Privacy

Data Protection Registration

Referenceline Ltd is a limited company No. 3341732 registered in England at 3 Huron Drive, Liphook, GU30 7TY. We are committed to protecting the privacy of individuals, including consumers, customers and employees. We are registered with the Data Protection Registrar: Z7698138. We do not sell, trade or rent personal information such as individuals' name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. We don't publish customers' names and addresses. If you have any concerns, please email our Data Protection Officer at support@referenceline.com


About Us

We provide consumers with a directory and independent review service about businesses. This involves relationships with various bodies including trade associations, trading standards, regulators and others through a number of websites including:


Consumers

Please be careful and responsible, especially when online. When contacting a firm for the first time, don't provide any more information than is necessary until you are confident about the person you are dealing with. We don't monitor or control the privacy policies of third parties, including registered firms. Ask questions before giving any personal information to anyone. Remember that any information given on message boards, through email, or in chat areas can be collected and used by others.


Personal Data

This privacy policy applies to customers of businesses that use our services and to visitors to our website(s) and it explains how we use your personal data and your related rights.

This policy does not apply to businesses listed on our websites, including legal and trading names, addresses, email addresses, reviews or any other business information. The publication of contact details such as postal addresses, email addresses and phone numbers is essential to the function of our directory services. Where appropriate, businesses should use contact details that are separate from the personal data of individuals. This includes phone numbers, email addresses (ie sales@example.com rather than john.smith@example.com) and in some very limited cases may include the use of PO boxes rather than the full postal address. Please contact support@referenceline.com to request any change to business contact details.

We may change this policy from time to time and if we make significant changes, we will make that clear on our websites, so that you are able to review the changes before you continue to use our services.


When we act as Data Processor

When a business or body enters personal details on our system, (for example to invite a customer to leave a review, or to send a consumer a message), then we are acting as data processor for them. We will not publish the names or personal details of consumers or use them for any other purpose unless you otherwise agree.

When a business or body gives us data that may be linked to an individual as part of the information required to operate our websites or services, for example in the Trading Name or email address, then we are acting as data processor for them. If you are adversely affected by this, you should contact the data controller and we recommend that you should provide generic, rather than personal, contact details wherever possible (eg sales@example.com, rather than john.smith@example.com). You may also contact support@referenceline.com to advise us of your concerns.

In either case, the business or body is the data controller and you should contact them with any questions relating to privacy.


When we act as Data Controller

When you register with our website(s), then we act as data controller in relation to your personal data and any other information you provide, including staff names or reviews. We automatically collect personal data using cookies and your IP address. Please direct any questions to us at support@referenceline.com


The personal data we collect

We collect:


We do not collect special category data such as racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, health conditions. Read the ICO guide to special category data.


Why we collect your personal data

We won’t publish your name unless you have asked us to do so.  Instead, we use your personal data:


Legal basis for the processing

When we act as data controller, the information is necessary for our legitimate interests which include:

When we act as data processor, we treat personal information with the same care, but the responsibility for the legal basis lies with the data controller.

When we process your personal data on the basis of your consent, you may withdraw your consent by following the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting support@referenceline.com


How long we keep your personal data

Unless you agree otherwise, we keep:

We may keep personal data for longer in some cases, including where there is a statutory, regulatory or other legal need to do so.

Where personal data is included within the information provided to us under contract with another data controller, we do not keep that personal data when the contract expires unless the business registers with us and authorises us to act as a data controller.

Where more than one retention period applies to the same personal data, the longest period will apply.


Where we obtain your personal data

We obtain your personal data from businesses, as their data processor and from you, as data controller, when you submit information to our websites, communicate with us, or otherwise provide personal data to us; from your accounts on other websites, including Facebook or Twitter, when you give us permission to do so and automatically when you use our website, using cookies or similar technologies.


How we share your personal data

We may share your personal data:

When we share your personal data (including transfers outside the European Economic Area) with others, we require them to sign contracts which include the obligation to handle your personal data consistently with this privacy policy.


Cookies and similar technologies

Like most websites, by using our site(s) you agree that we may use cookies and other similar technologies to provide our services to you. You can find helpful information on the Information Commissioners website. https://ico.org.uk/

We may use the following types of cookie:

If you want to delete any cookies, the help section in your browser should provide instructions on how to do so on your computer, but some functions on our site(s) may be affected or not work at all.


The law gives you the right to require us to

To exercise any of these rights, please contact support@referenceline.com.


Complaints

If you are not happy with the way we respond to any complaint about the way we use your personal data, please contact the Information Commissioner’s Office https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/