Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Stranded Vehicle Assist collects, uses and protects your personal information when you use our services or contact us. We are committed to handling your personal data responsibly and in accordance with UK data protection law.
1Who We Are
Stranded Vehicle Assist is a sole trader mobile vehicle assistance business operated by Dean, based in Honiton, Devon. We are the data controller for the personal information you provide when using our services or contacting us.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Trading name | Stranded Vehicle Assist |
| Data controller | Dean (sole trader) |
| Base of operations | Honiton, Devon, EX14 |
| Contact email | info@strandedvehicleassist.co.uk |
| Contact telephone | 07300 115030 |
| Website | strandedvehicleassist.co.uk |
As a sole trader, Stranded Vehicle Assist is not currently required to register with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), as we process personal data only for the purpose of operating our business and not in ways that require mandatory registration. However, we are fully committed to complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
2Personal Data We Collect
We collect only the personal data necessary to provide our services and operate our business. The types of data we collect depend on how you interact with us.
When You Contact Us or Request a Service
| Data | Why we collect it |
|---|---|
| Your name | To address you correctly and maintain service records |
| Contact telephone number | To communicate regarding your callout, confirm arrival and follow up if needed |
| Location or address | To attend your location and provide the service |
| Vehicle registration number | To identify the vehicle, confirm ownership and match to service records |
| Vehicle make and model | To bring the correct equipment and tools for your vehicle type |
When You Contact Us by Email
We will retain your email address and the contents of your email message in order to respond to your enquiry and maintain a record of correspondence.
When You Visit Our Website
Our website may collect standard technical data including your IP address, browser type and pages visited via cookies and analytics tools. See Section 7 (Cookies) for more detail.
What We Do Not Collect
We do not collect payment card details directly — any card payments are processed through third-party payment processors who hold their own data protection responsibilities. We do not collect sensitive personal data (such as health information, ethnicity or political views) and do not request this from customers.
3How We Use Your Personal Data
We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:
- Providing the requested service — attending your location, carrying out vehicle entry, diagnostics or jump start, and communicating with you before and during the callout
- Confirming your identity and right to access the vehicle — particularly for emergency vehicle entry, where we are required to verify ownership or authority before proceeding
- Sending a diagnostic report — where you have requested an on-site diagnostics service, we will email a PDF fault report to the contact email address you provide
- Maintaining service records — keeping internal records of callouts for business administration, quality assurance and legal compliance purposes
- Responding to enquiries — replying to emails, messages or callbacks relating to our services
- Complying with legal obligations — cooperating with police or other authorities where required by law, particularly in cases of suspected vehicle theft
We do not use your personal data for marketing purposes and will not contact you with unsolicited promotions or offers. We do not sell your personal data to any third party under any circumstances.
4Legal Basis for Processing
Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. The legal bases we rely on are as follows:
| Purpose | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Providing the service you have requested | Performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b) UK GDPR) — processing is necessary to carry out the service you have requested |
| Verifying ownership before vehicle entry | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) UK GDPR) — we have a legitimate interest in verifying ownership to protect against facilitating vehicle theft |
| Maintaining business records | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) UK GDPR) — we have a legitimate interest in keeping records for business administration and legal compliance |
| Responding to enquiries | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) UK GDPR) — processing is necessary to respond to your communication |
| Complying with legal obligations | Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c) UK GDPR) — where we are required by law to share information with authorities |
5Data Sharing
We do not sell, rent or trade your personal data with third parties. We may share your data in the following limited circumstances only:
Law Enforcement and Legal Requirements
We may disclose your personal data to the police or other law enforcement authorities where we are legally required to do so, or where we have a reasonable belief that disclosure is necessary to prevent or detect a crime — in particular, in cases where vehicle theft is suspected.
Service Providers
We may use third-party services to operate our business — for example, email hosting, website hosting and analytics tools. These providers may process personal data on our behalf as data processors. Where this is the case, we ensure that appropriate data processing agreements are in place and that these providers comply with UK GDPR requirements.
Website Analytics
Our website may use analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) that collect anonymised or pseudonymised data about how visitors use the website. This data is used to improve our website and does not identify individual visitors. Where analytics data is transferred outside the UK, appropriate safeguards are in place.
No International Transfers Without Safeguards
We do not intentionally transfer your personal data outside the United Kingdom. Where any service provider stores data outside the UK, we ensure that appropriate transfer mechanisms are in place in accordance with UK GDPR requirements.
6Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law.
| Data type | Retention period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Callout records (name, vehicle, location, service) | Up to 6 years | General business records retention and potential legal claims |
| Email correspondence | Up to 3 years | Business correspondence records |
| Contact telephone numbers | Up to 12 months after last contact | Customer relationship and service follow-up |
| Vehicle registration numbers | Up to 6 years | Service records and legal compliance |
| Website analytics data | As per the analytics provider's retention policy (typically 26 months) | Website performance analysis |
When personal data is no longer required, it is deleted or anonymised securely.
7Cookies & Website Tracking
Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to improve your experience and to understand how the website is used.
Types of Cookies We Use
| Cookie type | Purpose | Can be declined? |
|---|---|---|
| Essential cookies | Required for the website to function correctly — for example, security and session management | No — necessary for site operation |
| Analytics cookies | Used to understand how visitors use the website (e.g. Google Analytics). Data is anonymised or pseudonymised | Yes — via cookie consent preferences |
| Functional cookies | Remember preferences to improve your experience on return visits | Yes — via cookie consent preferences |
Where we use non-essential cookies, we will ask for your consent before placing them on your device. You can withdraw consent and manage cookie preferences at any time through your browser settings or by contacting us.
For full details of how Google Analytics processes data, please refer to Google's Privacy Policy.
8Your Rights Under UK GDPR
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, you have the following rights regarding your personal data. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 11.
Please note: Some of these rights are not absolute and may not apply in all circumstances. Where we are unable to comply with a request, we will explain the reason. We will not charge a fee for exercising your rights unless a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.
9Children's Data
Our services are not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected personal data relating to a child, please contact us immediately at info@strandedvehicleassist.co.uk and we will take prompt steps to delete it.
In cases where a child or pet is reported to be inside a locked vehicle, we will collect only the information necessary to attend and resolve the situation as quickly as possible. Such callouts are treated as an immediate priority.
10Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services or legal obligations. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. The current version of this Privacy Policy is always available at strandedvehicleassist.co.uk/privacy-policy/.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Continued use of our services following any update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
11Contact Us & Complaints
Exercising Your Rights or Asking Questions
To exercise any of your data protection rights, ask a question about this Privacy Policy, or raise a concern about how we handle your personal data, please contact us:
- Email: info@strandedvehicleassist.co.uk
- Telephone: 07300 115030
We aim to respond to all data protection requests within one calendar month. If a request is particularly complex, we may extend this by up to two further months and will inform you of the extension within the first month.
Right to Complain to the ICO
If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your personal data or responded to your request, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) — the UK's independent supervisory authority for data protection.
- ICO website: ico.org.uk
- ICO helpline: 0303 123 1113
- ICO address: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns directly before you contact the ICO, but you are entitled to contact them at any time.
Questions About Your Data?
Contact Dean directly — your data protection queries go to the same person who runs the business. No third party, no ticket system, no delays beyond what the law requires.