Privacy and Cookies Policy

Tropaquatics LTD is the controller responsible for the personal information covered by this policy.

Tropaquatics LTD

Company number: 17232070

Registered office: 270 Mill Heath, Bettws, Newport, Wales, NP20 7RD

Email: info@tropaquatics.co.uk

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

Identity and contact information

• Name;
• Billing and delivery addresses;
• Email address;
• Telephone number; and
• Account username or similar identifier.

Order and transaction information

• Products and livestock ordered;
• Order value;
• Payment status;
• Delivery method;
• Delivery tracking;
• Refunds, credit and claims;
• Communications about an order; and
• Limited payment information supplied by our payment processors.

We do not normally receive or store your complete payment-card number.

Technical and website information

• Internet Protocol address;
• Browser and device type;
• Operating system;
• Website pages viewed;
• Referral source;
• Approximate location;
• Cookie identifiers;
• Login and account activity; and
• Website security and error information.

Communications and customer-service information

• Emails and enquiries;
• Reviews or feedback;
• Complaint records;
• Photographs and videos supplied for DOA, damage or support claims;
• Aquarium information and water-test results you voluntarily provide; and
• Marketing preferences.

We usually receive personal information:

• Directly from you;
• When you use our website or create an account;
• When you place an order;
• Through cookies and similar technologies;
• From Stripe or PayPal in connection with a payment;
• From Royal Mail, DX, DPD, DHL or another delivery provider;
• Through Omnisend when you subscribe to or interact with marketing messages; and
• From fraud-prevention, security or technical-service providers where appropriate.

We use personal information for the following purposes and lawful bases:

Processing and delivering orders

Lawful basis: performance of a contract.

Taking payment and issuing refunds

Lawful basis: performance of a contract and legal obligation.

Managing accounts and order history

Lawful basis: performance of a contract.

Responding to enquiries and complaints

Lawful basis: performance of a contract or legitimate interests.

Assessing DOA, damage or livestock claims

Lawful basis: performance of a contract and legitimate interests.

Preventing fraud and protecting the website

Lawful basis: legitimate interests and legal obligation.

Maintaining tax and accounting records

Lawful basis: legal obligation.

Sending requested marketing emails

Lawful basis: consent.

Sending limited marketing to existing customers where legally permitted

Lawful basis: legitimate interests, subject to the right to opt out.

Analysing and improving the website

Lawful basis: consent where non-essential cookies are used, or legitimate interests where permitted.

Establishing or defending legal claims

Lawful basis: legitimate interests or legal obligation.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, those interests include operating and improving our business, protecting customers, preventing fraud, maintaining accurate records and handling claims fairly.

We use Omnisend to manage email marketing and customer communications.

We may send marketing emails where:

• You have actively subscribed;
• You have otherwise provided valid consent; or
• The law allows us to contact an existing customer about similar products and we offered an opportunity to opt out.

You can unsubscribe at any time by:

• Using the unsubscribe link in an email; or
• Emailing info@tropaquatics.co.uk.

Unsubscribing from marketing will not stop essential messages about orders, deliveries, account security or customer-service matters.

Online payments may be processed by Stripe or PayPal.

Payment providers receive the information required to authorise and process your payment, prevent fraud and meet their legal obligations. Their handling of your information is also governed by their own privacy notices.

Tropaquatics does not normally store complete payment-card details.

We may share your name, delivery address, telephone number, email address and order-delivery details with Royal Mail, DX, DPD, DHL or another suitable courier.

This information is used to:

• Deliver your order;
• Provide tracking and delivery notifications;
• Resolve delays or delivery problems; and
• Support loss, damage or DOA investigations.

We may share necessary information with:

• Website, hosting and ecommerce providers;
• Payment providers;
• Delivery companies;
• Omnisend;
• Accountants and professional advisers;
• IT, security and fraud-prevention providers;
• Insurers;
• Regulators, local authorities, police or courts where required; and
• A purchaser or adviser involved in a sale, restructuring or transfer of our business.

These organisations may act as processors acting on our instructions or as independent controllers with their own legal responsibilities.

We do not sell personal information.

Some service providers may process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will use an appropriate legal safeguard where required. This may include:

• A UK adequacy regulation;
• The UK International Data Transfer Agreement;
• The UK Addendum to approved contractual clauses; or
• Another lawful transfer mechanism.

You may contact us for further information about the safeguards relevant to your information.

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary.

Our normal retention periods are:

• Order, payment, refund and accounting records: up to six years after the end of the relevant financial period;
• Customer account information: while the account remains active and for up to six years afterwards where required for legal or record-keeping purposes;
• General enquiries: normally up to two years after the enquiry is resolved;
• Complaints, DOA evidence and disputed claims: normally up to six years where needed to establish or defend legal claims;
• Marketing information: until consent is withdrawn, you unsubscribe or the information is no longer required; and
• Website security records: for a reasonable period based on the nature of the record and security risk.

We may retain information for longer where required by law, a regulator, an insurer or ongoing legal proceedings.

Cookies are small files placed on your device when you visit a website.

Our website may use the following categories:

Strictly necessary cookies

These support essential functions such as:

• Shopping baskets;
• Checkout;
• Payments;
• Account login;
• Security;
• Fraud prevention; and
• Remembering cookie choices.

These cookies generally do not require consent because the website cannot provide the requested service without them.

Preference cookies

These remember choices such as display, account or website preferences.

Analytics cookies

These help us understand how visitors use the website, which pages are popular and whether errors occur.

Marketing cookies

These may be used to measure campaigns, personalise marketing or understand whether someone interacted with an advertisement or marketing email.

The main TropAquatics website loads Vercel Analytics only after you choose Allow analytics in Privacy settings. Vercel Analytics does not use tracking cookies. The shop currently keeps optional Omnisend browser marketing tracking disabled; newsletter subscriptions are handled separately when you submit a signup form.

Choose Essential only to decline analytics, or reopen Privacy settings at any time to change your choice. Preferences are specific to each website and browser.

You can also control cookies through your browser, although blocking necessary cookies may prevent parts of the website from working.

The main website stores your privacy choice in browser local storage under taq-privacy-choice-v1 until you change it or clear your browser data. WooCommerce uses essential basket and session cookies; WordPress uses login cookies when you sign in, and payment and security providers may use essential cookies for payment processing and fraud prevention. The shop's Privacy settings explains which optional tracking is enabled. Blocking essential storage can prevent checkout or sign-in from working.

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure.

Access is limited to people and service providers who reasonably need the information. However, no internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

You are responsible for keeping your account password confidential and should contact us if you believe your account has been accessed without permission.

Our website is not intended for children to purchase livestock independently.

Customers purchasing livestock must be at least 18 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from a child where parental or guardian consent is legally required.

If you believe a child has provided personal information improperly, please contact us.

Depending on the circumstances, UK data-protection law may give you the right to:

• Ask for access to your personal information;
• Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• Ask us to delete information;
• Ask us to restrict how information is used;
• Object to particular uses of information;
• Receive certain information in a portable format;
• Withdraw consent at any time; and
• Complain about how we use your information.

These rights are not absolute and exemptions may apply.

To exercise a right, email info@tropaquatics.co.uk. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

Please contact us first if you have concerns about how we use personal information:

Email: info@tropaquatics.co.uk

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Website: www.ico.org.uk

Our website may link to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. You should read their privacy information before providing personal data.

We may update this policy when our services, suppliers or legal obligations change.

The latest version will be published on this page with its updated date.