Privacy & Security

Purpose of this Privacy Policy

Axminster Tools is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data by complying with all data protection laws applicable to the United Kingdom.

We greatly respect your privacy and will do our utmost to keep the information you provide to us secure.This includes information that you submit to us via our website, in-store, by telephone or any related applications and services.

The purpose of this privacy policy is to clearly explain the information we collect, how we use and share it, how to manage your marketing preferences and a confirmation of your rights. It is important that you read this privacy policy when we are collecting or processing personal information about you so that you are aware of how and why we are using your personal information.

Please also read our Terms & Conditions of sale.

It is likely that we will need to update this privacy policy from time to time so please return to this page periodically in order to keep up-to-date with any changes. When we make significant changes to the policy we will also notify you accordingly where we have accurate contact details and where you would expect to receive communications from us.

If you have any questions regarding our privacy policy or you object to any changes made in the future, please contact the Data Protection Officer at Axminster Tools using the contact details at the end of this policy.

For brevity throughout this policy, ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘Axminster’ are used to refer to Axminster Tools.

Who we are

Axminster Tools is registered as Axminster Tool Centre Ltd. in England and Wales, number 03326979.

For all our services, the data controller responsible for the privacy of your data is Axminster Tool Centre Ltd.

Why we collect personal data

So that we, as a retailer, may provide a service and fulfill any obligations to you (as a visitor, user or our customer) it is necessary for us to collect and process personal data. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation EU 2016/679), (GDPR) sets out in law a number of different reasons why a company may collect and process your personal data. We use the following lawful basis for processing your personal information:

Consent

We may process your information in situations where we have gained your explicit consent. For example, when you tick a box to receive our Email Updates or tick a box to join our Axminster REWARDS loyalty programme.

Generally we do not rely on consent as a legal basis and you have the right to withdraw your consent to marketing at any time by contacting us using the contact details at the end of this policy.

Where such use of consent involves cookies, you may withdraw your consent at any time. Please see our Cookie Policy.

Contractual obligations

We process personal data routinely to comply with contractual obligations we are about to enter into or have entered into with you. For example, we need to collect your delivery address details and pass to our couriers in order to deliver your purchase to you.

Legitimate interest

We require your data to pursue our legitimate interests in a way which might reasonably be expected and which does not impact your interests, freedoms and fundamental rights. For example, we can use your order history to send you personalised offers and your address details to send you direct marketing information by mail. We can also combine the shopping history of many customers to identify trends to better understand their needs.

Legal compliance

In certain situations the law requires us to collect and process your data to comply with our legal or regulatory obligation. For example, we can pass details of fraudulent transactions or other criminal activity affecting our business to law enforcement.

Information we may collect about you

Personal data means any information which relates to an individual and can be used for the purposes of identification, either directly or indirectly, typically through the use of an identifier. It does not include data where the identity has been removed.

We have grouped the different kinds of personal information we may collect, use, share or otherwise process about you below:

Data classification

Types of information

Identity Data

Data that can be used to identify you

Title, first name, last name, username or social identifier, date of birth and gender.

Your image may be recorded by CCTV if you visit one of our premises.

In certain situations we may also request you provide personal identification documents.

Contact Data

Data that can be used to contact you

Billing address, delivery address, email address and telephone numbers.

Financial Data

Data relating to your finances

Bank account and payment card details.

Transactional Data

Data relating to your previous transactions

Payment transaction details to and from you (order receipts, refunds etc) and other details of products and services you have purchased from us.

Technical Data

Data about the device, browser, operating system and method used to access our website

Internet protocol (IP) address, login data, browser type and version, internet connection type, time zone setting and location, browser plug-ins and versions, operating system and platform and other technology on the devices you use to access our website.

Profile Data

Data that builds a user profile when specified

Username and password, purchases or orders made by you, your interests, preferences, comments, reviews, social or marketplace identifier, feedback and survey responses.

Usage Data

Data about your usage of our website and related services

Information about how you use our website, products and services including details of your visit and which site you came from to ours, the web pages viewed during your visit, any search terms you entered and the advertisements you clicked on. Please see our Cookie Policy.

