This document explains our data processing practices and policies, the ways in which your personal data is used and how we keep it secure.

Your personal information is important to us and we are committed to safeguarding and protecting your personal data and privacy.

The personal information that you have shared with us will be used to keep you updated with information on products and services that may be of interest to you. It will also be used in connection with operating your trade account.  We will only use your personal data for these specific purposes. 

We do not sell, rent or share your personal information with any third-parties for commercial reasons.

If you have any requests concerning your personal information or any queries with regard to our processing please contact us at admin@alphaoffice.co.uk 

Personal data is defined by the General Data Protection Regulation (EU Regulation 2016/679) (the “GDPR”) as ‘any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified in particular by reference to an identifier’.

Personal data is, in simpler terms, any information about you that enables you to be identified. Personal data covers obvious information such as your name and contact details, but it also covers less obvious information such as identification numbers, electronic location data, and other online identifiers.

We hold details provided by you on opening an account. The data will typically include your name, job title, business address, email address and contact telephone numbers.

We may collect additional information in connection with your participation in any promotions or competitions offered by us and information you provide when giving us feedback or completing profile forms on our website.

We will never collect sensitive personal data about you without your explicit permission and clear explanation as to why it is required.

We may collect some or all of the following personal data. If you do not allow us to collect this data then we may not be able to fulfil our contractual or legal requirements.

• Name
• Address
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Business name
• Job title
• Profession
• Payment information
• IP address and website cookies

We also collect information and keep records about the transactions you undertake with us. These transactions will typically be order placing, request for quotations, requests for information and payment records. 

In the case of sole traders and partnerships we will also hold home addresses and dates of birth. We may also keep information that is provided by you, obtained from your bank, credit reference agencies or from your referees that allows us to extend credit facilities to your business. 

Under the GDPR, you have the following rights, which we will always work to uphold:

You have a right to access the personal data that is held about you. To obtain a copy of the personal information that Alpha Office holds contact admin@alphaoffice.co.uk

You also have the right to move, transfer or copy your personal information.

You have the right to ask us to delete all personal data that is used for certain purposes, such as direct marketing and where there is no compelling, legal or regulatory reason for the data to be processed.

You have the right to ask us to correct or delete any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

We may use your information to provide and personalise our service to you. We will also use your contact details to communicate with you and send you information that is required to operate your account. From time to time we will send you details of any price changes.

We will use your information to send offers and news on products and services, which we think may be of interest or be of benefit to you. In this case you will always be given the choice to opt out of receiving such emails. You can withdraw your consent by contacting sales@alphaoffice.co.uk

Please note that there may be instances where it may be necessary for us to communicate with you for administrative or operational reasons relating to your account or our service. Alpha Office Solutions Ltd does not use any automated decision making systems or carry out profiling of personal data records.

What are the legal grounds for processing your personal information?

ALPHA OFFICE SOLUTIONS LTD  is the Data Controller as defined by the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

We use your personal information to provide you with our products and services, including:

• Offering of credit account facilities
• Delivering goods
• Providing information

We also use your information where it is in our legitimate interest to do so, such as:

• Updating our records to contact you about your account
• Recovering debt
• To follow guidance and best practice of regulatory bodies
• For management and audit of our business operations and accounting
• To carry out searches at credit reference agencies both at the application stage and periodically thereafter.
• To keep records of our communications with you
• To maintain our good governance requirements and to comply with our legal and regulatory requirements.

How Long Will You Keep My Personal Data?

We will not keep your personal data for any longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected. Your personal data will therefore be kept for the following periods (or, where there is no fixed period, the following factors will be used to determine how long it is kept):

• If you make an enquiry but do not engage our services, we will keep your personal data for 3 months from the date of last communication. 
• If you engage our services, we will keep your personal data for 7 years from the date of last communication.

We will only store or transfer your personal data within the European Economic Area (the “EEA”). The EEA consists of all EU member states, plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. This means that your personal data will be fully protected under the GDPR or to equivalent standards by law.

 How do we protect the data that we hold?

• All data is held on a private network server that is single point of entry firewall protected.
• All data processing is carried out on password protected terminals with up to date anti viral software, linked to the private network server.
• All emails are security scanned.
• 9. Do You Share My Personal Data?
• We may need to share your personal data with the following recipients:
• External accountant, credit reference agencies
• Couriers making deliveries on our behalf
• Contractors working on our behalf

In some limited circumstances, we may be legally required to share certain personal data, which might include yours, if we are involved in legal proceedings or complying with legal obligations, a court order, or the instructions of a government authority,

It is our strict policy not to pass on any customer specific information to third parties for sales or marketing purposes.