DATA PRIVACY & UK GDPR COMPLIANCE

Privacy & Cookie Policy

MC Plumbing Solutions is committed to respecting your privacy, protecting personal data, and maintaining transparency under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018.

Effective Date: 1 January 2026•Last Updated: September 2026•Statutory Authority: UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

Strict ConfidentialityWe never sell, rent, or trade your personal data to marketing third parties.

Service-Led ProcessingData collected solely for emergency dispatch, triage, and invoicing.

Full User RightsAccess, rectify, or request erasure of your data at any time.

1. Data Controller Information

1.1. Under UK data protection law, the Data Controller responsible for your personal information is MC Plumbing Solutions, trading online at www.mcplumbingsolutions.co.uk.

1.2. If you have any inquiries regarding how your data is handled, you can reach our designated Data Protection Lead via:

Email: info@mcplumbingsolutions.co.uk
Telephone: +44 7749 775377
Primary Service Base: Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Buckinghamshire & Bedfordshire, UK

2. Lawful Bases for Processing (UK GDPR Article 6)

We process your personal information strictly under legitimate legal grounds recognized by the UK GDPR:

Contractual Performance (Art. 6(1)(b))

Necessary to dispatch an emergency engineer to your property, diagnose plumbing failures, provide quotations, and carry out repair contracts.

Legal Obligation (Art. 6(1)(c))

Required to satisfy statutory UK accounting, VAT, HMRC financial record-keeping, and legal compliance mandates.

Legitimate Interests (Art. 6(1)(f))

Necessary to prevent fraud, manage customer disputes, secure our IT networks, and coordinate efficient regional engineer routing.

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a))

Applies where you give explicit consent, such as opting in to optional analytics cookies through our Cookie Consent banner.

3. Personal Data We Collect

Depending on your interaction with MC Plumbing Solutions, we may collect and process:

•Contact & Identification Data: Full name, telephone number(s), and email address.
•Location & Property Details: Physical service address, postal code, and specific access instructions or key safe codes provided to enable engineer entry.
•Diagnostic Information & Media: Written descriptions of leaks or blockages, and any photographs, video clips, or audio notes you transmit via WhatsApp or email to assist emergency triage.
•Transaction & Invoicing Data: Date of service, breakdown of labor, replacement parts installed, payment amount, and payment confirmation status. (Note: We do not store raw debit or credit card numbers; card transactions are processed securely via encrypted, PCI-DSS compliant payment terminals).
•Technical & Website Usage Data: Anonymized IP addresses, browser version, operating system, and pages viewed, used exclusively for security and performance optimization.

4. WhatsApp Communications & Mobile Messaging

4.1. When you contact us via WhatsApp (+44 7749 775377), your messages and media are transmitted via WhatsApp (operated by Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd) subject to WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption protocols.

4.2. We use WhatsApp exclusively to coordinate urgent plumber attendance, verify your location, view pipework photographs to select suitable copper/plastic fittings before arriving, and send live arrival status updates. Media files sent for diagnostic purposes are stored securely on our dispatch devices and deleted once no longer needed for warranty or record validation.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

5.1. A cookie is a small text file placed on your device when you visit our website. In accordance with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and UK GDPR, we distinguish between:

Strictly Necessary Cookies (Always Active)

Required for basic site operation, server load balancing, security certificates, and remembering your consent preferences. These cookies do not store personally identifiable data and cannot be turned off.

Performance & Analytics Cookies (Optional)

Collects aggregated, non-personally identifiable metrics on page visits, error rates, and load times to help us optimize emergency plumbing advice guides and regional page performance.

5.2. Managing Your Preferences: You can modify or withdraw your cookie consent at any time by clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer or by adjusting your browser cookie controls.

6. Data Sharing & Third-Party Processors

6.1. We do not sell, license, or lease your personal data to marketing third parties.

6.2. We share data solely with trusted third-party technical service providers under binding data processing agreements that mandate stringent security:

Payment Processors: To authorize and settle on-site card payments under PCI-DSS standards;
Accounting Software: To generate legally compliant HMRC invoices and VAT records;
Cloud & Telephony Infrastructure: Secure UK/EU data centres that host our website and emergency telephone routing;
Law Enforcement & Legal Authorities: Only when strictly required by a court order, legal mandate, or fraud investigation.

7. Data Retention Periods

7.1. We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was gathered:

Invoice & Accounting Records: Retained for 6 years following the end of the relevant financial tax year in accordance with UK HMRC statutory guidelines;
Emergency Job & Warranty Records: Retained for the duration of the workmanship guarantee (up to 12 months for record reconciliation);
Diagnostic Media (WhatsApp photos/videos): Deleted within 90 days following invoice settlement unless required for dispute resolution.

8. Your Statutory Rights Under UK GDPR

Under Chapter 3 of the UK GDPR, you have comprehensive rights concerning your personal data:

Right of Access (SAR): Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated details.

Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data where no overriding legal duty exists.

Right to Restriction: Request limitation of processing under specific legal disputes.

Right to Data Portability: Obtain your data in a structured, commonly used electronic format.

Right to Object: Object to processing carried out under our legitimate interests.

To exercise any of these rights, please email us at info@mcplumbingsolutions.co.uk. We respond to all verified Subject Access Requests free of charge within one calendar month.

9. Right to Lodge a Complaint with the ICO

If you believe your personal data has been handled in breach of UK data protection laws, we encourage you to contact us first so we can promptly address your concern. However, you have the right at any time to lodge a formal complaint with the UK supervisory authority:

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Helpline: 0303 123 1113 | Website: ico.org.uk

10. Updates to this Privacy Policy

We may periodically update this policy to reflect operational changes, legal updates, or service expansions across our regional hubs. The latest revision date is always noted at the top of this document. Continued use of our services following an update constitutes acceptance of the modified terms.

Have a privacy or data inquiry?

Contact our data protection lead directly.

Email Data Lead +44 7749 775377