At Go Cat Food®, we respect the privacy of our website visitors, customers, and community members. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect personal information. Please read this policy carefully to understand our practices regarding your personal data.
What Information We Collect
We collect both personal and non-personal information from you to provide an exceptional customer experience. The main types of information we gather are:
- Contact details – Such as your name, email address, and phone number when you create an account, place an order, or contact customer service.
- Payment information – Billing and payment data such as your credit card number and billing address when you buy our products.
- Account information – Profile details like username, password, preferences, and order history for registered accounts.
- Shopping behavior – How you interact with our website, such as products viewed, items added to cart, and pages visited.
- Correspondence – Any messages, comments, questions, or other communication you send to us.
- Social media – If you interact with or mention us on social networks, we may collect some data from your social media profile.
- Device information – Technical details about the device and browser you use to access our site, such as IP address, operating system, and browser type.
- Website analytics – Aggregated usage data we collect from tools like Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site and make improvements.
How We Use Your Information
The main ways we utilize the information gathered are:
- Fulfilling orders – We use name, address, payment data, etc. to complete any purchases, deliver products, and provide customer service related to orders.
- Managing accounts – We rely on account data to operate and maintain registered accounts, including notification preferences.
- Personalizing the website – Information like your past purchases and site interactions help tailor content and shopping recommendations to your preferences.
- Improving our website – We analyze site analytics and metrics to optimize website performance and enhance the visitor experience.
- Marketing and advertising – With your consent, we may use contact info or account data to send you emails about new products, promotions, etc. You can opt-out anytime.
- Complying with legal obligations – In certain cases, we may need to use or share your data when required by law, such as for tax compliance.
- Communicating with customers – We use contact information to respond to and address your requests, questions, and comments.
When We Disclose Personal Information
We do not sell your personal data to third parties. The main external parties we may share limited necessary data with are:
- Service providers – Such as our web host, email provider, and payment processor to enable core site functionality and fulfill orders.
- Shipping partners – We provide contact and order details to our shipping carriers (like Royal Mail) to deliver purchases.
- Tax authorities – Your billing details are shared as needed to comply with VAT, customs, and other taxation requirements.
- Law enforcement – We may be required to share data in response to subpoenas, court orders, or inquiries from government authorities.
- To protect rights and safety – We may share data with public and government agencies to detect security incidents, protect against fraud, and enforce our policies.
How We Protect Personal Information
We implement organizational and technical measures to help safeguard your personal information. Our security controls include:
- TLS encryption – Communications between your device and our website are protected via TLS/SSL protocols.
- Password hashing – Account passwords are hashed using encryption algorithms to prevent unauthorized access.
- Access controls – Access to personal data is limited to authorized staff who need it to perform their duties.
- Supplier oversight – We conduct due diligence and reviews of suppliers handling your information.
- Security monitoring – Our systems are continuously monitored with safeguards against malicious attacks.
- Staff training – Employees receive regular data security and privacy training.
- Backups – Customer data is regularly backed up and tested to prevent information loss.
While we aim to protect your personal information, no method of transmitting or storing data is ever completely secure. If we learn of a security breach impacting your data, we will promptly inform you as required by applicable laws.
Your Privacy Choices and Rights
We aim to be transparent about how we use your data and give you options to control your privacy preferences. You have the right to request:
- Access – You can ask to see the exact personal data we hold about you. We will provide this free of charge, unless excessive.
- Correction – If your information is inaccurate or incomplete, you can request that we correct or update it.
- Deletion – You may ask us to delete your personal information, and we will do so unless we need to keep it for legitimate purposes permitted by law.
- Restriction of processing – You can ask us to stop using your personal data in certain ways. We will comply unless we have a legal obligation to continue processing.
- Objection – You can object to any processing of your data based on legitimate interest or public interest. We will stop processing unless we have compelling legitimate grounds to continue.
- Data portability – We can provide you with a copy of your data in machine-readable format for transferring to another provider.
To make a request regarding your personal information, please contact our privacy team via email at [email protected]. We will promptly review and comply with your request to the extent required by applicable data protection laws.
In addition, you have an ongoing right to opt-out of marketing communications we may send you. You can exercise this right by clicking “unsubscribe” in any promotional email or adjusting your preferences in your account settings.
Cookies and Website Analytics
We use first-party and third-party cookies on our website for functionality, performance, analytics, and marketing purposes. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help websites remember useful information that enhances your browsing experience.
The specific cookies we use enable:
- Shopping cart functionality
- User account creation and log-in
- Wishlist, product recommendations, and personalization
- Website analytics and optimization
The duration of each cookie we use varies depending on its purpose. Session cookies exist only while your browser is open and expire once you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them.
We use Google Analytics as our analytics provider to gain insight into how visitors interact with and navigate our website. These tools rely on cookies to function, but the data collected is grouped anonymously and does not identify you personally.
You can control cookie settings and opt-out of non-essential cookies via your browser settings and other tools. However, avoiding or disabling cookies may impact your ability to browse and use features on our website successfully.
External Websites and Social Media
Our website may contain links to third-party sites such as Facebook and Twitter that we don’t own or control. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We suggest contacting those sites regarding their privacy policies.
You may also encounter our brand, products, or ads on social media sites. Any data collected by social media platforms is subject to their privacy practices.
Updates to Our Privacy Policy
We may occasionally update this Privacy Policy as needed to reflect changes in laws, technology, our business practices, procedures, and website functionality. We encourage you to check this policy periodically for the latest version. We will notify you about significant changes via email or in an announcement on our website homepage.
This Privacy Policy was last updated on 1 February 2023.
How to Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about our Privacy Policy or data processing practices, please contact our privacy team:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0330 333 4456
Postal Address: Go Cat Food®, Attn: Privacy Team, 123 Pet Food Lane, London N1 0WT
We will promptly address your inquiry and make every effort to reach a satisfactory resolution.
You may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority (Information Commissioner’s Office). We welcome any questions or concerns you may have about our privacy practices.
