This is Buymaterial’s privacy notice.

There will be times when you trust us with your personal data and we will take steps to ensure that your data and privacy rights are protected.  This privacy notice lets you know how we look after personal data we collect from you when (a) you visit our website (regardless of where you visit it from) or (b) register an account to use our services. It also gives you information on rights you have under data protection laws and how the law protects you.

1. Important information and who we are

Purpose of this privacy policy

This privacy policy aims to give you information on how BuyMaterials collects and processes personal data through your use of this website, including any data you may provide through this website when you sign up for an account to use our services.

The following are categories of individuals to whom this privacy policy applies:

User: any individual who registers an account on our website to use our services. A User can be an individual consumer, or any individual registering an account on behalf of a business; and

Visitor: any person accessing our website.

This website is not intended for children and we do not knowingly collect data relating to children.

It is important that you read this privacy policy together with any other privacy policy or fair processing policy we may provide on specific occasions when we are collecting or processing personal data about you so that you are fully aware of how and why we are using your data. This privacy policy supplements other notices and privacy policies and is not intended to override them.

Controller

We act as a controller of the personal data you give to us.

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, including any requests to exercise your legal rights, please contact us using the details set out below.

Legal name: BuyMaterials Ltd. (referred to as “Buymaterials”, “we”, “us” or “our” in this privacy policy)

Email address: privacy@buymaterials.com

Postal address: Suite 2, Ground Floor Orchard Brae House, 30 Queensferry Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH4 2HS

Changes to this privacy policy

We keep our privacy policy under regular review.  This version was last updated on 28/06/2023

2. What do we collect about you?

Personal data, or personal information, means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data). We will collect personal data from individuals, including individuals registering an account or visiting our website on behalf of a merchant or buyer’s business.

It is important that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal data changes during your relationship with us.

We do what we can to minimise the amount of personal data we collect but we will need to collect different personal data about you for different reasons. Sometimes we collect personal data directly from you, like where you are an individual using our services, requesting marketing or give us feedback or contacting us. Other times we may receive personal data from other sources or third parties. We also collect personal data automatically when an individual interacts with our website or uses our services.

The type of personal data we collect will depend on the circumstances, but we have grouped together different types of personal data we collect as follows:

• Identity Data includes first name, last name and username or similar identifier.
• Contact Data includes billing address, delivery address, email address and telephone numbers.
• Transaction Data includes details about payments to and from you, and other details of transactions you have been involved with using our service.
• Technical Data includes internet protocol (IP) address, your login data, browser type and version, time zone setting and location, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform, and other technology on the devices you use to access this website.
• Profile Data includes your username and password, purchases or orders made by you, your interests, preferences, feedback and survey responses.
• Usage Data includes information about how you use our website services.
• Marketing and Communications Data includes your preferences in receiving marketing from us and our third parties and your communication preferences.

We also collect, use and share Aggregated Data such as statistical or demographic data for any purpose. Aggregated Data could be derived from personal data but is not considered personal data in law as this data will not directly or indirectly reveal any individual’s identity. For example, we may aggregate Usage Data to calculate the percentage of users accessing a specific website feature. However, if we combine or connect Aggregated Data with personal data so that it can directly or indirectly identify an individual, we treat the combined data as personal data which will be used in accordance with this privacy policy.

We do not collect any Special Categories of Personal Data or any information about criminal convictions and offences.

If you fail to provide personal data

Where we need to collect personal data by law, or under the terms of a contract we have with you, and you fail to provide that data when requested, we may not be able to perform the contract we have or are trying to enter into with you to provide you with services. In this case, we may have to cancel the service you have with us but we will notify you if this is the case at the time.

3. How is your personal data collected?

We collect personal data in a variety of ways which we have set out below.

Direct Interactions

Most of the information we collect comes directly from an individual. Where you are a company, we might get the information from other people in your business.

Third parties

Occasionally, we collect or are provided with information from third parties, like providers of technical and payment services we engage.  Additionally, if you link, connect or login to your account with us through a third-party service (like Google, Facebook or another single sign on provider), we will be provided with data by these third parties as you direct (which may include contact information, friends list, profile information as controlled by that third party or as detailed in your privacy settings with that third party). 

PLEASE NOTE: Where you have logged in to your account through a third party service, you have control through that service to access and change your settings and unlink your account with us.

Analytics

As you interact with our website, we will automatically collect Technical Data about your equipment, browsing actions and patterns. We collect this personal data by using cookies and other similar technologies.

4. How we use your personal data

We will not collect or use your personal data without letting you know (unless required by law).  Our use of your personal data will be based on one of the following grounds:

• Where we need to perform the contract we are about to enter into or have entered into with you.
• Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests.
• Where we need to comply with a legal obligation.

