Our privacy policy
Introduction
Plates4less, VRM SWANSEA (VEHICLE REGISTRATION MARKETING) LIMITED is committed to protecting your privacy and personal data.
This privacy policy sets out how Plates4less VRM SWANSEA (VEHICLE REGISTRATION MARKETING) LIMITED uses any information you provide, who we share it with and details the ways in which we protect your privacy when you enquire about, buy, transfer or sell, the rights to a private registration or ‘number plate’.
If you have any questions regarding our policy please contact our data protection officer by emailing dpo@plates4less.co.uk or in writing to Data Protection, VRM Swansea Ltd, PO Box 465, Swansea, SA1 8YN.
What personal information do we collect?
We have a legal duty to protect any information we collect from you. We use leading technologies to safeguard any sensitive data while the latest encryption software protects any payment card details you submit to us. We maintain strict security standards to prevent any unauthorised access to this data. We also operate a ‘closed’ office with secure access to authorised staff only. Business visitors are screened and chaperoned at all times, being kept away from data areas. We use accredited shredding companies for secure disposal of paper waste.
The personal information we collect about you is used to process your order to purchase a number plate /vehicle registration mark, facilitate the sale and transfer of a number plate / vehicle registration mark or respond to your enquiries and can include the following:
- Your name, contact details and address
- Your date of birth (for your secure identification and to ensure you are eligible to use our services)
- Your payment or bank details (which are not retained by us after processing)
- Social media account details
We do not collect, nor are we party to, any information you may supply to our finance partner.
We understand and appreciate that you may not wish to enter payment card details over the internet, so we have developed an ordering system that will allow you to place your order online and then telephone us later with your payment details, or pay by bank transfer. We do not record or keep your payment details. They are sent securely to our payment providers.
As a buyer, you have our assurance that we will never disclose your identity or contact details to a seller and vice-versa. Furthermore, the law prevents us from disclosing any details relating to the current Registered Keeper of any registration mark (private plate) except to law enforcement officers, who must always give us evidence of a legitimate request relating to the performance of their duties in upholding the law.
Recording telephone calls. We may monitor or record telephone conversations between you and us.
We may use technology to track the patterns of behaviour of visitors to our site. This can include using a “cookie” which would be stored on your browser. You can usually modify your browser to prevent this happening. The information collected in this way can be used to identify you, but only if you have also provided your personal identity information, unless you modify your browser settings.
We will never collect sensitive information about you without your prior consent.
Your personal information may be converted into statistical or anonymised data which cannot be used to identify you, which may then be used to produce statistical research and reports.
You can query the information that we hold by contacting us, though you will need to confirm your identity by answering our security questions before any information is given.
Why do we need to collect your personal data?
The legal basis upon which we collect your information is to facilitate business with you that you have instigated and to keep you consensually updated with your requests for information that you have specified.
We use personal information about you to:
- Confirm your identity when you contact us
- Respond to any enquiries you make regarding number plates
- Process your order to purchase or to sell a number plate
- Provide you with the best possible after-sales service
- Keep you updated with legal matters and developments in our industry
How we collect your personal data
We collect data directly from you when you:
- Fill in our forms online, and
- When you contact our office by email, phone or in writing
If you do not consent to provide us with the information we need, we may be unable to provide you with our products or services and may be unable to process your order.
We may automatically collect certain data from you as you use our website by using cookies and similar technologies. Please see our cookie policy for more details about this.
Who we may share your information with and why
We will never sell or exchange for reward, any of your personal details with a third party.
However, we do need to share your data with our long-standing suppliers and some well- respected UK-based organisations, in order to provide you with the service you require.
These are as follows:
- The DVLA – the UK government department processing retentions and transfers of rights to vehicle registration marks
- Our UK-based & authorised number plate manufacturer – who manufactures and dispatches your acrylic plates direct to you. They are accredited with DVLA as a Registered Number Plate Supplier and also supply most national car dealers
- Our finance providers - If you choose to make a purchase from us using a loan, we will share your information with lenders with whom we have a relationship. We will only do this with your consent. If you decide to proceed with a loan application, we will share your information with the relevant lender for the purpose of introducing you to their loan product(s). You should refer to the lender’s privacy notice for information on how they process your data.
- Other UK Government departments, Law enforcement agencies, Courts & Regulators – for management of fraud and criminal activity or to protect our rights or the rights of any third party
- Trustpilot Review Centre – For collection and publication of aftersales feedback about our services, but only if you give your separate consent to providing this.
- A third party that purchases, or to which we transfer, all or substantially all of our assets and business. Should such a sale occur, we will use reasonable efforts to try to ensure that the entity to which we transfer your information uses it in a manner that is consistent with this policy and your previously given consents.
