Privacy & Cookies

Privacy Notice

We are Sona Projects Limited (“SONA”, “we”, “our”, “us”). We are a limited company registered in England and Wales with company number 8188166. Our registered address is at 4-5 Greenwood Court, Taylor Business Park, Warrington, WA3 6DD, United Kingdom.

You can contact us in any of the following ways:

(a) By phoning us on 00 44 (0) 1625 541442

(b) By emailing us at privacy@sona.technology, or

(c) By writing to us at the above address.

We take the privacy, including the security, of personal information we hold about you seriously. This privacy notice is designed to inform you about how we collect personal information about you and how we use that personal information. You should read this privacy notice carefully so that you know and can understand why and how we use the personal information we collect and hold about you.

We do not have a Data Protection Officer, but we do have a Privacy Officer who is responsible for matters relating to data protection at our organisation, including any matters in this privacy notice. If you have any questions or issues arising from it then you should contact Simon Fulstow using any of the details set out above.

We keep our privacy policy under regular review, and it may be updated from time to time. This version was last updated on 23 February 2023.

1. Key Definitions

The key terms that we use throughout this privacy notice are defined below, for ease:

Data Controller: under UK data protection law, this is the organisation or person responsible for deciding how personal information is collected and stored and how it is used.

Data Processor: a Data Controller may appoint another organisation or person to carry out certain tasks in relation to the personal information on behalf of, and on the written instructions of, the Data Controller.

Personal Information: in this privacy notice we refer to your personal data as ‘personal information’. ‘Personal information’ means any information from which a living individual can be identified. It does not apply to information which has been fully anonymised.

Special Information: certain very sensitive personal information which requires extra protection under data protection law. Sensitive data includes information relating to health, racial and ethnic origin, political opinions, religious and similar beliefs, trade union membership, sex life and sexual orientation and also includes genetic information and biometric information.

2. Details of personal information which we collect and hold about you

2.1 Set out below are the general categories and in each case the types of personal information which we collect, use and hold about you:

Identity Information: This is information relating to your identity such as your name (including any previous names and any titles which you use), gender, marital status and date of birth

Contact Information: This is information relating to your contact details such as e-mail address, addresses, telephone numbers.

Transaction Information: This is information relating to transactions between us such as details of the goods, services and/or digital content provided to you and any returns details

Survey Information: This is information which we have collected from you or which you have provided to us in respect of surveys and feedback.

Marketing Information: This is information relating to your marketing and communications preferences.

Website, Device & Technical Information: This is information about your use of our website and technical data which we collect including your IP address, the type of browser you are using and the version, the operating system you are using, details about the time zone and location settings on the device and other information we receive about your device

2.2 The types of personal data we collect about you may differ from person to person, depending on who you are and the relationship between us.

3. Details of special information which we collect and hold about you

3.1 Special information is explained in section Error! Reference source not found. above. We do not collect or hold any special information about you.

3.2 We do not collect information from you relating to criminal convictions or offences.

4. Details of how and why we use personal information

4.1 We are only able to use your personal information for certain legal reasons set out in data protection law. There are legal reasons under data protection law other than those listed below, but in most cases, we will use your personal information for the following legal reasons:

Contract Reason: this is in order to perform our obligations to you under a contract we have entered into with you;

Legitimate Interests Reason: this is where the use of your personal information is necessary for our (or a third party’s) legitimate interests, so long as that legitimate interest does not override your fundamental rights, freedoms or interests.

Legal Obligation Reason: this is where we have to use your personal information in order to perform a legal obligation by which we are bound; and

Consent Reason: this is where you have given us your consent to use your personal information for a specific reason or specific reasons.

4.2 So that we are able to provide you with goods and/or services we will need your personal information. If you do not provide us with the required personal information, we may be prevented from supplying the goods and/or services to you.

4.3 It is important that you keep your personal information up to date. If any of your personal information changes, please contact us as soon as possible to let us know. If you do not do this then we may be prevented from supplying the goods and/or services.

4.4 Generally, we do not rely on consent as the legal basis for processing your personal data, although we will get your consent before sending marketing communications to you. Where we do rely on consent for a specific purpose as the legal reason for processing your personal information, you have the right under data protection law to withdraw your consent at any time. If you do wish to withdraw your consent, please contact the Privacy Officer using the details set out at the beginning of this notice. If we receive a request from you withdrawing your consent to a specific purpose, we will stop processing your personal information for that purpose, unless we have another legal reason for processing your personal information, in which case, we will confirm that reason to you.

4.5 We have explained below the different purposes for which we use your personal information and, in each case, the legal reason(s) allowing us to use your personal information. Please also note the following:

(a) if we use the Legitimate Interests Reason as the legal reason for which we can use your personal information, we have also explained what that legitimate interest is; and

(b) for some of the purposes we may have listed more than one legal reason on which we can use your personal information, because the legal reason may be different in different circumstances. If you need confirmation of the specific legal reason that we are relying on to use your personal data for that purpose, please contact the Privacy Officer using the contact details set out at the start of this privacy notice.

Purpose Legal Reason(s) for using the personal information

To enrol you as a customer:

Contract Reason.
Legitimate Interests Reason (in order to offer you other goods, services and/or digital content which helps us to develop our business

To process your order, which includes taking payment from you, advising you of any updates in relation to your order or any enforcement action against you to recover payment:

Contract Reason.

Legitimate Interests Reason (in order to recover money which you owe us)

To manage our contract with you and to notify you of any changes:

Contract Reason.
Legal Obligation Reason.

To comply with audit and accounting matters:

Legal Obligation Reason

For record keeping, including in relation to any guarantees or warranties provided as part of the sale of goods, services and/or digital content:

Contract Reason.
Legal Obligation Reason.

To improve the goods, services, and/or digital content which we supply:

Legitimate Interests Reason (in order to improve the goods, services, and/or digital content for future customers and to grow our business)

To recommend and send communications to you about goods, services, and/or digital content that you may be interested in. More details about marketing are set out in section 11 below:

Legitimate Interests Reason (in order to grow our business)
Consent Reason

To ensure the smooth running and correct operation of our website
Legitimate Interests Reason (to ensure our website runs correctly)

To understand how customers and visitors to our website use the website and interact with it via data analysis:

Legitimate Interests Reason (to improve and grow our business, including our website, and to understand our customer’s needs, desires and requirements)

4.6 Sometimes we may anonymise personal information so that you can no longer be identified from it and use this for our own purposes. In addition, sometimes we may use some of your personal information together with other people’s personal information to give us statistical information for our own purposes. Because this is grouped together wither other personal information and you are not identifiable from that combined data we are able to use this.

4.7 Under data protection laws we can only use your personal information for the purposes we have told you about, unless we consider that the new purpose is compatible with the purpose(s) which we told you about. If we want to use your personal information for a different purpose which we do not think is compatible with the purpose(s) which we told you about then we will contact you to explain this and what legal reason is in place to allow us to do this.

5. Details of how we collect personal information and special information

5.1 We usually collect Identity Information, Contact Information Transaction Information,Survey Information, directly from you when you fill out a form, survey or questionnaire, purchase goods, services and/or digital content from us, contact us by e-mail, telephone, in writing or otherwise. This includes the personal information which you provide to us when you subscribe to our mailing list, newsletter or make an enquiry.

5.2 We may receive some of your personal information from third parties or publicly available sources. This includes:

(a) Identity Information and Contact Information from publicly available sources such as Companies House;

(b) Website, Device and Technical Information from third parties such as analytics providers (like Google);

5.3 We do not presently use any cookies or collect any data about your browsing action and pattern on our website.

6. Details about who personal Information may be shared with

6.1 We may need to share your personal information with other organisations or people. These organisations include:

(a) Third parties who may include:

(i) Suppliers and Service Providers: such as IT support providers, payment system providers, administration providers;

(ii) Government bodies and regulatory bodies: such as HMRC, fraud prevention agencies;

(iii) Our professional advisors: such as lawyers, accountants, auditors, as well as our insurers;

(iv) Our bankers;

(v) E-mail platforms such as Mail Chimp which is used to generate payment reminders;

(b) any organisations to whom we intend to sell, transfer or merge parts of our business or our assets or any other organisation we seek to acquire, merge with or acquire some or all of their assets. If a change happens to our business, then the new owners may use your personal data in the same way as set out in this policy.

