Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Ransom Spares.co.uk Ltd ("we", "us", "our") operates the repair.help website (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our Service.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Data Controller

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide

• Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, postal address
• Appliance Information: Type, brand, model, age, fault description
• Payment Information: Processed securely via Stripe (we do not store card details)
• Communication Data: Emails, diagnostic reports, support queries

3.2 Information Automatically Collected

• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on site
• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system
• Cookies: Session cookies, preference cookies, analytics cookies

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

• Process and manage repair bookings
• Communicate with you about your booking
• Process payments via Stripe
• Provide AI-powered diagnostic services
• Send booking confirmations and updates
• Improve our services and user experience
• Comply with legal obligations
• Prevent fraud and ensure security

4.1 AI and Automated Processing

We use artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance our services and provide better support. We are committed to using AI responsibly while protecting your privacy.

How We Use AI

• DiagnoSys Diagnostic Service: AI-powered analysis to help diagnose appliance faults and provide repair recommendations
• Customer Support Chat: AI assistance to answer questions, provide booking guidance, and offer immediate support
• Service Improvement: Analysis of anonymised patterns to enhance our services and user experience

Your Privacy is Protected

We NEVER send your personal information to AI providers. This includes:

• Email addresses
• Phone numbers
• Postal addresses
• Names or other identifying information
• Payment details

What Data AI Systems Process

AI systems only receive sanitised, non-personal information:

• Problem Descriptions: Sanitised descriptions of appliance faults with personal details removed
• Appliance Information: Type, brand, model, and age of appliances
• Error Codes: Technical fault codes and symptoms
• Reference Data: Non-identifying booking references for verified bookings only
• General Queries: Questions about services, pricing, and availability

Security Measures

We implement robust security measures for all AI interactions:

• Prompt Injection Protection: Advanced filtering to prevent manipulation of AI systems
• Input Sanitisation: All data is cleaned and validated before processing
• Rate Limiting: Restrictions on request frequency to prevent abuse
• Quality Monitoring: AI responses are monitored for accuracy, safety, and appropriateness
• Session Management: Secure handling of chat sessions with automatic timeouts

Human Oversight

While AI assists with diagnostics and support, all final booking decisions and actual repairs are handled by qualified human professionals. AI recommendations are provided as guidance only and do not replace professional assessment by our experienced engineers.

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on:

• Contract Performance: To provide the services you've requested
• Legitimate Interests: To improve our services and prevent fraud
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws and regulations
• Consent: For marketing communications (where applicable)

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

6.1 Service Providers

We share your information with carefully selected third parties who assist us in providing our services:

• Pacifica Group Ltd: Our repair service partner who performs the repairs
• Payment Processors: Secure payment handling and transaction processing
• Communication Services: Email delivery and customer notifications
• Address Validation: UK address lookup and verification services
• Infrastructure Providers: Secure data storage and hosting services
• AI Service Providers: Processing of sanitised, non-personal data for diagnostics and support (no personal information shared)

6.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data:

• SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
• Secure database storage with access controls
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Employee training on data protection
• Incident response procedures

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for:

• Booking Data: 3 years for warranty and service history
• Financial Records: 7 years for tax and accounting purposes
• Diagnostic Data: 1 year for service improvement
• Marketing Data: Until you unsubscribe

9. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Erasure: Request deletion of your data (subject to legal obligations)
• Restriction: Limit processing of your data
• Portability: Receive your data in a portable format
• Object: Object to certain types of processing
• Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@repair.help.

10. Cookies

We use cookies to:

• Remember your preferences
• Understand how you use our Service
• Improve user experience
• Provide security features

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some features of the Service.

11. International Transfers

Some of our service providers operate outside the UK. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:

• Standard contractual clauses approved by the ICO
• Adequacy decisions for certain countries
• Your explicit consent where required

12. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have collected data from a child, please contact us.

13. Marketing Communications

We may send you marketing communications about our services if you have opted in. You can unsubscribe at any time by:

• Clicking the unsubscribe link in any email
• Contacting us at privacy@repair.help
• Updating your preferences in your account

14. Third-Party Links

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review their privacy policies before providing personal information.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

16. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

17. Contact Us

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact: