Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026

Holytown Antiques respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information when you visit our website, make a purchase, create an account, contact us, join our Community, subscribe to marketing communications or otherwise interact with Holytown Antiques.

1. Who We Are

For personal information collected through our website and business, Holytown Antiques will normally act as the data controller.

Holytown Antiques
42 Main Street
Holytown
Motherwell
ML1 4TA

Email: info@holytownantiques.com

Website: www.holytownantiques.com

If you have any questions about how we use your personal information, please contact us using the details above.

2. Information We May Collect

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

When You Make a Purchase

We may collect information including:

  • Your name.
  • Billing address.
  • Delivery address.
  • Email address.
  • Telephone number where provided.
  • Order details.
  • Products purchased.
  • Delivery or collection information.
  • Payment status and transaction references.
  • Correspondence relating to your order.
  • Details of refunds, returns or cancellations.

We use this information to process and fulfil orders, arrange collection or delivery, communicate with you and maintain appropriate business and accounting records.

Payment Information

Payments made through our website may be processed by third-party payment service providers.

Complete payment card details are normally entered directly into the payment provider’s secure payment system rather than being stored by Holytown Antiques.

We may receive limited information relating to a payment, such as payment status, transaction reference, payment method and the amount paid.

Customer Accounts

If you create an account on our website, we may collect:

  • Your name.
  • Username.
  • Email address.
  • Billing and delivery information.
  • Order history.
  • Account preferences.
  • Password information in encrypted or hashed form.
  • Account activity necessary to operate and secure the service.

We use this information to provide and manage your account and the services associated with it.

3. Enquiries and Contact Forms

If you contact us through a contact form, Product Enquiry form, Sell to Us service, email or another enquiry method, we may collect:

  • Your name.
  • Email address.
  • Telephone number where provided.
  • The contents of your message.
  • Photographs or other files you choose to send us.
  • Information about an item you are enquiring about.
  • Information required to provide a quote, valuation-related response, collection or delivery arrangement.

We use this information to respond to your enquiry and, where relevant, take steps you have requested before entering into a purchase or other agreement.

The UK GDPR contract lawful basis can apply where processing is necessary to provide a service under a contract or to take steps requested by an individual before entering into one, such as providing a quote.

4. Sell to Us Enquiries

If you contact Holytown Antiques about an item or collection you may wish to sell, we may use the information you provide to:

  • Assess the item.
  • Contact you about it.
  • Request additional information or photographs.
  • Arrange a viewing where appropriate.
  • Make an offer.
  • Arrange collection or purchase.
  • Keep appropriate records if a transaction takes place.

Submitting an enquiry does not require you to accept any offer we may make.

5. Holytown Antiques Community

Our website includes the Holytown Antiques Community, where users can create accounts and take part in public discussions.

When you register for or use the Community, we may process information including:

  • Your username or display name.
  • Email address.
  • Profile information you choose to provide.
  • Topics and replies you post.
  • Photographs and other content you upload.
  • Private account preferences.
  • Login and account activity.
  • Technical or security information used to protect the Community from abuse and spam.

The Community currently contains member accounts, public topics and discussion forums.

Public Community Content

Please remember that information posted publicly within the Community can be seen by other visitors and may also be indexed by search engines.

You should therefore avoid publishing private information such as your home address, telephone number, payment information or other information you do not wish to make public.

Where an account is closed or deleted, we may in some circumstances retain Community discussions in anonymised form so that existing conversations remain understandable.

We may remove or retain content where reasonably necessary for moderation, security, legal compliance or the protection of other users.

6. For Sale & Wanted Community Sections

If you use Community areas that allow members to advertise items for sale or wanted, information that you choose to include in your advertisement may become publicly visible.

You are responsible for deciding which contact and item information you make public.

We recommend that members do not publicly post sensitive payment details or unnecessary personal information.

Transactions privately arranged between Community members may involve the exchange of information directly between those individuals. Holytown Antiques is not the controller of personal information independently exchanged between members outside our website.

