Welcome to Green Oak Building Company and www.greenoakbuildingcompany.co.uk our website at (our “website”). At Green Oak Building Company, we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.
This privacy policy sets out the basis on which we will process any Personal Data that we may collect about you as a visitor to our website or our customers or potential customers, or other business partners or in any other cases where we specifically state that this policy will apply. This policy further sets out how we protect your privacy and your rights in respect of our use of your Personal Data.
WHAT IS PERSONAL DATA?
Personal Data is information that makes it possible to identify a natural person. This includes in particular, your name, date of birth, address, telephone number, e-mail address, but also your IP address. Anonymous data exists if no personal reference to the user can be made.
WHAT IS PROCESSING?
“Processing” means and covers virtually any handling of data.
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
We will only use your Personal Data in accordance with the UK’s Data Protection Act (“DPA”) and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), and of course only as described in this Privacy Policy.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DATA PROCESSING?
The responsible party within the meaning of the above is The Green Oak Building Company LTD of Second Floor, 3 Liverpool Gardens, Worthing, West Sussex, England, BN11 1TF, UK (“Green Oak”, “we”, “us”, “our”). If you want to contact us or if you have any questions, you can reach us by email using info@gobc.co.uk, call +44 (0)1489 878384 or write to us at the above address.
WHAT ARE THE LEGAL BASES FOR PROCESSING PERSONAL DATA
In accordance with the DPA and the GDPR, we have to have at least one of the following legal bases to process your Personal Data: a) you have given your consent, b) the data is necessary for the fulfilment of a contract / pre-contractual measures, c) the data is necessary for the fulfilment of a legal obligation, or d) the data is necessary to protect our legitimate interests, provided that your interests are not overridden.
WHAT PERSONAL DATA DO WE COLLECT FROM YOU?
We may collect and process the following Personal Data about you:
a) Personal Data that you give us:
This is information about you that you give to us by filling in forms on our website (or other forms that we ask you to complete), or when you use our services, or corresponding with us by telephone, post, email or otherwise. It may include, for example, your name, address, email address and telephone number; information about your business relationship with us; and information about your requirements, background and interests.
We also process the Personal Data involved in your use of our services in order to be able to provide our contractual services. This includes in particular our support, correspondence with you, invoicing, fulfilment of our contractual, accounting and tax obligations. Accordingly, the data is processed on the basis of fulfilling our contractual obligations and our legal obligations.
We use your data within the legally permissible scope for marketing purposes, e.g., to draw your attention to special promotions and discount offers using the services of MailChimp. In addition, we may draw your attention to comparable offers by email, e.g., we may inform you about exclusive sales, promotions, or special events. The legal basis for processing is our legitimate interest.
b) Personal Data that our website and other systems collect about you:
If you visit our website it will automatically collect some information about you and your visit, including the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your device to the Internet and some other information such as the pages on our site that you visit. This is used to monitor the performance of the website and improve the experience of visitors to the website.
c) Cookies
Why do we have a cookie policy?
This Cookie Policy sits in line with our obligations set out in the UK`s Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (“PECR”) and the EU’s Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive (“PECD”). In accordance with them, we need to inform you about the cookies we use and obtain your consent when using certain types of cookies namely Functional, Performance, Analytical and Advertising Cookies.
What are cookies?
A cookie is a small text file that is sent to your device’s hard drive by a website. Each time you return to the same website, your browser retrieves and sends the relevant cookie(s) to the website’s server.
Cookie consent tool
Our website uses the cookie consent tool CookieLawInfo of CookieYes LTD to obtain your consent to the storage of cookies and to document this consent. When you enter our website, the following Personal Data is transferred to us: i) Your consent(s) or revocation of your consent(s); ii) Your IP address; iii) Information about your browser; iv) Information about your device; v) Time of your visit to our website.
Cookie acceptance
By using our website after accepting the cookie notice that appears when you first visit our website, or by browsing our website, after having been presented with this notice, you agree to the placement of cookies on your computer in accordance with the terms of this Cookie Policy.
How are cookies used?
Cookies used by us are stored on your device for a maximum period of 2 years from the date when they are initially installed or if they are subsequently updated, from the date of the update. Cookies can be divided into the following two broad categories:
Technically necessary cookies are required for our website to function properly; they enable you to navigate our website efficiently and use its functional features.
These cookies allow us to measure and report on website activity by tracking page visits, visitor locations and how visitors move around our website. The information collected does not directly identify visitors. We place these cookies to help us analyse that data.
Marketing cookies help us provide you with personalised and relevant services or advertising, and track the effectiveness of our digital marketing activities. They are capable of tracking your browser across other websites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit.
The cookies we use
We utilise the below mentioned non-essential cookies, and other online identification technologies such as web beacons, or pixels to provide users with an improved user experience.
i) Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. Google Analytics also uses cookies to enable our website to analyse how users use our website across multiple devices. The information generated by the cookies about your use of our website is transmitted to and stored by Google, including transmission to the United States. The following data is processed through the use of Google Analytics:
Google states that it will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. The use of this service is based on your consent. You can withdraw your consent at any time using our cookie preference pop-up. The legal basis for the processing is also your consent. In relation to the data transfer into the USA Google’s processing agreement for GA, can be read here.
You can disable tracking by Google Analytics with future effect by downloading and installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on for your current web browser here.
ii) Google Tag Manager
We also use Google Tag Manager. Google Tag Manager is a solution enabling us to administer website tags via an interface. Google Tag Manager itself, which implements the tags, is a cookie-free domain and does not record any personal data. However, the tool triggers other tags that may record your Personal Data. Google Tag Manager itself does not access this data. If you refuse Analytical/Performance and/ or Marketing and Social Media Cookies, Google Tag Manager remains in place. The legal basis for the processing is our legitimate interest.
iii) YouTube Videos
We have integrated videos from YouTube. The integration requires that YouTube can perceive the IP address of the user. The IP address is required in order to send the video content to the user’s browser. If you click on a YouTube video on our website, your internet browser will be prompted to download a corresponding representation of the video and also places certain cookies. In this way, YouTube knows which specific sub-pages you have visited. The legal basis for the data processing is our legitimate interest and your consent.
iv) Google Ads
We use Google Ads, an online advertising service provided by Google. Google Ads enables us to show advertisements in the Google search engine or on third-party websites when the user enters certain search terms on Google (keyword targeting). Furthermore, targeted advertisements can be shown on the basis of user data available to Google (e.g. location data and interests) (target group targeting). With the help of Google Ads, we can evaluate this data quantitatively, for example, which search terms have led to the display of our advertisements and how many ads have resulted in corresponding clicks. The use of this service is based on your consent.
v) Google Ads Remarketing
We also use the remarketing functions Google Ads. Google Ads Remarketing allows us to assign people who interact with our advertisements and website to specific target groups and to display interest-based advertising to them within the Google advertising network.
Further, the advertising target groups created by us using Google Ads Remarketing can be linked to Google’s cross-device functions. This means that interest-based, personalised advertising (that is advertising that has been adapted to you depending on your previous usage and surfing behaviour) can also be displayed on another of your end devices (e.g. tablet or PC). The use of this service is based on your consent.
vi) Google Conversion Tracking
We also use Google Conversion Tracking. With the help of Google conversion tracking, we and Google can recognise whether the user has performed certain actions. For example, we can evaluate which buttons on our website were clicked how often and which products were viewed or purchased particularly frequently. This information is used to create conversion statistics. We also learn the total number of users who clicked on our ads and what actions they took. We do not receive any information with which we can personally identify the user. Google itself uses cookies or comparable recognition technologies for identification. The use of this service is based on your consent.
vii) Facebook Pixel
We also use the “Facebook pixels” of the social network Facebook. With the help of the Facebook pixel, it is possible for Facebook to determine the visitors to our offer as a target group for the display of advertisements, so-called “Facebook ads”. Accordingly, we use the Facebook pixel to display the Facebook ads placed by us only to those Facebook users who have also shown an interest in our website. This means that with the help of the Facebook pixel we want to ensure that our Facebook ads correspond to the potential interest of the users and do not have a harassing effect. With the help of the Facebook pixel, we can also track the effectiveness of the Facebook ads for statistical and market research purposes by seeing whether users were redirected to our website after clicking on a Facebook ad. You can object to the collection by the Facebook pixel and use of your data for the display of Facebook ads. To do so, you can visit the page set up by Facebook and follow the instructions here.
How to manage cookies
a, In your browser
You also can manage your cookies preferences using the following links for some of the most popular internet browsers: Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera.
b, Cookie preference pop-up
We also offer a cookie preference pop-up when you first visit our website. This pop-up is a consent tool and allows you to specify your preference about cookies. You can accept or reject them or access this Cookie Policy before giving your consent to cookies or rejecting them.
c, Advertising personalisation or retargeting/tracking opt out
In addition, if you do not wish to participate in our advertising personalisation or retargeting/tracking you can object to behavioural advertising at the following websites: Your Online Choices, Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada, Network Advertising Initiative, AdChoices the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (Europe only), and Google Ad Settings,
d, Other information:
We may also process some information from aggregated data such as statistical or demographic data for any purpose including improving our website and services. Aggregated Data could be derived from your Personal Data but is not considered Personal Data in law as this data will not directly or indirectly reveal your identity. However, if we combine or connect Aggregated Data with your Personal Data so that it can directly or indirectly identify you, we treat the combined data as Personal Data which will be used in accordance with this privacy policy.
DATA PROCESSING THROUGH THIRD-PARTY SERVICES
We use content or service offers of third-party providers on the basis of our legitimate interests in order to integrate their content and services (“content”). This always requires that the third-party providers of this content are aware of the IP address of the user, as without the IP address they would not be able to send the content to their browser. The IP address is therefore necessary for the display of this content.
The following provides an overview of third-party providers and their content, together with links to their privacy policies, which contain further information on the processing of data and so-called opt-out measures, if any: a) Hosting: ecohosting (ENIXLTD LIMITED); b) Content Management System: WordPress.ORG; c) Analytics: Google Analytics by Google LLC; d) Google recaptcha by Google LLC; e) A/B Testing: Plerdy
HOW WILL WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA?
