Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Black Pastel provides website design, website templates, support, hosting, booking systems and related digital services.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, you can contact us at hello@blackpastel.co.uk.

2. The information we collect

We may collect and process personal information such as:

• your name
• your email address
• your phone number
• your business name
• details you provide in contact forms, live chat, emails or project enquiries
• billing and payment-related information where relevant
• website usage data, IP address and browser/device information
• client content and account information needed to deliver our services

3. How we collect your information

We may collect information when you:

• fill in a contact form on our website
• email or call us
• use live chat on our website
• purchase or enquire about our services
• use a website or system we have built or manage
• interact with our website through cookies or similar technologies

4. How we use your information

We may use your personal information to:

• respond to enquiries and provide customer support
• prepare quotes or discuss your project
• design, build, host, maintain or support your website or system
• process payments and manage invoices
• communicate with you about your project or account
• improve our website, services and user experience
• keep records needed for legal, accounting and business purposes

5. Lawful bases

Depending on the situation, we process personal information because it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, necessary to perform a contract with you, necessary to comply with a legal obligation, or based on your consent where consent is required. The ICO recommends deciding and explaining your lawful bases in your privacy notice. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

6. Sharing your information

We do not sell your personal data.

We may share personal information where necessary with trusted third-party providers that help us run our business and services, such as:

• website hosting providers
• payment providers such as Stripe
• domain, email or cloud service providers
• technical providers involved in delivering or maintaining your website or system
• professional advisers where required for legal or accounting reasons

7. Payments

If you make a payment through one of our services, your payment may be processed by a third-party payment provider such as Stripe. We do not store your full card details on our own servers unless explicitly stated otherwise as part of a separate secure payment arrangement.

8. Cookies and website usage data

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to help the site function properly, improve performance, and understand how visitors use the site.

Where cookies are not strictly necessary, users should be informed and, where required, asked for consent. The ICO says website visitors need to be told that cookies are being used and what they do, and non-essential cookies generally require agreement. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

More detail can be found in our Cookie Policy.

9. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as it is reasonably needed for the purpose it was collected, including to respond to enquiries, provide services, maintain records, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes and enforce agreements.

The ICO says privacy information should explain retention periods, or if you do not have a fixed period, the criteria used to decide how long information is kept. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

10. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• request access to your personal data
• request correction of inaccurate data
• request deletion of your data
• request restriction of processing
• object to processing
• request data portability
• withdraw consent where consent is the basis we rely on

The ICO says privacy notices should explain the rights available to individuals and how they can complain if they have concerns. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

11. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we use your personal information, please contact us first and we will do our best to help.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is the UK regulator for data protection matters. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, website or legal obligations. The ICO recommends reviewing and updating privacy information when processing changes. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

Any major updates will be reflected on this page.