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Privacy information
Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Classical Guitar Academy collects, uses, stores and protects your personal information when you visit our website, make an enquiry, book a lesson, make a purchase, create an account, join our mailing list, or otherwise contact us.
We aim to be clear and transparent about how we use your information and to handle your data with the same respect and professionalism we bring to our teaching and customer service.
1. Who we are
Classical Guitar Academy is a UK-based classical guitar shop and teaching studio.
Website: https://www.classicalguitaracademy.co.uk
Email: ed@classicalguitaracademy.co.uk
Telephone: 01332 890338
Address: Classical Guitar Academy, 16 Calder Close, Allestree, Derby, DE22 2SH, United Kingdom
VAT Number: 473 7765 46
For the purposes of UK data protection law, Classical Guitar Academy is the “data controller” for the personal information described in this policy. This means we decide how and why your personal information is used.
2. What personal information we collect
We may collect and use the following types of personal information.
Information you provide directly
This may include:
- your name;
- email address;
- telephone number;
- billing and delivery address;
- order details;
- lesson, appointment or enquiry details;
- messages you send through contact forms, email, telephone, social media or other communication channels;
- account login details, where you create a customer account;
- marketing preferences, such as whether you have signed up to receive emails from us;
- information you provide when arranging a part-exchange, consignment, guitar valuation, repair, setup, return or warranty enquiry.
Information collected when you use our website
When you visit our website, we may collect certain technical information, such as:
- IP address;
- browser type and version;
- device type;
- operating system;
- approximate location based on IP address;
- pages visited;
- products viewed;
- referring website or search engine;
- date and time of your visit;
- cookie and tracking preferences.
Some of this information is collected through cookies and similar technologies. Please see the section on cookies below and our separate Cookie Policy, if available.
Payment information
Payments are processed by third-party payment providers. We do not usually store full card details on our website. Payment providers may process information such as your name, billing address, email address, payment method, transaction amount and payment authorisation details.
Delivery information
If you place an order, we may share necessary delivery information with couriers, postal services or fulfilment partners so that your order can be delivered.
Lesson and appointment information
If you enquire about or book lessons, consultations, appointments, workshops or events, we may collect details relevant to arranging and delivering those services. This may include your musical experience, lesson goals, availability and any information you choose to share to help us support your learning.
We do not ask for sensitive personal information unless it is genuinely necessary. If you choose to provide information about health, accessibility needs or other sensitive matters in relation to lessons, appointments or events, we will use it only where relevant and with appropriate care.
3. How we collect your personal information
We may collect information when you:
- visit or browse our website;
- place an order;
- create a customer account;
- complete a contact form;
- join a waiting list or request notification about a product;
- sign up to receive emails;
- book a lesson, consultation, appointment or event;
- contact us by email, phone, social media or post;
- leave a review or testimonial;
- interact with our social media pages or online advertising;
- return an item, make a warranty enquiry or request customer support.
4. Why we use your personal information
We use personal information for the following purposes.
To provide products and services
We use your information to:
- process and fulfil orders;
- arrange delivery or collection;
- manage returns, repairs, warranties and customer support;
- provide guitar lessons, appointments, workshops or other services;
- manage customer accounts;
- respond to enquiries;
- provide guidance about guitars, accessories, lessons or related services.
Our lawful basis for this is usually that processing is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
To manage payments, accounting and business records
We use order, payment and customer information to:
- process payments;
- issue receipts and invoices;
- maintain accounting and tax records;
- deal with chargebacks, refunds or disputes;
- comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
Our lawful basis is usually legal obligation and/or legitimate interests in running our business properly.
To communicate with you
We may use your contact details to:
- respond to enquiries;
- confirm appointments or lesson arrangements;
- update you about an order;
- provide after-sales support;
- discuss part-exchange, consignment, valuations, repairs or guitar availability;
- send important service or account messages.
Our lawful basis is usually contract, legitimate interests or legal obligation, depending on the nature of the communication.
To send marketing emails
Where you have opted in, we may send you emails about new guitars, lessons, events, videos, articles, offers or other Classical Guitar Academy updates.
You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us directly.
Our lawful basis for email marketing is usually consent. In limited circumstances, we may contact existing customers about similar products or services where permitted by law, but you will always be able to opt out.
To improve our website and services
We may use website analytics and customer interaction data to understand how visitors use our website, which products and pages are most useful, and where improvements may be needed.
This may include using tools such as Google Analytics or similar services. Where analytics cookies are not strictly necessary, we will seek consent where required.
Our lawful basis may be consent for non-essential analytics cookies and legitimate interests for essential business analysis using information that does not require cookie consent.