We may collect, store and use your Personal Data for the following purposes:
We will only process your Personal Data as necessary so that we can pursue the purposes described above and where we have a legal basis for such processing. Where our lawful basis for processing is that such processing is necessary to pursue our legitimate interests, we will only process your Personal Data where we have concluded that our processing does not prejudice you or your privacy in a way that would override our legitimate interest. In exceptional circumstances we may also be required by law to disclose or otherwise process your Personal Data.
RETENTION AND STORAGE
We retain your Personal Data as necessary in connection with the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, and in accordance with the UK`s statutory retention periods. We typically store the data related to your contract with us in our customer relationship management (“CRM”) using the services of Google Sheets ( Google LLC). This represents a legitimate interest.
DATA SHARING
In certain cases, it is necessary to transmit the processed Personal Data in the course of data processing. In this respect, there are different recipient bodies and categories of recipients.
a) Internal
If necessary, we transfer your Personal Data within Green Oak. Access to your Personal Data is only granted to authorised employees who need access to the data due to their job, e.g., to provide our services or to contact you in case of queries.
b) External bodies
Personal Data is transferred to our service providers in the following instances:
c, International transfers
We may transfer your Personal Data to other companies as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. In order to provide adequate protection for your Personal Data when it is transferred, we have contractual arrangements regarding such transfers. We take all reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the Personal Data we transfer.
SOCIAL MEDIA
We are present on social media on the basis of our legitimate interest. If you contact or connect with us via social media, we and the relevant social media platform are jointly responsible for the processing of your data and enter into a so-called joint controller agreement. The Personal Data collected when contacting us is to handle your request and the bases are both your consent and our legitimate interest.
When you visit our social media profiles, we, as the operator of the profile, process your actions and interactions with our profile (e.g., the content of your messages, enquiries, posts or comments that you send to us or leave on our profile or when you like or share our posts) as well as your publicly viewable profile data (e.g., your name and profile picture). Which Personal Data from your profile is publicly viewable depends on your profile settings, which you can adjust yourself in the settings of your social media account. The legal basis is our legitimate interest and your consent.
ADVERTISING
We would like to show you interesting advertising outside of our website and use various third-party tools and cookies for this purpose. These collect and process information about your activities on our website – for example, which products you are interested in or which pages you visit. By knowing what you are looking for and how you use our website, we can adapt our advertising to your needs. And thus increase the likelihood that you will also be shown suitable and interesting advertising outside our website.
We also analyse this data to evaluate the relevance of the advertisements and to optimise the advertisements for you. Through the tools, your browser regularly establishes a connection to the server of the tool provider when you visit our website. For some tools, we have no direct influence on what data is processed by the providers. The following personal data may be processed by third-party providers i) HTTP header information (e.g., IP address, web browser, website URL, date and time); ii) measuring pixel-specific data (e.g., pixel ID and cookie ID); and iii) additional information about visits to our website (e.g., orders placed, products clicked on). The legal bases for processing are our legitimate interest and your consent in case of cookies.
HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR PERSONAL DATA?
We will delete your Personal Data when we no longer need such Personal Data, for instance where:
Sometimes, however, there are legal or regulatory requirements which may require us to retain your Personal Data for a specified period, and in such cases we will retain your Personal Data for such specified period; and we may need to retain your Personal Data for certain longer periods in relation to legal disputes, and in such cases we will retain it for such longer periods to the extent required.
DATA SECURITY
Our website uses SSL or TLS encryption to ensure the security of data processing and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as orders, login data or contact requests that you send to us. We have also implemented numerous security measures (“technical and organisational measures”) for example encryption or need to know access, to ensure the most complete protection of Personal Data processed through our website.
YOUR RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES
a, Privacy rights
You can exercise the following rights:
b, Updating your information and withdrawing your consent
If you believe that the information we hold about you is inaccurate or request its rectification, deletion, or object to legitimate interest processing, please do so by contacting us.
c, Access Request
In the event you want to make a Data Subject Access Request, please contact us. We will respond to requests regarding access and correction as soon as reasonably possible. Should we not be able to respond to your request within thirty (30) days, we will tell you why and when we will be able to respond to your request. If we are unable to provide you with any Personal Data or to make a correction requested by you, we will tell you why.
d, Complaint to a supervisory authority
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the UK`s authority in matters of data protection. You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the ICO (www.ico.org.uk). We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO in the first instance.
e, What we do not do
HOW DO WE MAKE CHANGES TO THIS POLICY?
We may change our Privacy Policy from time to time. When we change our Privacy Policy, we will publish the updated policy on our website. Please check this Privacy Policy regularly. Subject to applicable law, all changes will take effect as soon as we publish the new Privacy Policy, but where we have already collected information about you and/or where legally required to do so, we may take additional steps to inform you of any material changes to our Privacy Policy and may request that you agree to these changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Thursday, 13th of March, 2025