Privacy Policy

When you use the Website or interact with us offline we collect and use information about you in the course of providing you with our products and services and with customer support. We may collect some or all of the information listed below to help us with this:

information that you submit online via the Website or give to us by phone or via email, including your name, contact details, fax, product preferences, bank details and login credentials. We collect this in a number of ways, including when you register for an account with us and/or contact us via the Website;

• information that you submit via any contact forms on the Website and any correspondence we have with you over email or phone;
• details of your marketing preferences when you subscribe to receive updates or offers from us, including your areas of interest;
• your social media handle, any information you post on our social media pages or posts in which you include a hashtag or mention relating to us and information regarding your activities on our social media pages generally (for example, the time and date of your posts);
• additional details that you provide at one of our events, including images and information provided in surveys;
• information that you provide to us when you enter a competition;
• extra information that you choose to tell us; and
• technical information about your visit, including details of your visits to the Website and your navigation around the Website, traffic data, communication data, information about the device you use to access the Website, your Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Internet, your login information, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform.

We also automatically collect information about how visitors use our Website by using cookies and similar technologies if, where they are not essential to make the Website work, you have consented to their use. To learn more about how we use cookies and how to switch them off please see our Cookies Notice. Some of the personal information we collect from you is required to enable us to fulfil our contractual duties to you or to others. Other items may simply be needed to ensure that our relationship can run smoothly.

Depending on the type of personal information in question and the legal grounds (i.e. the ‘lawful bases’) on which we may be processing it, should you decline to provide us with such data, we may not be able to fulfil our contractual requirements or, in extreme cases, may not be able to continue with our relationship with you.

For details of the lawful bases that we rely on to be able to use and process your personal information, please see How we use your information.

The purposes for which we use your personal information and the lawful basis under data protection laws on which we rely to do this are explained below.

Where you have provided CONSENT

We will rely on your consent to send you the following where we invite you to opt-in on the Website:

• electronic marketing communications about our products and services, and to advise you of news and industry updates, events, promotions and competitions including by email and SMS; and
• personal information collected from non-strictly necessary cookies used on the Website (see our Cookies Notice for more information).

We may also rely on consent to use your name and image for publicity purposes. For example, we may rely on consent to feature winners in advertising for future competitions or prize draws.’

You may withdraw your consent at any time. Please see the Marketing section below for further details.

Where it is required to complete or, at your request, take steps to enter into, a CONTRACT

The use of your personal information may be necessary to perform a contract that you have with us or perform steps you request to enter into a contract. For example, when you buy a product from us, we need to use your personal information to process your order, to send you the product, for billing purposes and to respond to any requests you may have. We also need to use your personal information to notify you about changes to our services.

Where there is a LEGAL REQUIREMENT

We will use your personal information to comply with our legal obligations, including where the law requires us:

• to respond or assist the public authorities or the police and other criminal investigation bodies;
• to identify you when you contact us or to authenticate you when logging into your account;
• to verify the accuracy of data we hold about you; and
• to comply with a request from you in connection with the exercise of your rights (for example where you have asked us not to contact you for marketing purposes, we will keep a record of this on our suppression list in order to be able to comply with your request).

Where it is in your VITAL INTERESTS

Where we have supplied you with any products, we may use your personal information to contact you if there are any urgent safety or product recall notices to communicate to you or where we otherwise reasonably believe that the processing of your personal information will prevent or reduce any potential harm to you. It is in your vital interests for us to use your personal information in this way.

Where there is a LEGITIMATE INTEREST

We may use and process your personal information where it is necessary for us to pursue the following legitimate interests (whether ours, in connection with our business, or that of a third party), for the following purposes:

Processing necessary for us to promote our business, brands and products and measure the reach and effectiveness of our campaigns

• to communicate marketing information to you by phone, email or post;
• for analysis and insight conducted to inform our marketing strategies, and to enhance your visitor experience;
• to tailor and personalise our marketing communications based on your activities and interests;
• to identify and record when you have received, opened or engaged with the Website or electronic communications (please see our Cookies Notice for more information);
• to use mathematical and statistical methods to create information and offers customised for you based on your information, including by making predictions about your behaviour. This may include predicting your preferences, suitable product recommendations, or your likelihood of making another purchase;

Processing necessary for us to support Website visitors and customers with their enquiries

• to respond to correspondence you send to us and fulfil the requests you make to us relating to our products and services;