To protect our website and business
We may use information to:
- keep the website secure;
- prevent fraud;
- detect suspicious activity;
- prevent misuse of forms, accounts or payment systems;
- maintain backups and business continuity;
- exercise or defend legal claims.
Our lawful basis is usually legitimate interests and, where relevant, legal obligation.
5. Cookies and similar technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to make the website work, remember your preferences, support shopping basket and checkout functions, analyse website performance and, where used, support advertising or marketing features.
Cookies may be:
- strictly necessary cookies, which are required for the website to function properly, such as shopping basket, checkout, security and login cookies;
- preference cookies, which remember choices such as currency, region, display preferences or cookie settings;
- analytics cookies, which help us understand how visitors use the website;
- marketing cookies, which may be used to measure or personalise advertising.
We will only use non-essential cookies where we have a valid lawful basis and, where required, your consent. You can manage cookie preferences through our cookie banner or cookie settings tool, where available. You can also control cookies through your browser settings.
6. Who we share your personal information with
We only share personal information where necessary for the purposes described in this policy. This may include:
- website hosting and technical support providers;
- payment processors;
- accounting or bookkeeping software/providers;
- email marketing providers;
- delivery and courier companies;
- analytics and advertising providers;
- IT security, backup and maintenance providers;
- professional advisers such as accountants, lawyers or insurers;
- regulatory bodies, tax authorities or law enforcement where required by law;
- finance providers, where you apply for finance or payment plans.
We do not sell your personal information.
7. International transfers
Some of the third-party services we use may process personal information outside the UK. Where this happens, we will take appropriate steps to ensure your personal information remains protected in accordance with UK data protection law. This may include relying on adequacy regulations, international data transfer agreements, standard contractual clauses or other safeguards recognised under UK data protection law.
8. How long we keep your personal information
We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy.
Typical retention periods include:
- order, invoice and accounting records: usually kept for at least 6 years to meet tax and accounting requirements;
- customer account information: kept while your account remains active, unless you ask us to delete it and we no longer need it for legal or business reasons;
- enquiry messages: kept for as long as needed to respond and maintain appropriate business records;
- lesson and appointment records: kept for as long as needed to provide lessons, manage our relationship with you and maintain appropriate records;
- marketing email records: kept until you unsubscribe or ask us to remove your details, subject to maintaining a suppression list so we do not contact you again by mistake;
- website analytics data: kept according to the retention settings of the analytics provider;
- security logs and backups: kept for a limited period necessary for website security and continuity.
We may keep some information for longer where required for legal, tax, accounting, insurance or dispute-resolution purposes.
9. Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you have rights in relation to your personal information. These may include the right to:
- access the personal information we hold about you;
- ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
- ask us to delete your personal information in certain circumstances;
- ask us to restrict how we use your information in certain circumstances;
- object to certain types of processing;
- request a copy of certain information in a portable format;
- withdraw consent, where we rely on consent;
- complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
These rights are not absolute and may depend on the circumstances and the lawful basis used for processing.
To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details in this policy.
10. Marketing preferences
You can opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us at ed@classicalguitaracademy.co.uk.
Please note that even if you opt out of marketing, we may still send service messages where necessary, such as order confirmations, delivery updates, lesson arrangements or important account information.
11. Security
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction.
This may include using secure website connections, access controls, reputable service providers, website security tools, backups and staff procedures designed to protect personal information.
No website, email system or online service can be guaranteed completely secure. If you believe your information has been compromised, please contact us as soon as possible.
12. Children’s privacy
Our website is not directed at children. However, we may provide lessons or services to younger students where arranged by a parent, guardian or responsible adult.
Where a parent or guardian contacts us about lessons for a child, we may process the child’s name, lesson details and relevant information needed to provide tuition. We expect parents or guardians to provide and manage this information where appropriate.
We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children for marketing purposes.
13. Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites, including social media platforms, video platforms, payment providers, finance providers, review platforms or manufacturer websites.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites. You should read their privacy policies before providing personal information to them.
14. Reviews, testimonials and user content
If you leave a review, testimonial or comment, we may use it to promote Classical Guitar Academy, subject to any platform terms and applicable law. We will not publish your full contact details without your permission.
If you would like us to remove or amend a testimonial published by us, please contact us.
15. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our website, services, legal obligations or business practices.
The latest version will be published on this page with an updated date.
16. Contact us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we use your personal information, please contact:
Classical Guitar Academy
16 Calder Close
Allestree
Derby
DE22 2SH
United Kingdom
Email: ed@classicalguitaracademy.co.uk
Telephone: 01332 890338
17. Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we handle your personal information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK regulator for data protection matters.
Information Commissioner’s Office
Website: https://ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113