Privacy Policy
This policy explains what personal information Auto Empire collects when you contact us, visit our garage or use our website, why we collect it, and the rights you have over it under UK data protection law.
1. Who we are
Auto Empire is the trading name of Auto Empire Garages Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 13041308).
- Registered office: Amelia House, Crescent Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1QR
- Garage: 74-76 Station Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1JY
- ICO registration number: to follow
We are the data controller for the personal information described in this policy. That means we decide how and why it is used, and we are responsible for looking after it.
We are a small business and have not appointed a Data Protection Officer. For any question about this policy or your personal information, contact us:
- Email: enquiries@autoempire.co.uk
- Phone: 01903 805222
- Post or in person: 74-76 Station Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1JY
2. The information we collect
We only collect what we need to deal with your enquiry and look after your vehicle. Depending on how you contact us, this can include:
- Contact details: your name, phone number and email address.
- Vehicle details: your registration number, make, model and mileage.
- Your enquiry: what you tell us about the work you need, and our replies to you.
- Job and payment records: quotes, work carried out, invoices and payments.
- Website data: basic technical information about your visit, described in section 9.
We do not ask for, and do not want, sensitive information such as health details. Please do not include it in a message to us.
3. How we collect it
- Phone calls and visits to the garage.
- Our website contact form. The details you type in are sent to us by email.
- WhatsApp, if you choose to message us there. WhatsApp is run by Meta and its own privacy policy also applies.
- BookMyGarage. If you book through BookMyGarage, it collects your details and passes your booking to us. BookMyGarage is responsible for the information it collects, under its own privacy policy.
- Social media, if you message us on Facebook or Instagram. Those platforms' own privacy policies also apply.
4. Why we use it, and our lawful basis
UK data protection law says we must have a lawful basis for each way we use your information.
| What we use it for | Lawful basis |
|---|---|
| Replying to your enquiry and giving you a quote | Taking steps at your request before entering a contract |
| Booking in and carrying out work on your vehicle, and contacting you about it | Performing our contract with you |
| Invoicing, taking payment and keeping accounting records | Legal obligation (tax and accounting law) |
| Handling complaints, warranty questions and disputes | Legitimate interests (dealing fairly with customers and protecting our business) |
| Keeping our website secure and working properly | Legitimate interests (running a safe website) |
We do not use your information to send you marketing, and we do not sell it. We do not use it for automated decision-making or profiling.
5. Who we share it with
We only share your information where we need to, and never sell it. We may share it with:
- Our website and email providers. Our website is hosted by Cloudflare, and messages from our contact form are delivered through an email service provider. They only process your information on our instructions.
- Our accountants, and HMRC where the law requires it.
- Parts suppliers, only where we need your vehicle details to order the right part.
- The police, courts or other authorities, where we are legally required to.
- A buyer of our business, if Auto Empire is ever sold. They would have to look after your information in the same way.
6. Transfers outside the UK
Some of our service providers may store or process information outside the UK. Where they do, we make sure it is protected to UK standards. This means the country has been approved by the UK government as having adequate protection, or the provider has signed the contract terms approved by the Information Commissioner's Office.
7. How long we keep it
| Information | How long we keep it |
|---|---|
| Enquiries that don't lead to any work | 12 months from your last contact |
| Job records, invoices and payment records | 6 years after the end of the financial year they relate to, as tax law requires |
| Records of complaints, warranty claims or disputes | 6 years after they are resolved |
After that, we securely delete or destroy it.
8. Keeping it secure
We take sensible steps to protect your information, including secure, encrypted connections on our website and password-protected systems that only our staff can access. No system is completely secure, but if something did go wrong we would act quickly and tell you, and the ICO, where the law requires it.
9. Cookies and website analytics
Our website does not use advertising or tracking cookies, so you won't see a cookie banner.
- Analytics. We use Cloudflare Web Analytics to count visits and see which pages are popular. It does not use cookies, does not track you across other websites, and does not identify you.
- Security. Our hosting provider may set a small, strictly necessary cookie to protect the website from attacks and automated abuse. The law allows this without asking for consent, because the website needs it to work safely.
- Links to other websites. Our website links to sites such as BookMyGarage, Google, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Once you leave our website, those sites' own privacy and cookie policies apply.
10. Your rights
You have the right to:
- Access a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Correct information that is wrong or incomplete.
- Delete your information, where we no longer have a good reason to keep it.
- Restrict how we use your information while a concern is looked into.
- Object to us using your information where we rely on legitimate interests.
- Move information you gave us to another organisation, where this applies.
To use any of these rights, email enquiries@autoempire.co.uk or ask at the garage. It's free, and we will reply within one month. We may need to check your identity first. Some information, such as invoices, we have to keep by law, and we will tell you if that applies.
11. Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, please tell us first so we can put it right: email enquiries@autoempire.co.uk.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator:
- Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
- Phone: 0303 123 1113
- Post: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
12. Children
Our services are for vehicle owners, and our website is not aimed at children. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 16.
13. Changes to this policy
If we change how we use your information, we will update this page and the date at the top. If a change significantly affects you, we will tell you before it takes effect.