Privacy Policy – Golden Thistle Memorials

Last Updated: 21 August 2026

Golden Thistle Memorials ("I", "me" or "my") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information I collect, why I collect it, how it is used and stored, who it may be shared with, and your rights under UK data protection law, including the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.

Golden Thistle Memorials is a small independent business based in Scotland.

For questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact:

Email: goldenthistlememorials@yahoo.com
Website: www.golden-thistle-memorials.co.uk

1. Information I Collect

The information I collect depends on how you interact with Golden Thistle Memorials.

1.1 Information You Provide

This may include:

Your name
Email address
Telephone number
Billing and delivery address
Order and transaction information
Personalisation instructions
Photographs, images, paw prints, nose prints, handwriting, wording, names or dates supplied for use in a personalised keepsake
Information you provide when making an enquiry or contacting me
Correspondence relating to an order
Reviews or testimonials you choose to provide

Payment information is processed securely by the relevant third-party payment provider. Golden Thistle Memorials does not directly store your full debit or credit card details.

1.2 Website Information

When you visit the Golden Thistle Memorials website, certain information may be collected automatically, depending on your cookie choices. This may include:

IP address and approximate location information
Browser and device information
Pages viewed and interactions with the website
Referral source
Website usage and analytics information
Cookie and consent preferences

Further information is provided in Section 8.

1.3 Social Media

If you contact Golden Thistle Memorials through Facebook, Instagram or another social media platform, I may receive information associated with your profile together with the content of your message.

Your use of those platforms is also subject to the privacy policies of the relevant social media provider.

2. How I Use Your Information

I may use your personal information to:

Process, personalise and fulfil your order
Create digital proofs or visual designs for your approval
Communicate with you regarding your order or enquiry
Arrange payment, delivery and dispatch
Provide customer service
Deal with alterations or questions relating to a design
Maintain appropriate business, tax and accounting records
Prevent or investigate fraud or misuse
Maintain and improve my website and services
Understand how visitors use my website
Send marketing communications where you have consented to receive them
Comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements

Photographs, paw prints, nose prints and other personalisation materials supplied for an order will be used for the purpose of designing and producing your requested keepsake and associated customer service.

I will not use customer photographs or memorial designs for advertising or social media unless I have an appropriate basis to do so, such as obtaining your permission where required.

3. Lawful Bases for Processing

Under UK data protection law, I must have a lawful basis for processing personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, I may rely upon:

Contract – where processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to fulfil an order you have placed.
Consent – where you have actively agreed to a particular use of your information, such as certain marketing communications or optional cookies. You may withdraw your consent at any time.
Legitimate Interests – where processing is reasonably necessary for the operation and improvement of Golden Thistle Memorials, customer service, website security or fraud prevention, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.
Legal Obligation – where I am required to retain or process information to comply with applicable law, including tax and accounting requirements.

4. Sharing Your Information

Golden Thistle Memorials does not sell or rent your personal information.

I may share information with trusted third parties where reasonably necessary to operate the business and provide your order or services.

These may include:

Wix and other website or e-commerce service providers
Payment processors
Royal Mail and other postal or courier services
Accounting or bookkeeping providers
Google Analytics and other website measurement services, subject to your cookie choices
Email, cloud storage or other IT service providers
Professional advisers where necessary
Government, regulatory or law-enforcement authorities where disclosure is legally required

Only the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose will be shared.

Some third-party providers act as independent data controllers and process information in accordance with their own privacy policies.

5. International Transfers

Some of the service providers used by Golden Thistle Memorials may process or store personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, I will take reasonable steps to ensure that an appropriate mechanism or safeguard required by UK data protection law applies.

Depending on the destination and circumstances, this may include UK adequacy regulations or other appropriate safeguards recognised under the UK GDPR.

6. How Long I Keep Your Information

Personal information is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including satisfying any legal, accounting or reporting requirements.

As a general guide:

Order, invoice and transaction records: normally retained for up to 6 years where required for tax, accounting or legal purposes.
Customer correspondence and enquiries: normally retained for up to 12 months after the enquiry has been resolved, unless there is a legitimate reason to retain it for longer.
Information relating to an order: may be retained for a reasonable period after completion to assist with customer service, queries or disputes.
Photographs, paw prints, nose prints, handwriting and other personalisation files: retained only for as long as reasonably necessary to create and fulfil your order and deal with any related queries, unless you have given permission for them to be retained or used for another purpose.
Marketing information: retained until you unsubscribe, withdraw your consent or I determine that the information is no longer required.
Website analytics information: retained in accordance with the settings and retention periods of the relevant analytics provider.

