Who we are
CarHistory.co.uk is a trading name of Sawtry Media Limited (company number 05080337, registered office Eco Innovation Centre, Peterscourt, City Road, Peterborough, PE1 1SA). We're the controller of the personal information described here, and we're registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), registration number ZA269839. Contact us about your information at help@carhistory.co.uk.
What we collect
- Your account: your name, email address, optional company name, a securely scrambled (hashed) version of your password, and whether you get emails about our offers and news (and when you last chose).
- Your purchases: the reports you buy, the registrations you check, payment status and amounts, and your invoices. Card payments are handled by Stripe: we never see or store your full card details.
- Technical information: your IP address and browser details in our server and security logs, used to keep the site running and secure.
- Messages: anything you send us when you contact us.
Vehicle records (such as MOT history) relate to the car, not to you. We don't receive the names or addresses of a car's keepers.
How we use it, and why
- To provide your account and reports, and take payment: necessary for our contract with you.
- To keep invoices and accounting records: a legal obligation.
- To keep the site secure, prevent fraud and misuse, and fix problems: our legitimate interests.
- To reply when you contact us: our legitimate interests, or our contract with you.
- To send the occasional email about our own vehicle checks, offers and news if you have an account and chose to receive them (you can switch them off at any time): our legitimate interests, as the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations allow for our customers.
We never sell your information.
Emails about offers and news
If you have an account, we may send you the occasional email about our own vehicle checks, offers and news. You can say no when you create your account, switch them off at any time in your account settings, and every one of these emails includes an unsubscribe link.
These emails are only ever about Car History's own services. We never use details sent through our contact form for them, and we never pass your details to car buyers, dealers or anyone else for their marketing.
Who we share it with
- Stripe, to process payments.
- Our vehicle data provider, the DVLA and the DVSA, who receive the registration you check so they can return its records.
- Our hosting and IT providers, who store and run the site for us.
- Professional advisers, and the police or other authorities where the law requires it.
Our vehicle images are generated by Google from the make, model, colour and year only; no personal information is sent. Some providers, such as Stripe, may process information outside the UK; where they do, they use safeguards approved under UK law.
How long we keep it
- Reports: 2 years from purchase. After that we delete the report and the vehicle records in it; your invoice is kept.
- Messages to our support team, and any files you sent: 2 years from the last message.
- Invoices and payment records: 6 years, as required for tax.
- Your account: until you ask us to close it.
- Server and security logs: only as long as we need them to keep the site running and secure.
Cookies
We only use cookies that the site needs to work: one to keep you signed in, and one that protects forms against forgery. We don't use advertising or analytics cookies. Stripe sets its own cookies on its payment page.
| Cookie |
What it's for |
How long it lasts |
.CARHISTORY |
Keeps you signed in |
Until you close your browser, or 2 hours without activity |
__CHAntiXsrf |
Protects forms against forgery |
Until you close your browser |
Your rights
You can ask for a copy of your information, ask us to correct or delete it, object to or restrict how we use it, or ask for it in a portable format. Email help@carhistory.co.uk. Some information, such as invoices, we must keep by law.
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, you can complain to the ICO at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113. We'd appreciate the chance to put things right first.
Changes
We'll update this page if how we use information changes. The date it was last updated is shown above.