7. Reviews and Other User Content

If you submit a review, comment, photograph or other content for publication, we may collect and display:

  • Your name or chosen display name.
  • Your review or comment.
  • Rating.
  • Photographs or other content submitted.
  • Date of submission.

Published content may remain visible until it is removed or no longer required.

If a review has been obtained from a third-party review service, information already made public on that service may be displayed in accordance with the applicable service and our legitimate interests in presenting genuine customer feedback.

8. Email Marketing and Product Updates

You may be given the option to receive emails about new arrivals, products, special offers, news or other updates from Holytown Antiques.

For example, the Product Enquiry form currently includes an optional choice to receive product updates and special offers.

We may collect:

  • Your name.
  • Email address.
  • Subscription status.
  • Your interests or subscription preferences.
  • How and when you subscribed.
  • Confirmation information where double opt-in is used.
  • Email delivery, opening or link-interaction information where these features are enabled.

We will send electronic marketing where we have the appropriate permission or where UK law otherwise permits us to do so.

For individuals, PECR generally requires specific consent for marketing email unless the limited existing-customer “soft opt-in” conditions apply. Customers must also be offered a simple way to opt out.

Unsubscribing

You can unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time by:

Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent us from sending necessary service messages relating to an order, account, enquiry or other transaction.

We may retain a minimal suppression record, such as your email address, after you unsubscribe so that we can remember and respect your request not to receive further marketing.

9. How We Use Your Information

We may use personal information to:

  • Process and fulfil orders.
  • Arrange delivery, postage or collection.
  • Manage payments and refunds.
  • Respond to enquiries.
  • Provide requested quotes.
  • Manage customer accounts.
  • Operate and moderate the Community.
  • Manage product subscriptions and customer preferences.
  • Send marketing where permitted.
  • Prevent fraud, spam and misuse.
  • Protect the security of the website.
  • Investigate technical problems.
  • Maintain appropriate financial and transaction records.
  • Improve our website and services.
  • Handle complaints, returns and disputes.
  • Establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
  • Meet our legal and regulatory obligations.

10. Our Lawful Bases for Processing

Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on one or more lawful bases under UK data protection law.

Contract

We use personal information where it is necessary to:

  • Process an order.
  • Take payment.
  • Deliver or arrange collection of goods.
  • Provide a service you have requested.
  • Take steps at your request before entering into an agreement.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain information where this is necessary to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, consumer protection and other regulatory obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may rely on our legitimate interests where appropriate, including:

  • Operating and improving our business.
  • Responding to general enquiries.
  • Maintaining website and account security.
  • Preventing fraud and abuse.
  • Moderating our Community.
  • Keeping appropriate business records.
  • Protecting our legal rights.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider whether those interests are outweighed by your privacy rights.

Consent

We rely on consent where required, including for:

  • Certain marketing communications.
  • Non-essential cookies or similar technologies where consent is required.
  • Other optional processing where we specifically ask for your permission.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

11. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

  • Keep the website functioning.
  • Maintain shopping baskets.
  • Allow customers to log in.
  • Remember preferences.
  • Protect the website from fraud and abuse.
  • Understand how the website is used.
  • Measure website performance.
  • Provide other optional features.

Some cookies are necessary for the operation of the website.

Where consent is required for non-essential cookies or similar technologies, they should not be activated until the visitor has made the appropriate choice.

The ICO’s current guidance requires businesses to tell users about storage and access technologies, explain their purposes and obtain prior consent unless an applicable exception applies. The rules extend beyond traditional cookies to technologies such as tracking pixels and local storage.

Further details will be provided in our Cookie Policy, including information about the types of cookies used and how preferences can be controlled.

12. Who We May Share Personal Information With

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

We may share information where reasonably necessary with organisations that help us operate the business, such as:

Payment Providers

To securely process card or other online payments.

Delivery and Courier Providers

Where necessary to deliver an order.

This may include the customer’s name, delivery address, telephone number and relevant delivery information.

