps short-term logs so we can spot and fix errors and abuse.
- Professional advisers and authorities such as our accountant, insurers, or a regulator or court, but only where needed or required by law.
If we need another business to help with a job, such as a subcontractor, we will only share what they need and will tell you first.
The site links to our Facebook page. We do not run Facebook or Instagram tracking on this website, but if you follow that link, Facebook’s own privacy policy applies.
International transfers
Google and Cloudflare operate worldwide, so your information may be processed outside the UK, including in the United States. Where that happens we rely on safeguards the UK GDPR recognises, such as UK adequacy regulations (including the UK–US data bridge for certified companies) or approved standard contractual clauses.
How long we keep it
- Enquiries: for as long as we need to deal with your enquiry, then up to 2 years after our last contact with you.
- Records of work we carry out: for as long as the law requires for accounting and tax purposes.
- Hosting logs: short-term only, for security and troubleshooting (a matter of days).
- Analytics data: for the retention period set in our Google Analytics account.
Your rights
Under data protection law you can ask us for a copy of your personal information, to correct it, to delete it, to restrict or object to how we use it, and, where it applies, to receive it in a portable format. You can also withdraw consent at any time where we rely on it. To use any of these rights, email privacy@fernpainting.co.uk. We will reply within one month.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113. We would appreciate the chance to put things right first.
Security
The website is served over HTTPS and we limit access to enquiry information to the people who need it. If you believe you have found a security problem with this website, please email security@fernpainting.co.uk.
Changes to this policy
If how we use personal information changes we will update this page. The date at the top shows when it was last revised.