Privacy Policy
The Rural Diversification Collective (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
1. Who We Are
The Rural Diversification Collective is a professional network and platform supporting rural estates, landowners and event professionals.
For the purposes of data protection law, we are the data controller.
Contact details:
Email: enquiries@ruraldiversification.co.uk
If you have any questions about this policy or your personal data, please contact us using the details above.
2. The Information We Collect
We may collect and process the following personal data:
Information You Provide Directly
- Name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Business name
- Billing and shipping address
- Professional information
- Account login details
- Information submitted via enquiry forms, membership applications or event registrations
Information Collected Automatically
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Device type
- Pages visited and time spent on our website
- Referral source
- Cookie and tracking data
Information from Third Parties
- Payment providers
- Advertising platforms
- Event or business partners
3. Store, Checkout and Subscription Data
When you purchase a product, event ticket or membership subscription through our website, we collect information necessary to process your order and manage your account.
While You Visit Our Website
We may track:
- Products or services viewed
- Location, IP address and browser type (for tax, fraud prevention and security)
- Basket contents using cookies
- Shipping address to estimate delivery costs
When You Make a Purchase
We may collect:
- Name
- Billing address
- Shipping address
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Payment details
- Account login details (if you create an account)
We use this information to:
- Process payments and prevent fraud
- Deliver goods or services
- Send order confirmations
- Manage refunds and complaints
- Set up and manage accounts
- Comply with tax and legal obligations
- Improve our store and services
- Send marketing communications where permitted
If you create an account, your details may be stored to streamline future purchases.
4. Subscription Services
If you purchase a recurring membership or subscription, we store the information required to manage recurring payments, including:
- Name
- Billing address
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Payment information necessary for recurring billing
Subscription payments may be processed by third-party payment providers. The data shared depends on the provider used.
5. Payments
We accept payments through third-party providers, including PayPal.
When processing payments, certain personal data is shared with the payment provider, including billing information and transaction details necessary to complete the payment.
Payment providers process your data in accordance with their own privacy policies. We do not store full credit card details on our servers.
6. Marketing Communications
By becoming a member of The Rural Diversification Collective, you agree to receive marketing communications from us by email. These may include updates, event invitations, industry insights, partnership opportunities and information relevant to rural diversification.
You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us directly. Unsubscribing from marketing communications will not affect essential service or account-related communications.
7. Advertising and Third-Party Platforms
We use advertising platforms including Google, LinkedIn and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) to promote our services.
These platforms may use cookies, pixels and similar technologies to collect information about your interaction with our website and advertisements. This may include:
- IP address
- Browser and device information
- Pages visited
- Actions taken on our website
This information is used to:
- Measure advertising effectiveness
- Deliver targeted advertising
- Create audience groups
- Re-market our services
We may securely upload limited customer data (such as email addresses) to create custom advertising audiences. Where this occurs, data is hashed in accordance with platform requirements.
These platforms act as independent data controllers and operate under their own privacy policies.
8. Legal Basis for Processing
We rely on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR:
- Contractual necessity – to provide membership services and process orders
- Consent – for marketing and certain advertising activities
- Legitimate interests – to operate, improve and promote our services
- Legal obligation – to comply with tax and regulatory requirements
9. Who Has Access to Your Data
Authorised members of our team (such as Administrators and Shop Managers) may access personal data where necessary to:
- Fulfil orders
- Manage subscriptions
- Process refunds
- Provide support
Access is limited to what is operationally necessary.
10. Data Sharing
We may share your personal data with:
- Website hosting providers
- IT service providers
- Email marketing platforms
- Payment processors
- Professional advisers
- Event partners where required
All third-party providers are required to handle your data securely and lawfully.
11. International Transfers
Some service providers or advertising partners may process personal data outside the UK. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR.
12. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes it was collected.
Financial and order records are typically retained for up to 6 years for tax and accounting compliance.
Account data is retained while your account remains active, subject to legal retention requirements.
13. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, misuse, loss or disclosure.
However, no online system can guarantee absolute security.
14. Your Rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Correct inaccurate data
- Request erasure
- Restrict processing
- Object to processing
- Request data portability
- Withdraw consent where applicable
You may exercise your rights by contacting us.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
15. Cookies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve functionality, analyse traffic and support advertising.
You can manage cookies through your browser settings. A separate Cookie Policy may provide additional details.
16. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The most current version will always be available on our website.
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