Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Pottery By Perdita ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses and protects your personal information when you visit our website or place an order. We are committed to keeping your information safe and handling it in line with UK data protection law (the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018).

Who we are

Pottery By Perdita is a small handmade ceramics business operating as a sole trader in the United Kingdom. For the purposes of data protection law, we are the "data controller" responsible for your personal information.

If you need to reach us about your data or anything in this policy, our contact details are available on request, and can also be provided at the point of purchase.

The information we collect

We only collect what we need to run the shop and get your pottery safely to you:

Order & contact details — your name, delivery and billing address, email address and (if you give it) phone number.

Order information — the items you buy, order value and order history.

Payment information — your card payment is handled securely by our payment provider, [payment provider — e.g. Stripe / PayPal]. We do not see or store your full card details.

Messages — anything you send us by email, contact form or social media, including bespoke commission enquiries.

Newsletter sign-ups — if you subscribe, we keep your email address so we can send you updates.

Website & usage data — basic technical information collected automatically through cookies and analytics, such as your device type, pages viewed and how you found us. See our Cookies Policy for detail.

How we use your information, and our lawful basis

To fulfil your order — processing payment, making and sending your piece, and keeping you updated (lawful basis: performance of a contract).

To answer enquiries and discuss bespoke commissions (lawful basis: our legitimate interests in responding to you, or taking steps to enter a contract).

To send marketing emails, only where you have signed up (lawful basis: your consent, which you can withdraw at any time).

To improve and secure our website using analytics (lawful basis: your consent for non-essential cookies).

To meet legal obligations, such as keeping records for tax and accounting (lawful basis: legal obligation).

Who we share it with

We never sell your personal information. We share it only with trusted providers who help us run the business, and only as far as needed:

Our website and email platform, GoHighLevel, which hosts the site and stores order and contact data.

Our payment provider, [payment provider], to take payment securely.

Delivery and postage partners (for example [Royal Mail / courier]) to send your order.

Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, which help us understand how the site is used.

Our accountant or bookkeeper, and HMRC, where required for tax.

Any authority or regulator where we are legally required to disclose information.

International transfers

Some of our providers (such as Google and GoHighLevel) may process data on servers outside the UK. Where that happens, we rely on appropriate safeguards recognised under UK data protection law, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or equivalent contractual protections, to keep your information protected.

How long we keep it

We keep order and transaction records for six years to meet UK tax and accounting requirements. Newsletter data is kept until you unsubscribe. Enquiry messages are kept only as long as needed to help you.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

access the personal information we hold about you;

ask us to correct anything that is wrong;

ask us to delete your information in certain circumstances;

object to or restrict how we use it;

ask for a copy of your data in a portable format;

withdraw your consent to marketing at any time.

To exercise any of these, please get in touch using the contact details available on request. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator, at ico.org.uk.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised "last updated" date.