Data Protection & Privacy Policy

Garage Closure - Data Sharing - August 2023

As you will be aware Top Marques Repair Garage closed on 31st July 2023 and many customers requested our advice on an alternative garage for their future MoT and Servicing work. In the spirit of assisting we intend to share Top Marques’ Customer and Vehicle History Data with another Bosch garage, Autoservice and Tuning Centre Ltd, who will be commencing operation from our existent Wilbury Way premises in October 2023.

Autoservice and Tuning Centre Ltd, who like us are a BOSCH Car Service garage, will only use your data in the same way that we have i.e. to contact you to offer MOT and Servicing work commensurate with your vehicle's history.

If you DO NOT wish your contact and vehicle service history to be passed on to Autoservice and Tuning Centre Ltd for future contact with you please advise us before midnight on 22nd August 2023 by email or text as follows…

"NO THANK YOU" plus Your "Name" and the "Registration Number(s)" of your vehicle(s)

Text: 07436 817592

Email: service@topmarquesgarage.com

Customers who notify us by midnight on 22nd August 2023 that they DO NOT wish to share their data with Autoservice and Tuning Centre Ltd will have their contact and vehicle history data removed from the database before it is shared. Autoservice and Tuning Centre Ltd will take the data onto their garage management system and make contact with remaining customers to offer the equivalent MOT and Servicing work that Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd has provided to you in the past.

Obviously should you change your mind later you can request no further contact from Autoservice and Tuning Centre Ltd and removal of your data from their database.

Data Protection Policy

Introduction

The Data Protection Act 1998 (the Act) regulates the way in which all personal data is held and processed. This is a statement of the data protection policy adopted by Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd. It applies to all Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd employees. In order to operate efficiently the Company needs to collect and use information about our Customers to MOT, Service and maintain their vehicles.

Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd regards the lawful and correct treatment of personal information as integral to our successful operation, and to maintaining the confidence of our customers. To this end we fully endorse and adhere to the principles of the Act. Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd is registered as a data controller on the register kept by the Information Commissioner.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that everyone handing personal information at Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd is fully aware of the requirements of the Act and complies with data protection procedures and that data subjects are aware of their rights under the Act.

Information covered by the Act

'Personal data' covered by the Act is essentially any recorded information which identifies a living individual. Personal data held by Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd will include address and contact information for each customer.

Responsibility for our compliance with the Act

The Accounts Manager reports on any data protection matters to the Director who has overall responsibility for compliance with the Act but individual members of staff are responsible for the proper use of the data they process.

Policy statement

The principles of the Act require require that personal information must:

be processed fairly and lawfully

not be used for a purpose for which it was not collected

be adequate, relevant and not excessive for the purpose

be accurate and up-to-date

not be kept longer than necessary

be processed in accordance with the data subject's rights

be kept secure and protected from unauthorised processing, loss or destruction

be transferred only to those countries outside the European Economic Area that provide adequate protection for personal information.

In order to meet the requirements of the principles Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd will:

fully observe conditions regarding the fair collection and use of information

meet its legal obligations to specify the purposes for which information is used

collect and process appropriate information, and only to the extent that it is needed to fulfil operational needs or to comply with any legal requirements

ensure the quality of the information used

hold personal information on Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd systems for as long as is necessary for the relevant purpose, or as long as is set out in any relevant contract held with Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd.

ensure that the rights of people about whom information is held can be fully exercised under the Act (these include: the right to be informed that processing is being undertaken; the data subject's right of access to their personal information; the right to prevent processing in certain circumstances; the right to correct, rectify, block or erase information which is regarded as wrong information)

take appropriate technical and organisational security measures to safeguard personal information and

ensure that personal information is not transferred outside the EEA without suitable safeguards.

If documents are handed over with a part exchange or a vehicle brought into stock from elsewhere we will keep these documents with the vehicle to help evidence the history of the vehicle. This is a legitimate interest not only for us and any new owner but for the wider market in regard to fraud prevention and safety.

Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd's responsibilities for data protection and confidential information

Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd will ensure that there is someone with specific responsibility for data protection in the organisation. The nominated person is currently the Accounts Manager who can be contacted at :- Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd, 42 Wilbury Way, Hitchin. SG4 0AP; 01462 437142; service@topmarquesgarage.com

Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd will ensure that:

everyone managing and handling personal information understands that they are responsible for following good data protection practice

this policy is available to each member of staff

everyone managing and handling personal information is appropriately trained and supervised

queries about handling personal information are promptly and courteously dealt with and clear information is available to all staff

Staff responsibilities for data protection and confidential information

All staff should be aware of the requirements of the Act and how the rules apply to them.

