Privacy Notice

1. About This Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice explains how R G R Briggs & Son trading as Pittvale Service Station, Alco and/or Alco Van Hire ("Alco Van Hire", "we", "us" or "our") collects, uses, stores and shares personal information.

It applies to personal information collected:

• through the Alco Van Hire website at alcovanhire.co.uk;
• through our online booking system;
• through our online insurance declaration system;
• when you contact us by telephone, email, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or another communication channel;
• when you make or attempt to make a payment;
• when you provide driving-licence, identity or insurance information;
• when you use our website and interact with cookies, analytics or other website technologies; and
• when personal information is provided to us by third parties where this is necessary to provide vehicle-hire services, administer a booking, assess insurance eligibility, prevent fraud, recover charges or comply with legal obligations.

We aim to process your personal information fairly, lawfully and transparently and to protect it appropriately.

This Privacy Notice should be read together with our Terms & Conditions, our Cookie Policy and any additional privacy information provided when information is collected.

2. Who Is Responsible for Your Personal Information?

The data controller is:

Telephone: 01962 670067

Email:

ICO registration number: A9026383

3. What Personal Information Do We Collect?

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

It may include:

• name and title;
• contact details;
• email address;
• telephone or mobile number;
• residential address;
• booking reference;
• vehicle requested;
• collection and return dates and times;
• collection and return location;
• destination;
• purpose of hire;
• whether the vehicle is for personal or business use;
• business name and contact details where applicable;
• information about additional drivers;
• answers to booking questions;
• payment and transaction information;
• information relating to insurance eligibility; and
• information required to administer, amend or cancel a booking.

Our online booking facility uses Prohire ProWeb. Information entered into the booking facility may be transmitted to and processed within the Prohire system used to administer our rental business.

4. Driving-Licence Information

Because driving eligibility is fundamental to vehicle hire, we may collect and process information from your driving licence and driving record.

This may include:

• driving-licence number;
• licence type and status;
• licence address;
• driving entitlement and its duration;
• vehicle categories you are entitled to drive;
• endorsements and penalty points;
• convictions;
• disqualifications;
• restrictions;
• information relating to foreign licences;
• copies or photographs of your driving licence;
• information obtained from the DVLA;
• DVLA check codes; and
• information resulting from a driving-record check.

Our declaration process may require a driving-licence number, DVLA check code and images of the front and rear of the licence.

We may use this information to:

• establish whether you are legally entitled to drive;
• verify your identity;
• assess whether you meet our rental requirements;
• meet motor-insurer requirements;
• obtain insurance clearance;
• prevent fraud and misuse of our vehicles;
• administer the hire agreement; and
• comply with legal and regulatory requirements.

5. DVLA Check Codes

Where required, we may ask you to provide a DVLA driving-licence check code.

A check code allows relevant driving-record information to be viewed using the DVLA service.

The DVLA currently requires the check code together with the last eight characters of the driving-licence number when another person checks the record. A check code is currently valid for 21 days and can be used once.

We may use the resulting information to:

• verify driving entitlement;
• check penalty points and endorsements;
• check disqualifications or restrictions;
• assess hire and insurance eligibility; and
• meet insurer requirements.

We will only access driving-record information where we have a lawful reason to do so and where any required authority or permission has been provided.

6. Identity Documents

As part of our identity and insurance-verification process, we may require additional identification.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

• a passport;
• an EEA identity card;
• another photographic identity document;
• a photographic registration card;
• a photographic credit or debit card; or
• another document acceptable under our insurance requirements.

Our declaration process may require a driving licence together with another document showing your name and address. Additional photographic identification may also be required.

We may retain copies where this is reasonably necessary to meet insurer requirements, establish identity, prevent fraud, administer the hire or establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

7. Proof of Address

We may require proof of your residential address.

This may include:

• a gas, electricity or landline telephone bill;
• a bank statement;
• a credit-card statement;
• a building-society statement; or
• another document accepted under our requirements.

These documents may contain personal or financial information that we do not need. Where permitted by our document requirements, unnecessary transactions or balances may be obscured provided your name, address, document date and other required information remain visible.

8. Insurance Declarations & Insurance Information

Before a vehicle can be hired, you may be required to complete an insurance declaration.

This may require more information than is needed merely to create a booking.

Information may include:

• age or date of birth;
• employment status;
• occupation and employer;
• driving experience and history;
• motor accidents;
• insurance claims and losses;
• whether you were at fault;
• whether an accident involved injury;
• claim values;
• accident circumstances;
• motoring convictions;
• penalty points and endorsements;
• fixed penalties;
• prosecutions;
• bans, suspensions and disqualifications;
• foreign driving offences;
• insurance refusals;
• cancelled insurance policies;
• increased premiums or special insurance conditions;
• insurance-excess information;
• DVLA-notifiable medical conditions or disabilities;
• medication or restrictions affecting driving where relevant;
• relevant changes to medical conditions previously notified to the DVLA; and
• other information reasonably required for insurance eligibility or clearance.

