Privacy & Cookies Policy
Please read this Privacy & Cookies Policy carefully.
This Privacy & Cookies Policy (Policy) applies between you, the User of this Website and Sounds-Write, the owner and provider of this Website. Sounds-Write takes the privacy of your information very seriously. This Policy applies to our use of any and all Personal Data collected by us or provided by you in relation to your use of the Website.
This Policy should be read alongside, and in addition to, our Terms and Conditions.
1. Definitions and interpretation
1.1 In this Policy, the following definitions are used:
| Cookies | a small text file placed on your computer by this Website when you visit certain parts of the Website and/or when you use certain features of the Website. Details of the Cookies used by this Website are set out in the clause below “Cookies” and the “Cookie schedule”; |
| Data Protection Laws | any applicable law relating to the processing of Personal Data, including but not limited to the Data Protection Act 2018, the UKGDPR, Directive 96/46/EC (Personal Data Protection Directive) and the GDPR; |
| GDPR | the General Personal Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679; |
| Personal Data | collectively all personal information that you submit to Sounds-Write via the Website or otherwise. This definition incorporates, where applicable, the definitions provided in the Data Protection Laws; |
| Sounds-Write, we or us | Sounds-Write Ltd., incorporated and registered in England, with company number 04655753 whose registered office is at Whiteleaf Business Centre, 11 Little Balmer, Buckingham, MK18 1TF; |
| User or you | any third-party that accesses the Website and is not either (i) employed by Sounds-Write and acting in the course of their employment or (ii) engaged as a consultant or otherwise providing services to Sounds-Write and accessing the Website in connection with the provision of such services. This includes visitors to our Website, our clients, subcontractors and employees and representatives of our clients where applicable. |
| Website | Our proprietary web domain https://www.Sounds-Write.co.uk/ and all associated sub-domains; |
1.2 In this Policy, unless the context requires a different interpretation:
1.2.1 the singular includes the plural and vice versa;
1.2.2 references to sub-clauses, clauses, schedules or appendices are to sub-clauses, clauses, schedules or appendices of this Policy;
1.2.3 a reference to a person includes firms, companies, government entities, trusts and partnerships;
1.2.4 “including” is understood to mean “including without limitation”;
1.2.5 reference to any statutory provision includes any modification or amendment of it;
1.2.6 the headings and sub-headings do not form part of this Policy.
2. Scope of this Policy
2.1 This Policy applies only to the actions of Sounds-Write and Users with respect to this Website. It does not extend to any websites of services that can be accessed from our Website or any links we may provide to social media websites.
2.2 Throughout the Website, we may link to other websites owned and operated by certain trusted third parties to make additional products and services available to you or provide external services. These other third-party websites may also gather information about you in accordance with their own separate privacy policies. For privacy information relating to these other third-party websites, please consult their privacy policies as appropriate.
3. Personal Data collected
3.1 We may collect the following Personal Data, which includes personal data, from you:
3.1.1 name;
3.1.2 role with your company or school (where applicable);
3.1.3 e-mail address;
3.1.4 IP address;
3.1.5 web browser type and version;
3.1.6 operating system;
3.1.7 a list of URLs starting with a referring site, your activity on this Website, and the site you exit to; and
3.1.8 information about your interactions with the Website;
in each case, in accordance with this Policy.
4. How we collect Personal Data
4.1 We collect Personal Data in the following ways:
4.1.1 Personal Data is given to us by you; and
4.1.2 Personal Data is collected automatically.
4.2 We also collect, use and share Aggregated Data such as statistical or demographic data for any purpose. Aggregated Data could be derived from your Personal Data but is not considered Personal Data in law as this data will not directly or indirectly reveal your identity. For example, we may aggregate your usage data to calculate the percentage of users accessing a specific website feature. However, if we combine or connect Aggregated Data with your personal data so that it can directly or indirectly identify you, we treat the combined data as Personal Data which will be used in accordance with this Policy.
4.3 We do not collect any Special Categories of Personal Data about you (this includes details about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health, and genetic and biometric data). Nor do we collect any information about criminal convictions and offences.
5. Personal Data that is given to us by you
5.1 Sounds-Write will collect your Personal Data in a number of ways, for example:
5.1.1 when you contact us through the Website, by e-mail or through any other means;
5.1.2 when you register with us and set up an account to receive our products and services;
5.1.3 when you complete surveys that we use for research purposes (although you are not obliged to respond to them);
5.1.4 when you enter a competition or promotion through a social media channel;
5.1.5 when you elect to receive marketing communications from us;
5.1.6 when you use the Website;
in each case, in accordance with this Policy.
6. Personal Data that is collected automatically
6.1 To the extent that you access the Website, we will collect your Personal Data automatically, for example:
6.1.1 we automatically collect some information about your use of the Website. This information helps us to make improvements to content and navigation and includes your IP address, the date, times and frequency with which you access the Website and the way you use and interact with its content.
6.1.2 we will collect your Personal Data automatically using tracking technologies. For more information about these tracking technologies, and how we use them on the Website, see the section below, headed “Cookies“.
7. Our use of Personal Data
7.1 Any or all of the above Personal Data may be required by us from time to time in order to provide you with the best possible service and experience when using our Website. Specifically, Personal Data may be used by us for the following reasons:
7.1.1 internal record keeping;
7.1.2 improvement of our Website;
7.1.3 transmission by email of marketing materials that may be of interest to you;
7.1.4 contact for market research purposes which may be done using email. Such information may be used to customise or update the Website;
in each case, in accordance with this Policy.
7.2 We may use your Personal Data for the above purposes if we deem it necessary to do so for our legitimate interests. If you are not satisfied with this, you have the right to object in certain circumstances (see the section headed “Your rights” below).
7.3 For the delivery of direct marketing to you via e-mail, depending on your location and whether you are a business, we may need your consent, whether via an opt-in or soft opt-in:
7.3.1 soft opt-in consent is a specific type of consent which applies when you have previously engaged with us (for example, you contact us to ask us for more details about a particular product/service, and we are marketing similar products/services). Under “soft opt-in” consent, we will take your consent as given unless you opt-out;
7.3.2 for other types of e-marketing, where you are a consumer, we are required to obtain your explicit consent; that is, you need to take positive and affirmative action when consenting by, for example, checking a tick box that we will provide;
7.3.3 if you are not satisfied about our approach to marketing, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time. To find out how to withdraw your consent, see the section headed “Your rights” below.
7.4 When you register with us to use our Website or order products and services, the legal basis for this processing is the performance of a contract between you and us and/or taking steps, at your request, to enter into such a contract.
7.5 We may use your Personal Data to show you adverts and promotions from appropriate service providers as well as other content on other websites. If you do not want us to use your Personal Data to show you adverts and promotions from appropriate service providers as well as content on other websites, please turn off the relevant cookies (please refer to the section headed “Cookies” below).
8. Who we share Personal Data with
8.1 We may share your Personal Data with the following groups of people for the following reasons:
8.1.1 our employees, subcontractors, agents and/or professional advisors in order to obtain advice;
8.1.2 our payment processing and billing partners in order to process payments and issue refunds; and
8.1.3 third-party service providers who process Personal Data to provide analytics which help us ensure the Website runs smoothly and optimise and customise the Website for you;
in each case, in accordance with this Policy.
9. Keeping Personal Data secure
9.1 We will use technical and organisational measures to safeguard your Personal Data, for example:
9.1.1 we store your Personal Data on secure servers; and
9.1.2 payment details are encrypted using SSL technology (typically you will see a lock icon or green address bar (or both) in your browser when we use this technology.
9.2 Technical and organisational measures include measures to deal with any suspected data breach. If you suspect any misuse or loss or unauthorised access to your Personal Data, please let us know immediately by contacting us.
10. Personal Data retention
10.1 Unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law, we will only hold your Personal Data on our systems for the period necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Policy or until you request that the Personal Data be deleted.
10.2 However, please note that even if we delete your Personal Data, it may persist on backup or archival media for legal, tax or regulatory purposes or we may retain anonymised records of your historical use of the Website for analytics purposes.
11. Your rights
11.1 Depending on your location, you have the following rights in relation to your Personal Data:
11.1.1 Right of access – the right to request (i) copies of the information we hold about you at any time, or (ii) that we modify, update or delete such information. If we provide you with access to the information we hold about you, we will not charge you for this, unless your request is “manifestly unfounded or excessive.” Where we are legally permitted to do so, we may refuse your request. If we refuse your request, we will tell you the reasons why.
11.1.2 Right of correction – the right to have your Personal Data rectified if it is inaccurate or incomplete.
11.1.3 Right to erase – the right to request that we delete or remove your Personal Data from our systems.
11.1.4 Right to restrict our use of your Personal Data – the right to “block” us from using your Personal Data or limit the way in which we can use it.
11.1.5 Right to data portability – the right to request that we move, copy or transfer your Personal Data.
11.1.6 Right to object – the right to object to our use of your Personal Data including where we use it for our legitimate interests.
11.2 To make enquiries, exercise any of your rights set out above, or withdraw your consent to the processing of your Personal Data (where consent is our legal basis for processing your Personal Data), please contact us. We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as is practicable or within a reasonable timeframe.
11.3 If you are not satisfied with the way a complaint you make in relation to your Personal Data is handled by us, you may be able to refer your complaint to the relevant data protection authority.
11.4 It is important that the Personal Data we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your Personal Data changes during the period for which we hold it.
12. Transfers to third countries
12.1 This clause only applies to residents of the UK or EEA or countries that follow the GDPR regime.
12.2 Personal Data which we collect from you may be stored and processed in and transferred to countries outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) which have not been deemed safe third countries by the European Commission. For example, this could occur if our servers are located in a country outside the EEA or one of our service providers is situated in a country outside the EEA. We also share information with our group companies, some of which are located outside the EEA.
12.3 We will only transfer Personal Data outside the EEA where it is compliant with data protection legislation and the means of transfer provides adequate safeguards in relation to your data, for example by way of Standard Contractual Clauses adopted by the European Commission in June 2021 or the UK addendum to the same.
