Privacy Policy

This policy explains what personal information we collect when you use our website, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and the rights you have over it. We have written it in plain English rather than legal jargon, because a policy nobody can read protects nobody.

1. Who we are

The Classic Import Co. is a trading name of Imexs Brokerage LTD, a company registered in England and Wales.

• Company registration number: 13989357
• Registered office: Kemp House, 128 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX
• Website: classicimport.co.uk
• Email: cars@classicimport.co.uk

For the purposes of UK data protection law we are the data controller for the information described here. That means we decide what is collected and why, and we are responsible for looking after it.

2. What we collect

We only collect what we need to answer you and to handle your import. Nothing more.

What we ask you for

Our forms ask for three things:

• Your name
• Your phone number
• Your email address

That is the whole list. We ask for these so we can reply to you, and nothing else on our forms is required.

What you choose to tell us

Our forms include an open message box. It is optional, and you decide what goes in it. Whatever you write there reaches us, so please share only what you are comfortable sharing. Most people describe the vehicle they are looking at, which helps us give a useful answer, but that is your choice, not a requirement.

The same applies if you email us, call us or message us on WhatsApp: we receive whatever you decide to tell us.

Your calculator settings

If you use our import tax calculator, the settings you selected, such as the country, the age of the vehicle and the price you entered, are sent to us along with your estimate. This is your calculation, not a request for information about you. It lets us see what you were working out, so that if you get in touch we already know what you are asking about.

Documents, if you engage us

If you go ahead with an import, we handle the paperwork your vehicle needs. Depending on the vehicle this can include registration documents, purchase invoices, proof of age and proof of identity. We ask for these at that point, not through the website.

Information collected automatically

• Log data: your IP address, browser type and version, the pages you visit, the date and time, and how long you spend on them.
• Cookies: see section 7 below.

3. Why we use it, and our lawful basis

UK law requires us to have a valid reason for using your data. Here is exactly what we do and why we are allowed to.

We do not sell your data, and we do not pass it to anyone for their own marketing.

4. The import tax calculator

Our calculator works in two steps, and we want to be straightforward about both.

Step one: your email

To see your estimate, we ask for your email address. That is all we ask for at this stage. We use it to send you a copy of your estimate, which is what you asked for, and it comes to us along with the calculator settings you chose.

Step two: the enquiry form, if you want it

Once your estimate appears, there is a form you can use to ask us to confirm the figure for your actual vehicle. It asks for your name and phone number, alongside the email you already gave, plus an optional message. Filling it in is entirely up to you. If you would rather just take your estimate and go, that is fine.

Either way, we keep your details so we can follow up and help with your import, and you may hear from us about it. If you would rather we did not, tell us and we will delete them. See section 8.

5. Who we share it with

We share your information only with those who need it, and only for the reasons below.

• HMRC and the DVLA: when we handle your import, because customs clearance, tax and registration cannot be done without them.
• Shipping companies, testing centres and other partners: where your import requires it.
• Our hosting provider: our website and its data are hosted on servers in the UK and the EU.
• Our form provider: messages sent through our website forms are delivered to us by a third party form service, which passes them to our inbox.
• Analytics providers: if you accept analytics cookies. See section 7.
• Professional advisers or authorities: where the law requires us to.

These parties handle your data on our instructions and are not permitted to use it for their own purposes.

6. How long we keep it

• Enquiries that do not become a job: up to 2 years, in case you come back to us, then deleted.
• Calculator estimates: up to 2 years, then deleted.
• Imports we have handled: at least 6 years after the end of the tax year in question, because customs and tax law requires us to keep those records.
• Log data: a short period, typically no more than 12 months.

When a retention period ends, we delete the data or make it anonymous.

7. Cookies and analytics

Cookies are small files stored on your device by your browser. We use them to make the website work properly and to understand how it is used, for example which guides people read most.

You can accept or refuse cookies through your browser settings. Refusing them will not stop you reading the site, though some parts may not behave as intended. Most browsers let you delete cookies already stored and block new ones.

Our blog also counts how many times each guide is read. That counter is anonymous: it records the number of views, not who you are.

8. Your rights

Under UK data protection law you can ask us to do any of the following, free of charge:

• See your data. Get a copy of what we hold about you.
• Correct it. Have anything inaccurate put right.
• Delete it. Ask us to erase it, where we have no legal reason to keep it.
• Restrict it. Ask us to pause what we do with it while something is resolved.
• Move it. Receive it in a portable format, or have it sent elsewhere.
• Object. Tell us to stop using it where we rely on legitimate interests.
• Withdraw consent. Where you gave consent, you can take it back at any time. This does not affect anything done before you withdrew it.

To use any of these, email cars@classicimport.co.uk. We will respond within one month.

If you are not happy with how we have handled your data, you also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK regulator for data protection. We would rather sort it out with you directly, so please come to us first.

9. Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your information. Our website runs over an encrypted connection, and the files holding enquiry data are not accessible from the web. Access is limited to the people who need it to do their job.

That said, we will not pretend to be perfect: no method of transmission over the internet, and no method of storage, is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and neither can anyone who tells you otherwise.

10. Children

Our services are not aimed at anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has given us their details, contact us and we will delete them.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time, for example if we add a new feature to the website. Any changes appear on this page with a new date at the top, and take effect once posted. If a change is significant, we will make it obvious rather than hoping you do not notice.

12. Contact us

Questions about this policy, or about your data, are welcome.