Processing necessary for us to respond to changing market conditions and the needs of our guests and visitors

• to analyse, evaluate and improve our products and services so that your visit and use of the Website and social media pages are more useful and enjoyable (we will generally use data amalgamated from many people so that it does not identify you personally);
• to carry out (or instruct a third party to carry out on our behalf) market research and analysis (including contacting you with customer surveys) so that we can better understand you and your needs as a customer;
• for product development and statistical research purposes;
• to ensure that the Website’s content is presented as effectively as possible for you;

Processing necessary for us to operate the administrative and technical aspects of our business efficiently and effectively

• to notify you about changes to our services;
• to administer the Website and our social media pages and for internal operations, including troubleshooting, testing, statistical purposes;
• for the prevention of fraud and other criminal activities;
• to verify the accuracy of data that we hold about you and create a better understanding of you as an account holder or visitor;
• for network and information security in order for us to take steps to protect your information against loss or damage, theft or unauthorised access;
• to correspond or communicate with you in relation to administrative, legal and business matters;
• for the purposes of corporate restructure or reorganisation or sale of our business or assets;
• for efficiency, accuracy or other improvements of our databases and systems, for example, by combining systems or consolidating records we hold about you;
• to enforce or protect our contractual or other legal rights or to bring or defend legal proceedings;
• to inform you of updates to our terms and conditions and policies;
• for our internal purposes, such as quality control, Website performance, system administration and to evaluate use of the Website, so that we can provide you with enhanced services;
• to allow you to register for other websites and services we or our group companies operate to make those registration processes more convenient for you;
• in the rare event that we stop providing the Website, to move and combine your personal information held within our databases relating to the Website with those of another similar or related online service that we or one of our group companies operate. If we do so we will always email you to inform you of these changes in advance; and to enable you to participate in the features of the Website, when you choose to do so;
• to assess and improve our service to customers through recordings of any calls with our contact centres; and
• for other general administration including managing your queries (including through social media), complaints, or claims, and to send service messages to you.

We may collect your preferences to receive marketing information directly from us by email in the following ways:

• if you fill out the form to receive more information and opt in to receive other communications from us; or
• if you register for an account, we will ask you if you would like to opt in to receive marketing information directly from us.

From time to time, we may ask you to refresh your marketing preferences by asking you to confirm that you consent to continue receiving marketing information from us.

You have the right to opt-out of our use of your personal information to provide marketing to you in any of the ways mentioned above at any time. Please see Your rights below for further details on how you can do this.

We may monitor your use of the Website and record your IP address, operating system and browser type, and the geographical location for system administration purposes.

We collect aggregated statistics data about visitors to the Website and sales and traffic patterns. This information does not identify users in any personal capacity and we do not use this information to build profiles on individual users: it just contains generalised information about the users of the Website.

A cookie (and other technologies like pixels and beacons) is a small data file that is placed on your browser or the hardware of your computer or other device to allow a website to recognise you as a user when you return to the website. 

We use non-essential cookies when you consent for us to do so and essential cookies on the Website. Please see our Cookies Notice for more information about the type of cookies and tracking technologies that we use on the Website and why, and how to accept and reject them. 

We may share your information with any of the following trusted third parties:

• any of our group companies, where this is necessary, and in accordance with laws on data transfers;
• tax, audit, or other authorities, when we believe that the law or other regulation requires us to share this data (for example, because of a request by a tax authority or in connection with any anticipated litigation);
• lawyers who provide us with legal and regulatory advice;
• external consultants who provide industry insights, market research and technical support;
• auditors and accountants who prepare and examine financial records, assess financial operations and assist in becoming more efficient;
• IT technical support functions, IT consultants and third-party analytics service providers who carry out testing, research and development work on our business technology systems;
• third parties for the purposes of order fulfilment, delivery, customer support services and storage services;
• third party outsourced IT providers where we have an appropriate data processing agreement (or similar protections) in place;
• social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube (collectively “Social Media Platforms”) (please see the Social Media Platforms section below for further details);
• if a group company merges with or is acquired by another business or company in the future, we may share your personal information with the new owners of the business or company, as well as with any administrators or insolvency practitioners, where they are involved (and provide you with notice of this disclosure); and
• if we have to share your information to comply with legal or regulatory requirements, or if we have to enforce or apply our Terms and Conditions, or any other agreements or to protect our rights, property or our customers, etc. This may involve exchanging information with other companies and organisations for the purposes of fraud protection and credit risk reduction.

