Sandown Communications Policy

1. What is Personal Information?

Personal information is information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. An identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

We do not consider personal information to include information that has been anonymised or aggregated so that it can no longer be used to identify a specific natural person, whether in combination with other information or otherwise.

2. What kinds of information do we collect?

Personal information you give to us: This is information about you that you give to us by entering information via our websites or our social media pages or by corresponding with us by phone, email or otherwise and is provided entirely voluntarily. The information you give to us includes your name, contact details, such as phone number, email address and address, enquiry details and your opinion of our products.

To provide a valuation, we must process information provided by you. This includes

  • VRM (number plate) for the vehicle you are requesting a valuation for
  • Your name
  • Contact number & email address
  • Postcode
  • Your device
  • Cookie data: data from cookies stored on your device. Learn more about how we use cookies in our Privacy Legal & Cookie Policy
3. How do we use this information?

We use the information we have described to provide our service. Please see below on how the information you supply to us is used.

to share your personal information with our authorised retailers to arrange test drives or where you have requested a call back; to supply brochures and other material you have specifically requested from us; to contact you via email, text message, post or telephone with marketing information about Mercedes- Benz and smart vehicles and other products and services (see Marketing section below for further details)

More specifically:

  • Postcode. We use this to determine which is you’re local Sandown branch when you obtain your valuation.
  • Your device. Combined with some of our cookies, this is used to improve your experience by identifying you as a returning customer to our website.
  • Cookies. These are stored on your device, they enable us to identify you as a returning user and help improve the customer experience for you, using our website by analysing activity. Cookies also help our marketing by helping us to effectively place adverts online; after you visit our website you may see adverts for our service on other parts of the internet. You can learn more about how we use cookies in our Privacy Legal & Cookie Policy
  • Your Name. We use this to help identify you and your valuation, which in turn helps us to personalise our contact with you.
  • VRM. We use this to provide you with a valuation for your vehicle, which is provided to in you in conjunction with your name and contact information, supplied by yourself.
  • Contact telephone number & email address. We will use these to contact you regarding our service.

We will send you details regarding your valuation when you request it by email and may send you updates we believe are of interest to you concerning your vehicle, such as stock and price alerts.

We may use and process your personal information where it is necessary for the performance of a contract with you or in order to take steps at your request before entering into a contract with you including for the following purposes:

  • To exchange information for warranty/aftersales
  • To allow for the provision of third party breakdown services by our breakdown provider;
  • If you take 7 day free insurance cover via our insurance company (you will enter into a separate agreement for this)

You can opt-out of these at any time on each communication sent to you and can adjust your contact preferences by emailing us at: marketingpreferences@sandown-mercedes.co.uk

4. How this information might be shared with partners?

Sharing with Third-Party Partners. We work with third-party partners who help us provide and improve our service. We don't sell any of your information to anyone, and we never will. We impose strict restrictions on how our partners can use and disclose the data we provide. Here are the types of third parties we share information with;

  • Our approved partners in regards to customer communication (including service and MOT reminders), approved Body Shops and Accident Management businesses.
  • Customer Service & Feedback. We use survey providers & online review centres to help us assess the quality of our service, based upon your feedback as a customer.
  • Daimler Group. They may use your information for services that complement our own range of products and services, for example finance or insurance products.
  • Partners who use our analytics services. We provide aggregated statistics and insights that help people and businesses understand how customers use our website, to allow us to continuously improve our service.
  • Law enforcement or legal requests. We share information with law enforcement or in response to legal requests in the circumstances outlined below.
5. What is our legal basis for processing data?

We collect, use and share the data that we have in the ways described above:

  • as necessary to fulfil our Terms and Conditions
  • consistent with your consent, which you may revoke at any time by emailing us at marketingpreferences@sandown-mercedes.co.uk
  • as necessary to comply with our legal obligations
6. How can you exercise your rights provided under the GDPR?

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to access, rectify, port and erase your data. This includes the right to object to receiving communication from us by using the "unsubscribe" link in such communications of by emailing us at: marketingpreferences@sandown-mercedes.co.uk

7. Data retention, account deactivation and deletion

We store data until it is no longer necessary to provide our service to you, or until you request your data is deleted - whichever comes first. This is a case-by-case determination that depends on things like the nature of the data, why it is collected and processed, and relevant legal or operational retention needs.

For deletion requests, please email: marketingpreferences@sandown-mercedes.co.uk

8. How do we protect your Personal Information?

We protect your personal information using technical and administrative security measures to reduce the risks of loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure and alteration. Some of the safeguards we use are firewalls and data encryption, physical access controls to our data management centres, and information access authorisation controls.

9. How do we respond to legal requests or prevent harm?

We access, preserve and share your information to comply with regulators, law enforcement or others:

  • In response to a legal request, if we have a good-faith belief that the law requires us to do so.
  • In response to a request by a regulatory or law enforcement body for the purpose of detecting or preventing crime.

Information we receive about you can be accessed and preserved for an extended period when it is the subject of a legal request or obligation, governmental investigation, or investigations of possible violations of our terms or policies, or otherwise to prevent harm.

10. How to contact Sandown with questions:

The data controller responsible for your information is Sandown Motors Ltd, which can be contacted by email at: DPO@sandown-mercedes.co.uk

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with Sandown Motors Ltd lead supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner.