Privacy policy

1) Alternative Networks plc ("AN") does not collect personally identifiable information about you except:

• when you provide such information on a voluntary basis;
• through your use of AN's products and/or services;
• through your interaction with AN’s e-mails, as described in paragraph 4; and
• when AN obtains such information from another source (for example, a credit reference agency),

together ("Your Information").

2) Your Information may include your name, address, date of birth, gender, mobile and contact telephone numbers, fax number, e-mail address, bank and credit/debt card information, occupation and employment data, lifestyle, details of how you use AN's services, and details of how you interact with AN’s emails. We do not collect other personal information, or any sensitive personal information such as information on you racial or ethnic origins, religious beliefs, trade union affiliations, sexual life, health or criminal activity. We will hold such consumer information in accordance with the following principles:

• fairly and lawfully processed;
• processed for limited purposes;
• adequate, relevant and not excessive;
• accurate;
• not kept longer than necessary;
• processed in accordance with the data subject's rights;
• secure; and
• not transferred to countries without adequate protection.

3) AN may hold and process Your Information for any purpose relating to or connected with:

• the management of your account;
• AN's business;
• the provision of AN's current or future products and/or services;
• credit checks or verification of identity;
• any legal, governmental or regulatory requirement;
• legal proceedings;
• the prevention or detection of crime or fraud; and
• the protection of AN's legitimate interests.

4) AN may use embedded ".gif" images in HTML emails which allow AN to track if an email was opened and read, when, and by whom. AN may also use HTML links within emails AN sends you which may allow AN to track which links are being clicked on, when and by whom. Aggregated data from these images and links is used to tailor AN’s emails. AN may also contact you as a result of you opening an email or clicking on a link, to provide you with information about other AN products or services which AN believes may be of interest to you.

5) If you are a consumer and have ticked the relevant box on your contract or otherwise given your consent, AN may also contact you by phone, post, fax, email, or SMS from time to time with information about other AN products or services which AN believes may be of interest to you. Please contact AN Client Services if you do not wish your personal information to be used for these purposes.

6) If you are a consumer and have ticked the relevant box on your contract or otherwise given your consent, AN may also contact you by phone, post, fax, email, or SMS from time to time about the products and services of carefully selected third parties which AN believes may also be of interest to you and, without passing control of Your Information, enable you to receive marketing and/or promotional information from them.

7) Subject to the terms of this Policy, Your Information will not be sold or otherwise transferred to third parties without your approval. AN is not responsible for any actions or policies of such third parties and users should check the applicable privacy policy of such party when providing personally identifiable information.

8) AN may disclose to credit reference agencies details of your agreement with AN, any payments made under any such agreements, account balances and information about any default, dispute, queries and debts. AN may also disclose details of any change of address reported to AN or of which AN becomes aware. The information supplied by AN and held by credit reference agencies is used by AN and other organisations to help make decisions about other credit applications by you or other members of your household with whom you are linked financially; and to trace debtors, recover debts and to prevent and detect fraud. AN may also check and share your details with fraud prevention agencies who will record details of any false or inaccurate information provided by you where we suspect fraud. Records held by fraud prevention agencies will also be used by other organisations to help them make decisions on motor, household, credit, life and other insurance proposals and insurance claims, for you and members of your household, and to help prevent money laundering where applicable. By writing to the Data Protection Manager, Legal Department, Alternative Networks plc, Chatfield Court, 56 Chatfield Road, London, SW11 3UL, you can ask us at any time for details of the credit reference and fraud prevention agencies to whom we disclose and obtain information about you.

9) Where necessary or otherwise allowed, AN may also pass Your Information to certain third parties (some of which may be based outside of the European Union). Such third parties may include:

• those who provide to AN or its group companies products or services that support AN's services;
• if your bill is paid by someone else (for example, your employer), that person's agencies and organisations involved in the prevention or detection of fraud or crime or the apprehension or prosecution of offenders, including the operators and participants of crime prevention schemes in which AN participates who may compare Your Information with information collected from other sources and who may keep a record of the searches AN makes against your name; and
• anyone to whom AN transfers that part of its business of which you are a customer or a potential customer in accordance with paragraph 14 below. Such entities including their professional advisers may use and disclose Your Information for the same purposes as AN and its advisers. By entering into product and / or a services agreement with AN, you consent to such transfers of your personal data.

10) If you wish to use AN's products or services abroad, for example, if you wish to roam on a foreign mobile telephone network, it may be necessary to transfer Your Information outside of the European Union to that country. AN's web, and similar sites and those of AN's group companies may also be based on servers located in countries outside of the European Union, whose laws may not protect you as well as that in countries within the European Union.

11) AN may share Your Information with AN's group companies (i.e. those companies that AN owns or controls at least 15% of the issued share capital), who may use or disclose Your Information for the same purposes.

12) If you wish to:

• update or correct Your Information; or
• request that Your Information is removed from our direct marketing database,
  please write to the Data Protection Manager, Legal Department, Alternative Networks plc, Chatfield Court, 56 Chatfield Road, London, SW11 3UL.

13) If you provide AN with information about or relating to another individual it is your responsibility to ensure that that individual is aware and has agreed to your conveying such information to AN.

14) In the event that AN's business is sold or integrated with another business, Your Information will be disclosed to our advisors and any prospective purchaser's advisors and will be passed to the new owners of the business.

15) You are entitled to obtain a copy of the personal information AN holds about you. Please write to the Data Protection Manager, Legal Department, Alternative Networks plc, Chatfield Court, 56 Chatfield Court, London SW11 3UL. Please provide proof of your identity, and confirm your account number(s) with AN and briefly describe the information you require. We may also charge £10 to cover AN's administrative costs.

16) AN reserves the right to change this policy at any time by publishing a revised privacy policy on the website. This policy and the statements outlined herein are not intended to and do not create any contractual or other legal rights in or on behalf of any party.