Marketing and Communications Data

Data that specifies your marketing preferences and/or any communications you have with us

Your marketing preferences such as what information you would like to receive from us and by what method (by email, by mail etc).

This includes general communications data such as us making a note of conversations we have had with you in person and/or communications you sent to us.

This enables us to manage our relationship with you effectively and ensures you only receive communications from us that are relevant and timely.

Aggregated Data

We may also collect, use and share some Aggregated Data about our customers' behaviour patterns and browsing actions. This data may be derived from your personal information but it does not identify you as an individual so is not considered personal data in law. For example, we may aggregate Usage Data to calculate the number of users visiting a specific website location. Should we combine Aggregated Data with your personal data so that it can identify you as an individual then we treat the combined data as personal data and subject to the provisions of this privacy policy.

Special Category (Sensitive) and Criminal Offence Data

We do not collect any Special Category Data or Sensitive Personal Data about you (such as your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health and genetic and biometric data). Nor do we collect any Criminal Offence Data about criminal convictions and offences.

The only exception to the above is for those attending organised courses or in-store events. When registering to attend we will ask you to voluntarily disclose any pre-existing medical conditions or allergies we should be aware of so that we can best prepare for and ensure the safety of your visit.

If you fail to provide personal information

Where we need to collect personal information, either by law or under the terms of a contract we have with you, and you fail to provide the information upon request, we may not be able to fulfil the contract we have or are trying to enter into with you. For example, to deliver an order to you. This may lead to the cancellation of the contract between us. However, if this is the case we will notify you accordingly.

Personal identification documents

Where the law requires or we deem it necessary to prevent fraudulent activity we may ask you to provide proof of age or identity (including your passport and driver’s licence). For example, when purchasing an age restricted item or applying for a credit facility with us. This will include details of your full name, address, date of birth and facial image. A passport will also include your place of birth, gender and nationality. All data provided in this way will be treated as personal data and used in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

How we collect your data

We collect different information about you in a number of ways:

Information you give us

When you create an account, make a purchase, sign up to our newsletter, register for an event, request marketing materials or give us feedback, we will store the personal information you give us such as your name, email address, postal address, telephone number and card details (encrypted in the form of an authorisation token). We will also keep a record of your purchases and any communications you have with us.

Automated technologies or interactions

As you interact with our website, we may automatically collect Technical Data about your equipment and Usage Data regarding your browsing actions and patterns. We collect this personal data by using cookies and other similar technologies. For more information on cookies, please see our Cookie Policy.

Information from third parties

We do not seek to obtain, have never and will never purchase personal information about you from third parties.

However we do use Aggregated Data sources from third parties to improve the systems, services and products we provide to you and generally make informed business decisions as set out below:

  • Analytics information from providers such as Google
  • Advertising network performance such as Facebook and Google AdWords
  • Search information providers such as Google

This third party Aggregated Data often relies on your use of cookies. For more information on cookies, please see our Cookie Policy.

In some specific situations such as fraud prevention, we may seek to access and use information about you that is placed in the public domain.

How we may use your information

We have set out in the following table all the ways in which we use your personal information. We will only use your information when the law allows us to, and the legal bases on which we rely upon to do so are also included in the table. In some instances, depending on the specific purpose for which we are using your data, there may be more than one lawful ground for processing your information.