We use a number of different social media platforms to communicate with you and to promote products and services. We process your personal information using these platforms in a variety of ways, as follows:

Pages. We use your personal information when you post content or otherwise interact with us on our official pages on YouTube, LinkedIn and other social media platforms. We also use the Page Insights service for LinkedIn to view statistical information and reports regarding your interactions with the pages we administer on those platforms and their content. Where those interactions are recorded and form part of the information we access through these Page Insights services, we and the relevant platform are joint controllers of the processing necessary to provide that service to us.

We store your personal information on secure servers in the UK and European Economic Area (EEA).

Your personal information may be transferred outside of the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA) to the third parties described in Sharing your information with third parties.

We want to make sure that your personal information is stored and transferred in a way which is secure. We will therefore only transfer data outside of the UK and EEA where it is compliant with data protection legislation and the means of transfer provides adequate safeguards in relation to your data, for example:

• by way of an intra-group agreement between group companies, incorporating the current standard contractual clauses adopted by the European Commission, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office or other competent body for the transfer of personal information to jurisdictions without adequate data protection laws;
• by way of a data transfer agreement with a third party, incorporating the current standard contractual clauses adopted by the European Commission, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office or other competent body for the transfer of personal information to jurisdictions without adequate data protection laws;
• by transferring your data from group companies within the UK and EEA to group companies in other jurisdictions by way of a valid international transfer framework;
• by transferring your data to a country where there has been a finding of adequacy by the European Commission, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office or other competent body in respect of that country’s levels of data protection via its legislation;
• where it is necessary for the conclusion or performance of a contract between ourselves and a third party and the transfer is in your interests for the purposes of that contract; or
• where you have consented to the transfer.

Where we transfer your personal information outside the UK and EEA and where the country or territory in question does not maintain adequate data protection standards, we will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy. You can ask to see these by contacting us using the contact details below.

We care about protecting your information. That’s why we put in place appropriate measures that are designed to prevent unauthorised access to, and misuse of, your personal information.

We have a management system and implements appropriate security measures to maintain integrity and security and prevent unauthorised access, loss, manipulation or leaks etc., of personal information. Furthermore, where the processing of personal information is subcontracted, we make efforts to protect such personal information by selecting subcontractors who handle personal information appropriately and by prescribing the necessary measures to the subcontractor for appropriate management of personal information.

If you suspect any misuse or loss of or unauthorised access to your personal information please let us know immediately by contacting our Legal & Compliance Department or our Global Data Protection Officer using the details provided at the end of this notice.

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we will apply our normal procedures and comply with legal requirements to protect your information, we cannot guarantee the security of your information transmitted to the Website and any transmission is at your own risk.

The Website may from time to time contain links to and from other websites. If you follow a link to any of those websites, please note that those sites ought to have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for those sites or for their privacy policies. Please check those privacy policies before you submit your information to those websites.

We will only retain your personal information for as long as is necessary for the purpose(s) for which the data was collected. We will review the purpose for which the personal information is collected in order to determine how long we will need to keep it, and securely delete your information when it is no longer needed.

When it is no longer necessary to retain your data, we will delete the personal information that we hold about you from our systems (either by erasing or anonymising that data). After that time, we may retain aggregated data (from which you cannot be identified) and retain it for analytical and statistical purposes.

You have a number of rights in relation to your information under data protection law. In relation to certain rights, we may ask you for information to confirm your identity and, where applicable, to help us to search for your personal information. Except in rare cases, we will respond to you within one month from either: (i) the date that we have confirmed your identity; or (ii) where we do not need to do this because we already have this information, from the date we received your request.

Right to object

This right enables you to object to us processing your personal information where we do so for one of the following reasons:

• where we rely on our legitimate interests to do process your information;
• to enable us to perform a task in the public interest or exercise official authority;
• to send you direct marketing materials and where your right to withdraw consent does not apply; or
• for scientific, historical, research, or statistical purposes.

Except for the purposes for which we are sure we can continue to process your personal information, we will temporarily stop processing your personal information in line with your objection until we have investigated the matter. If we agree that your objection is justified in accordance with your rights under data protection laws, we will permanently stop using your personal information for those purposes. Otherwise we will provide you with our justification as to why we need to continue using your personal information.

