Privacy policy

About This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Imperial Teas of Lincoln Ltd collects, uses, stores and shares personal information when you:

• visit or use our website;
• purchase from us online, by telephone or in our shop;
• create a customer account;
• sign up to receive marketing;
• contact us or request customer support;
• use any other service we provide.

Imperial Teas of Lincoln Ltd is the controller of the personal information described in this policy.

Our website, online checkout and point-of-sale system are powered by Shopify.

Who We Are

Imperial Teas of Lincoln Ltd
47 Steep Hill
Lincoln
Lincolnshire
LN2 1LU
United Kingdom

Company number: 04780764

Email: shop@imperialteas.co.uk
Telephone: 01522 560008

When this policy uses “Imperial Teas”, “we”, “us” or “our”, it means Imperial Teas of Lincoln Ltd.

Personal Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

Identity and Contact Information

This may include:

• your name;
• billing and delivery addresses;
• email address;
• telephone number;
• customer account details;
• the name and address of a gift recipient or other person you ask us to deliver to.

Order and Transaction Information

This may include:

• products purchased, returned, exchanged or cancelled;
• order values, discounts and delivery charges;
• order dates and transaction references;
• delivery and fulfilment information;
• gift card or store credit information;
• previous purchases and customer account history;
• items placed in your online basket.

Payment Information

Payments made online and through Shopify POS are processed securely by Shopify Payments.

We receive information such as:

• the payment method used;
• payment status;
• transaction value and reference;
• limited card information, such as the card type and final digits.

Imperial Teas does not normally have access to or retain your complete payment-card number, security code or full card details.

Communications

This includes information you provide when you:

• contact us by email, telephone, post, online form or social media;
• ask a question about a product;
• request customer support;
• make a complaint;
• exercise a data-protection right;
• contact us about a delivery, return, refund or payment.

Marketing Information

This may include:

• whether you have agreed to receive marketing;
• your email marketing preferences;
• when you subscribed, unsubscribed, opened or interacted with a marketing communication;
• products or subjects that may be of interest to you, where permitted.

Device, Website and Usage Information

When you use our website, we may collect:

• IP address;
• browser and device type;
• device identifiers;
• pages viewed and links selected;
• referring website;
• shopping and checkout activity;
• approximate location derived from an IP address;
• cookie choices and consent preferences;
• information used to maintain website security and detect fraud.

Some of this information is collected through cookies and similar technologies. Non-essential analytics, advertising or personalisation technologies are used only where permitted and, where required, after you have given consent.

Fraud and Security Information

We and our service providers may process information used to:

• authenticate transactions;
• identify suspicious activity;
• prevent fraud;
• protect customer accounts;
• maintain the security of our website, shop and services.

How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal information:

• directly from you, when you place an order, create an account, contact us, visit our shop, request an email receipt or subscribe to marketing;
• automatically, when you use our website, subject to your cookie choices;
• from Shopify and Shopify Payments, when they provide our online-store, checkout, payment and point-of-sale services;
• from delivery providers, when they provide tracking, delivery or return information;
• from service providers and applications, when they support our inventory, marketing, website, security and business administration;
• from another person, for example when somebody places an order or arranges delivery of a gift to you.

If you provide another person’s details to us, you should ensure that you have a proper reason for doing so and that the information is accurate.

How and Why We Use Personal Information

Data-protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for using personal information.

Fulfilling Orders and Providing Our Services

We use personal information to:

• process and fulfil purchases;
• accept and confirm payments;
• provide order confirmations and receipts;
• arrange collection or delivery;
• provide tracking information;
• manage returns, exchanges, refunds and cancellations;
• administer customer accounts, gift cards and store credit;
• answer questions and provide customer service.

Our lawful basis is normally performance of a contract with you or taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.

Accounting, Tax and Legal Requirements

We use and retain transaction information to:

• maintain accounting and tax records;
• comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
• respond to lawful requests from authorities;
• establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Our lawful basis is compliance with a legal obligation and, where appropriate, our legitimate interests in protecting our business and legal rights.

Managing and Improving Our Business

We may use information to:

• administer our website and retail systems;
• manage stock and product availability;
• understand business and sales performance;
• improve our products, website and customer service;
• train staff and maintain service standards;
• manage suppliers, service providers and professional advisers;
• keep appropriate records of business communications.

Our lawful basis is our legitimate interest in operating, understanding and improving our retail business. We consider the impact on customers before relying on legitimate interests and do not use this basis where our interests are overridden by your rights.

Security and Fraud Prevention

We use information to:

• secure our website, accounts and payment systems;
• identify and investigate suspicious transactions;
• prevent fraud and misuse;
• protect Imperial Teas, our customers and other people.

Our lawful basis is our legitimate interest in protecting our business and customers and, where applicable, compliance with legal obligations.

Marketing

We may use your information to send information about Imperial Teas products, offers, events and news.

