It's a regulation thing. We get that. So, lets just focus down, tell you all about how we handle the P word and then we can all be safe and comforted in the knowledge that we take your details seriously, and ALWAYS treat them with the full blown data respect!

GDPR. What's the jam?

So this has become the tsunami of data, hitting us sole traders, budding businesses, multi-nationals and consumers with a wave of legalities and KIT (keep-in-touch!) emails! But what is this new buzz word all about (and why have they not brought out a seasonal over-sized T with the wording plastered all over it?). In a formal nutshell - GDPR is a regulation intended to strengthen and unify data protection for everyone within the European Union (EU). The GDPR requires greater openness and transparency from companies on how they collect, store and use personal data, while also imposing tighter limits on the use of personal data. Actually, that sounds good. So, what does this mean for freckles. Actually, stop let's go back a step. 

What data does freckles hold about you?

In our contact section you can join our craft club. We ask you for your name, surname and email. That's it. No bells and whistles. No icing with cherry on top data. Just the basic cheese-sandwich of data collection. We don't need much from you to keep in touch. We don't segment our audience based on age, likes, dislikes, hobbies or lifestyle. We pop you in a pool of craft-minded people and hope that when we do send out some form of communication (which to be honest is once in a blue moon due to our in ability to get life organised enough!)

If you've signed up to a workshop or brought a product, we do ask some more intimate info. Address, telephone number and if its a kiddie workshop name and age. All this info is absolutely essential to the job in hand. We need to post, have a contact number and know the deets of those coming along. We don't use this info to contact you with any news updates - you need to make that big relationship jump by signing up to the newsletter on the contact section of our website! 

How is data held?

This is not your excel kinda world any more! We got swanky in 2016 with our website and built our database from then. All your info is stored via mailchimp or via  squarespace. Both of these are password protected, with DEactivated password memory, accessed via a password protected laptop. Even my wannabe spy-child couldn't access it. 

Any third parties involved in this relationship?

Your data is an us and you thing. We'd never abuse that relationship by sharing, selling, passing this on to anyone else. 

Data protection

The silver lining to GDPR is that it has brought data protection to the limelight (and also to the fact that we now don't receive emails from businesses we signed up to 12 years ago to receive a free glass of vino on a night out!). So for all businesses, from the daddy bear, mummy bear and to the baby bear of the business world, we all now need to put you and your credentials first. That can only be a good thing, right? Even if you are sick to the sight of those four letter words. 

We'll also keep this under review. As those legal bodies change the goal posts we'll keep a watchful eye and change the net with them. This page was reviewed on 24th May 2018 and will be checked again at regular orange half-time intervals. 

If you ever want to know what we hold about you, drop us a line at frecklesandfire@mail.com and we'll send you the details. You can always unsubscribe from our mailing list when we do eventually get round to the what-is-meant-to-be monthly newsletter!