Watford Florist Privacy Policy

Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Watford Florist collects, stores, uses, and protects your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It applies to all customers who place orders with Watford Florist, whether online, by telephone, or in person, within Watford and the surrounding districts. Your privacy is a priority for us, and we are committed to maintaining transparency regarding your personal information.

What Personal Data We Collect

When you interact with Watford Florist to place an order or inquire about our services, we may collect and process the following types of personal data:

• Contact Details: Name, delivery address, billing address, and contact information (such as phone number and postal code).
• Order Details: Details of the floral arrangement, messages to recipients, special delivery instructions, and order history.
• Payment Information: Payment card number, expiration date, security code, and related transaction details (collected and processed securely).
• Communication Records: Records of communications with us, including queries, special requests, and feedback.
• Website Usage Information: Data collected via cookies and similar technologies, such as IP address, browser type, and pages viewed (if ordering via our website).

We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under the age of 16 without parental consent.

Lawful Basis for Processing Your Personal Data

Watford Florist will only process your personal data when there is a lawful basis for doing so, as defined under the GDPR. The lawful bases on which we typically rely include:

• Contract: Processing necessary to fulfill your order, provide customer support, and manage your account and transactions.
• Legal Obligation: Processing required to comply with laws (such as tax regulations and record-keeping).
• Legitimate Interests: Processing based on our legitimate interest to improve customer satisfaction, ensure the quality of our services, prevent fraud, and maintain the security of our website and systems. We always balance these interests with your privacy rights.
• Consent: Where required, we will request your explicit consent, such as for certain marketing communications or optional website features. You may withdraw your consent at any time.

How We Use Your Personal Data

Your personal data is used only for the purposes for which it was collected, such as:

• Processing and delivering your floral orders and personalized messages
• Processing payments and refunds
• Communicating with you about your orders and responding to inquiries
• Fulfilling legal and regulatory obligations
• Improving our products and customer experience
• Sending you information about our services and promotions, where permitted

Personal Data Retention

Your personal data is retained for only as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The retention periods are as follows:

• Order and Transaction Data: Retained for up to 7 years in accordance with statutory accounting and tax requirements.
• Communication Records: Retained for up to 3 years from your last interaction with us.
• Marketing Preferences: Retained until you update your preferences or withdraw consent.
• Website Data: Retained for up to 2 years or as specified by the relevant cookie policy.

After these periods, your personal information is securely deleted or anonymized.

Processors and Data Sharing

Watford Florist may share your personal data with third-party service providers (processors) who perform services on our behalf. These include, but are not limited to:

• Payment processing companies
• Delivery service partners
• IT and system support providers
• Marketing, communications, or survey platforms (for optional activities)

All such partners are required to protect your data according to this Privacy Policy and the GDPR. We do not sell your personal data to third parties. Data is not transferred outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area unless adequate safeguards are in place as required by law.

Your Rights

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

• Right to Access: You may request access to the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectify: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure: You may request deletion of your data where there is no lawful reason for its continued processing.
• Right to Restrict Processing: You may request restriction of how your data is processed in certain circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: You can request to receive your data in a commonly used electronic format and have it transferred to another controller.
• Right to Object: You may object to processing where we rely on legitimate interests, especially in regard to direct marketing.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise your rights, please contact us using the methods described on our website or through your usual communication channel with Watford Florist. We will respond to your request within one month, unless the request is particularly complex.

Data Security

We are dedicated to protecting your personal data. Watford Florist implements appropriate technical and organisational security measures, including encryption of payment information, secure server environments, access controls, and regular security reviews. All staff processing your information are trained in data protection and privacy best practices.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy as needed to reflect changes in legal or regulatory requirements or our business practices. The latest version will always be available on our website and will show the date of last revision.

Contacting Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, your data, or wish to make a complaint, please refer to the contact details provided on our website or get in touch using your preferred contact method. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).