We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your Personal Data. This privacy policy explains how and why we use your Personal Data and aims to give you information on how we collect and process your Personal Data through your use of our website, or when you interact with us via telephone, email, post or in person.
Data Privacy
AP Technologies Limited is the controller of data for the purposes of the data protection legislation and is henceforth referred to as “APT”. This notice serves to cover all personal data that is processed by APT.
Who does this policy apply to?
Any individual whose personal data APT processes, including an individual who:
• agrees to receiving news such as newsletters
• contacts us or interacts with us on social media, visits or interacts with our website.
The data we collect about you
We only collect Personal Data relevant to your relationship or how you engage with APT. The types of data we collect, use, store and transfer are:
• identity Data such as title, first name and last name
• contact Data includes billing address, business address, email address, social media handles and telephone numbers
• technical Data includes internet protocol (IP) address, browser type and versions, operating system and platform and other technology on the devices you use to access this website AND cookies (see our separate Cookie Policy)
• profile Data includes your interests with regards to APT’s product range, feedback, and survey responses
• usage Data includes information about how you use our website, products, and services,
• marketing and Communications Data includes your preferences in receiving marketing from us and your communication preferences
Special Category data
Special Categories of Personal Data include details such as your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union memberships, information about your health, and genetic and biometric data. We do not collect any Special Categories of Personal Data about you.
How your Personal Data is collected
We may collect your personal information in one or several ways:
• Direct interactions when you:
o subscribe to email communications and newsletters
o make an enquiry about APT’s product or services
o make a purchase, order products or services from us
o enter a competition, promotion, or survey
o contact us or give us feedback
• Automated technologies or interactions:
As you interact with our website or receive our marketing emails, we may automatically collect technical data about your equipment, browsing actions and patterns. We collect this information by using cookies and other similar technologies.
• Indirect interactions:
We may receive Personal Data about you via Third parties or publicly available sources as set out below:
o technical data from analytics providers or search information providers, such as Google
o contact, financial and transaction data from providers of technical, payment and delivery services
o identity and contact data from publicly available sources such as Companies House based inside the UK
o identity and contact data where you have made information available in the public domain including posting on one of our social media pages such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn depending on your settings or the privacy policies of these social media and messaging services
How your Personal Data is used (the legal basis to process your data)
The personal data that is used is limited to the information we need and is processed mainly using the contractual legal basis to perform the tasks or services we have agreed with you, or as needed to meet our legal obligations.
Additionally, there will be instances where we will process information using our legitimate interests. Our legitimate interests as a business must be balanced with yours as an individual, to ensure such interests do not override your personal interests, rights or freedoms. For example, we may rely on our legitimate interests to inform you of what we do. Our legitimate interests will include using data in the relationship you have with us.
Examples of the legal basis we use to process your data are:
• as a customer, or potential customer, for our products and services, your data will be processed to perform a contract we are about to enter or have entered with you i.e. to perform the tasks or services we have agreed with you
• where we believe there is a legitimate interest to:
o inform you or your business about our products, services, special offers, discounts, events, activities and news
o capture and share, on our website and social media channels and within marketing materials, photographs and videos of virtual and physical events
o conduct surveys and research activities to allow us to develop our goods and services, and enable us to keep contacts and customers informed of APT activity
o ensure APT's operational reliability and business continuity
• we will seek your consent where needed for the processing of:
o any special categories of data (although we do not currently process special category data)
o where we would like to use your details in an APT case study
o where the processing activity is not part of the agreed services
• where we need to comply with a legal obligation
• note in some cases we will:
o process your Personal Data on more than one lawful ground depending on the specific purpose for which we are using your data, or
o process your Personal Data without your knowledge or consent;
o in compliance with this policy and where this is required or permitted by law.
Marketing Purposes
We undertake various marketing activities to promote our services and products but only where we believe it will be of interest to you and your business.
This is conducted under our legitimate interest statement:
Keeping you informed is important to us. We will use the personal details you provide for specific and carefully considered purposes that help us keep you connected to the things that matter to you and your business as an APT customer.
This includes information about our suppliers, products, services, special offers, discounts, events, and activities.
The marketing activity that is completed as a legitimate interest includes sharing or providing details to you on any new products and services as listed on our website.
Any marketing we undertake is not intended to be intrusive or to cause you concern and is carefully considered to ensure in a full compliance as governed by UK data protection regulations and PECR. Whenever we issue any marketing or promotional material, we will always give you the option to opt out.
Cookies
APT like most organisations make use of Cookie technology and therefore we capture data using Cookies; a cookie consists of a piece of text sent by a web server to a web browser and stored by the browser. The information is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. This enables the web server to identify and track the web browser.
You can manage your cookie preference for APT’s website using the cookie icon on the bottom left corner of each page.
Alternatively, you can set your browser to block cookies, please check your browser for instructions on how to do this. The effect of disabling cookies depends on which cookies you disable but, in general, the website may not operate properly if all cookies are switched off.
Third-party links
APT’s website includes links to our supplier’s websites. Clicking on those links may allow those third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements. When you leave our website, we encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.
Sharing your personal information
APT may share limited aspects of your data with our suppliers to ensure our respective records are accurate and to ensure you receive a consistent service. Where we do this, all data processing will adhere to APT’s strict policies and this Privacy Policy.
Outside of this, access to your personal information is only allowed when required by law,
International transfers
APT are a UK based company and where we have direct control personal data collected from you will be stored here in the UK.
We use cloud-based contact management software (currently ACT!) and business accounting software (Intuit QuickBooks Online) and do not control the location of data stored within these programmes.
As an international distributor working with companies worldwide we may share limited data, usually name, company and business title/role with our worldwide suppliers . Where this occurs there may be instances where your data may be exported to as well as stored and processed in countries outside of the country in which you reside, including, without limitation the United States.
For data subjects residing in the UK or EEA, this means that your personal information may be exported, stored, and processed outside of the UK or EEA.
How we secure your information
APT makes use of several systems to store data, both “on-premises” and in the “cloud”. APT are in full control of both physical and logical access to all on-premises systems, and it is our policy to require of all cloud services that they are fully compliant to ISO27001 standards
How long we will store your information
We will only retain your Personal Data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or reporting requirements.
In all cases where personal data is no longer required or you exercise your right to erasure, then where there is no legal reason to keep the data will be deleted. In some cases, it may be necessary to anonymise the data so it is no longer identifiable where needed for historic analysis purposes.
Controlling your personal information (Your Rights)
It is important that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your Personal Data changes during your relationship with us.
Under certain circumstances, you have rights under UK Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR) in relation to your personal information. Such rights include to:
• be informed of how we will use your data as provided by this Policy
• access the information held about you. Your right of access can be exercised in accordance with data protection law
• object to us processing or ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information for any of the purposes listed in this Policy at any time
• ask us to update and correct any out-of-date or incorrect personal information that we hold about you free of charge
• ask us to erase or delete your personal information (in certain circumstances). We will do our best to respond to such requests, but these are subject to certain limitations such as legal requirements
• request a transfer of your personal information (again in certain circumstances)
If you wish to exercise any of the above rights or to review, verify, correct or question anything detailed in this policy or are unhappy with any aspect of how we use your data please contact us.
We will respond to your request promptly and look to resolve any query within 30 days.
Complaints
Regretfully there may be times when someone is unhappy with something we are doing or something we have done with their data.
We genuinely want to work with you to put things right and therefore should you have any concerns, please give us the opportunity to address them by directing your concerns to Martin Sharratt (Director) on +44 (0) 1225 780400.
We will do everything we possibly can to satisfy your concerns, but should you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at any time.
You can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office by telephone on +44 (0) 303 123 1113, or by using the live chat service which is available through the Information Commissioner’s website www.ico.org.uk
Data Protection Officer
APT do not have a formally appointed DPO but if you have any questions about this privacy notice or how we handle your personal information or any concerns as to how your data is processed, please contact Martin Sharratt (Director) on +44 (0) 1225 780400.
Changes to our Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to update this privacy notice at any time. You should check back periodically to note any changes to the policy. We may also notify you in other ways from time to time about the processing of your personal information.