We may use this information to:

• obtain insurance clearance;
• determine whether you can be insured to drive;
• determine applicable insurance terms or excesses;
• meet our insurance-policy requirements;
• prevent insurance fraud;
• administer the hire; and
• protect our business and customers.

9. Special-Category & Criminal-Offence Information

Some information used in the insurance process requires additional protection under UK data-protection law.

Special-category personal data

Health and medical information, including information about disability, injury or medication, may constitute special-category personal data.

Where we process special-category information, we must identify an appropriate lawful basis for processing and an additional condition permitting the processing of that sensitive information. Further requirements under the Data Protection Act 2018 may also apply depending on the condition relied upon.

Criminal-offence information

Information about criminal convictions, offences, prosecutions or related matters is subject to separate additional requirements under UK data-protection law.

Motoring convictions, offences and related information may fall within these rules.

We may need such information to:

• assess whether insurance can be provided;
• meet insurer requirements;
• establish eligibility to hire;
• prevent fraud;
• establish, exercise or defend legal claims; and/or
• comply with legal obligations.

We aim to collect only the amount of sensitive information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

10. Information Collected Through Our Declaration System

Our declaration system forms part of our vehicle-hire, identity-verification and insurance-clearance process.

Information submitted through it is collected by or on behalf of Alco Van Hire and is covered by this Privacy Notice.

It may include:

• booking references;
• name and contact details;
• employment information;
• residential addresses;
• driving-licence information;
• DVLA check codes;
• identity documents;
• proof-of-address documents; and
• detailed insurance information.

Uploaded documents may include copies of:

• driving licences;
• passports;
• identity documents;
• proof-of-address documents; and
• other supporting documents.

Copies may be retained where necessary for insurer requirements, identity verification, insurance clearance, fraud prevention, hire administration or legal purposes.

11. Contact Forms & Enquiries

If you contact us through our website, we may collect information including:

• your name;
• email address;
• telephone number;
• vehicle requirements;
• collection and return dates;
• destination;
• purpose of hire; and
• other information you choose to provide.

We may use it to:

• respond to your enquiry;
• prepare quotations;
• provide information about our services;
• arrange or administer a booking;
• communicate with you; and
• maintain appropriate business records.

12. Email

If you contact us by email, we process the information contained in the email and any attachments.

This may include:

• your email address;
• name;
• telephone number;
• booking reference;
• documents or photographs;
• information about your hire; and
• other information contained in your correspondence.

We use email to communicate with customers, administer bookings, respond to enquiries, provide documents and manage the hire relationship.

13. WhatsApp

We may communicate using WhatsApp where you choose to contact us through that service or it is otherwise offered as a customer-communication channel.

Information may include:

• your name;
• telephone number;
• messages;
• photographs;
• documents;
• booking references;
• information about your hire; and
• other information you choose to provide.

WhatsApp is operated by a third party and information transmitted through it is also processed in accordance with the provider's own applicable privacy terms.

Where another suitable method is available, we will not normally ask you to send highly sensitive information through WhatsApp.

14. Facebook, Meta & Messenger

Our website and services may contain links or integrations associated with Facebook, Meta or Facebook Messenger.

Where relevant technology is enabled, Meta may process information such as:

• IP address;
• browser and device information;
• pages visited;
• website interactions;
• advertising or cookie identifiers; and
• interactions with Facebook or Messenger.

Non-essential advertising, measurement or tracking technologies associated with Meta will only be activated where the required consent has been obtained.

If you communicate with us through Facebook Messenger, information in that conversation may be processed by both Meta and Alco Van Hire for customer-service and communication purposes.

15. Analytics

We may use analytics services, including Google Analytics, to understand how visitors use our website and to improve it.

Analytics information may include:

• technical information associated with an IP address;
• browser type;
• operating system;
• device information;
• approximate location;
• pages visited;
• referring source;
• links clicked;
• time spent on pages;
• website interactions;
• booking-journey information; and
• other technical or usage information.

Non-essential analytics technologies will only be used where the required consent has been obtained.

16. Cookies & Similar Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar storage or access technologies.

Strictly necessary technologies

These are used where necessary for the website, security or a service requested by you to function.

Examples may include:

• session technologies;
• security technologies;
• cookie-consent preferences; and
• technologies required for booking functionality.

