1. Introduction
Secret Strings ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website at www.secretstrings.co.uk or contact us in connection with our services.
Please read this policy carefully. By using our website or submitting an enquiry, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
2. Data We Collect
We may collect the following personal data when you interact with us:
- Contact information: name, email address, telephone number
- Event details: event type, date, venue, guest count, budget
- Communication data: messages and correspondence sent to us via email or our contact form
- Technical data: IP address, browser type, pages visited (collected anonymously via analytics — see Section 5)
We do not collect sensitive personal data (e.g. health information, financial data) through our website.
3. How We Use Your Data
We use personal data for the following purposes:
- To respond to your booking enquiry and provide you with a quote
- To communicate with you about your event requirements
- To fulfil our contractual obligations where a booking is confirmed
- To comply with our legal obligations
- To improve our website and services (using anonymised analytics data)
We will not use your data for unsolicited marketing without your explicit consent. We will never sell your personal data to third parties.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal data on the following legal bases under the UK GDPR:
- Legitimate interests: responding to and managing booking enquiries
- Contract: fulfilling confirmed bookings
- Legal obligation: where required by law (e.g. tax and financial records)
- Consent: for any optional marketing communications (where you have opted in)
5. Cookies & Analytics
Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience and gather anonymised usage statistics. This may include:
- Essential cookies: required for the website to function correctly
- Analytics cookies: anonymised data to understand how visitors use our site (e.g. Google Analytics)
You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some website functionality.
6. Data Retention
We retain personal data for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected:
- Enquiry data (where no booking results): up to 12 months from the date of enquiry
- Booking and contract data: up to 7 years for financial and legal compliance purposes
Data is securely deleted or anonymised when no longer required.
7. Your Rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
- The right to access your personal data
- The right to rectify inaccurate personal data
- The right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
- The right to restrict processing
- The right to data portability
- The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests
- The right to withdraw consent at any time
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at secretstringsquartet@gmail.com. We will respond within one calendar month.
8. Data Security
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Third Parties
We may share your data with the following third parties only where necessary:
- Email service providers: to manage correspondence (e.g. Gmail)
- Payment processors: if you use our online booking system (data processed under their own privacy policies)
- Analytics providers: anonymised data only (e.g. Google Analytics)
We do not share your personal data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
10. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to third-party websites (e.g. YouTube, Instagram, Facebook). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and recommend you review their respective privacy policies.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The most current version will always be available at www.secretstrings.co.uk/privacy-policy/. The date of the most recent revision appears at the top of this page.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:
Secret Strings
Email: secretstringsquartet@gmail.com
Website: www.secretstrings.co.uk
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.