Right to withdraw consent

Where we have obtained your consent to process your personal information for certain activities (for example, for marketing), you may withdraw this consent at any time and we will cease to use your personal information for that purpose unless we consider that there is an alternative legal basis to justify our continued processing of your data for this purpose, in which case we will inform you of this condition. If you withdraw your consent, our use of your personal information before you withdraw is still lawful.

To withdraw your consent to marketing communications, please use the unsubscribe tool in the relevant communication or update your preferences in the account section on the Website.

Right of access (‘Data Subject Access Requests’)

You may ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you at any time, and request us to modify, update or delete such information. If we provide you with access to the information we hold about you, we will not charge you for this unless permitted by law. If you request further copies of this information from us, we may charge you a reasonable administrative cost. Where we are legally permitted to do so, we may refuse your request. If we refuse your request we will always tell you the reasons for doing so.

If you would like to request access to your information, it would assist us with dealing with your request if you could use the subject heading ‘Data Subject Access Request’, or quote this over the phone, when contacting us. Please note that this is not mandatory and we will still deal with any requests without this reference.

Right to erasure

You have the right to request that we erase your personal information in certain circumstances. Normally, this right exists where:

• the data is no longer necessary;
• you have withdrawn your consent to us using your data, and there is no other valid reason for us to continue;
• the data has been processed unlawfully;
• it is necessary for the data to be erased in order for us to comply with our obligations under law; or
• you object to the processing of your data and we are unable to demonstrate overriding legitimate grounds for our continued processing.

We would only be entitled to refuse to comply with your request for erasure in limited circumstances and we will always tell you our reason for doing so.

When complying with a valid request for the erasure of data we will take all reasonably practicable steps to delete the relevant data.

Right to restrict processing

You have the right to request that we restrict our processing of your personal information in certain circumstances, for example if you dispute the accuracy of the personal information that we hold about you, you object to our processing of your personal information for our legitimate interests or you require us to keep it in connection with legal proceedings. If we have shared your personal information with third parties, we will notify them about the restricted processing unless this is impossible or involves disproportionate effort. We will, of course, notify you before lifting any restriction on processing your personal information.

We may only process your information whilst its processing is restricted if we have your consent or are legally permitted to do so, for example for storage purposes, to protect the rights of another individual or company or in connection with legal proceedings.

Right to rectification

You have the right to request that we rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal information that we hold about you. If we have shared this personal information with third parties, we will notify them about the rectification unless this is impossible or involves disproportionate effort. You may also request details of the third parties to whom we have disclosed the inaccurate or incomplete personal information. Where we think that it is reasonable for us not to comply with your request, we will explain our reasons for this decision.

You can access and update certain parts of your information by logging into your account on the Website.

Right of data portability

If you wish, you have the right to transfer your personal information between service providers where we rely on your consent or the performance of your contract as the lawful basis to use that information. In effect, this means that you are able to transfer the details we hold on you to another third party. To allow you to do so, we will provide you with your data in a commonly used machine-readable format so that you can transfer the data. Alternatively, we may directly transfer the data for you if technically possible.

Rights relating to automated decisions

In certain circumstances, you may contest a decision made about you based purely on automated processing and where the processing is not required by law. You may also ask us to stop making such decisions using automated processing alone.

Right to complain

You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority which is the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK. You can contact them in the following ways:

• Phone: 0303 123 1113
• Email: casework@ico.org.uk
• Post: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF

How to exercise your rights

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us on the details provided under How to contact us. Please note that we may keep a record of your communications to help us resolve any issues that you raise.

We may make changes to this Privacy Policy at any time by posting a copy of the modified notice on the Website or, where appropriate, by sending you an email with that notice.  Any changes will take effect 7 days after the date of our email or the date on which we post the modified terms on the Website, whichever is the earlier.

If you have any queries about this Privacy Policy, including your rights in relation to your personal information, please contact our Legal & Compliance department by email at picompliance@aafintl.com or by post at AAF Limited, Bassington Lane, Bassington Industrial Estate, Cramlington, NE23 8AF, United Kingdom.

Or contact our Global Data Protection Officer by email at globalprivacy@daikin.co.jp or by post at:

FAO Global Data Protection Officer

Daikin Industries Ltd

Umeda Center Building 2-4-12

Nakazaki-Nishi, Kita-Ku

Osaka, 530-8323 (Japan)

If you wish to contact us with any general queries or concerns, you can use our Contact Us page.

When contacting us by email or post, please use the subject heading ‘Data protection query’ so that we can direct your query to the appropriate department and deal with it promptly.

UPDATED 31 March 2022