This policy covers all users who register to use the www.theindependencestore.co.uk website. It is not necessary to register in order to gain access to the searching facilities of the site, but we may restrict access to certain areas as referred to in Principle 2 below. Access to www.theindependencestore.co.uk is free of charge to all users. The www.theindependencestore.co.uk website is operated by The Independence Store. We are committed to protecting your privacy when you are using our online services. To protect your privacy, we apply five principles which you can read about below.

Principle 1 - Notice
During our registration process, we ask for personal information which both identifies you and enables us to communicate with you. We also invite you to tell us your interests so that we can make our communications relevant and interesting for you.

To help us prevent fraud, please be aware that we may make searches about you at credit reference agencies for the purpose of verifying your identity. These agencies will supply us with information, including information from the Electoral Register. The fact that we have requested an identity check is recorded by these agencies, though be assured that the searches will not be seen, or used by lenders to assess your ability to obtain credit.

We will use the information you provide only for the following purposes:

• To send updates regarding the status of your orders
• To send you newsletters and details of offers and promotions in which we believe you will be interested
• To improve the content, design and layout of the www.theindependencestore.co.uk website and to facilitate knowledge management
• To understand the interests and buying behaviour of our registered users
• To perform other such general marketing and promotional activities focused on our products and services
• theindependencestore.co.uk will not share your details with any third parties.
• You can edit your communications preferences at any time via the 'my account' section of our website

This privacy policy only covers theindependencestore.co.uk website at http://www.theindependencestore.co.uk. Other links within this site to other websites or framed third party sites within www.theindependencestore.co.uk are not covered by this policy. We may continue to use your personal information for a period after you cease being a registered user.

Principle 2 - Consent and Choice
If you choose not to register or not provide personal information, you may still visit theindependencestore.co.uk website but you will not be able to access the restricted areas available to registered users. By completing the registration process, you accept the Terms and Conditions described and consent to our using your information accordingly.

Principle 3 - Access
We have provided an administration service (your account) where you can review your personal information at any time to ensure it is correct and current. You will be able to update, correct, change or delete inaccurate details. You may also change your choice of opting in or out of marketing and promotional activities, although you may continue to receive mailings for a short period while your change is being processed. You have the right to ask for a copy of your personal information on payment of a small fee.

Principle 4 - Security
We have taken appropriate measures to ensure that your personal information is not unlawfully processed. www.theindependencestore.co.uk uses industry standard practices to safeguard the confidentiality of your personal identifiable information, including "firewalls" and Secure Socket Layers. www.theindependencestore.co.uk treats data as an asset that must be protected against loss and unauthorized access. However, no information transferred over the Internet or wireless network can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We employ many different security techniques to protect such data from unauthorised access by users inside and outside the company.

We will not be transferring your personal information outside of the European Economic Area unless otherwise specifically advised.

Principle 4.1 - Cookies
Our website creates a single cookie on your machine containing session and state information. The information within this cookie does not include any personal or financial information. Our website requires cookies to be enabled in the web browser and in any third party security programs to allow tasks such as registering, logging in, buying items or accessing accounts. Please be aware that should cookies be disabled or blocked by third party software, many of the features of the website will be impaired or unavailable. At no point does the theindpendencestore.co.uk website create any third party cookies on your machine.

For general information regarding cookies, please visit http://www.cookiecentral.com/faq/

Principle 5 - Minors
The www.theindependencestore.co.uk website is not intended for children and we ask that no-one under the age of 12 submits personal information to us or uses the site without supervision of a parent or guardian.

Principle 6 - Deletion of your Personal Data
We are unable to delete your www.theindependencestore.co.uk account information containing your personal information for a period of 6 years from the date of your last interaction with us (this could be a sales transaction, a return, or some other interaction with www.theindependencestore.co.uk via our Customer Services team or our online tools). This is because we may need to access historical information for business reporting purposes. Please note however, that at any point in time you may opt in or out of marketing communications via the 'your account' section of this website.

Questions
If you have any questions about this privacy policy, or the use of your personal information, or if you wish to request us to stop using your information in any way, please write to:

Data Protection Officer
The Independence Store
11 Redcliffe Walk
Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP19 9LB

If you have any questions for The Independence Store relating to privacy, please send them to this address.

Changes to this policy
If we decide to change this privacy policy, we would post such changes on this page so that you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances we disclose it.