Privacy policy

We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy and the associated Conditions of Use set out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed, stored and ultimately deleted by us. Please read the following carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it.

Data Controller

For the purpose of the General Data Protection Regulations, We (as defined and detailed in this website (our Site) are the Data Controller.

Data Processors

Within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulations we consider the following organizations to be Data Processors that we have engaged to assist us in processing your data:

• Expert Agent – information held by us in electronic form is stored within our Expert Agent application.
• Microsoft Office 365 – process all email messages sent from our administrative systems. 
• Google Analytics – analyse data related to tracking the source of telephone calls made to us and traffic to our website. 
• Eightwire – provide web application development and support services
• Bristol Computer Workshop – provide general IT consultancy and support services
• Financial Crimes Services – Anti money laundering compliance association 

Information we may collect from you

We may collect and process the following data about you:

• Information that you provide by filling in forms on our Site. This includes information provided at the time of registering to use our Site, subscribing to any of our services, posting material, requesting further services or responding to invitations we may send to you. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with our Site.
• If you contact us, we may keep a record of that correspondence, text message or telephone call
• Details of transactions you carry out through us and of the fulfilment of your instructions.

If you ask us to delete your information, we will delete all personal information we hold that does not conflict with our right to retain information that enables us to comply with regulatory or contractual obligations we may have.

IP addresses

We may collect information about your computer, including where available your IP address, operating system and browser type, for system administration and to track the source of telephone calls made to us and traffic to our website. This is statistical data about our users’ browsing actions and patterns and does not identify any individual.

Cookies

Our Site uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our Site. For detailed information on the cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them see our Cookie Policy.

Anti-Money Laundering Policy – Using your information to help prevent terrorism and crime

Richard Harding Estate Agents is committed to conducting  its business in an open and transparent  manner consistent with our legal and regulatory obligations. It is known that the real estate industry is a target for organised criminals seeking to launder the proceeds of criminal activity. We always seek to prevent this activity by cooperating fully with the authorities and reporting suspicious activity to the National Crime Agency.

As part of this commitment, we adopt a strict compliance of all Anti-Money Laundering rules, with specific emphasis on the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, the Bribery Act 2010 and the Terrorism Act 2000.

As such we are required by law to seek satisfactory evidence of the identity of our clients and and/or any third parties involved in your matter. This information must be provided at the outset which means for vendors at the time the instructions are received to market and sell your property and for purchasers at the time that your offered to buy is accepted by the seller.

Original documentation will be the required for verification purposes wherever possible but if copies are provided, they must be independently verified by a professional person such as a solicitor and accountant and the photocopy marked up accordingly. In all cases and in line with the ‘Regulations’, the firm will retain copies of your ID in either paper or electronic form up to a period of 5 years after the date we have ceased the business relationship. In addition to verification of the client the firm will have to verify the source/destination of any funds that are involved in the property transaction.  We also reserve the right to use the services of third parties including on-line credit check companies to carry out identity verification of any client.  

Where we store your personal data

Where your personal information is stored by us in electronic format it is held either in servers securely located within our premises or held in encrypted format in one or more Microsoft Data Centres within the EU. Email communications pass through and are temporarily stored on servers in the UK. By providing us with your personal information, you agree that we may transfer, store and process your information in this manner.

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we employ security measures designed to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our Site; any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.

Uses made of the information

We use information held about you in the following ways:

• To ensure that content from our Site is presented in our opinion in the most effective manner for you and for your computer.
• To provide you with information, products or services that you request from us or which we feel may interest you, where you have consented to be contacted for such purposes.
• To carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us.
• To allow you to participate in interactive features of our service, when you choose to do so.
• To notify you about changes to our service.
• We do not provide any data to any third-party for the purposes of advertising products.

Disclosure of your information

We may disclose your personal information to:

• our Data Processors and other third parties working on our or their behalf (whether directly or indirectly).

We may disclose your personal information to third parties:

• In the event that we sell or buy any business, assets or shares, in which case we may disclose your personal data to the prospective seller or buyer of such business, assets or shares, having first secured the agreement of such buyer or seller to handle any such data as though they were a Data Controller.
• If we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal obligation, or in order to enforce or apply our terms and conditions; or to protect our rights, property, or safety, or those of our customers or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organisations for the purposes of fraud protection and credit risk reduction.
• Every now and again, requests are received for information from government departments, the police and other enforcement agencies. If this happens, and there is a proper legal basis for providing your information, it will be provided to the organisation asking for it.

Access to information

Data Protection legislation gives you the right to access information held about you. Your right of access can be exercised in accordance with the law. Any access request may be subject to a fee of £10 to meet our costs in providing you with details of the information we hold about you.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time so you may want to check it each time you visit our Site.

Contact

Please contact us using the details shown on our Site if you have any questions, comments or requests regarding this Privacy Policy.