Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

The Blacksmith Market Ltd. ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy and the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and protect the information we collect from you when you use our website (www.theblacksmithmarket.co.uk), contact us, or engage with us as a supplier, partner, or other business relationship.

We operate in compliance with applicable data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. By using our website or providing us with your information, you consent to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

2.1 Personal Information

We may collect personal information that you provide to us, including:

• Contact information (name, email address, phone number, business address)
• Company details (company name, role, industry)
• Communication preferences
• Information provided in communications with us (email correspondence, inquiry forms, etc.)

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Device information
• Pages visited and navigation patterns
• Time and date of visits
• Referral sources

2.3 Business Relationship Information

If you engage with us as a supplier, partner, or in another business capacity, we may collect additional information necessary for our business relationship, including:

• Business and financial information
• Product details and specifications
• Transaction history
• Contract and agreement details

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for various purposes, including:

3.1 Providing Our Services

• Responding to your inquiries and providing information about our services
• Processing and managing business relationships
• Fulfilling our contractual obligations
• Communicating with you about our services, products, and operations

3.2 Improving Our Website and Services

• Analyzing website usage to improve user experience
• Debugging and fixing technical issues
• Developing new features and services
• Conducting research and analysis to enhance our business operations

3.3 Marketing and Communication

• Sending relevant industry insights, updates, and marketing communications (where you have opted in)
• Inviting you to events or webinars that may be of interest
• Providing information about new products or services

3.4 Legal and Regulatory Compliance

• Complying with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
• Enforcing our terms, conditions, and policies
• Protecting our rights, privacy, safety, or property
• Preventing, investigating, and addressing potential fraud or security issues

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information based on one or more of the following legal grounds:

• Consent: Where you have given us explicit consent to process your information for specific purposes.
• Contractual Necessity: Where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
• Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms.
• Legal Obligation: Where processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information with:

5.1 Service Providers

We may share your information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as web hosting, data analysis, payment processing, IT services, customer service, email delivery, and other similar services. These providers are contractually obligated to use your information only as necessary to provide these services to us.

5.2 Business Partners

In certain circumstances, and with your consent where required, we may share information with our business partners who offer products or services we believe may be of interest to you.

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests from public authorities (e.g., courts or government agencies).

5.4 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change and outline your choices in that event.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to help protect your personal information from unauthorized access, misuse, or accidental loss. These measures include:

• Data encryption
• Secure data storage
• Regular security assessments
• Access controls
• Staff training on data protection practices

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. To determine the appropriate retention period, we consider:

• The amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal information
• The potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure
• The purposes for which we process the information and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means
• Applicable legal, regulatory, or contractual requirements

8. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device when you visit a website.

We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies: Necessary for the functioning of our website.
• Analytical/performance cookies: Allow us to recognize and count visitors and see how they move around our website.
• Functionality cookies: Enable us to personalize your experience on our website.
• Targeting cookies: Record your visit to our website, the pages you visit, and the links you follow to improve the relevance of our communications.

You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. However, if you disable or refuse cookies, some parts of our website may become inaccessible or not function properly.

9. Your Rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: The right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Rectification: The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Erasure: The right to request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Restriction: The right to request the restriction of processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Data Portability: The right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• Objection: The right to object to processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Withdraw Consent: The right to withdraw your consent where we process your information based on consent.
• Complaint: The right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section below.

10. International Data Transfers

We primarily process and store your information within the United Kingdom. However, in some cases, your information may be transferred to, stored, or processed in countries outside the UK, particularly when we use third-party service providers based in other countries.

When transferring data outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information, such as standard contractual clauses approved by relevant data protection authorities, binding corporate rules, or other legally accepted mechanisms.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy and take appropriate measures to inform you, consistent with the significance of the changes we make.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

We will respond to your request as soon as reasonably practicable and within the timeframes required by applicable law.