Privacy Policy

Last updated: 10 August 2026

1. About this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how The Tool Guys Ltd collects, uses, stores and shares personal information when you:

Visit https://thetoolguys.co.uk
Create or use a customer account
Place an order
Contact us by email, telephone, WhatsApp or through our contact form
Visit or collect an order from our shop
Request a return, refund, repair or warranty service
Otherwise interact with The Tool Guys Ltd

We process personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act 2018 and other applicable UK data-protection and privacy laws, as amended from time to time.

2. Who we are

The data controller responsible for your personal information is:

The Tool Guys Ltd
Company number: 15772207

Registered office and trading address:

14 Bridge Street
Darwen
Lancashire
BB3 2AA
United Kingdom

Email: info@thetoolguys.co.uk
Telephone: 07990 658695
Website: https://thetoolguys.co.uk

In this policy, “The Tool Guys”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean The Tool Guys Ltd.

3. Personal information we collect

The personal information we collect depends on how you use our website and services.

Identity and contact information

This may include:

Your name
Billing address
Delivery address
Email address
Telephone number
Company name, where provided
Customer account details

Order and transaction information

This may include:

Products ordered
Order number
Order value
Discounts applied
Delivery method
Payment status
Refund information
Collection information
Purchase history
Invoice and receipt information

Payments are processed through the payment provider made available at checkout. We do not normally receive or store your complete payment-card number, security code or full payment credentials.

We may receive limited payment information such as:

Payment method
Payment status
Transaction reference
The last digits of a payment card
Billing name and address
Fraud-screening result

Account information

If you create an account, we may process:

Your username
Encrypted password
Saved billing and delivery addresses
Order history
Account preferences
Login and security information

We cannot see your password in readable form.

Communications

This may include information you provide when you:

Send an email
Telephone us
Contact us through WhatsApp
Complete a website contact form
Ask a product question
Make a complaint
Leave a review
Contact us about an order

We may keep a record of the communication and any action taken.

Returns, refunds and warranty information

When you request assistance with a return, refund, damaged product or warranty claim, we may collect:

Your name and contact details
Order number
Product make and model
Details of the problem
Photographs or videos of the product
Serial numbers or inventory numbers
Collection or return address
Return tracking information
Repair, replacement or refund records

Please avoid including people, documents or unrelated personal information in product photographs or videos.

Technical and usage information

When you use our website, we may collect:

IP address
Browser type and version
Device type
Operating system
Screen size
Pages visited
Date and time of visits
Referring website or traffic source
Website navigation and interactions
Shopping-basket and checkout activity
Technical errors
Cookie and consent preferences
Pseudonymous visitor and session identifiers

Some of this information is collected using cookies and similar technologies.

Analytics information

Where you have provided the required consent, we use:

Google Analytics 4
Microsoft Clarity
WooCommerce order-attribution technology

Microsoft Clarity may create visual reconstructions of website interactions, including clicks, scrolling and navigation. Sensitive form fields are intended to be masked.

We do not intentionally provide customer names, email addresses, telephone numbers, delivery addresses, payment details or complete form contents to Google Analytics or Microsoft Clarity as custom identifiers.

More information is available in our Cookie Policy:

Cookie Policy

Information from other sources

We may receive personal information from:

Payment providers
Delivery companies
Fraud-prevention and security providers
Website, hosting and ecommerce service providers
WhatsApp, where you contact us through that service
Another person acting on your behalf
Public sources where reasonably necessary to verify business information or investigate fraud
Marketplaces or sales platforms where an order or enquiry involves The Tool Guys Ltd

When information is received from another source, we use it only where we have a lawful reason to do so.

Special-category information

We do not normally need or intentionally collect sensitive personal information concerning matters such as health, religion, ethnicity, political opinions, sexual orientation or biometric information.

Please do not provide sensitive information unless it is genuinely necessary for us to deal with your request.

4. How we collect personal information

We collect information:

Directly from you when you place an order, create an account, contact us or visit our shop
Automatically when you use our website
From payment and delivery providers involved in fulfilling an order
From fraud-prevention and security services
From someone authorised to act for you
From external platforms where you choose to communicate with us

5. How we use personal information and our lawful bases

We only process personal information where we have a lawful basis.

Processing and fulfilling orders

We use identity, contact, order and payment-status information to:

Accept and process orders
Take or confirm payment
Send order confirmations
Arrange delivery or collection
Provide receipts and invoices
Keep customers informed about their orders

Lawful basis: Performance of a contract or taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.

Delivering orders

We use names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers to arrange delivery and provide tracking information.

Lawful basis: Performance of a contract.

Providing customer service

We use personal information to:

Answer enquiries
Provide product information
Resolve order problems
Deal with complaints
Provide after-sales support

Lawful basis: Performance of a contract and our legitimate interest in providing effective customer service and operating our business.

Managing returns, refunds and warranty claims

We use order, contact and product information to assess and resolve:

Cancellation requests
Returns
Refunds
Faulty-product claims
Delivery damage
Warranty claims
Repairs and replacements

Lawful basis: Performance of a contract, compliance with legal obligations and our legitimate interest in resolving customer issues and defending or establishing legal claims.

Managing customer accounts

We use personal information to create, maintain and secure customer accounts and provide access to order history and saved information.

Lawful basis: Performance of a contract and our legitimate interest in providing convenient and secure account functionality.

Preventing fraud and protecting our website

We may process technical, payment-status, account and transaction information to:

Detect and prevent fraud
Prevent unauthorised account access
Protect our customers, employees and business
Investigate suspicious activity
Maintain website and payment security
Enforce our terms

Lawful basis: Our legitimate interests in preventing fraud, securing our systems and protecting our business and customers. Processing may also be necessary to comply with legal obligations.

Meeting legal, accounting and tax obligations

We retain and use transaction and business records to:

Maintain accounting records
Prepare tax returns and accounts
Respond to lawful requests
Comply with consumer-protection requirements
Demonstrate compliance with applicable laws
Establish, exercise or defend legal claims

Lawful basis: Compliance with legal obligations and our legitimate interest in maintaining accurate records and protecting our legal rights.

Operating and improving the website

We use limited technical information to:

Maintain website functionality
Diagnose errors
Monitor security
Improve speed and usability
Understand general website performance

Strictly necessary processing is based on our legitimate interests in operating a secure and functional ecommerce website.

Non-essential analytics and session-recording technologies are used only where the required consent has been provided.

Analytics

Where you consent, we use Google Analytics 4, Microsoft Clarity and WooCommerce attribution information to understand:

How visitors reach the website
Which pages are used
Where visitors experience difficulties
General website navigation
Which traffic sources lead to orders
How the website can be improved

Lawful basis: Consent.

You may reject or withdraw analytics consent through our cookie controls.

Marketing

We do not currently use customer contact details for general promotional email or SMS marketing.

Order confirmations, delivery updates, responses to enquiries and service communications are not marketing messages.

If we introduce email or SMS marketing, we will provide the required choices, comply with applicable direct-marketing rules and update this policy where necessary.

6. When information must be provided

Certain information is required to enter into and perform a sales contract, including:

Your name
Contact information
Billing information
Delivery or collection information
Information needed to process payment

If this information is not provided, we may be unable to accept, deliver or complete an order.

Optional information will be identified as such where appropriate.

We share personal information only where reasonably necessary.

Recipients may include:

Payment providers

Payment providers process payments, refunds, fraud checks and transaction information.

Their own privacy information applies to the processing they carry out as independent controllers.

Delivery companies

We share the information necessary to deliver and track orders with delivery providers, including:

DPD
Royal Mail
Other specialist carriers where required for a particular product or destination

This will normally include your name, delivery address, telephone number, email address and order delivery information.

Website and ecommerce providers

Information may be processed by providers supporting:

Website hosting
WordPress and WooCommerce functionality
Customer accounts
Website security
Backups
Technical maintenance
Email and order notifications
Database and cloud services

Analytics providers

Where consent has been provided, technical and usage information may be processed by:

Google Analytics 4
Microsoft Clarity

If you contact us through WhatsApp, your message and associated information will also be processed by WhatsApp and its related service providers under their own privacy terms.

You are not required to use WhatsApp and may contact us by email or telephone instead.

Professional advisers

We may share information where necessary with:

Accountants
Tax advisers
Solicitors
Insurers
Banks
Auditors
Other professional advisers

Public authorities and legal recipients

We may disclose information where required or permitted by law, including to:

HM Revenue & Customs
The police
Courts and tribunals
Regulators
Government agencies
Fraud-prevention bodies
Enforcement authorities

Business transfers

If all or part of our business is sold, reorganised or transferred, relevant customer and business information may be disclosed to professional advisers and prospective or actual purchasers.

Any recipient will be required to protect the information and use it only for the permitted purpose.

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

8. International transfers

Some service providers, including Google, Microsoft, payment providers and technology suppliers, may process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we use appropriate protections where required, which may include:

UK adequacy regulations
The UK International Data Transfer Agreement
The UK Addendum to approved standard contractual clauses
Contractual and technical safeguards
Another transfer mechanism permitted by UK data-protection law

Further information about a particular transfer or safeguard may be requested using the contact details in this policy.

9. How long we retain personal information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, tax, accounting, fraud-prevention and dispute-resolution requirements.

Our normal retention periods are:

Orders, invoices, payments and accounting records: normally six years after the end of the relevant accounting period
Customer account information: while the account remains active and normally for up to six years after the last transaction
Customer-service enquiries not connected with an order: normally up to two years after the enquiry is closed
Returns, refunds, complaints and warranty records: normally up to six years after the matter is closed
Abandoned or unsuccessful checkout information: normally up to 12 months, unless required for fraud prevention or linked to a completed transaction
Security and technical logs: normally up to 12 months, unless required for an investigation or security incident
Cookie-consent records: for as long as reasonably necessary to demonstrate the consent choice and compliance with applicable law
Analytics information: according to the retention periods described in our Cookie Policy and the settings of the relevant analytics provider

We may retain information for longer where:

A complaint or legal claim is ongoing or reasonably anticipated
The law requires a longer period
The information is needed to investigate fraud or security incidents
A court, regulator or public authority requires it

Information may be securely deleted or anonymised when it is no longer needed. Anonymised information that can no longer identify an individual may be kept for statistical and business-analysis purposes.

10. How we protect personal information

We use reasonable organisational and technical safeguards designed to protect personal information from:

Unauthorised access
Accidental loss
Improper disclosure
Alteration
Misuse
Destruction

These measures may include:

Encrypted website connections
Access controls
Password protection
Software and security updates
Backups
Payment-provider security controls
Restricted access to customer information
Staff and contractor confidentiality requirements

No internet transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Customers should use a strong, unique password and keep their account credentials confidential.

If you believe your account or information has been compromised, contact us promptly.

11. Cookies and similar technologies

We use strictly necessary cookies for functions including:

Shopping baskets
Checkout
Customer accounts
Website security
Remembering cookie choices

Where you provide consent, we also use analytics technologies including Google Analytics 4, Microsoft Clarity and WooCommerce order attribution.

Our Cookie Policy explains:

The cookies we use
Their purposes
Their providers
Their duration
How to accept or reject them
How to change or withdraw consent

Cookie Policy:

Cookie Policy

12. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

Access your information

You may ask for confirmation that we process your personal information and request a copy of that information.

Correct inaccurate information

You may ask us to correct inaccurate information or complete information that is incomplete.

Request deletion

You may ask us to delete personal information where there is no longer a lawful reason for us to keep it.

This right does not apply where information must be retained for legal, accounting, fraud-prevention or legal-claim purposes.

Restrict processing

You may ask us to restrict how information is used in certain circumstances.

Object to processing

You may object where processing is based on legitimate interests.

We will consider the objection and stop processing unless we have compelling legitimate reasons to continue or the information is required for legal claims.

Data portability

Where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out automatically, you may have the right to receive information you provided in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

Withdrawal does not affect processing that lawfully took place before consent was withdrawn.

Analytics consent can be changed through our cookie controls.

Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office

You may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you believe your personal information has been used unlawfully.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal conditions or exemptions.

We will normally respond to a valid request within one month. We may request information reasonably necessary to confirm your identity and locate the relevant records.

You will not normally be charged for exercising your rights. A reasonable fee may be charged, or a request may be refused, where permitted by law because it is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

To exercise a right, contact:

Email: info@thetoolguys.co.uk
Telephone: 07990 658695

Or write to:

The Tool Guys Ltd
14 Bridge Street
Darwen
Lancashire
BB3 2AA
United Kingdom

13. Automated decision-making

The Tool Guys Ltd does not currently make decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects on customers.

Payment and fraud-prevention providers may use automated systems to assess transactions. This may result in a payment being declined or referred for additional checks. Further information about that processing is available from the relevant provider.

14. Children’s information

Our website and products are not directed at children under 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children for marketing or profiling purposes.

If you believe a child has provided personal information without appropriate authority, please contact us so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.

15. External websites and services

Our website may contain links to other websites and services.

The Tool Guys Ltd also operates Sell Tools Online, our tool-buying and sourcing service. When you leave The Tool Guys website and use Sell Tools Online, the privacy information published on that website applies to the information collected through that service.

Other external websites are responsible for their own privacy practices. We recommend reading their privacy information before providing personal data.

16. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when:

Our services change
We use new providers
Our data-processing activities change
Legal requirements change
We introduce new website functionality

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

Where a change materially affects how existing personal information is used, we will take reasonable steps to bring it to the attention of affected individuals before the new use begins.

17. Questions and complaints

Questions, requests or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our use of personal information should be sent to:

The Tool Guys Ltd