Consent is not normally required where the relevant statutory exemption for genuinely necessary storage or access applies.

Analytics

Analytics technologies help us understand use of our website. Where consent is required, they will not be activated before that consent is obtained.

Advertising & social-media technologies

Third-party technologies may be used for advertising, measurement, remarketing or social-media functions where the required consent has been obtained.

You can manage your choices using our cookie-consent mechanism. For more detail, see our Cookie Policy.

17. Online Booking Provider - Prohire ProWeb

Our online booking service uses Prohire ProWeb, provided by Prohire Software Limited.

Information entered into the booking system may therefore be processed and stored within Prohire systems used to provide our rental-management services.

We use these services for purposes including:

• taking and managing bookings;
• storing customer information;
• administering rental agreements;
• processing booking information;
• supporting payment functionality;
• managing customer records; and
• supporting vehicle-rental operations.

Where Prohire processes customer information on our documented instructions for the provision of services to us, it acts as a data processor. Prohire may have separate responsibilities for any processing it carries out for its own purposes.

Read Prohire's Privacy Policy

18. Payment Processing - Opayo

Online payments may be processed through Opayo, an Elavon payment-gateway service formerly known as Sage Pay.

When payment is made through the gateway, payment information may be processed by Elavon/Opayo and by relevant banks, card schemes or other organisations required to authorise and complete the transaction.

Associated information may include:

• name;
• billing information;
• payment amount;
• transaction reference;
• payment status;
• card-related transaction information;
• IP or device information used for security or fraud prevention; and
• other fraud-prevention information.

Where card credentials are entered directly into the payment gateway, those credentials are processed by the payment provider. We may receive transaction information required to confirm, reconcile and administer the payment.

Elavon/Opayo may also process information where required for its own regulatory, security and fraud-prevention responsibilities.

International processing or transfers may occur where permitted under applicable data-protection law and subject to any required safeguards.

Read the Opayo Gateway Services Privacy Notice

19. Other Booking, Payment & Service Providers

We may use other third-party booking, payment, software, communication, document-storage, insurance, fraud-prevention, hosting or business-management providers where reasonably necessary to operate our services.

Personal information may be processed by those providers to the extent necessary to provide the relevant service.

20. How We Use Your Personal Information

We may use personal information to:

1. process and administer vehicle-hire bookings;
2. provide quotations;
3. communicate with you;
4. provide vehicles and related services;
5. verify identity;
6. verify driving entitlement;
7. conduct DVLA checks;
8. assess insurance eligibility;
9. obtain insurance clearance;
10. administer insurance requirements;
11. process payments;
12. manage deposits and excesses where applicable;
13. prevent fraud and other criminal activity;
14. recover unpaid amounts;
15. investigate accidents, damage or claims;
16. comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
17. respond to legal proceedings and lawful requests;
18. enforce contractual terms;
19. protect our business, vehicles, staff and customers;
20. improve our website and services;
21. analyse website usage where permitted;
22. manage customer communications;
23. maintain appropriate business and financial records;
24. investigate complaints and disputes; and
25. establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

21. Lawful Bases for Processing

We only process personal information where an appropriate lawful basis applies.

Contract

Processing may be necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform our contract with you, including processing a booking, providing a vehicle, administering the hire and processing payment.

Legal obligation

Processing may be necessary to comply with applicable legal obligations, including accounting, tax, court, road-traffic or other statutory requirements.

Legitimate interests

We may process information where necessary for our legitimate interests or those of another person, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.

These interests may include:

• preventing fraud;
• protecting vehicles and property;
• recovering debts;
• defending legal claims;
• administering our business;
• maintaining appropriate records;
• maintaining website and information security;
• improving our services; and
• managing customer relationships.

Consent

We rely on consent where appropriate or required, including for certain non-essential cookies, analytics, advertising technologies and electronic direct marketing.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before consent was withdrawn.

22. Who May Receive Your Information?

Where reasonably necessary and lawful, information may be shared with:

• Prohire Software Limited and relevant service providers;
• providers involved in our declaration system;
• Opayo, Elavon and payment providers;
• banks and card schemes;
• our insurers and insurance intermediaries;
• the DVLA;
• fraud-prevention organisations;
• police, courts and other statutory authorities;
• breakdown and recovery providers;
• vehicle repairers;
• claims handlers and loss adjusters;
• debt-recovery organisations;
• legal and professional advisers;
• accountants and auditors;
• website hosting and IT providers;
• email and communications providers;
• WhatsApp or Meta where you use their services to communicate with us;
• Google or other analytics providers where applicable;
• advertising or social-media platforms where the required consent has been obtained;
• suppliers involved in providing your hire; and
• a purchaser, successor or adviser in connection with a sale, reorganisation or transfer of our business.