6.2 Depending on the circumstances, the organisations or people who we share your personal information with will be acting as either Data Processors or Data Controllers. Where we share your personal information with a Data Processor we will ensure that we have in place contracts, which set out the responsibilities and obligations of us and them, including in respect of security of personal information.

6.3 We do not sell or trade any of the personal information which you have provided to us.

7. Details about transfers to countries outside of the EEA

7.1 We do not transfer your personal information outside of the EEA.

8. Details about how long we will hold your personal information

8.1 We will only hold your personal data for as long as is necessary. How long is necessary will depend upon the purposes for which we collected the personal information (see section 4 above) and whether we are under any legal obligation to keep the personal information (such as in relation to accounting or auditing records or for tax reasons). We may also need to keep personal information in case of any legal claims, including in relation to any guarantees or warranties which we have provided with the goods, services, digital content.

8.2 You can contact us (using the details at the beginning of this notice) to request a copy of our retention policy which sets out how long different types of personal data will be kept for.

9. your rights under data protection law

9.1 Under data protection laws you have certain rights in relation to your personal information, as follows:

(a) Right to request access: (this is often called ‘subject access’). This is the right to obtain from us a copy of the personal information which we hold about you. We must also provide you with certain other information in response to these requests to help you understand how your personal information is being used.

(b) Right to correction: this is the right to request that any incorrect personal data is corrected and that any incomplete personal data is completed.

(c) Right to erasure: (this is often called the “right to be forgotten”). This right only applies in certain circumstances. Where it does apply, you have the right to request us to erase all of your personal information.

(d) Right to restrict processing: this right only applies in certain circumstances. Where it does apply, you have the right to request us to restrict the processing of your personal information.

(e) Right to data portability: this right allows you to request us to transfer your personal information to someone else.

(f) Right to object: you have the right to object to us processing your personal information for direct marketing purposes. You also have the right to object to us processing personal information where our legal reason for doing so is the Legitimate Interests Reason (see section 4 above) and there is something about your particular situation which means that you want to object to us processing your personal information. In certain circumstances you have the right to object to processing where such processing consists of profiling (including profiling for direct marketing).

9.2 In addition to the rights set out in section 9.1, where we rely on consent as the legal reason for using your personal information, you have the right to withdraw your consent. Further details about this are set out in section 4.4.

9.3 If you want to exercise any of the above rights in relation to your personal information, please contact us using the details set out at the beginning of this notice. If you do make a request then please note:

(a) we may need certain information from you so that we can verify your identity;

(b) we do not charge a fee for exercising your rights unless your request is unfounded or excessive; and

(c) if your request is unfounded or excessive then we may refuse to deal with your request.

9.4 We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally, it could take us longer if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated.

10. Marketing

10.1 You may receive marketing from us about similar goods and services, where either you have consented to this, or we have another legal reason by which we can contact you for marketing purposes.

10.2 However, we will give you the opportunity to manage how or if we market to you. In any e-mail which we send to you, we provide a link to either unsubscribe or opt-out, or to change your marketing preferences. To change your marketing preferences, and/or to request that we stop processing your personal information for marketing purposes, you can always contact us on the details set out at the beginning of this notice.

10.3 If you do request that we stop marketing to you, this will not prevent us from sending communications to you which are not to do with marketing (for example in relation to goods and/or services which you have purchased from us).

10.4 We do not pass your personal information on to any third parties for marketing purposes.

11. Complaints

If you are unhappy about the way that we have handled or used your personal information, you have the right to complain to the UK supervisory authority for data protection, which is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who can be contacted on 0303 1231113. The website address is ICO.org.uk. Please contact our Privacy Officer in the first instance if you wish to raise queries or make a complaint in respect of our handling or use of your personal information, so that we have the opportunity to discuss this with you and to take steps to resolve the position. You can contact him using the details set out at the beginning of this privacy notice.

12. Third Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third party websites. If you click and follow those links then these will take you to the third party website. We are not responsible for those third party websites and please note they may collect personal information from you and you should always check their privacy notices to understand how your personal information is collected and used by them before you provide them with your Personal Information.