At AlgarveTradesmen, we recognise and respect the importance of protecting the privacy of our customers.
This Privacy Notice describes how AlgarveTradesmen and Appy Finance Limited (“we”, “our” or “us”) collects and processes personal information about you through algarvetradesmen.com and all of our other websites, mobile apps and software. This notice also covers how we use and protect your information as well as your rights in relation to your data.
Personal information is information, or a combination of pieces of information, that could reasonably allow you to be identified. This Privacy Notice applies to all personal information about you that we collect or process.
Personal information we collect
We collect personal information about you from a variety of sources, including:
· from you directly such as when you contact us or sign up for an account;
· from information we generate about you in the course of our relationship with you; such as data collected from cookies and other similar technologies which is described in our cookies policy; and
· from information we collect about you from other sources, including commercially available sources, such as public databases (where permitted by law).
We may be required by law to collect certain personal information about you or as a consequence of any contractual relationship we have with you. Failure to provide this information may prevent or delay the fulfilment of our obligations to you and other regulatory bodies.
Information we collect directly from all users
The categories of information that we may collect directly from you include the following:
· Personal details e.g. name, date of birth;
· Contact details e.g. phone number, email address, postal address, billing address or mobile number;
· Account details e.g. username and password;
· Communications e.g. when you participate in message boards or forums, participate in polls or surveys, write a review or contact us with a question, comment or request;
· Job details e.g. what work you need to be carried out on a property;
· Questions e.g. When you post on Ask a Tradesman;
· Financial details e.g your bank account details, credit/debit card number.
Information we collect directly from Tradespeople
The categories of information that we may collect directly from you include the following:
· ID documents e.g. drivers licence or passport;
· Your photograph;
· Proof of ability e.g. skill-based questionnaires, Gas Safe registration, plumbing qualifications, evidence of work done etc;
· Financial details eg your bank account details, credit/debit card number.
Information we collect about your use of the Services
Below are examples of the other categories of information that we may collect:
· Technical information collected from your computer or mobile device e.g. your IP address, browser type, operating system;
· Information about your usage of our Websites and Apps e.g. the pages you visit when using the Services, the search terms you enter on the Services, how often you use the Services, and the pages you access before and after accessing the Services;
· Information that we generate as a result of your use of the Services e.g. our understanding of your interests as a result of your use of the Services and whether you are a regular or occasional user of the Services;
· Recordings of calls you have with our customer service agents
Information we collect from other sources
Below are examples of the categories of information we may collect from other sources:
· Personal details e.g. name;
· Business details e.g. Trading name, legal name, directors;
· Contact details e.g. phone number, email address, postal address or mobile number;
· Details about advertising preferences e.g. products purchased, interaction with online advertisements;
· Publicly available background information e.g. bad press or reviews on other sites about Tradespeople applying to join or Tradespeople registered on AlgarveTradesmen;
· Unsolicited complaints from third parties about Tradespeople;
· Technical information about the delivery of emails, SMS and push notifications
· Details of work being completed on your behalf by a Tradesperson via the Quote Tool.
How we use your personal information and the basis on which we use it
We may use your personal information for the following purposes:
Identification and authentication
We use your identification information, e.g. username and password, to verify your identity when you access and use our Services and to ensure the security of your personal information. This is so we can comply with our contractual obligations to you.
Operating our Services
We process your personal information to provide the Services you have requested. This is so we can comply with our contractual obligations to you.
Improving our Services
We analyse information about how you use our Services to provide an improved experience for the users of all our Services. We may use your data for product testing and development, site analytics, and surveys to improve our Services. It is in our legitimate interest to use the information provided to us for this purpose, so we can understand any issues with our Services and improve them.
Preventing Fraud
We analyse your information to detect fraudulent activity, including but not limited to creating new accounts for banned users and posting fake feedback. It is in our legitimate business interest to use the information provided to us for this purpose, so we can keep the service safe for all of our users.
Communicating with you
We may use your personal information when we communicate with you, for example, if we are providing information about changes to our Terms & Conditions or if you contact us with questions. It is in our legitimate interest that we are able to provide you with appropriate and personalised responses and provide you with notices about our Services.
Marketing
We may use your personal information to create a profile about you, place you into marketing segments in order to better understand your preferences and to personalise the marketing messages we send to you. It is in our legitimate interest to provide you with more relevant and interesting advertising messages. Where required, we will obtain your consent before sending such marketing messages.
We operate pursuant to Regulation 22(3) of the UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (“PECR”) which allows us to offer an opt-out instead of an opt-in for our newsletters.
Exercising our rights
We may use your personal information to exercise our legal rights where it is necessary to do so, for example, to detect, prevent and respond to fraud claims, intellectual property infringement claims, violations of law or our Terms and Conditions.
Complying with our obligations
We may process your personal information to carry out fraud prevention checks or comply with other legal or regulatory requirements, where this is explicitly required by law.
Customising your experience
When you use our Services, we may use your personal information to improve your experience with AlgarveTradesmen, such as by providing interactive or personalised elements on our Services and providing you with content based on your interests.
Anonymised data
We may anonymise your personal information in such a way that you may not reasonably be re-identified by us or any other company. We may use this anonymised information for any other purpose.