Purpose/Activity

Type of data

Lawful basis for processing including basis of legitimate interest

To register you as a new customer
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Contractual obligation
When you make an online purchase when logged in to your account
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Financial
  • Transactional
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Contractual obligation
  • Legitimate interests
When you make an online purchase and check out as a guest (only transactional)
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Financial
  • Transactional
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Contractual obligation
  • Legitimate interests
When you make a purchase in store or by telephone
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Financial
  • Transactional
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Contractual obligation
  • Legitimate interests
When you contact us by any means with queries, complaints etc
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Contractual obligation
  • Legitimate interests
When you ask us to email you about a product or service e.g. you ask for a product manual
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Contractual obligation
When you live chat with us
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Technical
  • Usage
  • Contractual obligation
When you request to join our Email Updates mailing list
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Profile
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Consent
When you request a 'back in stock' email notification
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Contractual obligation
When you engage with us on social media
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Profile
  • Contractual obligation
When you engage with us via our community forum
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Profile
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Contractual obligation
  • Legitimate interests
When you enter prize draws or competitions
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Profile
  • Usage
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Consent
  • Legitimate interests
When you choose to complete any surveys we send you
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Profile
  • Usage
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Consent
  • Legitimate interests
When you comment on or review our products, content and services
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Profile
  • Consent
When you book any kind of appointment with us or book to attend an event e.g. an Axminster Tools in-store event or course
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Profile
  • Usage
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Contractual obligation
  • Legitimate interests
When you fill in any forms e.g. a student discount application
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Profile
  • Usage
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Contractual obligation
  • Legitimate interests
When you’ve given a third party permission to share with us the information they hold about you
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Profile
  • Usage
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Consent
  • Legitimate interests
When you use our shops, visit our premises or attend an event, we may record your image on CCTV systems operated for security or you may feature in photography taken that is then used for marketing purposes
  • Identity
  • Legitimate compliance
  • Legitimate interests
To make suggestions and recommendations to you about goods or services that may be of interest to you
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Technical
  • Usage
  • Profile
  • Legitimate interests
When you browse our website we may record data analytics to improve our products/services and marketing/communications with you
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Technical
  • Usage
  • Profile
  • Legitimate interests
To deliver relevant website content/advertisements and measure/understand the effectiveness of the advertising we serve to you
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Technical
  • Usage
  • Profile
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Legitimate interests
To administer and protect our business and this website (including troubleshooting, data analysis, logging, testing, maintenance, support, reporting and hosting of data)
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Technical
  • Usage
  • Profile
  • Legitimate interests
We may collect data from publicly accessible sources (such as government agencies) where you have given consent to share information or it is made public by law
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Contractual obligation
  • Legitimate interests
To ensure that you receive any cashback offered (via an affiliate partner website)
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Transactional
  • Profile
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Consent
  • Contractual obligation
To operate our loyalty and referral scheme and issue you points for online purchases (or on the occurrence of certain actions or events including Refer a Friend) that are redeemable for rewards (i.e. Axminster Tools REWARDS)
  • Identity
  • Contact
  • Technical
  • Transactional
  • Profile
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Consent
  • Contractual obligation
  • Legitimate interests

Marketing communications

We aim to communicate with you about the products and services we provide in a way that you find relevant, timely, respectful and never excessive. To do this we use data we have collected and stored about you as a result of our contractual obligations in conjunction with any contact preferences you have told us about.

We only send marketing based communications by email where you have given us explicit consent; for example, by ticking the box to opt in during registration or guest checkout on our website. We use legitimate interest as the legal basis for communications by mail. In both instances you have the right to opt out of receiving these at any time either by contacting us or by updating your direct marketing preferences.

As part of our service to you, we may contact you by email or telephone to provide essential information related to your purchase or visit.

Online advertising

To keep you up-to-date with our brand and help you see and find products we believe are relevant to you, we use our legitimate interests to engage in online advertising.

We target banners and adverts to you when you are on other websites and apps using a variety of digital marketing networks and ad exchanges. These adverts use a number of different technologies such as pixels, ad tags, cookies and mobile identifiers as well as specific services offered by some sites and social networks such as Facebook’s Custom Audience service.

The banners and ads you see will be based on information we hold about you and/or your previous use of the Axminster Tools website such as your search history and the products you have looked at or added to your basket.

For more information on cookies, including how you can control what cookies are used, please see our Cookie Policy.

How is my personal data shared?

We do not and will not sell any of your personal data to any third party for any purpose.

However, we sometimes share your personal data with trusted third parties as an essential part of providing our services to you as set out in this statement.

