PRIVACY NOTICE

OWS Terrariums | Last updated: 19/08/26

This Privacy Notice explains how OWS Terrariums (“we”, “us” or “our”) collects, uses, stores and protects personal information when you enquire about, purchase or receive one of our terrariums, communicate with us, or choose to receive marketing from us.

1. Who we are

Business name: OWS Terrariums

Legal/business name Sole Trader Oliver Smith

Business address: Flat 12 Park Court –Waterloo, Merseyside

Email: OWSterrariums@gmail.com

Instagram: OWSTerrariums

For data protection purposes, OWS Terrariums is the data controller for the personal information covered by this Privacy Notice.

2. What information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

· Your name.

· Delivery address.

· Email address.

· Telephone number, where provided or reasonably required for delivery or order communication.

· Social media username or account details when you contact us through social media.

· Your order details, including products purchased, order number, price and delivery information.

· Payment and transaction records. For bank transfers, this may include information needed to identify and reconcile the payment. We do not receive your card details when you pay by bank transfer.

· Messages and correspondence between you and us, including relevant Instagram direct messages and emails.

· Information needed to deal with returns, refunds, complaints or product problems.

· Marketing preferences and records of marketing consent or withdrawal of consent.

· Customer reviews, photographs or social media content where you choose to provide or authorise us to use it.

· Where applicable, plant, terrarium and traceability information linked to an order.

3. How we collect your information

· Directly from you when you enquire, place an order, provide delivery details or contact us.

· Through social media platforms when you contact us or interact with our business account.

· When you provide payment or transaction information.

· Through information you voluntarily provide as part of a review, photograph, testimonial or other customer feedback.

If we receive personal information from another source, we will provide the relevant privacy information as required by law.

4. Why we use your information

We use personal information only where we have a lawful basis to do so. This may include:

· Processing and fulfilling your order.

· Arranging delivery and communicating with you about your order.

· Taking and reconciling payment.

· Providing customer support.

· Handling returns, refunds, complaints and product issues.

· Keeping business, accounting and tax records where required.

· Maintaining plant-health and traceability records where required by law or regulation.

· Protecting our business against fraud, misuse and disputes.

· Sending direct marketing where we have a lawful basis to do so and, where required, your consent.

· Using customer feedback, reviews, photographs or testimonials for promotional purposes where we have obtained appropriate permission.

5. Order and customer records

We maintain records of orders and customers so that we can fulfil purchases, provide after-sales support, meet legal and accounting obligations and deal with disputes or complaints.

Customer/order information will be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, taking account of legal, accounting, tax and dispute-resolution requirements.

6. Plant traceability and plant-passport records

Some plant and terrarium records are maintained separately from ordinary customer marketing information. Where plant-health or plant-passport rules require records to be retained, we will keep the required information for the legally required period.

Where applicable, plant-passport records may include information about the source of a plant, relevant professional operators, passport information, movement/supply information and the terrarium or product in which the plant was used.

Where the applicable plant-passport rules require records to be retained for three years, we will retain them for that period. This three-year requirement does not mean that all customer personal information will automatically be retained for three years.

7. Payments

We currently accept payment by cash or bank transfer.

· Cash payments may be recorded as part of our sales and accounting records.

· Bank-transfer records may include the information necessary to identify and reconcile the payment.

If we introduce an external payment provider in the future, this Privacy Notice will be updated where appropriate and the provider may process relevant payment and transaction information in accordance with its own privacy notice.

8. Delivery and third parties

Where necessary to fulfil an order, we may share relevant information with delivery or courier providers, such as your name, delivery address and contact information needed for delivery.

We only provide information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

9. Marketing

We may ask customers whether they would like to receive future marketing about new terrariums, product releases, offers or other relevant business updates.

Where consent is required, marketing consent will be separate from acceptance of our Terms & Conditions and will require a clear positive action. We will not use a pre-ticked box as consent.

You can withdraw your marketing consent at any time. Withdrawal will be as easy as giving consent. You can contact us at [BUSINESS EMAIL] or use the unsubscribe/opt-out method provided with the marketing.

We may keep a limited record that you have opted out so that we can respect your preference and avoid contacting you with marketing in the future.

10. Customer reviews, photographs and social media posts

We may invite customers to leave reviews, provide photographs or share their experience of their terrarium. We may wish to feature positive customer feedback on our social media, website or other promotional materials.

We will not assume that a customer's purchase automatically gives us permission to republish their review, photograph, username or social media post for promotional purposes.

Where appropriate, we will ask for permission before using identifiable customer content for marketing. Permission may cover the review or testimonial, first name, social media username, photograph or video, as specifically agreed.

You can withdraw permission for future promotional use by contacting us. Withdrawal will not affect uses that have already been lawfully made before the withdrawal, where applicable.

11. Social media

We use social media platforms to communicate with customers and promote our business. When you use those platforms, the platform provider may also process your personal information under its own terms and privacy notice.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party platforms. You should review the privacy information provided by the relevant platform.

12. How we store and protect information

We may store customer, order and traceability information in electronic business records, including our business spreadsheet and relevant communication systems.

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

· Access to business records is limited to people who need the information for legitimate business purposes.

· We will take reasonable steps to keep records accurate and up to date.

· Information that is no longer required will be securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised where appropriate.

13. How long we keep information

We do not keep personal information indefinitely. Retention depends on the type of information and why we need it.

· Order, payment and accounting records: retained for as long as reasonably necessary to meet accounting, tax, legal and dispute-resolution requirements.

· Customer communications: retained for as long as reasonably necessary to provide customer service, manage an order or deal with a complaint or dispute.

· Plant-health/plant-passport records: retained for the period required by the applicable plant-health rules, including three years where the relevant plant-passport rules require this.

· Marketing information: retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the relevant marketing purpose, subject to consent and opt-out requirements.

· Marketing opt-out information: a limited suppression record may be retained where necessary to ensure that we do not send unwanted marketing.

We regularly review information we hold and will securely delete or anonymise information when it is no longer required.

14. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis we rely on, you may have rights including:

· The right to ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

· The right to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.

· The right to ask us to erase information in certain circumstances.

· The right to ask us to restrict processing in certain circumstances.

· The right to object to certain processing, including direct marketing.

· The right to withdraw consent where we rely on consent.

· The right to data portability in circumstances where the legal requirements for it are met.

These rights are not absolute and may depend on the lawful basis and circumstances. We will explain if a particular request cannot be fulfilled.

15. How to exercise your rights

To exercise a data protection right or ask a privacy question, contact:

Email: OWSTerrariums@gmail.com

Business: OWS Terrariums

We may need to verify your identity before providing or changing personal information.

16. Complaints about your personal information

If you have a concern about how we use your personal information, please contact us first so that we can investigate and try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe your personal information has been handled unlawfully.

ICO website: https://ico.org.uk/

ICO helpline: 0303 123 1113

17. Changes to this Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes to our business, the information we collect, how we use it, or changes in data-protection requirements.

The latest version will be made available to customers and will show the date it was last updated.