Privacy & Cookie Policy

At Whispy Willow's Fine Line Tattoo Studio, we take your privacy seriously. This policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, and your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

The data controller responsible for your personal data is Whispy Willow's Fine Line Tattoo Studio, based in Hawkinge, Kent. You can contact us at info@whispywillowsink.com.

1. What data we collect

We collect personal data in the following ways:

Enquiry form — when you submit a consultation enquiry we collect:

• First and last name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Tattoo details (size, placement, style preferences)
• Any photos or images you choose to upload
• Any additional comments you provide

Notify me form — when you register to be notified of our opening we collect your email address only.

Terms & conditions form — when you sign our client agreement we collect your name, email address, appointment date, and your typed signature.

We do not collect any special category data (such as health data) unless you voluntarily provide it in the comments field of an enquiry.

2. How we use your data

We use the data you provide solely for the purposes of running our tattoo studio:

• To respond to your consultation enquiry
• To arrange and manage your appointment
• To send you studio updates if you have signed up to be notified
• To maintain client records and signed agreements
• To comply with our legal obligations

We will never use your data for unsolicited marketing, sell it to third parties, or use it for any purpose beyond what is described in this policy.

3. Legal basis for processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Contract — processing is necessary to fulfil our services to you as a client
• Legitimate interests — to manage enquiries and communicate with potential clients
• Consent — for notify me sign ups, where you have explicitly opted in
• Legal obligation — to maintain records we are required to keep

4. Who we share your data with

We use a small number of trusted third party services to operate our website. Your data may pass through these services:

• Formspree (formspree.io) — our form submission service, used to deliver enquiry emails to us. Formspree processes form submissions on our behalf. You can view their privacy policy at formspree.io/legal/privacy-policy
• OVH — our web hosting and email provider based in the EU
• Google — we use Google Fonts to display typography on our website. Google may receive your IP address when fonts are loaded

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data with any other third parties.

5. How long we keep your data

• Enquiry data — retained for up to 12 months after your last contact with us, or until you request deletion
• Client records & signed agreements — retained for up to 3 years for legal and business purposes
• Notify me sign ups — retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion

After the relevant retention period, your data is securely deleted.

6. Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access — you can request a copy of the data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — you can ask us to correct inaccurate data
• Right to erasure — you can ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances
• Right to restrict processing — you can ask us to limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability — you can request your data in a portable format
• Right to object — you can object to our processing of your data
• Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time

7. Cookie Policy

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. Here is what our website uses:

Strictly necessary cookies

• Session cookie (PHP) — used on our admin page to maintain a secure login session. This cookie expires when you close your browser. No personal data is stored in this cookie.

Third party cookies

• Google Fonts — when our website loads fonts from Google, Google may set cookies or log your IP address. We have no control over these cookies. You can view Google's privacy policy at policies.google.com/privacy
• Formspree — our form provider may set cookies when you submit a form. You can view Formspree's cookie policy at formspree.io/legal/privacy-policy

What we don't use

• We do not use analytics cookies (e.g. Google Analytics)
• We do not use advertising or tracking cookies
• We do not use social media tracking pixels

You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of our website.

8. Contact & Complaints

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, please get in touch:

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) — the UK's data protection authority: