Privacy Policy

Cheshire Surveys Limited is a Land Surveying and Setting Out company. We process information on our clients as part of our provision of surveying services.  This includes personal data of private individuals or individuals acting in a professional capacity on behalf of a business.  We are a data controller and processor.  We collect and process data when quoting for work; for carrying out the work commissioned; and for invoicing purposes.  We take our clients’ privacy seriously and will only use personal information to administer your account and to provide the quote or service requested.  This policy has been updated and is effective to all new customers/commissions from May 2018 onwards.

 

The lawful bases for Cheshire Surveys Ltd to collect and process personal data are:

Contractual: the processing is necessary for the contract between the individual or business and Cheshire Surveys Ltd to carry out work commissioned in line with our terms and conditions.

Legal: the processing is necessary for us to comply with the law for example to comply with financial law and regulation as a VAT registered business and Limited Company.

Legitimate: the processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests for example in providing a quote before a contract has been entered.

 

Quotes: For the purposes of providing a quote we collect and process the following information:

  • Name of individual requesting the work
  • Name of business (if applicable) including any trading names
  • Email address and telephone number of person requesting the work
  • Correspondence postal address of the individual or business to whom the quote is to be addressed
  • Postal address of site where work is to be carried out.
  • Details of the works required

This information is stored in:

  • Emails sent into us requesting a quote
  • Website form enquiries
  • Secure customer contact database for quotes
  • Quote paperwork which is stored electronically
  • Paper copies of correspondence printing out for the purposes of providing a quote.

We collect this information so that we can address the quote to the appropriate person and provide an accurate costing for the work required. Our quotes are valid for 30 days, but we keep copies of the electronic record and paper correspondence associated with the quote for 12 months following the end of the month in which it was provided.  Given the nature of the services we provide prospective clients can take up to year to decide if they wish to proceed, and we need access to our historic records to check previous assumptions and notes made when we first quoted.

 

Orders: For a client who commissions our services we collect and process the following at the time of the order being placed:

  • Name of individual requesting the work
  • Name of business (if applicable) including any trading names
  • Email address and telephone number of person commissioning the work
  • Email address and telephone number for the purposes of invoicing
  • Correspondence postal address of the individual or business
  • Postal address of site where work is to be carried out
  • Email address and contact details of person in charge of the site where work is due to take place if different from the person or business instructing us.
  • For businesses who are new customers we may carry out a search of publicly available financial information on Companies House or a credit search via creditsafe with who we have an account.

This information is stored in:

  • Emails sent into us commissioning our services
  • Website form enquiries
  • Google Forms completed when quotes are accepted by the customer
  • Secure customer contact database
  • Order confirmation paperwork and hard copy files
  • Financial accounts

We collect this information so that we can:

  • Carry out the survey or setting out work we have been instructed to do
  • For invoicing purposes and credit control to issue statements and reminders by email and to telephone clients whose accounts are about to become due or are overdue
  • To maintain our financial accounts as a VAT registered and Limited company.

It is retained as follows:

  • Hard copy financial records are retained for 7 financial years in our accounts system and then destroyed
  • Electronic records held in the permanent sales ledger of the Xero accounts system are held in perpetuity within the secure accounts software.
  • Email addresses and telephone numbers are deleted 3 years after a customers account becomes dormant (i.e. after the last transaction recorded)
  • Survey drawings are kept in perpetuity and stored by client number (name), contract number and site name.

 

Financial transactions: Cheshire Surveys use Xero for handling our financial information. In addition payments may be handled by our payment services providers, Go Cardless, Stripe and PayPal. We will share transaction data with our payment services providers only to the extent necessary for the purposes of processing your payments, refunding such payments and dealing with complaints and queries relating to such payments and refunds. Our payment services providers’ privacy policies and practices can be viewed via Privacy Notice | Xero UK; GoCardless , PayPal and Stripe

 

Handling and sharing information: We sometimes need to share the information we process back with the individual themselves and other organisations.  This will only be done in sole connection with the work that we have been commissioned to do.  The circumstances in which personal and business details are used and shared include:

  • When contacting an agent/architect/consultant who has been employed to act on the behalf of the client on the project which we have also been commissioned to carry out.
  • With our telephone answering service (if you leave a message they will share those details with us via email or their secure mobile app);
  • With our professional support services including our credit controller and bookkeeper (who are self -employed individuals employed by us specifically to carry out our bookkeeping, invoicing and credit control)
  • With our accountants who prepare our Year End Accounts and are party to details in our accounting system to carry out these tasks.
  • With our solicitor where action is to be taken to recover an overdue invoice, as per our terms and conditions and under The Late Payments of Commercial Debt (Interest) Act 1998 and the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2002. If action is escalated through the Courts details will be passed to debt collection and tracing agencies as part of the statutory

 

CCTV: CCTV is used at our business property at Unit 2, Barrowmore Enterprise Estate, Great Barrow, Chester, CH3 7JS.  It is for purposes of crime prevention and investigation.  The information processed may include visual images, personal appearance and behaviours. This information may be about staff, customers and clients, offenders and suspected offenders, members of the public and those inside, entering or in the immediate vicinity of the area under surveillance. Where necessary or required this information is shared with the data subjects themselves, employees and agents, services providers, police forces, security organisations and persons making an enquiry.

 

Marketing: We do not share personal data with third parties for marketing purposes and we will not contact you to directly market our services unless we have explicitly gained your consent to do this.

 

Website: Our website (www.cheshiresurveys.co.uk) is administered and delivered by Yellow Circle Ltd

 

Security: We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure.  We have physical, electronic and managerial procedures in place to safeguard and secure the information we collect and store.

 

Transfer of data overseas: It may sometimes be necessary to transfer personal information overseas. When this is needed information is only shared in the European Economic Area (EEA).  Any transfers made will be in full compliance with all aspects of the data protection act.

 

Information Commissioners Office Registration (ICO): We are registered with ICO (Registration number 04713996).  If you think there is a problem with the way we handle your data you have a right to complain to the Information Commissioners Office on 0303 123 1113 or visit https://ico.org.uk/concerns/ .

 

Note: This policy is effective from May 2018. 

 

Our principal place of business is Unit 2 Barrwmore Enterprise Estate Great Barrow Chester CH3 7JS.  You can contact us: