Additional notes on data protection complaints
If emailing a data protection complaint, please put “Data protection complaint” in the subject line so it reaches the right place. You do not have to complain to us first; you can go straight to your data protection regulator, which in the UK is the ICO at ico.org.uk. Telling us first gives us the chance to put things right.
Additional notes on the legal basis for each use of your data
Data protection law lets us use your personal data only where one of a small number of legal bases applies. This is the one we rely on for each use described in this policy. Where it is legitimate interests, we say what that interest is. You can object to any use that relies on legitimate interests, and withdraw any consent you have given, at any time, as set out in the rights section of this policy.
- Our email list, welcome emails and newsletters, including emails that recommend products: consent, given by the email tick box on the sign-up form. Unsubscribing withdraws it, and we will not carry on sending you marketing emails on any other basis.
- The Style Scorecard quiz: consent, given by the tick box on the quiz, which covers your result and the emails it describes.
- Sending a free download you have asked for: legitimate interests, namely sending you the download you requested. We ask only for what we need to send it. Marketing emails follow only if you have also ticked the box agreeing to them.
- Referral giveaways run through UpViral: legitimate interests for registering your entry and running the giveaway you joined. Consent for the referral cookie (through the cookie banner) and for any emails.
- Purchases: contract, to take your order and deliver what you bought.
- Tax and accounting records of purchases: legal obligation, because tax law requires us to keep them.
- Our list of people who have unsubscribed or objected: legal obligation, so that we respect your choice and do not email you again.
- Keeping proof of your consent after you unsubscribe: legitimate interests, namely being able to show that the emails we sent you had your consent, if that is ever questioned.
- Recording your cookie choices: legal obligation, because we must be able to show what you agreed to.
- Messages sent through our contact form: consent, given by the tick box on the form.
- Messages you email to us directly: legitimate interests, namely replying to you.
- Blog comments: consent, given by the tick box on the comment form.
- Clicks on our product links: consent for the cookie involved (your marketing choice in the cookie banner). Legitimate interests for counting the clicks themselves, so we know which recommendations readers find useful.
- Site search: consent. The search tool loads only after you allow it in the cookie banner.
- Running the site: legitimate interests, namely protecting the site and its visitors from attacks and spam, delivering pages quickly and reliably, counting page visits without cookies so we know which pages are read, keeping backups so the site can be restored, and stopping others from sending email that pretends to come from us.
Additional notes on what we keep after you unsubscribe
When you unsubscribe or object to our emails, we keep your email address and the date on a list of people we must not email. We keep that list indefinitely, because without it we could not make sure you are never emailed again. We also keep a record of how and when you gave your consent for as long as we may need it to show that the emails we sent you had your consent.
