Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Stanways Autobodies Ltd is a vehicle body repair specialist operating from Queensway Park Farm, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. We are the Data Controller for personal data collected through our website, telephone, email and in-person interactions.

• Company: Stanways Autobodies Ltd
• Address: Queensway Park Farm, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire
• Telephone: 01253 735544
• Email: info@stanwaysautobodies.com

2. What Personal Data We Collect

Contact & Enquiry Data

• Your name, email address and telephone number
• Vehicle details (make, model, registration number)
• Details of the repair or service you require
• Insurance claim information where applicable

Website Usage Data

• IP address and approximate location
• Browser type and operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on the site
• Referring website or search term

Review & Feedback Data

• Your name and review content submitted via our review page
• Star rating and vehicle type

Photography & Images

We may photograph vehicles in our care for quality control, insurance or marketing purposes. We do not publish images that identify vehicle owners without consent. Number plates are obscured in all publicly displayed images.

3. How We Use Your Data

Purpose	Legal Basis (UK GDPR)
Providing vehicle repair and bodywork services	Article 6(1)(b) — Performance of a contract
Responding to enquiries and quotes	Article 6(1)(b) — Pre-contractual steps
Processing insurance claims on your behalf	Article 6(1)(b) — Contract / Article 6(1)(c) — Legal obligation
Sending service updates or invoices	Article 6(1)(b) — Contract performance
Improving our website and services	Article 6(1)(f) — Legitimate interests
Marketing emails (if you opt in)	Article 6(1)(a) — Consent
Displaying customer reviews (with permission)	Article 6(1)(a) — Consent
Complying with legal and regulatory requirements	Article 6(1)(c) — Legal obligation

4. How Long We Keep Your Data

Data Type	Retention Period
Repair records and invoices	7 years (HMRC requirement)
Insurance claim files	6 years after claim closure
Enquiry / quote data (no work carried out)	12 months
Customer reviews	Until withdrawn by customer
Website analytics data	26 months
Marketing preferences	Until opt-out or 3 years inactivity

5. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell your personal data. We may share data with:

• Insurance companies — when processing a claim on your behalf
• Parts suppliers — vehicle details only, to source correct repair parts
• Manufacturer approved networks — e.g. Hyundai, for warranty and approved repair requirements
• Review platforms — Google, Trustpilot (with your consent)
• IT service providers — website hosting (Netlify), email and form processing (Formspree)
• Regulatory authorities — HMRC, police or courts if legally required

All third parties we use are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with UK GDPR.

6. Cookies

Our website uses the following types of cookies:

Cookie Type	Purpose	Duration
Essential	Required for the website to function correctly	Session
Analytics	Understanding how visitors use our site (anonymised)	Up to 26 months
Preferences	Remembering your settings and choices	12 months

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect site functionality.

7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of Access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to Rectification — Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure — Request deletion of your data where there is no lawful reason to retain it
• Right to Restrict Processing — Ask us to limit how we use your data
• Right to Data Portability — Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to Object — Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
• Rights related to Automated Decision Making — We do not use automated decision-making or profiling

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@stanwaysautobodies.com or call 01253 735544. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss or destruction. These include:

• Secure HTTPS encrypted website (SSL)
• Password-protected internal systems
• Restricted staff access on a need-to-know basis
• Regular staff awareness of data protection obligations

9. Children's Data

Our services are not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect any changes. Continued use of our website after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. How to Complain

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, please contact us in the first instance. If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):