12.4 To ensure that your Personal Data receives an adequate level of protection, we have put in place appropriate safeguards and procedures with the third parties we share your Personal Data with. This ensures your Personal Data is treated by those third parties in a way that is consistent with the Data Protection Laws.
13. Changes of business ownership and control
13.1 Sounds-Write may, from time to time, expand or reduce its business and this may involve the sale and/or the transfer of control of all or part of Sounds-Write. Personal Data provided by Users will, where it is relevant to any part of our business so transferred, be transferred along with that part and the new owner or newly controlling party will, under the terms of this Policy, be permitted to use the Personal Data for the purposes for which it was originally supplied to us.
13.2 We may also disclose Personal Data to a prospective purchaser of our business or any part of it.
13.3 In the above instances, we will take steps with the aim of ensuring your privacy is protected.
14. Cookies
14.1 This Website may place and access certain Cookies on your computer. Sounds-Write uses Cookies to improve your experience of using the Website and to improve our range of products services. Sounds-Write has carefully chosen these Cookies and has taken steps to ensure that your privacy is protected and respected at all times.
14.2 All Cookies used by the Website are used in accordance with the Data Protection Laws.
14.3 Before the Website places Cookies on your computer, you will be presented with a message bar requesting your consent to set those Cookies. By giving your consent to the placing of Cookies, you are enabling Sounds-Write to provide a better experience and service to you. You may, if you wish, deny consent to the placing of Cookies; however certain features of the Website may not function fully or as intended.
14.4 This Website may place the following Cookies:
| Type of Cookie | Purpose |
| Strictly necessary Cookies | These are Cookies that are required for the operation of our Website. They include, for example, Cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our Website, use a shopping cart or make use of e-billing services. |
| Analytical/performance Cookies | They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our Website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our Website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily. |
| Functionality Cookies | These are used to recognise you when you return to our Website. This enables us to personalise our content for you, greet you by name and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of language or region). |
| Targeting Cookies | These Cookies record your visit to our Website, the pages you have visited and the links you have followed. We will use this information to make our Website and the advertising displayed on it more relevant to your interests. We may also share this information with third parties for this purpose. |
14.5 You can find a list of Cookies that we use in the Cookie schedule.
14.6 You can choose to enable or disable Cookies in your internet browser. By default, most internet browsers accept Cookies but this can be changed. For further details, please consult the help menu in your internet browser.
14.7 You can choose to delete Cookies at any time, however you may lose any information that enables you to access the Website more quickly and efficiently including, but not limited to, personalisation settings.
14.8 It is recommended that you ensure that your internet browser is up-to-date and that you consult the help and guidance provided by the developer of your internet browser if you are unsure about adjusting your privacy settings.
15. Changes to this Policy
Sounds-Write reserves the right to change this Policy as we may deem necessary from time to time or as may be required by law. Any changes will be immediately posted on the Website and you are deemed to have accepted the terms of the Policy on your first use of the Website following the alterations.
Cookie schedule
Below is a list of the Cookies that we use. We have tried to ensure this is complete and up to date, but if you think that we have missed a Cookie or there is any discrepancy, please contact us to let us know.
Strictly necessary
We use the following strictly necessary cookies:
| Description of Cookie | Purpose |
| N/A |
Analytical/performance
We use the following analytical/performance Cookies:
| Description of Cookie | Purpose |
|
Sbjs_migrations Sbjs_first_add Sbjs_first Sbjs_current_add Sbjs_udata Duration before expiry – 6 months |
This is set by our shopping cart software Woocommerce to help identify where orders have come from. |
|
Sbjs_session Duration before expiry – session only |
This is set by our shopping cart software Woocommerce to help identify where orders have come from. |
|
_ga Duration before expiry – 2 years |
Google Analytics – To store and count pageviews. |
|
_ga_* Duration before expiry – 1 year |
Google Analytics – To store and count pageviews. |
Functionality
We use the following functionality Cookies:
| Description of Cookie | Purpose |
|
__stripe_mid Duration before expiry – 1 year |
Stripe – to provide fraud prevention during online payments. |
|
__stripe_sid Duration before expiry – 30 minutes |
Stripe – to provide fraud prevention during online payments |
|
cookieyes-consent Duration before expiry – 1 year |
Functionality is to identify if a user has accepted or declined Cookies on the website. |
|
Tk_ai Duration before expiry – session only |
Used by our shopping cart software Woocommerce to store a unique user ID. |
|
Wp_lang Duration before expiry – session only |
Used by our website to understand the language you are using. |
|
Woocommerce_item s_in_cart Duration before expiry – session only |
Used by our shopping cart software Woocommerce to store items in shopping cart. |
|
Woocommerce_cart _hash Duration before expiry – 1 day |
Used by our shopping cart software Woocommerce to store items in shopping cart. |
|
Wp_woocommerce_ session_* Duration before expiry – session only |
Used by our shopping cart software Woocommerce to store performed actions on the website. |
Targeting
We use the following targeting Cookies:
| Description of Cookie | Purpose |
| N/A |