How and when we share your personal information
We may share your personal information with third parties under the following circumstances:
When you post a job
Your username will be shown publicly on your job page as well as to Tradespeople who may be suitable for your job. The approximate location of the job, job title, description and photos will also be displayed but these elements are usually not deemed to be personal information.
When a Tradesperson is shortlisted
We will share the name and phone number of the Job Poster with the shortlisted Tradesperson; and the name and phone number of the shortlisted Tradesperson with the Job Poster.
When you express interest in a product offered by Algarve Tradesmen
We will share personal data about you between AlgarveTradesmen and Appy Finance LTD in circumstances where you express interest in purchasing a product from AlgarveTradesmen. In the event that a Job Poster expresses interest in a product from AlgarveTradesmen, personal data concerning a Tradesperson will be shared with AlgarveTradesmen.
Your information will also be shared with our insurance partners to comply with our reporting and regulatory requirements.
When there is a dispute between a Job Poster and Tradesperson
In the event of a dispute, we will share the Tradesperson’s address, email address and telephone number with the Job Poster at their request. At our absolute discretion, we may share other relevant information where we are legally permitted.
Search engines
Every Trade Account has a public profile page which is displayed in search results to help generate interest from potential customers. The information we display on this page includes but is not limited to: username, company name, trading name, profile picture, working area, feedback, company information, trade services, photographs and other information that you may provide us with.
Service providers and business partners
We may share your personal information with our service providers and business partners that perform marketing services and other business operations for us for the purposes set forth above. For example, we may partner with companies to process secure payments, optimise services, supply online behavioural advertising, send newsletters and marketing messages, send support emails, communicate via messaging services, and analyse information.
These service providers and business partners may include advertising agencies and fraud prevention agencies which will use your personal information only in the ways described in this policy.
Group companies
AlgarveTradesmen is owned by Appy Finance LTD., and we work closely with other businesses and companies that fall under the Appy Finance family. We may share certain information about your usage of the site with Appy Finance. and other Appy Finance. companies for security, optimisation of products and services, and internal reporting. We do this for the purposes set out above.
Where required by law
We may share your personal information with law enforcement agencies, courts, other government authorities or other third parties where we believe necessary to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation, or otherwise to protect our rights or the rights of any third party.
In the context of a transaction
We may share your personal information with potential transaction partners, service providers, advisors, and other third parties in connection with the consideration, negotiation, or completion of a corporate transaction in which we are acquired by or merged with another company or we sell or transfer all or a portion of our assets or business. Should such a sale or transfer occur, we will use reasonable efforts to obligate the entity to which we transfer your personal information to use it in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Notice.
Your rights over your personal information
You have certain rights regarding the personal information we hold about you, subject to local law. These may include the rights to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to our use of, or processing of your personal data. You may request to receive a portable copy in a usable electronic format of your personal information. You also may have a right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection or privacy regulator.
We encourage you to contact us at the contact information below to update or correct your information if it changes or if the personal information we hold about you is inaccurate. Where you have provided your consent to any use of your personal information, you can withdraw this consent at any time.
Please note that we may require additional information from you in order to honour your requests. There may be situations in which we will not be able to comply with your request due to our regulatory obligations to governmental bodies.
If you would like to discuss or exercise any rights you may have under law, please contact us using the contact details provided below.
Information Security and Storage
We implement physical, technical, and organisational security measures designed to safeguard the personal information we process through our Services. These measures are aimed at providing on-going integrity and confidentiality for your personal information. We evaluate and update these measures on a regular basis. However, no information system is impenetrable, so we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information.
We retain your personal information for as long as we have a relationship with you. When deciding how long to keep your personal information after our relationship with you has ended, we take into account our legal obligations e.g. UK tax legislation requires us to hold information for a minimum of 6 years. We may also retain records to investigate or defend against potential legal claims. We will also retain information on all Tradespeople to help us prevent fraudulent activity e.g. trying to open multiple accounts.
International Data Transfer
Your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in a country that is not regarded as providing the same level of protection for personal information as the laws of your home country, and may be available to the government of those countries under a lawful order made in those countries.
We have put in place appropriate safeguards (such as contractual commitments) in accordance with applicable legal requirements to provide adequate protection for your personal information. For more information on the appropriate safeguards in place and to obtain a copy of such safeguards, please contact us using the contact information below.
Contact Us
AlgarveTradesmen are the data controllers responsible for the personal information we collect and process.
If you have questions or concerns regarding the way in which your personal information has been used, please contact our Data Protection Officer:
Data Protection Officer
AlgarveTradesmen
11/12 Hallmark Trading Centre, Fourth Way, Wembley
HA9 OLB UK
We are committed to working with you to obtain a fair resolution of any complaint or concern about privacy. If you believe that we have not been able to assist with your complaint or concern, you may have the right to make a complaint to the data protection authority of your country of residence.
Changes to the Policy
We may modify or update this Privacy Notice from time to time. If we make any revisions that materially change the ways in which we process your personal information, we will notify you of these changes before applying them.
Updated: 01/04/2022
You may also be interested in reading our Cookie Policy.
