Privacy Policy

1. Introduction and Overview

Welcome to DefectFix ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website defectfix.com (the "Site") or use our handyman services.

We are based in the United Kingdom and comply with the UK Data Protection Act 2018, the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), and other applicable privacy laws.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access our Site or use our services.

2. Information Collection

We collect several types of information from and about users of our Site and services, including:

2.1 Information You Provide to Us

• Personal Identification Information: Name, email address, postal address, phone number, and other contact details when you register on our Site, request a quote, book our services, or communicate with us.
• Property Information: Details about your property where services are to be provided, including address, access information, and specifics about the repair or maintenance needs.
• Payment Information: Credit card details, bank account information, or other payment details when you pay for our services (note that payment processing is typically handled by secure third-party payment processors).
• Communication Information: Records and copies of your correspondence if you contact us, including email communications, phone calls, and chat messages.
• Feedback and Reviews: Comments, suggestions, testimonials, or reviews you provide about our services.

2.2 Information We Collect Automatically

• Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our Site, including pages visited, time spent on pages, navigation paths, and other usage statistics.
• Device Information: Information about the device you use to access our Site, including IP address, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers.
• Location Data: General location information derived from your IP address or more precise location data if you allow location services.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: Information collected through cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies (see our Cookies section below).

3. Use of Information

We use the information we collect for various purposes, including:

3.1 Business Purposes

• To provide, maintain, and improve our handyman services and customer experience
• To process and fulfill your service requests, bookings, and payments
• To communicate with you about appointments, service updates, and related matters
• To provide customer support and respond to your inquiries
• To send service reminders and maintenance recommendations
• To schedule and dispatch handymen to your location

3.2 Marketing and Communication

• To send promotional materials, newsletters, and other communications about our services, special offers, and events (you can opt out of these communications at any time)
• To conduct surveys and collect feedback about our services
• To personalize your experience and deliver content relevant to your interests

3.3 Legal and Security Purposes

• To protect our rights, property, and safety, and that of our customers and others
• To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, and illegal activities
• To comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements
• To verify your identity when required for certain services or transactions

We process your personal information based on one or more of the following legal grounds:

• Your consent
• Performance of a contract with you
• Compliance with a legal obligation
• Our legitimate interests, provided they are not overridden by your rights and interests

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Site uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activities and to distinguish you from other users. This helps us provide you with a good experience when you browse our Site and allows us to improve its functionality.

4.1 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for the operation of our Site. They enable basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the Site.
• Analytical/Performance Cookies: Allow us to recognize and count the number of visitors and see how visitors move around our Site. This helps us improve the way our Site works.
• Functionality Cookies: Used to recognize you when you return to our Site. This enables us to personalize our content for you and remember your preferences.
• Targeting Cookies: Record your visit to our Site, the pages you have visited, and the links you have followed. We may use this information to make our Site and the advertising displayed on it more relevant to your interests.

4.2 Managing Cookies

Most web browsers allow you to manage your cookie preferences. You can set your browser to refuse cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. However, if you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of our Site may become inaccessible or not function properly.

4.3 Third-Party Analytics

We use third-party analytics services, such as Google Analytics, to help us understand how users engage with our Site. These services may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your use of the Site and report website trends. You can learn more about Google's practices at https://policies.google.com/privacy/partners and opt out by downloading the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

5. Third-Party Sharing

We may share your personal information with third parties in the following circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We may share your information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as:

• Payment processors to handle transactions
• Cloud storage providers to store our data securely
• Email service providers for communication
• Customer relationship management systems
• Subcontractors or specialized tradespeople who may assist in providing handyman services
• IT and system administration service providers

These service providers are only permitted to use your personal information to perform services for us and are required to maintain the confidentiality and security of your information.

5.2 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our Site of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information.

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court or government agency).

5.4 Protection of Rights

We may disclose your information to protect and defend the rights, property, or safety of DefectFix, our customers, or others.

5.5 With Your Consent

We may share your information with third parties when you have given us your consent to do so.

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

6. Data Storage and Security

We take data security seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

6.1 Data Security Measures

• Encryption of sensitive data both in transit and at rest
• Regular security assessments and vulnerability testing
• Access controls and authentication procedures for our systems
• Staff training on data protection and security practices
• Secure network infrastructure with firewalls and intrusion detection

6.2 Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which we collected it, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. To determine the appropriate retention period, we consider:

• The amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal information
• The potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure
• The purposes for which we process the data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means
• Applicable legal requirements

For tax and accounting purposes, we typically retain certain information for 7 years. Information related to warranties and work performed may be retained for longer periods based on the type of service provided.

6.3 Data Breach Procedures

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and the relevant supervisory authority as required by applicable law.

7. User Rights

Under UK data protection laws, you have several rights regarding your personal information:

7.1 Your Rights

• Right to Access: You have the right to request copies of your personal information that we hold.
• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
• Right to Erasure: You have the right to request that we erase your personal information, under certain conditions.
• Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information, under certain conditions.
• Right to Object to Processing: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal information, under certain conditions.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request that we transfer the data we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: If we rely on your consent to process your personal information, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

7.2 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided at the end of this Privacy Policy. We will respond to your request within one month. There is generally no fee for exercising your rights, but we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive, or excessive.

7.3 Complaints

If you are concerned about how we are handling your personal information, please contact us first. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues. Visit https://ico.org.uk for more information.

8. Children's Privacy

Our Site and services are not intended for children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a child under 16 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 16, please contact us at [email protected].

9. International Data Transfers

DefectFix is based in the United Kingdom, and your information may be processed and stored in the UK and other countries where our service providers maintain facilities. These countries may have data protection laws that are different from those in your country.

When we transfer personal information outside the UK, we ensure a similar degree of protection is afforded to it by ensuring at least one of the following safeguards is implemented:

• Transferring data to countries that have been deemed to provide an adequate level of protection for personal data by the UK government
• Using specific contracts approved for use in international data transfers, such as the International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses
• Implementing additional safeguards where necessary

By using our Site or services, you consent to your information being transferred to and processed in the UK and other countries as described in this Privacy Policy.

10. Changes to Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

For significant changes that materially alter your rights or our obligations, we may provide additional notice, such as an email notification or a prominent notice on our Site before the changes become effective.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Your continued use of our Site and services after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of such changes.

11. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:

We will make every effort to respond to your inquiry promptly and address your concerns thoroughly.