Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Last Updated:
[13/09/2024]
At Merchant-Web / Merchant Services, we are committed to safeguarding the privacy and personal data of visitors to our website, www.merchant-web.co.uk (the “Site”), in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information, particularly regarding the use of cookies for Google Analytics.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect the following types of information when you use our website:
- Personal Data: This includes any data that can identify you as an individual, such as your name and email address, which we collect only if you voluntarily provide it through forms (e.g., when you contact us or sign up for offers, newsletters, or updates). By submitting your email, you consent to receive information about our packages, promotions, and updates. We store your data securely and do not share or sell it to third parties. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the ‘unsubscribe’ link in our emails or contacting us directly. Under UK GDPR, you have the right to access, update, or request deletion of your personal data. To exercise your rights or for any questions, please email us at merchantcoding@gmail.com.
- Usage Data: We collect information on how you interact with our website, such as your IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and the time spent on each page. This data is collected via Google Analytics to help us understand website performance and improve the user experience.
- Cookies: Cookies are small files that are placed on your device when you visit the website. We use cookies for Google Analytics to gather anonymous data on site traffic and user behavior. Cookies do not store personally identifiable information.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your information in the following ways:
- Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to collect and analyze anonymized data about website usage, such as page views, session duration, and traffic sources. This helps us to improve the functionality and content of the website.
- Responding to Inquiries: If you contact us via the website, we will use your personal data to respond to your inquiries or requests.
- Legal Compliance: We may process your data to comply with legal obligations or to protect your vital interests.
3. Legal Basis for Processing Data
Under GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases to process your personal data:
- Consent: We will collect and process your personal data (e.g., name, email address) only with your explicit consent, particularly when you submit a contact form.
- Legitimate Interests: We may process anonymized usage data to improve the website’s functionality and performance. We also use this data for analytics purposes.
4. Cookies and Google Analytics
When you visit our website, we may place cookies on your device to collect data for Google Analytics. The information collected by these cookies is anonymized and used solely for statistical purposes.
Types of Cookies We Use:
- Google Analytics Cookies: These cookies track user behavior on our website (e.g., pages visited, time spent on the site) to help us analyze and improve website performance.
Managing Cookies: You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. However, disabling cookies may affect your experience on the site. You can also opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
5. How We Protect Your Information
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. All data is stored securely, and we limit access to authorized personnel only.
However, while we strive to protect your personal data, please be aware that no security measures are completely foolproof.
6. Sharing Your Information
We do not sell or share your personal data with third parties, except in the following circumstances:
- Service Providers: We may share data with trusted third parties, such as Google, solely for the purpose of providing analytics and improving our website.
- Legal Obligations: We may disclose your data if required to do so by law or to comply with legal processes.
7. Your Data Rights
As a user based in the UK or EU, you have the following rights under GDPR:
- Right to Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to Rectification: You can request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
- Right to Erasure: You can request the deletion of your personal data, subject to certain conditions.
- Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to limit how we process your personal data in certain circumstances.
- Right to Data Portability: You can request your personal data in a structured, commonly used format to be transferred to another controller.
- Right to Object: You can object to our processing of your personal data in certain situations, such as direct marketing.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support@merchantweb.co.uk.
8. Retention of Data
We will retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy or as required by law. Usage data collected by Google Analytics is retained for a period of [insert period, e.g., 26 months], after which it is automatically deleted.
9. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites. Please review the privacy policies of those websites before providing any personal information.
10. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We encourage you to review this page periodically for any updates. The date of the latest revision will always be noted at the top.
Terms and Conditions for Use of Conversational AI Assistant
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern the use of the Conversational AI Assistant (the “AI Assistant”) embedded on this website (“Website”), operated by Merchant Services ("we", "us", or "our"). By accessing or using the AI Assistant, you (“you” or “user”) agree to these Terms in full. If you do not agree, do not use the AI Assistant.
1. Purpose of the AI Assistant
The AI Assistant is a third-party application designed to provide general information and assistance to users. While we strive to ensure helpful and relevant responses, the AI Assistant is an automated tool and may produce inaccurate, outdated, or misleading content.
2. User Consent
By interacting with the AI Assistant, you:
- Consent to the collection, storage, and processing of data you provide during your use of the AI Assistant, including your name, contact details, and any information relevant to your query.
- Consent to being contacted via email or telephone by our representatives in response to your enquiry.
- Acknowledge that this service is provided by a third party and may include AI-generated responses not verified by a human.
3. No Liability for Inaccurate or Misleading Information
Merchant Services accepts no responsibility or liability for:
- Any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions in information provided by the AI Assistant.
- Any actions taken based on responses generated by the AI Assistant.
- Any damages, losses, or inconvenience caused by reliance on the AI Assistant’s output.
We strongly recommend that users verify all information provided by the AI Assistant by speaking directly with a human representative before making decisions, purchases, or taking any action based on the AI Assistant’s responses.
4. Behaviour and Content Disclaimer
The AI Assistant operates based on a machine learning model and, although measures are in place to reduce inappropriate responses, we cannot guarantee that the AI will always respond in a professional or non-offensive manner.
Merchant Services will not be held liable for:
- Any response from the AI Assistant that may be considered offensive, inappropriate, harmful, or insulting.
- Emotional distress or discomfort resulting from the use of the AI Assistant.
If you encounter such an issue, please contact us immediately so we can investigate and escalate the issue with the third-party provider.
5. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Merchant Services and its affiliates, officers, employees, agents, partners, and licensors shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages resulting from:
- Use or inability to use the AI Assistant,
- Errors or inaccuracies in the AI's responses,
- Any breach of these Terms by the third-party provider.
6. Data Privacy
All personal data collected through the AI Assistant is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy, and in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
7. User Responsibility
You are responsible for:
- Providing accurate and lawful information during your interaction with the AI Assistant.
- Understanding the limitations of AI-generated responses.
- Following up with a human for clarification, confirmation, or further advice.
8. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms at any time without prior notice. The most recent version will be published on this page. Continued use of the AI Assistant after changes implies acceptance of the updated Terms.
By using the AI Assistant, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms and Conditions.
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our use of your personal data, please contact us at:
Email: support@merchant-web.co.uk
Phone: 44 7394542901