For marketing emails, we rely on:

• your consent; or
• the permitted existing-customer exception, sometimes called the soft opt-in, where you bought or discussed buying similar products from us, were offered an opportunity to opt out when your details were collected, and are offered an unsubscribe option in every message.

Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

You can unsubscribe by selecting the unsubscribe link in any marketing email or by contacting us at shop@imperialteas.co.uk.

We may retain a minimal suppression record after you unsubscribe so that we can respect your request and avoid adding you to marketing again accidentally.

Service messages concerning an order, payment, delivery, account or security matter are not marketing and may still be sent after you unsubscribe from promotional communications.

Cookies, Analytics and Personalisation

Where consent is legally required, our lawful basis for using non-essential cookies and similar technologies is consent.

Strictly necessary technologies may be used without consent where they are essential to:

• operate the website;
• maintain security;
• remember products placed in a basket;
• provide checkout or another service you have requested.

Further information is provided in the Cookies section below and through our cookie preference controls.

When Information Must Be Provided

Some information is needed so that we can enter into or fulfil a contract with you.

For example, we ordinarily need your name, contact information, delivery information and payment confirmation to process an order. If required information is not provided, we may be unable to accept, fulfil or deliver the order.

You are not required to provide information for marketing purposes.

How We Share Personal Information

We share personal information only where reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

Shopify and Shopify Payments

Shopify provides our:

• website and online store;
• customer accounts;
• checkout;
• order-management system;
• point-of-sale system;
• payment processing through Shopify Payments;
• security, fraud-prevention and reporting facilities.

Information submitted through our website or Shopify POS is processed by Shopify and relevant Shopify companies.

Inventory and Order-Management Services

We use inventory-management services, including Materials Inventory, to manage materials, components, products, manufacturing and product availability.

These services may receive information about products ordered, quantities and order status where required to update stock and inventory records.

Delivery Companies

We provide delivery information to organisations such as Royal Mail, UPS and other appropriate postal, courier or fulfilment providers.

They may receive information such as:

• recipient name;
• delivery address;
• email address or telephone number where needed for delivery notifications;
• parcel and tracking information;
• relevant customs information for international deliveries.

Marketing Providers

We use Mailchimp to manage and send marketing emails.

Mailchimp may process information such as:

• name;
• email address;
• subscription status;
• marketing preferences;
• engagement with marketing communications.

We do not give Mailchimp permission to use your information for its own unrelated marketing.

Analytics and Advertising Providers

Where these services are enabled and you have provided any consent required, information may be shared with analytics, advertising or social-media providers identified in our cookie controls.

These providers may process device, browser and website-usage information to provide reporting, measure advertising or personalise content.

You can refuse or withdraw consent through our cookie preference controls.

Professional and Technical Advisers

We may share relevant information with:

• accountants and bookkeepers;
• legal and professional advisers;
• insurers;
• website, IT and security providers;
• auditors or prospective purchasers where the business or its assets are being reorganised or transferred.

These organisations receive only the information reasonably required for their role and are subject to appropriate duties of confidentiality or data-protection obligations.

Legal and Regulatory Disclosures

We may disclose information where reasonably necessary to:

• comply with a legal obligation;
• respond to a valid court order or lawful authority request;
• prevent or investigate fraud or criminal activity;
• protect the rights, property or safety of Imperial Teas, our customers or other people;
• establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

We do not sell customer personal information.

Our Relationship With Shopify

Shopify processes personal information to provide our online-store, checkout, payment, point-of-sale and related services.

In some circumstances Shopify also processes information for its own purposes, including to maintain security, prevent fraud and improve or provide Shopify services. For those activities, Shopify may act as a separate controller and is responsible for explaining how it uses personal information and responding to applicable rights requests.

You can read the Shopify Consumer Privacy Policy and use the Shopify Privacy Portal for further information.

Information processed through Shopify may be transmitted to Shopify companies and service providers in countries outside the United Kingdom.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These are required for functions such as:

• website security;
• network management;
• shopping baskets;
• checkout;
• customer login;
• remembering privacy choices.

These technologies cannot normally be disabled through our website because the service could not operate correctly without them.

Analytics Cookies

With your consent, analytics cookies may help us understand:

• how visitors find and use our website;
• which pages and products are visited;
• whether the website is functioning properly;
• how the website can be improved.

Advertising and Personalisation Cookies

If enabled and you consent, these technologies may be used to:

• measure advertising;
• understand whether an advertisement led to a visit or purchase;
• show more relevant content or advertising;
• limit how often advertising is displayed.

You can accept, refuse or customise non-essential cookies through the cookie banner. You can subsequently change your selection through the Cookie preferences link displayed on our website.

Non-essential cookies should not be placed before you provide any consent required by law.

The cookie preference controls provide further information about the cookies and technologies currently in use, their purposes, providers and duration.

Browser settings can also be used to remove or block cookies, although blocking strictly necessary cookies may prevent parts of the website from functioning properly.