Generally, we do not rely on consent as a legal basis for processing your personal data although we will get your consent before sending third party direct marketing communications to you via email or text message. You have the right to withdraw consent to marketing at any time by contacting us.

Principles of processing

We will not process personal data in a way that is incompatible with the purposes for which it has been collected or subsequently authorised by you. We also will not collect any personal data that is not needed for the mentioned purposes. For any new purpose of processing we will ask your approval before we begin that processing.

We will not sell or rent your personal data and will get your consent before giving your personal data to any third party for direct marketing communications.

Purposes for which we will use your personal data

We have set out below, in a table format, a description of all the ways we plan to use your personal data, and which of the legal bases we rely on to do so. We have also identified what our legitimate interests are where appropriate.

Note that we may process your personal data for more than one lawful ground depending on the specific purpose for which we are using your data. Please contact us if you need details about the specific legal ground we are relying on to process your personal data where more than one ground has been set out in the table below.

Marketing

We strive to provide you with choices regarding certain personal data uses, particularly around marketing and advertising.

Promotional offers from us

We may use your Identity, Contact, Technical, Usage and Profile Data to form a view on what we think you may want or need, or what may be of interest to you. This is how we decide which services and offers may be relevant for you (we call this marketing).

You will receive marketing communications from us if you have requested information from us or used our service and you have not opted out of receiving that marketing.

Third-party marketing

We will get your express opt-in consent before we share your personal data with any third party for marketing purposes.

Opting out

You can ask us or third parties to stop sending you marketing messages at any time by signing in to your account on www.buymaterials.com and checking or unchecking relevant boxes to adjust your marketing preferences.

Where you opt out of receiving these marketing messages, this will not apply to personal data provided to us as a result of a service experience or other transactions.

Cookies

You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this website may become inaccessible or not function properly.

Change of purpose

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If you wish to get an explanation as to how the processing for the new purpose is compatible with the original purpose, please contact us.

If we need to use your personal data for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.

Please note that we may process your personal data without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law.

5. Disclosures of your personal data

We may share your personal data with the parties set out below for the purposes set out in the table Purposes for which we will use your personal data above.

• External Third Parties: we will share your personal data with service providers we have appointed to act as our processors, such service providers being based in the UK to provide financial transaction and payment services, web hosting and support services and marketing support services.
• Where required by law or under any legal order.
• Third parties to whom we may choose to sell, transfer or merge parts of our business or our assets. Alternatively, we may seek to acquire other businesses or merge with them. If a change happens to our business, then the new owners may use your personal data in the same way as set out in this privacy notice.
• Merchants will receive limited personal data from buyers once the two parties have entered into a contract with each other. This data includes the buyer’s name, contact information and billing information.

We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes and only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.

6. International transfers

We do not transfer your personal data outside the UK, unless you have agreed to utilise a Single Sign-On provider such as Facebook, whom may have datacentres locate outside the United Kingdom.

7. Data security

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal data on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.

We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.

8. How long will you use my personal data for?

We will only retain your personal data for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or reporting requirements. We may retain your personal data for a longer period in the event of a complaint or if we reasonably believe there is a prospect of litigation in respect to our relationship with you.

To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or other requirements.

Where we have anonymised your personal data (so that it can no longer be associated with you) for research or statistical purposes, we may use this information indefinitely without further notice to you.

9. Your legal rights

We are committed to providing you with privacy rights in relation to your personal data.  Details of the rights you have are set out below.  If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please contact us.

Individual Rights

Under certain circumstances, you have rights under data protection laws in relation to your personal data.

• Your right to be informed: You have the right to understand how we collect and use your data. This privacy policy is our main way of giving you this information but you can also contact us for further information if required.
• Your right of access: You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.
• Your right of rectification: You have the right to ask us to rectify information you think is inaccurate.
• Your right to erasure: You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to restriction of processing: You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to object to processing: You have the right to object to processing if we are able to process your information because the process forms part of our public tasks, or is in our legitimate interests.
• Your right to data portability: This only applies to data you have given us. You have the right to ask that we transfer the information you gave us from one organisation to another, or give it to you. The right only applies if we are processing information based on your consent or under, or in talks about entering into a contract and the processing is automated

You can read more about all of these rights at https://ico.org.uk/global/privacy-notice/your-data-protection-rights/.

Complaints

You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK regulator for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk). We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO so please contact us in the first instance.

No fee usually required

You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal data (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. Alternatively, we could refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances.

What we may need from you

We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to speed up our response.

Time limit to respond

We try to respond to all legitimate privacy requests within one month. Occasionally it could take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated.