Privacy Policy

How Audio Trader Ltd collects, uses, and protects your personal data

About Us

Audio Trader Ltd is the data controller responsible for your personal data. We are registered in England and our registered address is 2-4 Southgate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1ES. You can contact us at hello@audiotrader.co.uk.

This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Last updated: 16 March 2026.

What Data We Collect

Information you provide to us

Name, email address, phone number, and delivery address (when you place an order or submit a trade-in)
Payment information (processed securely by our payment providers - we do not store card details)
Details about items you wish to sell or trade in, including photographs
Communications you send to us (emails, contact form messages)

Information collected automatically

IP address, browser type and version, operating system
Pages you visit on our site, time spent, and referring website
Cookie data (see Cookies section below)

How We Use Your Data

We process your personal data under the following lawful bases:

Contract performance - to fulfil orders, process trade-ins, arrange collection and delivery, process payments, and communicate about your transactions.

Legitimate interests - to improve our website and services, detect and prevent fraud, analyse site usage and marketing effectiveness, and send you information about similar products and services.

Legal obligation - to comply with tax, accounting, and regulatory requirements.

Consent - to send you marketing communications where you have opted in. You can withdraw consent at any time by clicking unsubscribe in any email or contacting us.

Who We Share Your Data With

We share your data with trusted third parties who help us operate our business. We do not sell your personal data to anyone.

Shopify - our e-commerce platform that hosts our online store and processes orders
Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager - to understand how visitors use our site and measure marketing effectiveness
Microsoft Clarity - to analyse user behaviour on our site through session recordings and heatmaps
HubSpot - our CRM system used to manage trade-in submissions and customer communications
Cloudflare - for content delivery, security, and image storage
PayPal - for processing payments
Courier services - to arrange collection and delivery of items

We may also share your data with law enforcement or regulatory authorities if required by law.

International Data Transfers

Some of our third-party providers (such as Shopify, Google, HubSpot, and Cloudflare) process data outside the UK. Where this happens, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), or transfers to countries with adequate data protection as recognised by the UK government.

How Long We Keep Your Data

Order data - 6 years from the date of purchase (to comply with HMRC tax requirements)
Trade-in records - 6 years from completion (contractual and tax obligations)
Marketing contacts - until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete your data
Website analytics - 26 months (Google Analytics default retention)
Customer enquiries - 2 years from last contact unless related to an order or trade-in

Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies on our website:

Essential cookies - required for the site to function (shopping cart, authentication, security). These cannot be disabled.
Analytics cookies - Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity help us understand how visitors use our site. These collect anonymous usage data.
Marketing cookies - used for remarketing and measuring advertising effectiveness through Google and Meta (Facebook).

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may prevent parts of the site from working correctly.

Your Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

Right of access - request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Right to rectification - ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to erasure - ask us to delete your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)
Right to restrict processing - ask us to limit how we use your data
Right to data portability - receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
Right to object - object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
Right to withdraw consent - where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@audiotrader.co.uk. We will respond within one month.

Children

Our website is not intended for anyone under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

Complaints

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

Website: ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Post: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or your personal data, please contact us:

Email: hello@audiotrader.co.uk
Address: Audio Trader Ltd, 2-4 Southgate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1ES

Have questions about your personal data?