Website Hosting and Technical Providers

Providers involved in website hosting, maintenance, security, backups, email delivery or other technical services.

Email Service Providers

Where required to send transactional emails, account messages or marketing communications.

Professional Advisers

Such as accountants, insurers, legal advisers or other professional advisers where reasonably necessary.

Government, Regulators and Law Enforcement

Where disclosure is required by law or reasonably necessary to protect our rights, customers or others.

We require service providers handling personal information on our behalf to use that information appropriately and securely.

13. Third-Party Services

Our website may contain links, embedded content or functionality provided by third-party websites and services.

When you interact directly with a third-party service, that organisation may process personal information under its own privacy policy.

We recommend reviewing the privacy information of any external service you choose to use.

14. International Transfers

Some service providers used to operate a website, email system, payment service or other online service may process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take appropriate steps where required to ensure that it receives an appropriate level of protection, such as relying on an adequacy arrangement or approved contractual safeguards.

15. How Long We Keep Personal Information

We do not intend to retain personal information for longer than reasonably necessary.

Retention periods depend on why the information was collected and whether we are legally required to keep it.

As a general guide:

Order and transaction records
May be retained for the period required for accounting, tax, consumer and legal purposes. Some UK business and VAT records may need to be retained for approximately six years, depending on the type of business and record.

Customer accounts
Generally retained while the account remains active and for a reasonable period afterwards where required for orders, security or legal purposes.

General enquiries
Normally retained only for as long as needed to deal with the enquiry and any reasonable follow-up.

Sell to Us enquiries
Normally retained while the enquiry or possible transaction remains relevant, unless the information forms part of a completed purchase or business record.

Marketing subscriptions
Retained while you remain subscribed. A minimal record may be retained after unsubscribing to ensure that your opt-out is respected.

Community accounts
Account information may be retained while the account is active. Certain public contributions may remain in anonymised form after an account is closed where appropriate.

Reviews and public contributions
May remain published while relevant unless removed in accordance with our policies or legal obligations.

Security information and logs
Retained only for an appropriate period having regard to website security, fraud prevention and investigation requirements.

We may retain information for longer where necessary because of a dispute, legal requirement, investigation or legal claim.

16. Keeping Your Information Secure

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against:

  • Unauthorised access.
  • Loss.
  • Misuse.
  • Alteration.
  • Disclosure.
  • Destruction.

Access to personal information is limited where reasonably possible to people and service providers who need it for legitimate business purposes.

However, no internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

17. Automated Security and Spam Protection

We may use automated systems to help identify:

  • Spam.
  • Bots.
  • Fraudulent activity.
  • Suspicious logins.
  • Malicious or abusive activity.

These systems may automatically block or restrict activity that appears suspicious.

We do not intend to use solely automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on customers unless we tell you otherwise and have an appropriate legal basis for doing so.

18. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law may give you rights including the right to:

  • Ask for a copy of personal information we hold about you.
  • Ask us to correct inaccurate information.
  • Ask us to delete information in certain circumstances.
  • Ask us to restrict the way information is used.
  • Object to certain processing.
  • Receive certain information in a portable format.
  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
  • Object to direct marketing.

Not every right applies in every situation, and some information may need to be retained because of legal, accounting or other legitimate requirements.

To exercise your rights, contact:

info@holytownantiques.com

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.

19. Children

Our online shop and Community are not intended to collect personal information from young children.

If we become aware that personal information has been collected from a child in circumstances where it should not have been, we will take appropriate steps to deal with it.

20. Complaints

If you have concerns about how Holytown Antiques handles your personal information, please contact us first so that we have an opportunity to resolve the matter.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator.

Further information is available from the ICO.

21. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to:

  • Our website.
  • The services we provide.
  • The technologies we use.
  • Our legal obligations.

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

22. Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy, the information we hold about you or your data protection rights, contact:

Holytown Antiques
42 Main Street
Holytown
Motherwell
ML1 4TA

Email: info@holytownantiques.com