1. Who are we?
1.1 We are The Hans de Kretser Associates Ltd trading as HdK
1.2 You can contact us at contactus@wearehdk.com. Other contact details are on our website.
2. What’s the point of this policy?
2.1 It tells you what to expect when we collect your personal information. Please only use our service if you are completely happy with this policy.
2.2 Generally, the policy covers only information provided to us. If you give personal information to other people, such as payment providers or other websites, please check their privacy policies.
3. Might the policy change?
3.1 Yes. Please check whenever you visit our website. We will assume you agree to the new version of the policy if you use the site after its effective date.
4. What do we collect?
4.1 Information which you upload to our service us or otherwise give us such as your name, contact details, gender and age group as well as your photo and any other information included in contributions you send us.
4.2 Automated information such as the internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your device to the internet, connection information such as browser type and version, information about your device including device-type and device identifier, operating system and platform, mobile network data, a unique reference number linked to the data you enter on our system, login details, clickstream data, details of your activity with date / time stamps including pages you visited and your searches / transactions.
5. What’s our reason / legal basis for collecting the information?
5.1 Because it’s necessary to provide you with our goods or services under our contract with you. In the case of certain information such as third party email addresses supplied to us by users or automated information collected when you browse our site, we use this to manage and improve our service in accordance with our “legitimate interests”. We may use it for other purposes (such as email marketing) if you consent.
6. What about cookies?
6.1 We and/or third parties use cookies and other tracking technologies on our website. A cookie is an identifier (a small file of letters and numbers) that is sent to your computer. Our website’s functionality will be limited if you configure your browser to reject cookies.
6.2 Cookies are widely used to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the website owner or others. Session cookies are temporary cookies that remain in the cookie file of your browser only until your browser is closed. They allow websites to link your actions during a browser session. Persistent cookies stay in the cookie file of your browser for longer (how long will depend on the lifetime of the specific cookie). For further information on cookies, including how to use your browser to block them and how to delete cookies already stored on your device, visit: http://www.allaboutcookies.org/
6.3 The following kinds of cookies may be used on this website:
a) Session cookies: These enable us to keep track of your movement from page to page and store your selections so you do not get asked repeatedly for the same information. They allow you to proceed through many pages of the site quickly and easily without having to authenticate or reprocess each new area you visit.
b) Third party advertising cookies: Cookies may be placed by third party advertisers and/or internet advertising companies who fill ad space on our website. The third parties may use persistent cookies and other similar technologies (known as action tags, single pixel gifs and web beacons) to assess information about your visits to this and other sites. This is so they can track the effectiveness of their campaigns (including whether these advertisements are clicked on or viewed by users and later purchases by such users), avoid showing you the same advertisement repeatedly and display advertisements on this and other sites tailored to your preferences. We do not have any access to or control over these third party technologies. If you would like more information about these practices and to know your choices about not having this information used by certain of these companies, please visit www.youronlinechoices.com, www.networkadvertising.org/choices and/or www.aboutads.info/choices. Please contact the third parties directly for more information about their privacy practices.
c) Google cookies: Persistent cookies (up to four years we believe) are set in connection with the following Google services on our site and these cookies may involve certain non-personally identifying information being sent to Google:
i) Google Analytics (“GA”): We use cookies to recognise and count the number of website visitors as well as providing other information about the visit such as duration, route through the website and what sites the visitor came from. This information helps us to improve the way our website works, for example by making sure users find what they need easily. You can specifically opt out of GA here. See below for other opt out routes.
ii) Google advertising cookies (AdSense, Doubleclick): Google uses cookies in connection with Google advertising on our website to serve ads to you based on your visits to this and other websites, to avoid showing you repeat ads and for various other purposes. You can opt out at www.networkadvertising.org/choices. See below for other opt out routes More information and opt out: Click here for Google’s privacy policy and here for more information about the kinds of cookies placed by Google. Click here for information about how Google uses data from its partners’ sites or apps as well as different ways to opt out of Google cookies.
d) WordPress cookies: WordPress places persistent cookies (up to one year) to verify details of your logged-in status and to customize your view of our interfaces.
e) Social media cookies: We may use various social media and other third party features on our website including the “Like” button from Facebook, follow button from Twitter, share / follow button from LinkedIn, and embed button from YouTube. These features may involve the relevant companies using cookies or linking your visit with cookies previously placed by them on your computer in order for them to collect information relating to your visit to our website or your interaction with their services or otherwise. Click the links shown above for further information about the specific features and those companies’ cookie / privacy practices generally as well as to opt out where this is possible.
f) Cookie-warning cookie: This cookie takes note of whether you are happy to accept cookies on this website based on your response to the message which appeared when you first visited the website. This persistent cookie will remember your preference for up to 12 months.
6.4 By continuing to use our website, having seen our cookie notice, we assume that you consent to use of the cookies outlined above.
7. What do we do with personal information?
7.1 Provide our service, e.g. send service messages.
7.2 Send you marketing messages, if you have given permission. You can withdraw permission at any time as explained on our service or by emailing us at the above email address.
7.3 Use it to recognise you when you visit or return to our service to track anonymised traffic and usage patterns, prevent or detect fraud or abuses and help us improve our service.
7.4 If you supply us with someone else’s email address for a greetings e-card, to send the e-card to that person and we will then immediately delete it.
8. How long do we keep it?
8.1 Generally, for up to six years after your account is closed – to help deal with any disputes. That timeframe may vary if we are legally required to keep information for a particular period or if you specifically ask us to delete it. We will keep your information which we use for marketing until you tell us that you no longer wish to receive marketing messages.
9. To whom do we send or make available your personal information?
9.1 To other people who supply us with a service, e.g. website hosts, content delivery networks and businesses which help us send communications or monitor our website.
9.2 To other users of our service, if you opt for your name and/or photo to be included with any quote you submit.
9.3 To the relevant authorities or complainants, if we think the personal information breaches our terms and conditions, or it is necessary to protect us or others, or that a criminal act may have been committed, or we are required to do so by law or appropriate authority.
9.4 To potential buyers so far as reasonably necessary, in the case of an actual or proposed (including negotiations for a) sale or merger or business combination involving all or the relevant part of our business.
10. Do we send your information outside the UK?
10.1 No. Your personal information which we collect is stored on servers located within the UK and is not transferred to any third countries except the following.
10.2 Your personal information may be transferred to the US by Google and the social media companies referred to above which are certified under the EU-US Privacy Shield Framework. This provides certain safeguards in relation to the handling of your personal data. See here for more information.
11. What rights do you have?
11.1 If the legal requirements are met: To ask us for access to your personal information, to rectify it if there are mistakes, to delete or restrict or object to its use in certain circumstances or to “data portability”..)
11.2 If you have a complaint about how we are dealing with your personal information, please contact us via the email address above. If you are not happy with our response or think we are not handling your personal information in accordance with the law, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
11.3 For more information about your rights, visit the ICO’s website: www.ico.org.uk
12 Please note that the contact form on this website is protected by Google’s reCAPTCHA service. You can view their privacy policy here and view their terms and conditions here.