⚠️ Template Notice — Please Read
This is a draft privacy policy built from AutoVault's known business practices and general UK GDPR / Data Protection Act 2018 requirements. It is a starting point, not finished legal advice. Before publishing, have it reviewed by a solicitor or a qualified data protection advisor, particularly the sections on data sharing, retention periods, and lawful basis — these depend on specifics of how the business actually operates that only Ben can confirm (e.g. exact retention periods, whether marketing consent is collected, and which third-party tools are in current use).
AutoVault ("we", "us", "our") is a mobile auto locksmith service operating across Staffordshire, based in Uttoxeter. This policy explains what personal information we collect when you contact us or use our services, how we use it, and what rights you have over it.
1. Who We Are
AutoVault is a locksmith business providing car key replacement, lost key recovery, emergency vehicle unlocking, and related automotive locksmith services across Staffordshire. For any questions about this policy or how your data is handled, contact us using the details at the bottom of this page.
2. Information We Collect
We collect information you give us directly when you contact us for a quote or book a callout, and a small amount of technical information automatically when you visit our website.
Information you give us
- Contact details — name, phone number, and email address if provided
- Location information — the address or location where you need the callout
- Vehicle information — make, model, registration, and details relevant to the key or lock issue, needed to bring the correct equipment and complete the job
- Payment information — where payment is taken by card, this is processed directly by our payment provider; we do not store full card details ourselves
- Communications — records of calls, WhatsApp messages, or emails exchanged with us regarding your booking
Information collected automatically
- Website usage data — pages visited, general location (town/region level), device and browser type, via standard website analytics
- Cookies — small files used for website functionality and to display customer reviews; see Section 7 below
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Respond to enquiries and provide quotes
- Attend callouts and carry out the locksmith work you've requested
- Contact you about your booking, including confirming arrival times
- Issue invoices and process payment
- Keep basic records for accounting and legal compliance purposes
- Improve our website and service based on general usage patterns
We do not use your information for automated decision-making, and we do not sell your personal information to third parties.
4. Our Legal Basis for Processing
| Activity | Legal Basis (UK GDPR) |
|---|---|
| Responding to enquiries, providing quotes, attending callouts | Performance of a contract, or steps taken at your request prior to entering one |
| Invoicing and payment records | Legal obligation (accounting and tax record-keeping) |
| Website analytics | Legitimate interest (understanding and improving our service) |
| Marketing communications, if any | Consent — only where you have explicitly opted in |
5. Who We Share Your Information With
We share limited information with third parties strictly where necessary to provide our service:
- Payment processors — to handle card payments securely
- WhatsApp Business — where you choose to contact us via WhatsApp, messages are handled through Meta's platform under their own privacy terms
- Google / review platforms — if you leave a review, this is publicly visible on Google and may be displayed on our website
- Website hosting and technical service providers — who store website data on our behalf under data processing agreements
We do not share your information with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
6. How Long We Keep Your Information
We keep customer and job information for as long as necessary to provide the service and meet our legal obligations — typically [Ben to confirm exact retention period, e.g. 6 years for financial records per HMRC requirements]. Website analytics data is retained only in aggregate or anonymised form beyond a short initial period.
7. Cookies
Our website uses cookies for core functionality (such as remembering your session) and to display customer reviews. You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings; doing so may affect how some parts of the website function.
8. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
- Erasure — ask us to delete your information, where we're not required to keep it for legal reasons
- Restrict how we use your information in certain circumstances
- Object to processing based on legitimate interest
- Data portability — receive your information in a portable format, where applicable
- Withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent
To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator, if you believe we have not handled your information properly.
9. Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. The "last updated" date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised.