Data Protection, privacy and cookie Policy

[UK Clothing and UK Clothing Europe] (“we”, “us” or “our”) is committed to protecting your (user/customer - hereinafter referred to as “you”) privacy. We value our relationship with our business partners, third parties with whom we have a contract, and any party who purchases/intends to purchase/inquire about any products and/or services made available by us through any of our customer interface channels including our websites, mobile sites (collectively “Websites”), mobile app (“App”) (for the sake of convenience, our customer interface channels including the Websites and App are herein referred to as “Platforms”). We are committed to protecting your personally identifiable information (referred to as “information” or “personal information”) by handling it responsibly and safeguarding it using appropriate technical and organizational measures.

This Data Protection, Privacy and Cookie policy (hereinafter referred to as “Privacy Policy”) provides for the manner in which we collect, receive, store, process, disclose, transfer, deal with and handle your personal information in relation to your use of our Platforms for availing the services and buying our products (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Services”). For instance, we may use your personal information for completing your transactions of buying our products (“Products”) and for sending your booking information to our logistics service providers and/or other agents with whom we liaise to provide complete the transaction and bringing the product to you.

Through this Privacy Policy, we want to inform you of the nature of information collected, the manner in which it is used, and assure you that we follow appropriate standards when it comes to protecting your privacy on our Platforms. The Privacy Policy should be read in conjunction with the Terms and Conditions of our Platforms. Please read this Privacy Policy as it contains important rights and obligations in relation to you. By visiting the Platforms, you are agreeing, accepting and consenting to this Privacy Policy and the Terms and Conditions.

This Privacy Policy however does not apply to any third-party websites, mobile sites and/or mobile apps even if their websites/products are linked to our Platforms. Please note that the information and privacy practices of such third parties, including our business partners, may be materially different from this Privacy Policy. We accordingly encourage you to review the privacy statements and policies of such third parties.

1. Personal Information We Collect:

We collect the following information when you interact with our Platforms:

1.1. Information Necessary to Use the Platforms: We collect such personal information about you when you use the Platforms as may be necessary for us to provide all the services requested by you. This includes:

1. Contact information such as your first name, last name, phone number and email address.
2. Identity and demographics when you use our Platforms or purchase our Product;
3. Information provided by you during sign-up/registering or using our platforms such as name, date of birth, address, telephone/mobile number, email ID and any such information shared as proof of identity or address.
4. Such other information you provide by interacting with us during our relationship and related information provided from time to time.

• Information voluntarily provided by you: You may voluntarily provide us with additional personal information, which may also include sensitive or special categories of personal information, such as:
  1. Bank account or credit or debit card or other payment instrument information.
  2. Biometric information such as your physiological information (to enable use of certain features when opted for, available on the Platforms to assist you with your shopping experience).
  3. Your shopping behaviour and preferences.
  4. While providing a review, you will have the option to use a screen name instead of your real name. Upon submitting a review, you agree for it to be displayed on the Platforms and our social media accounts. Provided however, we reserve the right to review the content of the reviews submitted by you and are not obligated to upload the same on the Platforms.

You always have the option not to provide us with the information detailed under this Paragraph, or to withdraw your consent given earlier in relation to such information. However, if you choose not to provide, or object to us processing the information we collect, we may not be able to process your instructions or continue to provide you with access to Platforms.

• Information about others: If you provide personal information to us regarding individuals other than yourself, you certify that you have permission to provide such information to us for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and that you have shared the Privacy Policy with the concerned individual.

• Information collected automatically: We automatically collect certain information when you visit the Platforms. This may include your IP address, precise or approximate location determined from your IP address or other information you share with us and your device settings, information regarding your operating system, unique identifiers and type of browser software being used by you, your language settings and access times. We may also collect information such as the activities undertaken by you while on the Platforms including the clicks made, the pages shown to you, your interactions with our direct marketing messages and any hyperlinks in it, and links you click to third-party applications. We may collect this information regardless of whether you buy a Product from our Platforms.

• Information received from other sources: We may also receive information about you from other sources such as business partners and affiliates or any independent third parties. Such information may include your registration and profile information associated with a third-party application through which you access the Platforms.

Further, all logistics services, payment services, stitching services for the Services are undertaken and concluded through third-party service providers, some of which may also be integrated with the Platforms. The details provided to such third-party service providers will be forwarded to us to enable us to administer and manage your Service reservations.

We may combine the information received from such sources with the information provided to us by you. If you receive an email, a call from a person/association claiming to be from us seeking any personal data like debit/credit card PIN, net-banking or mobile banking password, we request you to never provide such information. We or our logistics or payment partners do not at any time connect with you requesting for such information. If you have already revealed such information, report it immediately to an appropriate law enforcement agency.

2. Cookies:

We use data collection devices including “cookies” in certain parts of our Platforms to help analyze the services, user interaction with the Platforms, our web page flow, measure promotional effectiveness, and promote trust and safety. For the sake of clarity, “cookies” are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your device’s hard drive. Cookies allow us to serve you better and more efficiently. Cookies also allow ease of access, by logging you in without you having to type your login name each time (only your password would be required); we may also use such cookies to display any advertisement(s) to you while you are on the Platforms or to send you offers (or similar emails, provided you have not opted out of receiving such emails) focusing on products which may cater to your interest.

The Platforms also contain social buttons which enable you to share or bookmark our webpages. The social buttons redirect you to third-party social media sites which may log information about your activities on the internet, including the Platforms. Please review the respective terms of use and privacy policies of these sites to understand how exactly they use your information.

You are always free to decline our cookies if your device permits and you can set your browser to notify you when you are sent a cookie, and you can decide whether or not to accept it. However, blocking cookies may disable certain features on the Platforms, and may interfere with a seamless experience or use certain features offered on the Platforms. Please note that it is possible to block cookie activity from certain websites while permitting cookies from websites you trust.

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience. These include:

Essential Cookies: Required for the platform to function (e.g., login, checkout).

Analytics Cookies: Help us analyze user behavior to improve our services.

Advertising Cookies: Enable personalized advertisements.

Managing Cookies: You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. For non-essential cookies, we will obtain your explicit consent via a cookie banner.

3. How Do We Use Your Personal Information:

The personal information collected about you is used by us as follows:

We use personal data to provide the services you request. To the extent we use your personal data to market to you, we will provide you the ability to opt-out of such uses. We use your personal data to assist sellers and business partners in handling and fulfilling orders; enhancing customer experience; to resolve disputes; troubleshoot problems; help promote a safe service; collect money; measure consumer interest in our products and services, inform you about online and offline offers, products, services, and updates; customise your experience; detect and protect us against error, fraud and other criminal activity; enforce our terms and conditions; conduct marketing research, analysis and surveys; and as otherwise described to you at the time of collection of information. We will ask for your permission to allow us access to your text messages (SMS), instant messages, contacts in your directory, camera, photo gallery, location and device information: (i) to send commercial communication regarding your orders or other products and services (ii) enhance your experience on the platforms and provide you access to the products and services offered on the Platforms by sellers, affiliates, partners or lending partners. You understand that your access to these products/services may be affected in the event permission is not provided to us. In our efforts to continually improve our product and service offerings, we collect and analyse demographic and profile data about users' activity on our Platforms. We identify and use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server, and to administer our Platforms. Your IP address is also used to help identify you and to gather broad demographic information. We will occasionally ask you to complete surveys conducted either by us or through a third- party market research agency. These surveys may ask you for personal data, contact information, gender, date of birth, demographic information (like pin code, age or income level) attributes such as your interests, household or lifestyle information, your purchasing behaviour or history preference and other such information that you may choose to provide. The survey may involve collection of voice data or video recordings. Participation in these surveys are purely voluntary in nature. We use this data to tailor your experience at our Platforms, providing you with content that we think you might be interested in and to display content according to your preferences

• Purchase of Products: The information provided to us is used for the purpose of processing and fulfilling your booking requirements and for providing the Services opted for by you. This may include informing you of the status of transactions, communicating purchase confirmations and any updates or modifications to your purchase, if any, through short message service (SMS), WhatsApp, or any other mode of messaging, confirming your reservations with us; to authenticate your identity and purchase pattern; and to enable the third party service providers to contact you, where necessary.

• Customer Services: We share relevant information about you with our customer support staff so that they assist you when necessary. This may include responding to any queries, complaints or other requests made by you in relation to your booking, any services associated therewith and so on.

Calls between you and our customer service staff may be recorded for quality control and training purposes, and such recording may also be used for resolving complaints, handling legal claims and for detection of fraud.

• Promotions and Marketing: We may use and process the information provided by you to undertake promotional and marketing activities including:

1. sending you promotional and marketing messages, materials, periodic updates about products which may be of interest to you;
2. communicating any discounts and offers as may be relevant to you based on the information provided;
3. displaying personalized advertisements on the Platforms;
4. inviting you to and enabling your participation in any events or other promotional activities (such as contests, events, referral programs) hosted or sponsored by us;

You can unsubscribe from receiving our newsletters, marketing, and promotional communications by adjusting your preferences in your account settings after you login to your account.

• Improving and Developing Platforms and Services: We may use and process your personal information to identify your preferences, develop programs and improve the Platforms and our Products to personalize and enhance the user experience.

We also use personal information for analytical purposes to understand how our services perform and are used. To the extent possible, we endeavor to use anonymized and non-identifiable information for our analytical purposes.

• Communicating with you: We may also use the information provided by you to get in touch with you via email, post, phone, or text messages depending on the contact information shared with us. The need to communicate with you may be for the purpose of responding to any requests or queries submitted by you, to send you material related to your booking or such information that may be useful to you in availing the Services, to send you administrative messages, and so on.

• Complying with our legal obligations: We may need to use your information to handle and resolve legal claims and disputes, fraud detection and prevention, for regulatory investigations and to comply with our legal obligations.

In our collection and usage of your personal Information, we rely on the following legal bases, as may be appropriate to the purpose of usage:

• for the performance of contract;
• our legitimate interest in providing and improving the quality and relevance of its services, prevention of fraud and other illegal acts; and
• for compliance with our legal obligations.

We will obtain your consent prior to processing your personal information wherever necessitated under applicable law. You may object to the processing of your personal information for the purposes set out under paragraphs 3.3 to 3.5 above by contacting us at [info@the-ukclothing.com] in case no direct opt-out mechanism has been provided.

4. With whom do we share your personal information:

For the purposes outlined in Paragraph 3 above, we may disclose your personal information, or any details contained therein, with:

• Third-party service providers with whom we engage to perform certain tasks on our behalf, including but not limited to handling and completing your transactions and to integrate such purchase with the Platforms, respond to any requests, queries or questions submitted by you, etc. We do not control the manner in which such third-party service providers use the information shared with them and you are therefore advised to review their respective privacy policies to understand the same before providing your consent.

• Our back-end service providers (who are weavers, designers, fabric manufacturers and other service providers), who assist us in bringing the Products to you, such as attending to your requirements and preferences. Please note that we do not authorize these back-end service providers to use your information for any purpose other than for fulfilling their part of service. Providers of data processing services including authentication, hosting and storage of data, communication and notification services, fraud prevention services, social media networks, advertising, and marketing services.

• We may share non-identifiable, aggregated, and anonymized information with third parties for the purpose of data analytics, undertaking market research, developing the quality of our online services, advertising, or for any other commercial reason having a legitimate purpose. Any personal information collected by us but used in a non-identifiable, aggregated or anonymized format is our property and you will not be entitled to receive any compensation for the same.

• Legal and/or regulatory authorities as required by law or necessary for complying with our legal obligations, to protect and defend our rights and interests, or for the prevention, detection and/or prosecution of illegal activities.

• In the event of a corporate sale, merger, reorganization, dissolution or similar event involving us, your personal information may be a part of the transferred assets. You acknowledge that such transfers may occur, and that our acquirer or successor or our business may continue to use your personal information as set out in this Privacy Policy.

We undertake that we will not distribute, trade, sell or rent any personal information provided by you or related to your use of the Platforms to any third party except as provided in this Privacy Policy and through any other instructions issued by you. If it becomes necessary for us to share your personal information other than as set forth above, you will receive a notice and will have an opportunity to opt not to share such information.

5. Transfer of Personal Information Beyond Geographical Limits:

The personal information provided by you will be primarily processed in India and in The Netherlands and may be transferred to or stored in such other jurisdictions where our service providers conduct their activities on our behalf. By accepting the terms of this Privacy Policy, you are providing us with your express consent to process your personal information for the purposes outlined herein. The data protection laws in India and in The Netherlands or such other jurisdictions where your personal information may be processed might be different from the law applicable in your country of residence. In such cases, we will protect your personal information as per the terms of this Privacy Policy

This may also be applicable if you are in the European Economic Area (EEA). Countries to which your data may be transferred might not have laws that provide for the same level of protection of your personal information as laws within the EEA. In such cases, we will have appropriate safeguards in place to make sure that these transfers comply with European privacy law.

6. How do we protect your personal information?

We are committed to safeguarding your personal information and have put in place necessary technical and organizational measures to prevent unauthorized access to, manipulation, destruction and/or the misuse of personal information.

We employ industry-standard systems and practices to protect and safeguard your personal information. We use security procedures and operational, technical and physical restrictions for accessing and using personal information on our servers. Whenever you change or access your account information, we offer the use of a secure server. Only authorized personnel are permitted to access personal information in the course of their work.

We however assume no liability or responsibility for any disclosure of, unauthorized access to your information, or for any other causes arising from transmission over the internet and world wide web which is beyond our control. You are responsible for keeping your personal information secure, and you should not share your username, password or any other security information connected with your account with anyone. Any instructions received by us through your registered email address, phone number or username shall be deemed to have been authorized by you.

7. What are Your Rights in Relation to Your Personal Information?

You have the following rights under this Privacy Policy:

• Right to access your personal information collected from you.

• Right to correct our records if you believe that they are incorrect or incomplete in relation to your personal information.

• Right to request for erasure of your personal information upon withdrawal of your consent to process it, or when we no longer require it for the purpose which it was collected. We will erase your personal information subject to the retention requirements as mandated under applicable law and to meet our legal obligations.

• Right to request a restriction on processing personal information in certain circumstances.

• Right to have your information ported in machine-readable format to a third-party (or to you)

• Right to withdraw your consent to us processing your personal information (where such processing is based on your consent). This may include your personal information being used for direct marketing purposes.

• Right to request a review of any decisions made concerning you which were solely based on automated processing, including profiling if such decisions resulted in legal effects concerning you or significantly affecting you.

You may be required to provide certain specific information to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access the information or to exercise any of your other rights. This will safeguard your personal information from being disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.

8. Disclaimers:

You acknowledge that by using the Platforms, you understand and agree to assume the risks involved in your usage of the Platforms. We acknowledge that no security system is impenetrable and therefore, we do not guarantee, in any manner whatsoever, the security of the database, and any information you provide to us, you do at your own risk. While we endeavor to maintain the security of your personal information, we however do not guarantee protection against accidental disclosures or unauthorized acts of third parties.

It is your duty to ensure that the information provided to us by you is authentic and accurate. We will not be responsible for any consequences arising out of inaccuracies in the personal information provided by you.

9. Information of Persons Below the Age of 18 Years:

The use of Platforms is not intended for persons under the age of 18 years, and we do not collect their information unless it is provided by, and with the consent of a parent or guardian. If you have shared any personal information of persons under the age of 18 years, you represent that you have the authority to do so and to permit us to use the information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and the applicable law.

If we become aware that we have processed the information of a person under 18 years of age without the valid consent of their parent or guardian, we will delete it.

10. Retention of Personal Information:

We will retain your personal information on our servers for as long as it is required for you to use the services, and where we have a legitimate interest to do so for fulfilling the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, and to comply with any legal, regulatory, tax or accounting requirements.

Where your personal information is no longer required, we will ensure that it is securely deleted.

11. External Links:

The Platforms may contain external links which will redirect you to third-party websites. We do not have any control over third-party websites and therefore disclaim any liability for the use of such external links or any content downloaded from such websites. Your use of such third-party websites is not governed by this Privacy Policy, and hence you are advised to exercise caution when interacting with such websites and review their policies.

12. Consent and Withdrawal:

By visiting the Platforms or by providing your information, you consent to the collection, use, storage, disclosure and otherwise processing of your information (including personal and sensitive personal information) on the Platforms in accordance with this Privacy Policy. While providing your personal information over the Platforms or any partner platforms or establishments, you consent to us (including our affiliates, partners, technology partners, marketing channels, business partners and other third parties) contacting you through SMS, instant messaging apps, call and/or email for the purposes specified in this Privacy Policy.

You may withdraw your consent that you have already provided by writing to us at [info@the-ukclothing.com] with the subject line “for withdrawal of consent”. We will verify requests before acting on the same. However, please note that your withdrawal of consent shall not be effective retrospectively, and will be subject to the Privacy Policy, associated terms of use and the applicable law.

Withdrawal of consent given to us under this Privacy Policy may impact your access to the Platforms or restrict us in providing the Services for which the collection of such information shall be necessary. In the event of such withdrawal, we also reserve the right to terminate your use of our Platforms.

13. Conditions of Use:

Your use of the Platforms and dispute in relation to privacy is subject to this Privacy Policy and our Terms and Conditions, including limitations on damages, resolution of disputes, and application of the laws of India and the Netherlands. If at any time you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please feel free to email us at [info@the-ukclothing.com].

14. Legal Bases for Processing Personal Data (GDPR):

We process your personal data under the following legal bases, as appropriate:

1. Performance of a Contract: To fulfill our obligations in providing services or products as requested by you.
2. Consent: Where you have explicitly provided your consent for processing your data (e.g., account registration).
3. Legitimate Interests: To improve our services, detect fraud, or enhance user experience, except wherever overridden by your interests or fundamental rights.
4. Compliance with Legal Obligations: Where processing is required to comply with laws applicable in the Netherlands and the EU.

15. Data Protection Officer (DPO) and EU Representative:

For GDPR compliance, we have appointed a Data Protection Officer (DPO). You can contact the DPO for any privacy-related concerns or to exercise your rights under GDPR:

Data Protection Officer: Kamalaesh Uthayakumar, Data Protection Officer

E-mail: info@the-ukclothing.com

Address: UK Clothing Europe, Boompjes 40, 3011 XB Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Additionally, as part of GDPR compliance, we have appointed an EU representative: 

EU Representative: Kamalaesh Uthayakumar

E-mail: info@the-ukclothing.com

Address: UK Clothing Europe, Boompjes 40, 3011 XB Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

16. Right to Lodge a Complaint with Supervisory Authority:

If you believe your rights under GDPR have been violated, you have the right to file a complaint with the supervisory authority:

Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (Dutch Data Protection Authority)

Website: https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl

17. Retention Period for Personal Data:

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:

Account Information: Retained for as long as the account remains active.

Transaction Data: Retained for 8 years to comply with legal and tax obligations.

Marketing Data: Retained until you opt-out or withdraw consent.

Anonymized Data: Retained indefinitely for analytical purposes.

18. Children’s Data (GDPR Article 8):

We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under 16 years of age in the EU without parental or guardian consent. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected such information, we will delete it immediately. Parents or guardians may contact us at [info@the-ukclothing.com] to request deletion.

19. Data Breach Notification:

In the event of a data breach:

We will notify the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach.

If the breach poses a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you without undue delay, detailing the nature of the breach and any steps you should take.

20. International Data Transfers:

Your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA), including India. We ensure such transfers are protected by:

Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission.

Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) where applicable.

You may request a copy of these safeguards by contacting us at [info@the-ukclothing.com].

21. Automated Decision-Making and Profiling:

We may use automated decision-making processes, including profiling, to enhance our services (e.g., tailored product recommendations). You have the right to:

Request human intervention.

Express your point of view.

Contest any decisions made solely based on automated processes that significantly affect you.

22. Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs):

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Access: Request access to your data.

Rectification: Request corrections to inaccurate data.

Erasure: Request deletion of your data where permissible.

Restriction: Request processing limitations under specific circumstances.

Portability: Request transfer of your data to another entity.

Objection: Object to data processing based on legitimate interests.

How to Exercise Your Rights:

To exercise these rights, contact us at [info@the-ukclothing.com]. We will respond within one month of receiving your request.

23. Data Minimization and Purpose Limitation:

We collect only the minimum personal data necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy and ensure that it is used solely for those purposes. Any additional use will require your explicit consent.

24. Grievance Redressal Mechanism (India):

In accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, you may contact our Grievance Officer for data-related concerns:

Grievance Officer: [Kameshwaran Uthayakumar]

E-mail: [info@the-ukclothing.com]

Address: [UK Clothing, 3/138, first floor, 10th cross street, Nehru Nagar, Collectorate post, Dharmapuri-636705, India]

Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM IST.

25. External Links Disclaimer:

Our platforms may include links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such websites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before sharing any personal information.

26. Consent Withdrawal and Impact:

You may withdraw your consent to data processing at any time by contacting us at [info@the-ukclothing.com]. Please note:

Withdrawal of consent will not affect the legality of processing performed prior to the withdrawal.

Some services may no longer be accessible after consent withdrawal.

27. Changes to this Privacy Policy:

We encourage you to check this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect the changes to our information practices. We will alert you to any significant changes by posting the date on which the Privacy Policy was last updated, placing a notice to that effect on the relevant Platforms, or by sending you an email when we are required to do so by the applicable law.

Contact us:

If you have any queries regarding this Privacy Policy or the security and privacy practices and procedures implemented by us, please get in touch with us via E-mail info@the-ukclothing.com or using the information provided in the ‘Contact Us’ section of the Platforms.