Privacy Policy

Willis & Ainsworth Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”) understands that your privacy is important to you. We respect and value the privacy of everyone we deal with, and we only collect and use personal data in the ways described here, consistent with our obligations and your rights under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. We are the “data controller” for this information.

This policy covers both our haulage and aggregates operations (quoting, delivery and invoicing) and our websites and online shops. Willis & Ainsworth Ltd also owns and operates Willis Aggregates, Ainsworth and The Salt Shop.

1. What personal data we collect

Depending on which of our services you use, we may collect:

• Contact details — name, company (if any), address, telephone/mobile and email.
• Delivery & site details — delivery/site address, site contact name and number, and any access or delivery notes.
• Order information — products, quantities, prices, quotes, purchase-order references and job/delivery records.
• Proof of delivery — recorded at delivery, which may include a signature, photographs of the load/site, delivered quantity and a GPS location/time stamp.
• Payment information — for our haulage service, how you pay (cash or on account) and invoice records; we do not store card details ourselves. For online orders, card/payment details are collected and processed by our payment providers (see section 4), not stored by us.
• Website data — information you provide when ordering online, creating an account, joining a mailing list or contacting us, plus cookie/analytics data (see section 6).
• Job applications — information you provide if you apply to work with us.

2. Why we use it, and our lawful basis

We must always have a lawful basis for using personal data — usually that it is necessary to perform a contract with you, that we have a legal obligation, that it is in our legitimate business interests, or that you have consented (for example, to marketing). We use your data to:

3. How long we keep it

• We keep your information for as long as needed to provide our service to you, and we retain it until you ask us to delete it, or until we are informed that a customer has passed away.
• If you ask us to delete your data, we will erase it, with one exception: we are legally required to keep financial records (invoices and related documents) for 6 years for HMRC, so those will be retained for that period even after a deletion request, and then deleted.
• Job applications are kept until the end of the recruitment process.
• You can request deletion at any time — see your rights in section 5.

4. Who we share it with

We do not sell your data. We share it only with the trusted service providers (“processors”) who help us run our services, each bound by their own privacy terms, and with authorities where legally required:

Our operations system (haulage, scheduling, delivery, invoicing):

• Supabase — secure database hosting.
• Vercel — secure software hosting.
• Twilio SendGrid — service emails (delivery confirmations, invoices).
• Twilio — service text messages (delivery updates).

Our websites and online shops:

• Shopify and BigCommerce — website/shop platforms and databases. (Shopify · BigCommerce)
• Blink Payments (backed by Allied Irish Banks), Opayo (formerly Sage Pay) and PayPal — payment processing for online orders. Card details are handled by these providers under their own privacy policies (PayPal).
• Mailchimp — managing our opt-in marketing mailing lists. (Mailchimp)
• Google (Google Analytics & Google Ads) — website analytics and advertising (see section 6).

We may also share information where we are legally required to — for example with HMRC, a court, or a government authority — or with our accountant/professional advisers where necessary.

5. Your rights

Under UK data-protection law you have the right to be informed about our use of your data; to access the data we hold about you (a “subject access request”); to have it corrected; to have it erased (“right to be forgotten”) where we are not required to keep it; to restrict or object to our use of it; and to data portability. We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling.

To exercise any of these, contact us at sales@willisandainsworth.co.uk or the address above. There is normally no charge, and we will respond within one month (occasionally up to three months for complex requests, in which case we will tell you).

6. Cookies & analytics

Our websites use cookies — small text files stored on your device — to keep track of your basket, remember you when you return, and understand how the site is used so we can improve it. To order online you’ll need cookies enabled. You can set your browser to notify you about, block or delete cookies, though some features may not work properly if you do. Cookies cannot harm your device, and we do not store card details in them.

We use first-party cookies (such as Google Analytics) and, for advertising, Google Ads (including remarketing and Display Network reporting). You can control how Google advertises to you via the Google Ad Settings page, or opt out of Google Analytics using the Google Analytics opt-out add-on.

7. How we protect your data

The security of your data matters to us. Measures include: storing data in the UK/EEA with reputable providers; encrypted connections (HTTPS); role-based access so staff only see the data they need; two-factor authentication on office accounts; endpoint protection on our devices; audit logging of changes; and secure disposal of paper records and digital data.

8. Third-party links

Our websites may link to third-party sites with their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for their content or practices, though we welcome feedback about any site we link to.

9. Complaints

If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your data, please contact us first so we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): ico.org.uk · 0303 123 1113.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time — for example if the law changes or our business changes. The latest version is always on our website, with the “last updated” date shown at the top.