We do not sell your personal information.

23. Disclosure to Authorities & for Legal Purposes

We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary and lawful to:

• comply with legal obligations or court orders;
• respond to lawful police or authority requests;
• deal with road-traffic or parking matters;
• identify the driver of a vehicle;
• investigate suspected fraud or criminal activity;
• pursue or defend legal claims;
• recover unpaid charges; or
• protect our rights, property, staff or customers.

24. Marketing

We may contact customers about relevant services where permitted by applicable law.

Where consent is required for electronic direct marketing, we will obtain it before sending that marketing.

You can object to or unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time.

We will not use driving-licence images, identity documents, insurance declarations, medical information or other sensitive verification information for direct marketing.

25. How Long Do We Keep Your Information?

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and for relevant legal, accounting, insurance, contractual, claims or dispute-resolution requirements.

Different categories of information may therefore have different retention periods.

• Booking and hire records: retained for the period reasonably necessary for administration, accounting, contractual and legal purposes.
• Payment records: retained as required for accounting, tax, fraud-prevention, chargeback and legal purposes.
• Driving-licence and identity documents: retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for insurance, contractual, verification, evidential or legal requirements.
• Insurance declarations: retained as reasonably necessary for insurance, claims, contractual and legal purposes.
• Accident and claims information: may be retained longer where necessary to investigate, pursue or defend claims.
• Enquiries: retained for an appropriate period after the enquiry has been dealt with unless a longer period is justified.
• Marketing preferences: retained as necessary to record and respect your choices.
• Analytics information: retained according to the settings and retention periods applicable to the analytics service.
• Cookie-consent information: retained as reasonably necessary to demonstrate and respect your choices.

We do not automatically apply a single seven-year retention period to every category of personal information.

26. Where Is Your Information Stored or Processed?

Personal information may be stored or processed electronically by us and by third-party service providers.

Some providers may process or transfer information outside the UK.

Where a restricted international transfer occurs, we will take steps required by applicable UK data-protection law, including use of an appropriate transfer mechanism or safeguard where required.

27. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, alteration, disclosure or unlawful processing.

Measures may include:

• encryption in transit;
• password protection;
• access controls;
• restricted staff access;
• appropriate third-party systems;
• system updates;
• backups;
• monitoring;
• physical security; and
• procedures for managing suspected data breaches.

No method of internet transmission or electronic storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

28. Your Data-Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances and subject to applicable legal exemptions, you may have rights to:

• be informed about how your information is used;
• access your personal information;
• correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• request deletion of information;
• request restriction of processing;
• object to certain processing;
• request data portability where applicable;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
• object to direct marketing.

These rights are not absolute and whether a particular right applies depends upon the circumstances and lawful basis for the processing.

29. Automated Decision-Making

Information supplied during the booking and insurance process may be used to determine whether you meet our vehicle-hire or insurance requirements.

If we use solely automated processing to make a decision that is subject to specific restrictions or safeguards under applicable data-protection law, we will comply with those requirements.

Where applicable, those safeguards may include rights relating to human review, expressing your point of view or challenging a decision.

30. Information About Other People

If you provide information about another person, such as an additional driver, you should ensure you are entitled to provide that information.

Where appropriate, you should make that person aware of this Privacy Notice.

31. Children's Information

Our vehicle-hire services are not generally directed at children.

We do not knowingly collect children's personal information through the normal vehicle-hire process except where there is a specific legitimate reason to do so and the processing is lawful.

32. Third-Party Websites & Services

Our website may link to third-party websites or services, including DVLA/GOV.UK, Meta, Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, Prohire, Opayo/Elavon and other providers.

When you use a third-party service, its own privacy information and terms may apply.

We are not responsible for processing undertaken independently by another organisation acting as its own data controller.

33. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we have used your personal information, please contact us:

Telephone: 01962 670067

Email:

We will consider your concern and try to resolve it.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) about our handling of your personal information.

Information Commissioner's Office

34. Changes to This Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice to reflect changes to our services, information collection, technology, suppliers, booking or payment systems, applicable law or regulatory guidance.

The latest version will be published on this website.

The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will be changed when the notice is materially amended.

35. Summary of the Information We Collect

36. Important Note About This Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice describes the categories of personal information that Alco Van Hire currently expects to process and the main purposes for which that information is used.

Our booking, payment, insurance, analytics and communications services involve third-party technology providers. The precise information processed, processing location and retention period may therefore change when those services or our arrangements with them change.

We will update this Privacy Notice where a change materially affects how we process personal information.