How we collect, use and protect your personal data.
This Privacy Policy explains how AutomationHire.co.uk ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, stores and protects your personal data. We are committed to complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Please read this policy carefully before using our website or services.
AutomationHire.co.uk is an online directory and marketplace connecting businesses with AI automation agencies and freelancers. We are the data controller for personal data collected through this website.
If you have any questions about how we handle your personal data, please contact us at the email address above before raising a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
We collect different data depending on how you use our website. We only collect what is necessary for the purpose stated.
This data is collected automatically and is used only for analytics and security purposes. It is not used to identify you personally.
| Purpose | Data Used | Who It Applies To |
|---|---|---|
| Display your listing in the directory | Business name, description, services, location, pricing | Providers |
| Forward lead requests to providers | Client name, email, project description | Clients & Providers |
| Send transactional emails | Email address, name | All users |
| Process subscription payments | Email, billing name (card handled by Stripe) | Providers |
| Send the weekly newsletter | Email address | Subscribers |
| Improve the website and detect fraud | IP address, browser data, usage data | All visitors |
| Comply with legal obligations | Any data required by law | All users |
| Respond to enquiries and support requests | Name, email, message content | All users |
We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.
Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. We rely on the following bases:
| Processing Activity | Legal Basis |
|---|---|
| Creating and maintaining a provider listing | Contract — necessary to perform our service agreement with you |
| Forwarding lead requests to providers | Legitimate interests — core purpose of the directory service |
| Processing subscription payments via Stripe | Contract — necessary to fulfil your subscription |
| Sending transactional emails (quote confirmations, lead alerts) | Contract / Legitimate interests |
| Sending the newsletter | Consent — you opted in via our subscription form |
| Analytics and site improvement | Legitimate interests — understanding how the site is used |
| Compliance with legal obligations | Legal obligation |
We only share your data with trusted third-party service providers that help us operate AutomationHire. All processors are bound by data processing agreements and comply with UK GDPR.
We use Supabase to store all user accounts and directory data. Supabase is hosted on AWS infrastructure in the EU (Ireland). Supabase Privacy Policy →
All subscription payments are processed by Stripe, Inc. We never receive or store your card details — they go directly to Stripe. Stripe is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant. Stripe Privacy Policy →
We use Resend to deliver transactional emails such as lead notifications, quote confirmations and welcome emails. Resend processes your email address and the email content on our behalf. Resend Privacy Policy →
Our website is hosted on Vercel Inc. servers. Vercel processes server logs including IP addresses as part of normal web hosting operations. Vercel Privacy Policy →
We may disclose your personal data if required to do so by law, court order, or government authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of AutomationHire, our users, or others.
In the event of a merger, acquisition or sale of all or part of our business, your data may be transferred to the acquiring entity. You will be notified by email of any such change and your rights under this policy will be maintained.
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, or as required by law.
| Data Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Provider account and listing data | Duration of account + 2 years after account deletion |
| Lead request data | 3 years from submission date |
| Payment and billing records | 7 years (required by UK tax law) |
| Newsletter subscriber email | Until you unsubscribe or request deletion |
| Reviews | Until you request removal or the provider listing is deleted |
| Server logs and analytics | 90 days |
| Support correspondence | 2 years from last interaction |
When data reaches the end of its retention period, it is securely deleted or anonymised so it can no longer be linked to an individual.
You have the following rights regarding your personal data. To exercise any of them, contact us at privacy@automationhire.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days.
You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (commonly called a Subject Access Request or SAR). We will provide this free of charge in a commonly used electronic format.
If any personal data we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to have it corrected. Providers can update most data directly from their dashboard.
You have the right to request deletion of your personal data where there is no compelling reason for us to continue processing it. Note that we may need to retain some data for legal or contractual reasons (e.g. payment records for 7 years).
You can ask us to restrict how we use your data while a dispute is being resolved — for example if you contest the accuracy of your data or have objected to processing.
You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format (e.g. JSON or CSV) and to transmit it to another service.
Where we rely on legitimate interests as our legal basis, you have the right to object to processing. We will stop unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests.
Where processing is based on your consent (e.g. newsletter), you can withdraw consent at any time by clicking "Unsubscribe" in any email or contacting us directly. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
If you believe we have not handled your data properly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
We do ask that you contact us first so we have the opportunity to resolve your concern directly.
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. We use the following types:
| Cookie Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Required for the site to function — authentication sessions, security tokens | Session / 7 days |
| Functional | Remember your preferences (e.g. filter settings, billing toggle) | 30 days |
| Analytics | Understand how visitors use the site (page views, traffic sources). We use privacy-first analytics that do not track individuals across sites. | 90 days |
| Stripe | Fraud prevention and payment processing on checkout pages | Session / 1 year |
We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. We do not share cookie data with social media platforms for advertising purposes.
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies will prevent you from logging in or using interactive features. You can also use a browser extension such as uBlock Origin to block non-essential cookies.
Our primary infrastructure is located within the European Economic Area (EEA) or in countries that the UK has deemed to provide adequate data protection. Specifically:
Where any transfer occurs to a country without a UK adequacy decision, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place such as UK International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs) or Standard Contractual Clauses.
AutomationHire is a business-to-business service intended for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 13. If you believe a child has submitted personal data to us, please contact us immediately at privacy@automationhire.co.uk and we will delete it promptly.
We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures including:
Despite these measures, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. If you discover a security vulnerability, please report it responsibly to security@automationhire.co.uk.
In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, and notify affected individuals without undue delay as required under UK GDPR Article 34.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements or for other operational reasons. When we make material changes, we will:
Your continued use of AutomationHire after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
For any questions, concerns or requests relating to your personal data or this Privacy Policy, please contact our Data Controller:
AutomationHire.co.uk
Email: privacy@automationhire.co.uk
Subject line: "Privacy Request — [Your Name]"
We aim to respond to all privacy requests within 5 business days and resolve them within 30 days as required by UK GDPR.