International Transfers

Some of our providers, including Shopify and Mailchimp, operate internationally. This means personal information may be transferred to or accessed from countries outside the United Kingdom.

Where information is transferred outside the UK, we require an appropriate legal safeguard. Depending on the destination and provider, this may include:

• UK adequacy regulations;
• the UK International Data Transfer Agreement;
• the UK Addendum to approved standard contractual clauses;
• another legally recognised transfer mechanism.

We also consider whether supplementary technical, contractual or organisational protections are appropriate.

You can contact us if you would like further information about the safeguards applying to a particular transfer.

How Long We Keep Personal Information

We retain personal information only for as long as it is reasonably required for the purposes described in this policy.

The principal periods and criteria we use are:

• Orders, sales, payments and accounting records: normally retained for six years after the end of the relevant financial or accounting period, or longer where legally required.
• Customer accounts: retained while the account remains active. Information forming part of an order or accounting record may continue to be retained after an account is closed.
• Customer-service enquiries: normally retained for up to two years after the enquiry is resolved, unless connected with an order, complaint, dispute or legal requirement.
• Marketing records: retained while you remain subscribed or while we have another lawful reason to contact you. We periodically review marketing information and remove or suppress information that is no longer required.
• Unsubscribe and objection records: minimal information may be retained for as long as necessary to ensure that your preference continues to be respected.
• Cookie and analytics information: retained for the periods shown in our cookie preference controls.
• Fraud, security, complaint and legal records: retained for as long as reasonably required to investigate the matter, protect the parties involved or establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

When information is no longer required, we delete it, anonymise it or securely dispose of it.

Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures intended to protect personal information from accidental or unlawful:

• loss;
• alteration;
• destruction;
• unauthorised access;
• disclosure;
• misuse.

These measures include access controls, account security, appropriate staff permissions and use of established service providers.

No method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. You should not send complete payment-card details or other highly sensitive information through ordinary email or social-media messages.

You are responsible for keeping customer account credentials secure and should not share passwords or access codes with another person.

Children’s Information

Our website and services are intended for a general retail audience and are not designed specifically for children.

We do not knowingly use children’s personal information for behavioural advertising or unrelated marketing.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe that a child has provided personal information to us inappropriately, please contact us so that we can consider and respond to the matter.

Automated Processing and Fraud Checks

Shopify, Shopify Payments and related security services may use automated systems to generate fraud or risk indicators.

We use these indicators to protect transactions and may review or contact a customer about an order. We do not normally make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects solely by automated means without appropriate safeguards.

If you believe an automated process has affected you unfairly, contact us and ask for the matter to be reviewed.

Your Data-Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• Access: request confirmation of whether we process your information and receive a copy of it.
• Rectification: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Erasure: ask us to delete information where there is no lawful reason to continue retaining it.
• Restriction: ask us to restrict the use of information in certain circumstances.
• Portability: receive information you provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format where the right applies.
• Object: object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Object to direct marketing: require us to stop using your information for direct marketing at any time.
• Withdraw consent: withdraw consent where our processing relies on it.
• Request human review: ask for appropriate review where a decision with a legal or similarly significant effect has been made solely through automated processing.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal limitations. For example, we may need to retain transaction information to comply with tax and accounting obligations even if you ask us to delete your customer account.

We may ask for information reasonably required to confirm your identity before responding to a request.

There is ordinarily no charge for exercising a data-protection right. We will respond within the period required by applicable law.

Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing that occurred before consent was withdrawn.

To exercise a right, contact:

Email: shop@imperialteas.co.uk
Telephone: 01522 560008
Post: Imperial Teas of Lincoln Ltd, 47 Steep Hill, Lincoln, LN2 1LU

Data-Protection Complaints

If you are concerned about how we have collected, used or protected your personal information, please contact us using the details below and state that you are making a data-protection complaint.

We will:

• acknowledge your data-protection complaint within 30 days;
• take appropriate steps to investigate it;
• keep you reasonably informed about progress;
• provide an outcome without unjustified or excessive delay.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns first, but you may contact the ICO at any time.

Further information is available at:

Make a data-protection complaint to the ICO

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to websites, social-media services or other platforms operated by third parties.

Those organisations are responsible for their own privacy practices. You should review their privacy information before providing personal information to them.

A link from our website does not necessarily mean that we endorse or control the third party’s privacy or security practices.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in:

• our services;
• the providers or applications we use;
• our data-processing activities;
• legal or regulatory requirements.

We will publish the updated policy on our website and change the “Last updated” date. Where a change materially affects how we use personal information, we will take reasonable steps to bring it to the attention of affected customers before the new use begins.

Contact Us

For questions about this policy, data-protection rights or complaints, contact:

Imperial Teas of Lincoln Ltd
47 Steep Hill
Lincoln
Lincolnshire
LN2 1LU
United Kingdom

Company number: 04780764

Email: shop@imperialteas.co.uk
Telephone: 01522 560008