Privacy Policy | Clarity-GMS

Clarity-GMS is the trading name of Chris Fisher ("Clarity-GMS", "we", "us", "our"). We are committed to protecting the personal data of our customers, users and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, and your rights under UK data protection law.

This policy applies to all data we process in connection with the Clarity-GMS platform and website (ez-garage.co.uk). It is governed by the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Clarity-GMS is a B2B service. We act as a data controller in respect of our own customers' business contact data and platform account data. We act as a data processor in respect of personal data that our customers upload or process through the platform (such as their end-customer vehicle records and contact details).

1. Data we collect about you

We collect and process the following categories of personal data about individuals who register for or use our platform:

Account and contact data

Full name and job title
Business name and address
Email address and telephone number
Login credentials (username and hashed password)

Commercial and billing data

Subscription plan and billing period
Payment records (processed by our payment provider — we do not store full card numbers)
Invoice and transaction history
VAT number and company registration number (where provided)

Platform usage data

Log data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, timestamps
Session data and cookie identifiers
Feature usage and activity within the platform
Support communications and help requests

Demo and enquiry data

Name, email, phone number and garage details submitted via demo request or contact forms

2. How we use your data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide and manage the Services (contractual necessity)

Creating and managing your account
Delivering and supporting the Clarity-GMS platform
Processing billing and payments
Communicating with you about your subscription, account and our Services
Responding to support requests and enquiries

To improve our Services (legitimate interests)

Analysing aggregated and anonymised usage data to develop and improve the platform
Monitoring platform performance and security
Diagnosing and fixing technical issues

To comply with legal obligations

Maintaining financial and business records as required by law
Responding to lawful requests from regulators or law enforcement

Marketing (where you have opted in or we have a legitimate interest)

Sending product updates, feature announcements and relevant information about Clarity-GMS
You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe link in any email

3. Lawful basis for processing

We rely on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR:

Contract — processing is necessary to perform our contract with you (e.g. managing your account, providing the platform, billing)
Legitimate interests — processing is necessary for our legitimate interests in operating, improving and securing the platform, where those interests are not overridden by your rights
Legal obligation — processing is necessary to comply with a legal requirement (e.g. financial record keeping)
Consent — where you have given explicit consent (e.g. marketing where required)

4. Data retention

We retain personal data for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy:

Account data — retained for the duration of your subscription, plus a reasonable period after termination to handle any outstanding issues
Financial and billing records — retained for 7 years from the end of the relevant financial year, as required by UK law
Support and communications — retained for up to 3 years
Log and usage data — typically retained for up to 12 months
Demo and enquiry data — retained for up to 2 years from the date of enquiry

Customer Data (the personal data you upload or process through the platform on behalf of your own customers) will be deleted or anonymised in accordance with our data retention practices following termination of your subscription, unless otherwise agreed in writing or required by law.

5. Third-party processors

We use a limited number of trusted third-party service providers who process personal data on our behalf as data processors. These include:

Cloud hosting and infrastructure — for platform hosting and database storage
Payment processor — for subscription billing and payment handling (they operate under their own privacy terms and PCI DSS compliance)
AI / language model provider — where AI features are used, relevant inputs may be processed by our AI provider; we do not send Customer Data to AI providers without your knowledge
Email delivery provider — for transactional and system emails
Analytics and monitoring tools — for platform performance and security monitoring (using anonymised or aggregated data where possible)

All third-party processors are required to process personal data in accordance with our instructions and applicable data protection law. We carry out appropriate due diligence on our processors.

6. International transfers

We primarily store and process your data within the UK and/or European Economic Area (EEA). Where data is transferred outside the UK or EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as the UK's international data transfer agreement (IDTA) or equivalent mechanisms recognised by UK data protection law.

7. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies on our website for essential functions (such as session management and security) and, where you consent, for analytics and performance monitoring. You can manage your cookie preferences via the cookie consent banner displayed when you first visit our site.

8. Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

Right of access — to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Right to rectification — to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to erasure — to request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances
Right to restriction — to request that we restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances
Right to data portability — to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format
Right to object — to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, to withdraw that consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within one month of receiving your request. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you believe we have not handled your personal data lawfully.

9. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction, alteration or disclosure. However, no internet-based platform is completely secure. You are responsible for keeping your account credentials secure and confidential.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a revised "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

11. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

Email: [email protected]
Website: ez-garage.co.uk