PRIVACY POLICY

Last updated: 21 September 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how BMS Garage, trading through automaticgearboxsouthampton.co.uk ("we", "us" or "our"), collects, uses, stores and protects personal information when you use our website, contact us or request our services.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation ("UK GDPR"), the Data Protection Act 2018 and other applicable UK data protection legislation.

1. Who we are

The data controller responsible for personal information processed through this website is:

Legal name: [LEGAL BUSINESS NAME / OWNER NAME] Trading name: BMS Garage Address: Unit C, Liners Industrial Estate, Pitt Road, Freemantle, Southampton, SO15 3FQ Email: info@bmsgarage.uk Telephone: 07707 075087 VAT number: 462175369 Company number: [COMPANY NUMBER, IF APPLICABLE] ICO registration number: [ICO NUMBER, IF APPLICABLE]

Website:

automaticgearboxsouthampton.co.uk

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

2. Personal information we collect

When you submit an enquiry through our website, we may collect:

• your name;
• telephone number;
• vehicle registration number;
• vehicle make and model;
• fuel type;
• details of the service you require;
• information about faults or problems with your vehicle;
• whether vehicle collection is required;
• postcode, town or collection location where relevant;
• information you voluntarily include in your enquiry.

We do not currently request an email address through the public customer enquiry form.

If you communicate with us through WhatsApp, we may also receive your WhatsApp profile information, telephone number and any information, images or documents you choose to provide during the conversation.

Technical information may also be processed automatically when you use the website. This may include information such as IP address, browser information, device information and basic request or security logs where these are generated by our hosting or technology providers.

3. How we collect your information

We collect personal information when you:

submit an enquiry through our website;

contact us by telephone or WhatsApp;

request a quotation, diagnosis, repair, servicing, collection or delivery service;

provide information to us in connection with work carried out on your vehicle;

or otherwise communicate with us.

Certain technical information may be collected automatically by our website platform and hosting providers when your device communicates with the website.

4. Why we use your personal information

We may process your personal information in order to:

respond to enquiries;

identify your vehicle;

understand the fault or service requested;

prepare quotations or estimates;

arrange diagnostics, servicing or repairs;

arrange vehicle collection or delivery;

communicate with you about your vehicle or requested service;

administer work carried out for customers;

maintain appropriate business and accounting records;

protect our website, systems and business against misuse, fraud or security incidents;

and establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary.

We do not currently use customer information submitted through the website for newsletters, automated marketing emails or advertising audience creation.

5. Our lawful bases for processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal information.

Where you contact us about a potential repair, service, quotation or collection, we normally process your information because it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.

Where you become a customer, we process information where necessary to perform our contract with you.

We may process information where necessary to comply with legal obligations, including accounting, taxation and regulatory requirements.

We may also process limited information where necessary for our legitimate interests. These interests may include operating and protecting our business and website, maintaining appropriate records, preventing misuse and dealing with legal claims.

Where the law requires consent for a particular type of processing or technology, we will rely on consent.

6. Vehicle registration numbers

A vehicle registration number may in some circumstances be capable of being associated with an identifiable individual.

We therefore treat vehicle registration information submitted through our website as information that may constitute personal data and protect it accordingly.

We use vehicle registration information for purposes connected with identifying the relevant vehicle, responding to enquiries and providing requested automotive services.

7. WhatsApp

Our website contains links allowing you to contact us through WhatsApp.

The website uses standard WhatsApp links and does not automatically send the contents of our website enquiry form to WhatsApp.

When you choose to communicate with us through WhatsApp, your communications are also processed by WhatsApp and its associated service providers in accordance with their own privacy terms.

Information you choose to provide through WhatsApp may include your telephone number, name, vehicle registration details, photographs, videos and information about your vehicle.

You are not required to use WhatsApp and may contact us by telephone or through our website instead.

8. Website platform and service providers

Our website and customer enquiry system are hosted using the Base44 platform.

Base44 provides services including website hosting, database infrastructure, authentication, storage and website functionality. Information submitted through our enquiry forms is stored using this infrastructure.

We may also use third-party services necessary to operate the website or communicate with customers, including:

Base44 for website hosting, database and application infrastructure;

Google for certain services such as maps, fonts and staff authentication;

WhatsApp / Meta where you choose to contact us through WhatsApp.

These providers may process limited information on our behalf or as separate data controllers depending on the service concerned.

9. Analytics

The website may record limited website events through Base44's analytics functionality, including events such as page views, enquiry submissions and clicks on WhatsApp contact links.

The content of your enquiry is not intentionally included within these analytics events.

We do not currently use Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Meta Pixel, Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar on the website.

Where analytics or similar technologies require consent under applicable privacy or electronic communications law, they will only be used where the appropriate consent requirements have been met.

10. Cookies and similar technologies

Some technologies used by our website or third-party services may use cookies, local storage or similar browser technologies.

Strictly necessary technologies may be used where required for security, authentication or operation of the website.

Non-essential cookies or similar technologies will be subject to the consent requirements applicable under UK law.

Further information about the technologies used on our website may be provided in our Cookie Policy.

11. Google Maps and Google services

Our contact page may contain embedded Google Maps functionality.

When Google Maps content is loaded, Google may receive technical information such as your IP address, browser information and information associated with your interaction with its services.

Google processes information according to its own privacy terms.

Where consent is required before loading non-essential Google functionality, we will apply the relevant consent controls.

12. Photographs and case studies

We may publish photographs or descriptions of vehicle repairs as case studies.

We will take reasonable steps to avoid publishing unnecessary personal information.

Where a photograph contains information capable of identifying an individual, such as a clearly visible vehicle registration number, we will consider whether the information should be obscured, removed or otherwise protected before publication unless there is an appropriate lawful basis for publishing it.

13. How long we keep personal information

We do not keep personal information for longer than is reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.

As our standard retention approach:

Enquiries that do not result in work being carried out will normally be retained for up to 24 months after the last meaningful contact, unless there is a reason to retain them for longer.

Customer, repair, transaction and related business records may normally be retained for up to six years after the relevant transaction, completion of the work or end of the customer relationship where appropriate for accounting, taxation, contractual or legal claims purposes.

Information may be retained for longer where required by law, where a dispute or legal claim exists, or where it is necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

We will periodically review the information we hold and delete or anonymise information that is no longer required.

14. Who we share personal information with

We do not sell personal information.

We may share information where reasonably necessary with service providers supporting our website or business, professional advisers, insurers, payment or accounting providers, technology providers, regulators, law enforcement authorities or other parties where required by law.

Where another organisation processes information on our behalf, we will take appropriate steps to ensure that the information is appropriately protected.

15. International transfers

Some of our technology providers may process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred outside the UK, we will take appropriate steps required by UK data protection law to ensure that the information receives an appropriate level of protection.

Depending on the relevant provider and destination, this may include recognised adequacy arrangements or appropriate contractual safeguards.

16. How we protect your information

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss or destruction.

These measures include HTTPS encrypted connections, access controls and restrictions intended to limit access to customer information to authorised personnel.

We periodically review the security of systems used to process personal information and take appropriate action where vulnerabilities or risks are identified.

No internet-based system can guarantee absolute security, but we take reasonable steps to protect the personal information for which we are responsible.

17. Your data protection rights

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

request access to personal information we hold about you;

ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;

ask us to erase personal information in certain circumstances;

ask us to restrict the processing of your information;

object to certain processing;

request the transfer of information where the right to data portability applies;

and withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

Not every right applies in every circumstance.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at:

info@bmsgarage.uk

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

18. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we process your personal information, please contact us first so that we can investigate the matter.

You also have the right to complain to the UK's data protection regulator:

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) Website: ico.org.uk Telephone: 0303 123 1113

You are not required to contact us before exercising your right to complain to the ICO.

19. Automated decision-making and artificial intelligence

We do not currently use personal information submitted through the website for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

Customer enquiry information is not currently submitted to artificial intelligence systems for automated assessment or decision-making.

20. Marketing

We do not currently use information submitted through the website to automatically subscribe customers to newsletters or marketing mailing lists.

We do not currently use website customer information to create advertising or remarketing audiences.

If this changes in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and obtain consent where required.

21. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our website, services, technology or legal obligations.

The most recent version will be published on this website and the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy will be changed accordingly.

22. Contact us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or the personal information we hold about you, contact:

BMS Garage Unit C, Liners Industrial Estate Pitt Road Freemantle Southampton SO15 3FQ

Email: info@bmsgarage.uk Telephone: 07707 075087