Information we share with third parties

We share information with trusted third parties according to the following rules:

  • We provide only the information they need
  • They may only use your data for the exact purpose we specify
  • We work closely with them to ensure your privacy is respected and protected
  • If we stop using their services, any of your data held by them will either be deleted or rendered anonymous

Example third party companies we work with

Where necessary we share your data with the following example categories of companies:

  • Companies that enable us to get your purchases to you, such as payment service providers, warehouses, order packers, drop ship providers and delivery companies.
  • Professional service providers, such as marketing agencies, advertising partners, IT companies and website hosts who help us run our business.
  • Credit reference agencies, law enforcement and fraud prevention agencies, so we can protect against fraud.
  • Companies approved by you, such as social media sites (if you choose to link your accounts to us) or payment providers (e.g. Amazon Pay or PayPal) where you choose to use their payment service. Your use of these services is subject to the terms and conditions and privacy policies of the respective services.
  • Advertising platforms such as Google and Facebook to show you products that might be of interest to you whilst browsing the internet. Please see our Cookie Policy.
  • Direct marketing companies who help us manage our communications with you.
  • Data insight companies to ensure your details are up-to-date and accurate.
  • Professional advisors such as our auditors, regulators, external legal and financial advisors.

Sharing your data with third parties for their own purposes

In very specific circumstances we will share your information with third parties for their own purposes.

  • Fraud management companies may use the information we provide them for analysis and risk profiling. We may also be required to share data about individuals with law enforcement bodies.
  • Where required by law we may disclose your personal data to the police or other enforcement, regulatory or Government body, in your country of origin or elsewhere, upon a valid request to do so. Individual requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
  • Where applicable we may opt your product purchase into a relevant warranty scheme in order to ensure your tools and machines are protected. In these instances, we use our legitimate interests as a legal basis and both the security and privacy of your personal data is our utmost priority. This does not include permission to send marketing communications.
  • Our suppliers, in the event of a product recall or in relation to resolving a product issue you have raised.

To help personalise your experience on our website we currently use the following companies who in specific scenarios will process your personal data as part of their contract with us:

  • Google
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X / Twitter
  • TrustPilot (Service reviews)
  • Global-e (International sales and logistics)
  • The Affiliate Gateway (Affiliate marketing)
  • Microsoft (Behaviour analytics tools)
  • Yotpo (Product ratings and reviews and customer loyalty and referral programme)
  • Emarsys (Email marketing and customer engagement)

You have the right to object to any of this processing at any time. If you wish to do this, please contact us using the details at the end of this policy.

Microsoft

We partner with Microsoft Clarity and Microsoft Advertising to capture how you use and interact with our website through behavioral metrics, heatmaps and session replay to improve and market our products/services. Website usage data is captured using first and third-party cookies and other tracking technologies to determine the popularity of products/services and online activity. Additionally, we use this information for site optimization, fraud/security purposes and advertising. For more information about how Microsoft collects and uses your data, visit the Microsoft Privacy Statement.

Yotpo

We use the Yotpo platform to operate our product Ratings and Reviews, user generated content (UGC) and customer Loyalty and Referral programmes (i.e. Axminster REWARDS). Yotpo processes data on our behalf in accordance with the Yotpo privacy policy.

Emarsys

We use the Emarsys platform to monitor our customer engagement. By providing certain customer and sales related data to Emarsys we are able to report on and monitor the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns and applications. We also use this information to find out more about your interests and tailor email and web content to you accordingly. Emarsys processes data on our behalf in accordance with the Emarsys privacy policy.

How we protect your personal data

We understand how important data security is to you and therefore take all appropriate steps to safeguard the collection, transmission and storage of the data we collect.

All areas of our website are protected with secure connections over “https” technology. Access to your personal data is password protected and we use secure server technology that implements Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption to protect your sensitive data.

If you use your credit or debit card to purchase from us, we will ensure that this is carried out securely. We give the option for you to store your card details safely online for future transactions. We do this by generating an authorisation token in a way that means none of our staff members can see your full card number.

We also generate authorisation tokens when you place an order with us using a credit or debit card. Only we can use the authorisation token generated and since we only charge your card on dispatch, it is necessary in instances where part shipment of items is required e.g. to fulfil backorders. We never store your card details or security code in plain text.

