Virginia Water website is committed to protecting your privacy and this Privacy Policy sets out what information we collect, how we collect it, and what we do with it. Our website uses cookies. By using our website and agreeing to this policy, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with the terms of this policy.
INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
What information do we collect?
We may collect, store and use the following kinds of personal information:
(a) information about your computer and about your visits to and use of this website (including [your IP address, geographical location, browser type and version, operating system, referral source, length of visit, page views, website navigation and other information which is undefined at this point);
(b) information relating to any transactions carried out between you and us on or in relation to this website, including information relating to any purchases you make of our goods or services;
(c) information that you provide to us for the purpose of registering with us (including your name, contact details, profile preferences and any special requirements that you supply us or is supplied to us, (“your information”) );
(d) information that you provide to us for the purpose of subscribing to our website services, email notifications and/or newsletters (including email address);
(e) any other information that you choose to send to us
Your information is collected when you request information from us, contact us (and vice versa) or use of services. You are responsible for ensuring that your friends and family are aware of the content of our Privacy Policy and consent to your acting on their behalf in all your dealings with us.
We will update your information whenever we get the opportunity to keep it current accurate and complete.
Our Use of Your Information
We may disclose your information to our service providers (which could be located outside the UK/EEA) for the purpose of providing you with our services. Only information necessary for this purpose will be disclosed to them.
In addition, we may use your information for the purposes set out in our data protection registration with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, and disclose the same to our “group companies” (i.e. our holding companies and all group companies of our holding companies, some of which are outside the UK/EEA) if there are business benefits to be gained from doing so. We may also disclose your information to companies who act as “data processors” on our behalf. These purposes include administration, providing services (and contacting you where necessary), customer care, improving our service, business management and operation, reorganisation/restructuring of our business (or our group companies), risk assessment, security and crime prevention/detection, research and analysis, marketing, monitoring, assessing customer purchasing preferences, dispute resolution, credit checking and debt collection. If we search against the files of credit reference agencies, they will record the search and hence the way in which you conduct your account with us may be shared with other lenders and credit agencies.
Some of your information may be considered “sensitive personal data” under the Data Protection Act 1998. (This includes, for example, any information relating to health, religion, ethnic origin or political persuasion.) We will require your positive consent for us to use such information, and we will do all that is reasonably practicable to draw this to your attention when you first supply us with your information, or at the next available opportunity. For example, by asking you to: (1) click the I ACCEPT button at the time you first supply us your information via our website(s); or (2) tick a check-box or agree to this at the time you first supply us with your information (or at the earliest opportunity).
Direct Marketing Material
You may indicate your preference not to receive direct marketing material in the relevant opt-out boxes or be asked the same by our staff at the time you first supply us your information (or at the earliest opportunity). Otherwise, we may share your information with our group companies and other carefully selected third parties who may contact you for direct marketing purposes and for research purposes. For example, we on their behalf or they may contact you with offers of goods and services, forthcoming events or competitions considered to be of interest to you.
If you change your mind, you should inform us in writing. Alternatively, if this facility is available on our website, you could amend your preference on our website or in literature which you subsequently return to us. Once properly notified by you, we will take steps to stop sharing your information.
Your Rights
You have the right to ask in writing by completing our Data Subject Access Request form for a copy of the information we hold about you (for which we may charge a fee) and to correct any inaccuracies in your information.
You have the right to ask in writing not to receive direct marketing material about our products. If you would like a list of our group companies, please send us your request using our contact form.
International data transfers and Foreign Controls
Information that we collect may be stored and processed in and transferred between any of the countries in which we operate in order to enable us to use the information in accordance with this privacy policy.
Outside the European Economic Area (EEA), controls on data protection in such countries may not be as strong as the legal requirements in this country.
USE OF “COOKIES”
If our contact and dealing with you is via our website(s), we may use “cookies”. A cookie is a small piece of data sent from our web server to your computer and stored in a text file on your hard drive. Cookies allow us to identify your computer but not you personally. You can set your web browser to refuse cookies. We use cookies to measure site usage and related information. If you are making a purchase we may also use cookies to keep track of the transaction from one web page to another. Our website(s) may contain links to other sites not controlled by us. These sites may send you cookies and collect data and personal information.
(1) About cookies
Cookies are files, often including unique identifiers, that are sent by web servers to web browsers, and which may then be sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.
Cookies can be used by web servers to identity and track users as they navigate different pages on a website, and to identify users returning to a website.