- Our Technical Advisers and web-hosting suppliers such as accredited internet website Security Experts and Software Developers may have occasion to see some of your data during the course of their developments and security testing. These firms have strict privacy and data control policies of their own which we have checked, before engaging their services in order to preserve the security and safety of your data and our data.
Keeping in contact with you
After your sale or purchase has completed, and only if you have consented to receive further information from us, we would like to:
- Keep you updated on changes to government policy surrounding private plates
- Send you the occasional newsletter or relevant articles
- Keep you updated with other specific matters you have asked for.
You can ask us to stop sending you information messages at any time by following the opt-out link on any message sent to you or by emailing us at dpo@plates4less.co.uk at any time.
We do not pass your details to any third party unless you give us permission to do so. We will also remove all your data upon request and only keep the data required to be kept by law.
The information we hold will be as accurate and up to date as possible but we must rely on you to keep us informed. If there are any inaccuracies we will correct the information in accordance with your instructions. Please keep us updated by calling 01792 477316 or by emailing dpo@plates4less.co.uk
Your personal information will be held securely in accordance to our internal security policy and the law.
We will never transfer your information outside the EEA (European Economic Area) without first obtaining your consent.
What are our legal grounds for collecting and using your personal data?
The legal grounds that are relevant to us for the purpose of collecting and using your data are as follows:
- Where it is necessary to perform our contract with you (e.g. for buying, transferring or selling a number plate/registration mark) or for taking steps prior to entering into a contract
- Where it is necessary to comply with our legal obligations (accounting, government, law enforcement, fraud prevention)
- Where it is necessary for our own legitimate interests to conduct business with you
- With your consent (for feedback and for supply of acrylic plates)
How long is your personal information retained by us?
We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
- Our government presently requires all UK firms to keep complete sales records for a minimum of 6 years.
- We retain any ‘Done for you’ information at least until the registration transfer is completed
- We retain accounting records in accordance with the relevant UK legislation
- With your separate consent, we will keep you updated with your contact information after completion of any sale or until your enquiry has been fulfilled, until you choose to opt out.
Your rights
Under data protection laws, you have the right to ask us to:
- Correct any personal information you think is inaccurate or incomplete
- Stop or restrict the processing of your personal information
- Delete your personal information in some circumstances
- Provide you with copies of your personal information
- Provide you with information in a portable format
Not all of these rights will apply in all circumstances. Please contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO) if you wish to exercise any of these rights. If you are unhappy with the way we are handling your personal information, please contact our DPO in the first instance and we will try to resolve your complaint. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, which is the regulator for data protection laws, if you are unhappy with how we have used your data: https://www.ico.org.uk/
The ICO’s address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
Security Statement
When collecting personal information from you we use highly respected encryption technology, ensuring that ALL of your personal data is encoded and protected. We are lawfully registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office as data-capture and holding agents. We are also licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for consumer credit services.
Opayo
Our online payment provider is Opayo, who utilises the highest levels of encryption and security available on the internet. Opayo is one of the foremost providers of electronic payment clearing systems in the UK.
For your security our personnel or systems never store your payment card details.
VRM Swansea (Vehicle Registration Marketing) Limited is PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliant for your security and peace of mind
A recent survey of businesses in the UK revealed that only 12% are operating safe and secure practices to an internationally recognised security standard when it comes to handling your personal data and in particular your payment card details. Security breaches involving the theft of payment card data are costly and time consuming to rectify. Your identity may even be cloned without your knowledge.
Our operational business infrastructure is compliant with the PCI DSS, which is a worldwide security standard assembled by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC).
The PCI security standards are technical and operational requirements that were created to help organisations prevent payment card fraud, hacking and various other security vulnerabilities and threats.
The standards apply to all organisations that store, process or transmit cardholder data - with guidance for software developers and manufacturers of applications and devices used in those transactions. Any company processing, storing or transmitting cardholder data should be PCI DSS compliant.
The standards require merchants who store, process or transmit cardholder data to:
- Build and maintain a secure IT network
- Protect cardholder data at all times
- Maintain a vulnerability management program
- Implement strong access control measures
- Regularly monitor and test networks
- Maintain a robust information security policy
Worldpay Merchant Services
Our bank services provider is Worldpay Merchant Services, which is operated by RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) and is one of the foremost providers of electronic payment clearing systems in the UK.
For your security we verify your payment card details as well as your registered card account address.
It is important to us that our online services are easy to use, useful and reliable. Where these services are delivered to your device (your computer or mobile phone, for example) we include the use of ‘cookies’. These are small text files, which cannot be used to identify you personally, but allow us to measure how many people are using our services.
By using our website and having cookies enabled on your web browser it is assumed that you are giving us consent to use these small harmless files, to improve our services. If you would prefer not to allow cookies, you can change the settings on your web browser and still use our services with no hindrance.
To learn more about cookies and managing your web browser, you can search for more information on the Internet; there are plenty of websites that can help you.