Our systems are monitored for possible vulnerabilities and attacks, and we are continually looking to identify ways to further strengthen security in line with new technological advances and best practices.

Where your personal data may be processed

We store your data on secure servers in the European Economic Area (EEA). However, sometimes we will need to share your personal data with third parties and suppliers outside the European Economic Area (EEA); for example, when placing an international order we’ll need to transfer your personal data between countries to enable us to supply the goods or services you’ve requested. If we do this, our contracts stipulate the standards they must follow at all times and we have procedures in place to ensure your data receives the same protection as if it were being processed inside the EEA.

International Orders

By using our services or providing your personal data to us, you expressly consent to the processing of your personal data by us or on our behalf within the UK. You have the right to ask us not to process your data in certain ways, and if you do so, we will respect your wishes.

Any transfer of your personal data will follow applicable laws and we will treat the information under the guiding principles of this Privacy Policy.

Your rights over your personal data

If you choose to share personal data with Axminster Tools you have rights relating to your personal information. You have the right to request:

  • Information about the collection and use of your personal data (as outlined in this Privacy Policy or by contacting us).
  • Access to the personal data we hold about you, free of charge, in most cases.
  • The correction of inaccurate, out of date or incomplete personal data held about you.
  • Your personal information to be erased, not processed or collected where there is no good reason for us to continue processing it. Otherwise known as `the right to be forgotten`.
  • We stop using your personal data for direct marketing (either through select or all channels).
  • We stop any content based processing of your personal data after you have withdrawn your consent.
  • We transfer or port elements of your data either to you or another service provider.
  • A review of any decision made based solely on automatic processing of your data.
  • Complain to the data protection regulator (see contacting the regulator).

If we choose not to action your request we will explain to you our reasons for refusal.

Checking your identity

We may need to request specific information from you as a security measure. This is to confirm your identity and prevent personal information being disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.

Time limit to respond

We aim to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it may take us longer if your particular request is complex or you have made a number of requests.

Updating your direct marketing preferences

There are several ways you can stop direct marketing communications from us:

  • Click the unsubscribe or edit preferences link in any email
  • If you have an account, sign in and visit the My Account area
  • With a direct request, by email, telephone or in-store. See Contact Us.

When editing your preferences you will have the option to select the types of marketing you receive and by what means. You can of course opt to unsubscribe from all direct marketing communications. Please note there may be a small delay in updating your preferences until our systems fully update.

Deleting information and deactivation of accounts

You may request that your account is deleted by contacting us. Once deleted, your data, including previous order history, cannot be reinstated.

Retention of information

When we collect or process your personal information we will only keep it for as long as it is necessary to provide our services to you and to comply with our legal and contractual obligations.

At the end of that retention period, your data will be either deleted or anonymised. In the latter scenario the data will be used in a non-identifiable way for statistical and business planning purposes.

Example retention periods

For purposes such as tax, accounting and warranty we will keep a record of all orders placed with us for the legally required duration of seven years.

Contacting the regulator

If you wish to make a complaint about the way we handle your personal data, or you are unhappy with our response to any requests you have made to us regarding the use of your personal data, you may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office by calling 0303 1231113 or contacting them via their website: ico.org.uk

If you are based outside the UK, you have the right to lodge your complaint with the relevant data protection regulator in your country of residence.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact our Data Protection Officer who will be pleased to help you.

Call us

03332 406406

Email us

dataprotection@axminstertools.com

Write to us

Data Protection Officer
Axminster Tools
Unit 10 Weycroft Avenue,
Axminster,
Devon, EX13 5PH,
United Kingdom.

Customers in the EU

We have appointed IT Governance Europe Limited to act as our EU Representative. If you wish to exercise your rights under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), or have any queries in relation to your rights or privacy matters generally please email our Representative at eurep@itgovernance.eu or post your request or query to:

EU Representative, IT Governance Europe,
Third Floor, The Boyne Tower, Bull Ring,
Co. Louth, Ireland
A92 F682

When contacting our Representative please ensure you include our company name 'Axminster Tool Centre Ltd' in any correspondence.

Last updated: Wednesday 14th February 2024

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