Cookies may be either “persistent” cookies or “session” cookies. A persistent cookie consists of a text file sent by a web server to a web browser, which will be stored by the browser and will remain valid until its set expiry date (unless deleted by the user before the expiry date). A session cookie, on the other hand, will expire at the end of the user session, when the web browser is closed.
(2) How we use cookies
Cookies do not contain any information that personally identifies you, but personal information that we store about you may be linked, by us, to the information stored in and obtained from cookies.
We may use the information we obtain from your use of our cookies for the following purposes:
(a) to recognise your computer when you visit our website;
(b) to track you as you navigate our website, and to enable the use of the [specify feature, e.g. shopping cart] on our website;
(c) to improve the website’s usability;
(d) to analyse the use of our website;
(e) in the administration of this website;
(f) to personalise our website for you[, including targeting advertisements which may be of particular interest to you.
(3) Third party cookies
When you use our website, you may also be sent third party cookies.
Our advertisers/service providers may send you cookies. They may use the information they obtain from your use of their cookies:
(a) to track your browser across multiple websites;
(b) to build a profile of your web surfing;
(c) to target advertisements which may be of particular interest to you.
In addition, we use Analytics to analyse the use of this website. Analytics generates statistical and other information about website use by means of cookies, which are stored on users’ computers. The information generated relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of the website. This information may be stored by us or a third party such as Google. Google’s privacy policy is available at:http://www.google.com/privacypolicy.html .
We publish Google AdSense interest-based advertisements on our website. These are tailored by Google to reflect your interests. To determine your interests, Google will track your behaviour across the web using cookies. You can view, delete or add interest categories associated with your browser using Google’s Ads Preference Manager, available at: http://www.google.com/ads/preferences/. You can opt-out of the AdSense partner network cookie at: http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html. However, this opt-out mechanism uses a cookie, and if you clear the cookies from your browser your opt-out will not be maintained. To ensure that an opt-out is maintained in respect of a particular browser, you should use the Google browser plug-in available at: http://www.google.com/ads/preferences/plugin.
(4) Blocking cookies
Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies. For example:
(a) in Internet Explorer you can refuse all cookies by clicking “Tools”, “Internet Options”, “Privacy”, and selecting “Block all cookies” using the sliding selector
(b) in Firefox you can block all cookies by clicking “Tools”, “Options”, and unchecking “Accept cookies from sites” in the “Privacy” box.
Blocking all cookies will, however, have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites. If you block cookies, you will not be able to use the identify feature(s) on this website.
(5) Deleting cookies
You can also delete cookies already stored on your computer:
(a) in Internet Explorer, you must manually delete cookie files;
(b) in Firefox, you can delete cookies by, first ensuring that cookies are to be deleted when you “clear private data” (this setting can be changed by clicking “Tools”, “Options” and “Settings” in the “Private Data” box) and then clicking “Clear private data” in the “Tools” menu.
Obviously, doing this may have a negative impact on the usability of many websites.
LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES
We are not responsible for the actions, content or the privacy policies of those websites to which our website(s) may link. It is your responsibility to check the status of these sites
AGGREGATED CUSTOMER INFORMATION
We collect information relating to customer trends and patterns. This information is often used in its aggregate form. We, including our group companies, may disclose aggregate statistics about enquiries made, visitors, customers and sales in order to describe our services to prospective partners, purchasers, advertisers and other reputable third parties and for other lawful purposes. No personally identifying information is disclosed.
MONITORING
To ensure that we carry out your instructions accurately, to help improve our service and in the interest of security, we may monitor and/or record: (1) your telephone calls; (2) customer activities using CCTV recording equipment in and around our premises; and (3) customer transactions and activities on our website. All recordings are and shall remain our sole property and be used for the purposes of crime prevention and detection.
SECURITY STATEMENT
We will take reasonable technical and organisational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information. Of course, data transmission over the internet is inherently insecure, and we cannot guarantee the security of data sent over the internet. You are responsible for keeping your password and user details confidential. We will not ask you for your password (except when you log in to the website).
CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
Any changes to this Policy will be either posted on our website, made available on request or supplied with your next contract arrangement with us. We will strive to ensure our practices comply with the most current available version of this Policy.
CONTACT
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our treatment of your personal information, please write to us by email using the CONTACT form on our website or by post to our registered address on the CONTACT form.
DATA CONTROLLER
The data controller responsible in respect of the information collected on this website is Virginia Water.
Our data protection registration number is PZ480277X.
