Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 2026

Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Shepherd Marine Limited (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, stores and shares personal data when you interact with us, including through our website www.smlpaints.co.uk, when you place orders, create an account, contact us, or receive marketing communications.

We are committed to protecting your personal data and handling it responsibly, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (“UK GDPR”) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy applies to both consumer and trade customers, as well as business contacts acting on behalf of organisations.

Who we are

We are the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. If you have any questions about this policy or how we use your data, you can contact us at:

Shepherd Marine Limited

The Downs

Ashton Road

South Cerney

Cirencester

GL7 6DD

info@smlpaints.co.uk

01285 862132

Registered in England and Wales (05278878)

The personal information we collect

We collect personal information and data in the following ways:

Information you provide to us

This may include:

Name and contact details (email address, telephone number)
Billing and delivery addresses
Account login details
Trade account details
Payment and transaction information
Communications with us including emails, phone calls and contact forms
Marketing preferences

Information collected automatically when you use our website

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information using cookies and similar technologies, including:

IP address
Browser type and device information
Pages visited and actions taken
Referring websites or marketing campaigns
Session behaviour and interaction data

Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to distinguish you from other users of our website and to improve your experience.

For full details, please see our Cookie Policy.

How we use your personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

Orders, payments and fulfilment

To process and fulfil orders
To take and manage payments
To arrange delivery via our courier partners
To manage returns, refunds and customer service queries
To maintain order history and saved addresses

Payments are processed securely via our payment provider and we do not store full card details.

Lawful basis: Contractual necessity; Legal obligation

Customer accounts and trade accounts

To create and manage customer and trade accounts
To provide account functionality, including saved details and order history
To manage trade pricing, terms and account administration
To maintain records of transactions and communications

Lawful basis: Contractual necessity; Legitimate interests

Credit accounts and financial administration

Where we offer credit accounts or payment terms:

To assess and manage credit risk
To administer invoicing and payment terms
To maintain accounting and financial records

This processing may include limited checks and fraud-prevention measures via our payment and accounting providers.

Lawful basis: Contractual necessity; Legitimate interests; Legal obligation

Website operation and improvement

To operate and secure our website
To understand how visitors use our website
To improve site performance, usability and content

This includes the use of analytics and session-monitoring tools.

Lawful basis: Legitimate interests

Marketing communications

If you opt in (or where permitted by law), we may use personal data to:

Send promotional emails and newsletters to inform you about products, offers and services
Send abandoned basket reminders
Measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns

You can unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time.

Lawful basis: Consent; Legitimate interests (where applicable)

Customer analysis and profiling

We use customer data to:

Understand purchasing behaviour
Segment customers (for example, trade vs retail)
Improve our product range and marketing relevance

This may include using hashed email addresses to create or match audiences on advertising platforms (such as Google) for remarketing or lookalike audiences.

This profiling:

Is limited in scope
Does not involve automated decision-making with legal or similarly significant effects

Lawful basis: Legitimate interests; Consent (for marketing activities)

Who we share personal data with

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary, including:

Payment providers (e.g. Opayo)
Delivery and logistics providers (e.g. Parcelforce)
Website analytics and optimisation providers (e.g. Hotjar)
Marketing and email platforms (e.g. Mailchimp)
Advertising platforms (e.g. Google Ads)
Accounting and finance providers (e.g. Sage)
IT and hosting providers

All third parties are required to handle personal data securely and in accordance with data protection law.

We may also disclose personal data where required by law or to protect our legal rights.

International data transfers

Some of the third-party services we use are based outside the UK. This means that personal data may be processed outside the UK.

Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:

UK adequacy regulations
Standard contractual clauses and the UK Addendum

These measures are designed to ensure your data remains protected.

How long we keep your data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary, including:

For the duration of customer or trade accounts
To fulfil contracts and provide services
To comply with legal, tax and accounting obligations
To resolve disputes or enforce our rights

Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and purpose of processing.

Your rights

You have rights under UK GDPR, including the right to:

Access your personal data
Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Request deletion of your data (where applicable)
Restrict or object to processing
Withdraw consent at any time
Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details above.

Data security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “last updated” date at the top of this policy indicates when changes were made.