Privacy policy

FAIR PROCESSING NOTICE

Our Fair Processing Notice describes the categories of personal data we process and for what purposes. We are committed to collecting and using such data fairly and in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). The Fair Processing Notice is effective from 25th May 2018.

1. Introduction

1.1 We take your privacy seriously and that includes the personal information we already hold about you now and the further personal information we might collect about you. How we use your personal information will depend on the products and services we provide to you.

1.2 This Privacy Notice provides up to date information about how we use your personal information and will update any previous information we have given you about using your personal information (also referred to as personal data). We will update this Privacy Notice if we make any significant changes affecting how we use your personal information, and if so we will contact you to let you know about the change.

2. About us

2.1 We are what is known as the 'Data Controller' of personal information we gather and use. When we say 'we' or 'us' in this Privacy Notice, we mean The Merch House.  

3. Your privacy rights

3.1 You have the right to object to how we use your personal information. You also have the right to see what personal information we hold about you. In addition, you can ask us to correct inaccuracies, delete or restrict personal information or to ask for some of your personal information to be provided to someone else. You can make a complaint by getting in touch via the details on our website: www.themerchhouse.co.uk

You can also make a complaint to the data protection supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner's Office, at www.ico.org.uk. To make enquires for further information about exercising any of your rights in this Privacy Notice please contact sales@themerchhouse.co.uk
You can contact us at our office or via the website details supplied above to exercise any of the following privacy rights:

3.2 Right to object:

You can object to our processing of your personal information. Please contact us as noted above, providing details of your objection.

3.3 Access to your personal information:

You can request access to a copy of your personal information that we hold, along with information on what personal information we use, why we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it for and whether it has been used for any automated decision making. You can make a request for access free of charge by contacting our office. Please make all requests for access in writing, and provide us with evidence of your identity.

3.4 Right to withdraw consent:

If you have given us your consent to use personal information, you can withdraw your consent at any time and, update your marketing preferences by calling us directly. For contact details, visit our website: www.themerchhouse.co.uk

3.5 Rectification:

You can ask us to change or complete any inaccurate or incomplete personal information held about you.

3.6 Erasure:

You can ask us to delete your personal information where it is no longer necessary for us to use it, you have withdrawn consent, or where we have no lawful basis for keeping it.

3.7 Portability:

You can ask us to provide you or a third party with some of the personal information that we hold about you in a structured, commonly used, electronic form, so it can be easily transferred.

3.8 Restriction:

You can ask us to restrict the personal information we use about you where you have asked for it to be erased or where you have objected to our use of it.

3.9 Make a complaint:

You can make a complaint about how we have used your personal information to us, by visiting our Aberdeen office or by contacting us via the details on our website: www.themerchhouse.co.uk We will not make any charge for responding to any request from you to exercise your privacy rights, and we will respond to your requests in accordance with our obligations under data protection law.

4. What kinds of personal information we use

4.1 We use a variety of personal information depending on the products and services we deliver to you. For all products and services, we need to use your name, company address, contact details.

4.2 Sometimes where we ask for your personal information needed to enter into a contract with you, we will not be able to provide some products or services without that personal information.

5. How we gather your personal information

5.1 We obtain your personal information:

5.1.1 Directly from you, for example when you fill out the contact form on our website

5.1.2 From an email you sent to the business

5.1.3 From a business card you have handed to any of our employees

5.1.4 When you subscribe to our newsletter


6. How we use your personal information

To provide you with any products and services we need to know your name, company address, contact details

We sometimes need to gather, use and share additional personal information for specific purposes, which are set out in more detail below.

6.1 To operate and administer our products and services, including printing of business cards, name badges, we will use:

Full name Job Title Email Address Phone number

7. Our legal basis for using your personal information

7.1 We only use your personal information where that is permitted by the laws that protect your privacy rights. We only use personal information where:    

7.1.1  we have your consent (if consent is needed);    

7.1.2  we need to use the information to comply with our legal obligations;    

7.1.3  we need to use the information to perform a contract with you;

and/or 

7.2 It is fair to use the personal information either in our interests or someone else's interests, where there is no disadvantage to you – this can include where it is in our interests to contact you about products or services, market to you, or collaborate with others to improve our services.

7.3 Where we have your consent, you have the right to withdraw it. We will let you know how to do that at the time we gather your consent. See section 12 keeping you up to date, clause 10.2 for details about how to withdraw your consent to marketing.

8. Sharing your personal information with or receiving your personal information from others

8.1 We will share personal information with others outside Minto Branding, where we need to do so, in order to make products and services available to you, market products and services to you, meet or enforce a legal obligation or where it is fair and reasonable for us to do so. See section 6. How we use your personal information for more detail about how we do this. We will only share your personal information to the extent needed for those purposes.

8.2 Who we share your personal information with depends on the products and services we provide to you and the purposes which your personal information will be used for. For most products and services we will share your personal information with our own service providers such as our Suppliers. See section 6 for more information on who we share your personal information with and why.

8.3 Most of the time the personal information we have about you is information you have given to us, or gathered by us in the course of providing products and services to you.

