Privacy Policy

Effective date: 14 November 2025

Controller: ProQ Barbecues & Smokers Limited (trading as ProQ Smokers), registered in England and Wales (Company No. 06618778).
Registered Office (Postal) Address: 9 Tregarne Terrace, St Austell, Cornwall PL25 4DD, United Kingdom
Data Protection Officer (DPO): digital@proqsmokers.com

What this policy covers

This policy explains what personal data we collect, why we process it, who we share it with, and your rights under UK data protection law (UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018).

Personal data we collect

We collect and process the following categories of personal data when you interact with our website or services:

  • Account and contact details: name, email address, phone number, billing and shipping addresses.
  • Order and payment data: order history, products purchased, transaction references. Payment card details are processed securely by our payment providers and are not stored by us.
  • Reviews and communications: product reviews, support tickets, and live chat transcripts.
  • Marketing and behaviour data: email engagement, newsletter preferences, marketing segments, cookies and device identifiers.
  • Log and technical data: IP address, browser type, device information, referrer and analytics data.
  • Inventory and fulfilment metadata: SKU-level order lines, stock reservations and fulfilment events.

How we use your data and the lawful basis

PURPOSE LAWFUL BASIS
Order fulfilment and delivery: process and deliver orders, manage returns, handle payments and communicate about your purchase. Contract performance
Customer support: respond to enquiries and manage support tickets via Gorgias. Legitimate interests / contract performance
Marketing communications: send promotional emails via Klaviyo if you have opted in; generate personalised product suggestions based on purchase and behaviour data. Consent
Reviews and social proof: collect and publish product reviews on our website via Lipscore Reviews; reviewers may choose to post anonymously. Consent / legitimate interest
Inventory and fulfilment: sync stock and order data with Unleashed and Shiptheory to process orders and manage couriers. Contract performance / legitimate interests
Accounting and bookkeeping: share required transactional and tax information with Xero and our appointed accountants, Phillips Frith Accountants LLC, for bookkeeping, VAT and statutory reporting. Legal obligation / contract performance
Fraud prevention and security: use Shopify’s fraud detection tools to detect and prevent fraudulent orders. Legitimate interests
Analytics and advertising: use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel and Reddit tracking for aggregated site analytics and, with your consent, personalised ad retargeting. Legitimate interests (aggregated analytics) / consent (tracking cookies)

Third parties and data sharing

We share personal data only as necessary with trusted service providers under written data processing agreements. These include:

  • Shopify – platform hosting, checkout and order processing
  • Klaviyo – email marketing and segmentation
  • Lipscore Reviews – collection and publication of product reviews
  • Unleashed – inventory and ERP synchronisation
  • Shiptheory – shipping orchestration and courier integration
  • Couriers – including Royal Mail and DPD for delivery and tracking
  • Payment processors – used by Shopify for secure payments and fraud checks
  • Gorgias – customer support and live chat management
  • Xero – accounting software
  • Phillips Frith Accountants LLC – bookkeeping and statutory reporting
  • Devon Hampers Ltd – Order fulfillment & warehousing services
  • Google, Meta, and Reddit – analytics and marketing tracking (only where consent has been given)

We do not sell your personal data.

Automated decision-making and profiling

  • Klaviyo may generate personalised product suggestions or segment users for marketing.
  • Shopify may use automated fraud detection to flag or cancel suspicious orders.

You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, where it has legal or similarly significant effects. You can contact our DPO to understand or challenge such decisions.

Cookies and tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies for:

  • Site functionality and performance
  • Analytics and aggregated usage measurement
  • Advertising and retargeting (Google, Meta, Reddit) — used only with your consent

You can manage cookie preferences at any time through our cookie banner or browser settings.
For detailed information, please see our Cookie Policy.

Data storage, security and retention

  • Personal data is held securely on Shopify and by our named third-party processors.
  • Some business data is stored in Microsoft SharePoint and secure internal spreadsheets.
  • Transactional and accounting data required for legal purposes is stored in Xero and accessed only by authorised staff and Phillips Frith Accountants LLC.
  • Access to customer data is restricted on a need-to-know basis.
  • We implement technical and organisational safeguards such as encryption, secure backups and access controls.

Retention periods:

  • Order and transactional records: up to 10 years for warranties, accounting and tax compliance.
  • Marketing contact data: retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent.
  • Review and analytics data: retained in line with each processor’s retention policy.

To request specific retention details, contact our DPO.

Reviews

You give us permission to use any reviews, comments, ratings, photos, or other feedback you post about us anywhere, forever, worldwide, and without payment.

We can copy, change, edit, translate, display, or share your review in any media or format, and we may use it for marketing and on social media. You promise you own what you submit or have the right to share it, and you agree we can publish it with or without your name. We may remove or edit reviews for legal, safety, quality, or formatting reasons.

If for any reason you want to anonymise a review you have left us, please let us know by contacting our DPO.

Cross-border data transfers

Some service providers (e.g. Shopify, Klaviyo, Meta, Google) may transfer personal data outside the UK.
Where this occurs, we ensure an appropriate safeguard such as:

  • The UK International Data Transfer Addendum (IDTA) to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, or
  • An adequacy decision under UK data protection law.

These measures ensure your data receives an equivalent level of protection wherever it is processed.

Your data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Request erasure of your data where no lawful basis for retention exists
  • Request restriction or object to certain types of processing (including direct marketing profiling)
  • Receive your data in a portable format where applicable
  • Withdraw consent for marketing at any time

To exercise these rights, contact our DPO at digital@proqsmokers.com.
We may need to verify your identity before processing a request.

If you remain dissatisfied, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
www.ico.org.uk | Tel: 0303 123 1113

Children

Our services are not intended for children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under this age. If you believe we hold such data, please contact us to request deletion.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website with the updated effective date. If we make significant changes, we will notify registered users by email or through a website notice.

Contact

Data Protection Officer
Email: digital@proqsmokers.com
Address: 9 Tregarne Terrace, St Austell, Cornwall PL25 4DD, UK