Swains International Limited are committed to complying with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. Looking after the personal information you share with us has always been important, we want all our customers to be confident that the personal data we keep stored is kept securely and to also understand how we use it to offer you a better and more personalised service.
This Privacy Notice is to help you understand the following:
- How and why Swains collect information from you
- Who we share your information with, why and on what basis
- What your rights are
If we make changes to this notice we will notify you by updating our website.
Should you need to contact us please write to:
Data Protection Controller, Swains International Limited, 26 Rollesby Road, Hardwick Industrial Estate, Kings Lynn, Norfolk P30 4LS.
Being an established customer you will have completed an account application form to trade with us, this represents a contract between us. The personal information we hold about you is as follows:
- Name(s) and job title(s)
- Contact information – address, email, telephone numbers (mobiles included)
- Payment information and transactions
- Other information relevant to customer surveys and/or offers
As an existing customer when making a debit card payment, we process this information immediately using our secure payment portal. If you set up a direct debit payment, we will also collect bank details from you and store these on our secure database.
In order to undertake website personalisation, we will also gather information about the devices you use to access our sites (desktop and mobile), this may include your IP address. For further information on our use of cookies and tracking please refer to our Cookie Notice.
How do we use your information?
Data Protection directs that we are allowed to use and share your personal data only where we have a proper reason to do so. This new legislation states that we must have one or more of these reasons which are as follows:-
- Contract - your personal information is processed in order to fulfil a contractual arrangement e.g. in order to send the products ordered, statements, invoices etc.
- Consent – where you agree to us using your information in this way e.g. for storing your bank account details.
- Legitimate Interests - this means the interests of Swains in managing our business to allow us to provide you with the products and service in the most secure and appropriate way e.g. to transfer your data to certain Third Party’s such as delivery partners.
- Legal Obligation – where there is statutory or other legal requirement to share the information e.g. when we have to share your information for debt recovery purposes.
Here is a list of the ways that we may use your personal information, and which of the reasons described above we rely on to do so:
What we use your personal information for: | Our reasons (legal basis) |
---|---|
Set up a Swains credit account | Legitimate interest |
Storing bank details for Direct Debit payments | Consent |
Process your orders | Fulfilling our contract |
Manage your account/provide customer services. | Legal obligation/legitimate interest |
Website personalisation | Legitimate |
Marketing communications to inform you of special offers, promotions, new lines and sales. | Legitimate |
Who we share your information with and why
Swains work with a number of trusted suppliers, agencies and businesses in order to provide you the high quality of goods and services you expect from us. Examples include:
Delivery Partners
In order for you to receive your goods, Swains work with a dedicated carrier. Again, we only pass limited information to them in order to ensure delivery of your items.
IT Companies
Swains work with businesses that support our website and other business systems.
Marketing Companies
We work with marketing companies who help us manage our electronic communications with you.
Payment processing
Swains work with trusted third party payment processing providers in order to securely take and manage payments.
Credit Reference Agencies
When you apply for credit facility with us we will make searches about you with credit reference agencies in order to assess the level of credit offered.
Your Rights
Your personal data is protected by legal rights, which include your rights to object to our processing of your personal data; request that your personal data is erased or corrected; request access to your personal data.
For more information or to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us using the contact details above. You also have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, which regulates the processing of personal data.
Keeping in touch with you
We want to keep you up to date with information about new products, special offers and improvements to our website. When you set your account up, we will ask you if you want to receive this type of marketing information.
If you decide you do not want to receive this marketing information you can request that we stop by writing to Swains Data Controller or by emailing sales@swains.co.uk
You may continue to receive mailings for a short period while your request is dealt with.
Cookie Notice
This notice is designed to help you understand what cookies are, how Swains uses them and the choices you have in regards to their use.
By continuing to use www.swains.co.uk you are agreeing to our use of cookies in the manner described in this notice.
What are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are stored within your browser or the hard drive of your computer or other device when you visit the Site. This allows the Site to recognise you as a user either for the duration of your visit (using a ‘session cookie’) or for repeat visits (a ‘persistent cookie’). They are not harmful and do not contain any information such as your home address, date of birth or credit card details.
The cookies we use fall into three broad types:
Strictly Necessary
Cookies These cookies are essential in helping you to navigate our Site and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the website. Without these cookies, services you have asked for, such as setting up an account cannot be provided. These cookies do not gather information about you that could be used for marketing or identifying where you have been on the internet.
Analytical/Performance Cookies
In order to keep the Site and its services easy to use and up-to-date, we use web analytics services to help us understand how people use our Site. For example, we can see which parts of the Site and products are most popular, identify when errors occur, and test different versions of a page or feature to see which one works best.
Functionality Cookies
These cookies allow websites and applications to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. The information these cookies collect is usually anonymised which means we can't identify you personally. They do not gather any information about you that could be used for selling advertising or remembering where you've been on the internet, but do help us to serve you with advertising that is more relevant to you.
What do we use Cookies for?
- To personalise and improve your customer experience.
- To allow you to securely sign in to your Swains Account, so that you can use "My Account" features such as order information and viewing statements.
- To recognise the device that you are using.
- To store the content of your online shopping basket whilst you browse the site and to complete an order.
Cookies are an essential part of how our Site works, as they remember certain information about a visitor.
Are cookies safe?
Yes. The information stored in cookies is safe and anonymous to any external third party, and your account security is never compromised.
Can I turn off cookies?
Yes – but if you choose not to allow the use of cookies, your experience of our Site will be limited and many integral aspects of the Site, including (but not limited to) adding items to your basket and accessing your account, will not operate at all.
Should you need to contact us regarding this notice, please write to: Swains Data Controller, Swains International Limited, 26 Rollesby Road, Hardwick Industrial Estate, Kings Lynn, Norfolk PE30 4LS.