All staff must complete data protection induction and annual training.

All staff have a responsibility to ensure that they respect confidential information in their possession and maintain information security. Disclosure of confidential information gained as part of your employment to a third party, or assisting others in disclosure, will be viewed by Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd with the utmost seriousness.

All staff are responsible for ensuring personal information is kept no longer than is necessary.

For further advice, please contact the Accounts manager.

Privacy statement

Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd respects your privacy. The information that you provide us with, or that is gathered automatically, helps us to monitor our services and provide you with the most relevant information.

Subject Access Requests

Under the Act individuals have the right to access personal information Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd may hold about them.

If you wish to request such information please email service@topmarquesgarage.com

Data Protection Complaints Procedure

Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd aims to comply fully with its obligations under the Act. If you have any questions or concerns regarding Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd's management of personal data, including your right to access data about yourself, or if you feel Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd holds inaccurate information about you, please contact the Accounts Manager as above.

If you feel that your questions or concerns have not been dealt with adequately or that a subject access request you have made to Top Marques Repair Garage Ltd has not been fulfilled you can complain to the Director.

If you are still dissatisfied, you have the right to contact the office of the Information Commissioner, the independent body overseeing compliance with the Act: https://ico.org.uk/.

Privacy Policy

We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of our website visitors; this policy sets out how we will treat your personal information.

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.

(1) 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);

(b) any other information that you choose to send to us;

(2) Cookies
A cookie consists of information sent by a web server to a web browser, and stored by the browser. The information is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. This enables the web server to identify and track the web browser.

We may use both “session” cookies and “persistent” cookies on the website. We will use the session cookies to: keep track of you whilst you navigate the website; and we will use the persistent cookies to: enable our website to recognise you when you visit.

Session cookies will be deleted from your computer when you close your browser. Persistent cookies will remain stored on your computer until deleted, or until they reach a specified expiry date.

We use Google Analytics to analyse the use of this website. Google 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. Google will store this information. Google’s privacy policy is available at: https://www.google.com/privacypolicy.html

Most browsers allow you to reject all cookies, whilst some browsers allow you to reject just third party cookies. For example, in Internet Explorer you can refuse all cookies by clicking “Tools”, “Internet Options”, “Privacy”, and selecting “Block all cookies” using the sliding selector. Blocking all cookies will, however, have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites.

(3) Using your personal information
Personal information submitted to us via this website will be used for the purposes specified in this privacy policy or in relevant parts of the website.

We may use your personal information to:

(a) send statements and invoices to you, and collect payments from you;

(b) send you general (non-marketing) commercial communications;

(c) send you email notifications which you have specifically requested;

We will not without your express consent provide your personal information to any third parties for the purpose of direct marketing.

(4) Disclosures
We may disclose information about you to any of our employees or subcontractors insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes as set out in this privacy policy.

In addition, we may disclose your personal information:

(a) to the extent that we are required to do so by law;

(b) in connection with any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings;

(c) in order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights (including providing information to others for the purposes of fraud prevention and reducing credit risk);

Except as provided in this privacy policy, we will not provide your information to third parties.

(5) Security of your personal information
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.

(6) Policy amendments
We may update this privacy policy from time-to-time by posting a new version on our website. You should check this page occasionally to ensure you are happy with any changes.

We may also notify you of changes to our privacy policy by email.

(7) Your rights
You may instruct us to provide you with any personal information we hold about you. Provision of such information will be subject to:

(a) the payment of a fee (currently fixed at £10.00); and

(b) the supply of appropriate evidence of your identity (for this purpose, we will usually accept a photocopy of your passport certified by a solicitor or bank plus an original copy of a utility bill showing your current address).

We may withhold such personal information to the extent permitted by law.

You may instruct us not to process your personal information for marketing purposes by email at any time. In practice, you will usually either expressly agree in advance to our use of your personal information for marketing purposes, or we will provide you with an opportunity to opt-out of the use of your personal information for marketing purposes.

(8) Third party websites
The website contains links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of third party websites.

(9) Updating information
Please let us know if the personal information, which we hold, about you needs to be corrected or updated.

(10) Contact
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our treatment of your personal information, please write to us by email service@topmarquesgarage.com