9. How long we keep your personal information for.

9.1 How long we keep your personal information for depends on the products and services we deliver to you. We will never retain your personal information for any longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it was gathered.

10. Keeping you up to date

10.1 We will communicate with you about products and services we are delivering using any contact details you have given us - for example by post, email and social media.

10.2 Where you have given us consent to receive marketing, you can withdraw consent at the bottom of any email marketing you receive.

11. Visitors to our website

11.1        When someone visits www.themerchhouse.co.uk we use a third party services, such as Google Analytics and Facebook Pixels, to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way which does not uniquely identify any natural person. We do not make, and do not allow Google or Facebook to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website. If we do want to collect personally identifiable information through our website, we will be up front about this. We will make it clear when we collect personal information and will explain what we intend to do with it.

12. Email Marketing

12.1 We use a third party provider, Mailchimp, to deliver our email marketing. We gather statistics around email opening and clicks using industry standard technologies. For this purpose your email and name will be processed by Mailchimp and help by Mailchimp externally to our own data storage. You may opt out at any time using the “unsubscribe” link in our emails or by getting in touch via the contact details on our website. See points 3.4 and 3.6 for your right to withdraw consent and your right to erasure.

13. Job applicants, current and former employees

13.1 The Merch House is the data controller for the information you provide during the process unless otherwise stated. If you have any queries about the process or how we handle your information please contact us via email at sales@themerchhouse.co.uk 

14. What will we do with the information you provide to us?

14.1 All of the information you provide during the process will only be used for the purpose of progressing your application, or to fulfil legal or regulatory requirements if necessary.

14.2 We will not share any of the information you provide during the recruitment process with any third parties for marketing purposes or store any of your information outside of the European Economic Area. The information you provide will be held securely by us and/or our data processors whether the information is in electronic or physical format.

14.3 We will use the contact details you provide to us to contact you to progress your application. We will use the other information you provide to assess your suitability for the role you have applied for.

15. What information do we ask for, and why?

15.1 We do not collect more information than we need to fulfil our stated purposes and will not retain it for longer than is necessary.

15.2 The information we ask for is used to assess your suitability for employment. You don’t have to provide what we ask for but it might affect your application if you don’t.

Applying for a job with The Merch House

1. Application stage

1.1 We use www.indeed.com or our LinkedIn social media page to list job posts, if you applied via one of those methods, this will be collected by a data processor on our behalf (please see below).

1.2 We ask you for your personal details including name and contact details. We will also ask you about your previous experience, education, referees and for answers to questions relevant to the role you have applied for. Our recruitment team will have access to all of this information.

1.3 You will also be asked to provide equal opportunities information. This is not mandatory information – if you don’t provide it, it will not affect your application. This information will not be made available to any staff outside of our recruitment team, including hiring managers, in a way which can identify you. Any information you do provide, will be used only to produce and monitor equal opportunities statistics.

2. Conditional offer

2.1 If we make a conditional offer of employment we will ask you for information so that we can carry out pre-employment checks. You must successfully complete pre-employment checks to progress to a final offer. We are required to confirm the identity of our staff, their right to work in the United Kingdom and seek assurance as to their trustworthiness, integrity and reliability. 

2.2 You will therefore be required to provide:     

2.2.1 Proof of your identity – you will be asked to attend our office with original documents, we will take copies.   

2.2.2 Proof of your qualifications – you will be asked to attend our office with original documents, we will take copies.  

2.2.3 You will be asked to complete a criminal records declaration to declare any unspent convictions.   

2.2.4 We will contact your referees, using the details you provide in your application, directly to obtain references.    

2.2.5 We will also ask you to complete a questionnaire about your health. This is to establish your fitness to work. This is done through a data processor (please see below).

2.3 If we make a final offer, we will also ask you for the following:    

2.3.1 Bank details – to process salary payments  

2.3.2 Emergency contact details – so we know who to contact in case you have an emergency at work

14. What will we do with the information you provide to us?

14.1 All of the information you provide during the process will only be used for the purpose of progressing your application, or to fulfil legal or regulatory requirements if necessary.

14.2 We will not share any of the information you provide during the recruitment process with any third parties for marketing purposes or store any of your information outside of the European Economic Area. The information you provide will be held securely by us and/or our data processors whether the information is in electronic or physical format.

14.3 We will use the contact details you provide to us to contact you to progress your application. We will use the other information you provide to assess your suitability for the role you have applied for.

15. What information do we ask for, and why?

15.1 We do not collect more information than we need to fulfil our stated purposes and will not retain it for longer than is necessary.

15.2 The information we ask for is used to assess your suitability for employment. You don’t have to provide what we ask for but it might affect your application if you don’t.

3. How long is this information retained for?

3.1 If you are successful, the information you provide during the application process will be retained by us as part of your employee file for the duration of your employment plus 2 years following the end of your employment. This includes your criminal records declaration, fitness to work and references.

3.2 If you are unsuccessful at any stage of the process, the information you have provided until that point will be retained for 6 months from the closure of the campaign.

3.3 Information generated throughout the assessment process, for example interview notes, is retained by us for 6 months following the closure of the campaign.

3.4 Equal opportunities information is retained for 6 months following the closure of the campaign whether you are successful or not.