Information may be retained for longer where required by law or where reasonably necessary to establish, exercise or defend a legal claim.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law may give you the right to:

Access – request a copy of personal information I hold about you.
Rectification – ask me to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
Erasure – ask me to delete your personal information in certain circumstances.
Restriction – ask me to restrict the way your information is processed in certain circumstances.
Object – object to certain processing, including direct marketing and some processing based on legitimate interests.
Data Portability – request certain personal information in a portable format or ask for it to be transferred to another organisation where applicable.
Withdraw Consent – withdraw your consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis relied upon.

These rights are not absolute and may not apply in every circumstance. For example, I may need to retain certain transaction information to comply with tax or other legal obligations.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact:

goldenthistlememorials@yahoo.com

I may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.

If you are unhappy with how your personal information has been handled, please contact me first so that I have an opportunity to address your concerns.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator.

8. Cookies and Website Analytics

The Golden Thistle Memorials website uses cookies and similar technologies for purposes including operating the website, remembering preferences and understanding how visitors use the site.

Cookies may include:

Essential cookies – necessary for the website, shopping basket, checkout, security and other core functionality.
Analytics cookies – used to understand how visitors interact with the website and to help improve its performance.
Functional or preference cookies – used to remember certain choices or preferences.
Marketing cookies – where applicable, these may be used for advertising or measuring marketing activity.

Golden Thistle Memorials uses Google Analytics to understand website traffic and how visitors interact with the website.

Non-essential cookies and tracking technologies are managed through the website's cookie consent system where consent is required.

You can review or change your cookie choices through the cookie settings available on the website. You may also be able to manage cookies through your browser settings, although disabling essential cookies may affect how the website functions.

9. Security of Your Information

I take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against accidental or unlawful loss, misuse, alteration, unauthorised access or disclosure.

These measures may include:

Secure website hosting
HTTPS encryption
Password-protected accounts and systems
Restricted access to customer information
Secure third-party payment processing
Keeping software and services appropriately maintained

However, no method of transmitting or storing information electronically can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

10. Photographs, Paw Prints and Other Personalisation Materials

Golden Thistle Memorials creates highly personalised keepsakes. As part of an order, you may provide photographs, paw prints, nose prints, handwriting, names, dates, messages or other material required to create your design.

These materials will be used to:

Prepare your personalised design
Produce a digital proof or visual for your approval
Make your finished keepsake
Communicate with you about alterations or approval
Deal with reasonable after-sales queries relating to your order

I understand that these materials can have significant sentimental value and will treat them with appropriate care.

Providing personalisation material for an order does not automatically give Golden Thistle Memorials permission to publish it on social media, the website or other promotional material.

Where I would like to share a customer's finished memorial or other identifiable personalisation material for promotional purposes, I will obtain appropriate permission where required.

11. Marketing Communications

I will only send direct electronic marketing communications where I have an appropriate lawful basis to do so.

Where you have consented to receive marketing, you can unsubscribe or withdraw your consent at any time.

You can do this by following any unsubscribe instructions provided or by contacting:

goldenthistlememorials@yahoo.com

Withdrawing consent for marketing will not affect essential communications relating to an existing order.

12. Third-Party Websites and Services

The Golden Thistle Memorials website may contain links to third-party websites or services, including social media platforms and payment providers.

Golden Thistle Memorials is not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites. If you follow a link to another website or service, you should review its privacy information separately.

13. Children's Privacy

Golden Thistle Memorials does not knowingly market its services directly to children or knowingly collect personal information from children where parental or guardian involvement would be required.

If I become aware that personal information relating to a child has been provided inappropriately, I will take reasonable steps to address the matter.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes to the business, website, services or applicable data protection requirements.

The latest version will be published on the Golden Thistle Memorials website with the date of the most recent update shown at the top of the policy.

Where a change materially affects how personal information is used, additional notice will be provided where appropriate.

15. Contact Golden Thistle Memorials

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, how your personal information is used or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact:

Golden Thistle Memorials
Email: goldenthistlememorials@yahoo.com
Website: www.golden-thistle-memorials.co.uk