Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 23 January 2026

Small Garage Software Ltd ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our MOT Booking System trial service.

Our Core Principle

We only use customer information for the sole purpose of providing and administering services for which the customer has subscribed.

That's it. No selling data, no tracking for advertising, no marketing to third parties. Your data is used to deliver the service you signed up for - nothing more.

            Key Points:
            We NEVER sell or share your data with third parties
We collect only what's essential for service delivery
All trial data is automatically deleted after 7 days
We use cookies for essential functionality only - no tracking or advertising
We comply with UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018
Your data is stored securely in the UK and never leaves the country

        

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Data Protection Principles

We are committed to honest, transparent service. Your data belongs to you - period. We collect only what's necessary to provide our booking service, and we never sell, rent, or share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.

We're only interested in how you interact with our service to make it better - not harvesting your data. The only circumstances under which we would share data are: (1) if legally required by UK law, or (2) with your explicit instruction.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Trial Registration Information

When you sign up for a trial account, we collect:

Garage Name: The name of your garage business
Contact Name: Your name
Email Address: For account verification and communications
Phone Number: For account support purposes

1.2 Booking Data (If Applicable)

If you or your customers create bookings during the trial, we collect:

Customer Information: Name, email, phone, address
Vehicle Information: Registration number, make, model, year (from DVLA lookup)
Booking Details: Date, time, bay number
SMS Consent: Whether customer agrees to receive SMS reminders

Note on Data Types: Vehicle registration numbers and postcodes alone are not personally identifiable. A registration identifies a vehicle (not the owner), and a postcode identifies an area (typically covering about 15 properties). These are necessary for the service but cannot be used to identify you individually without additional information.

1.3 Usage Information

We automatically collect certain information when you use our service:

Log Data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, time/date stamps
Device Information: Device type, operating system
Performance Data: Error reports, crash data for system improvements

2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 Service Provision: To provide and maintain the trial service, including:

Creating and managing your trial account
Processing booking requests
Sending confirmation emails
Providing customer support

2.2 Communication: To send you:

Account verification emails (magic link)
Trial expiry notifications
Important service updates
Support responses

2.3 System Improvement: To analyze usage patterns and improve our service (anonymized data only).

2.4 Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations and protect our rights.

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

3.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help websites function properly and provide usage information.

3.2 Cookies We Use

Cookie Name	Purpose	Duration	Type
`.AspNetCore.Antiforgery`	Security - prevents CSRF attacks	Session	Essential
`.AspNetCore.Identity.Application`	Authentication - keeps you logged in	7 days	Essential
`_ga`	Google Analytics - usage statistics	2 years	Analytics
`_gid`	Google Analytics - session tracking	24 hours	Analytics

3.3 Cookie Purposes

Our Cookie Philosophy: Essential Only

We believe in minimal, purposeful use of cookies. We don't use advertising cookies, tracking cookies, or third-party cookies for marketing. The cookies we use are either essential for the website to function, or help us understand how to improve our service (with anonymized data).

Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function. These cannot be disabled.

Authentication (keeping you logged in)
Security (preventing unauthorized access)
Session management

Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site.

Page views and navigation patterns
Time spent on pages
Browser and device types (anonymized)

3.4 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings:

Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies
Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security → Cookies
Safari: Preferences → Privacy
Edge: Settings → Cookies and Site Permissions

Note: Disabling essential cookies may prevent you from using the service.

4. Data Storage and Security

4.1 Where We Store Your Data

All data is stored on secure servers located in the United Kingdom.

4.2 Security Measures

Encryption: HTTPS/TLS encryption for data transmission
Database Security: Password-protected databases with restricted access
Access Controls: Role-based access to personal data
Regular Backups: Daily backups (automatically deleted after 7 days for trial accounts)

4.3 Data Retention

Trial Accounts: All data is automatically and permanently deleted 7 days after trial activation.

Paid Accounts: Data retained for duration of subscription plus 30 days.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may process your data:

5.1 DVLA Vehicle Lookup API

Purpose: Retrieve vehicle information from registration number
Data Shared: Vehicle registration numbers only
Provider: DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency), UK Government
Important Note: A vehicle registration number alone is not personally identifiable information. It identifies a vehicle, not a person. We cannot determine who owns a vehicle from the registration number.

5.2 Postcode Lookup Service

Purpose: Auto-complete customer addresses for convenience
Provider: Royal Mail PAF database (hosted service)
Data: Not recorded - lookups are performed in real-time and not stored

5.3 Google Analytics

Purpose: Website usage statistics to improve our service only
Data Shared: Anonymized browsing behavior - we cannot identify individual users
Provider: Google LLC
Our Position: We use this solely to understand how visitors use our site (which pages they visit, how long they stay) so we can make improvements. We do NOT use it for advertising, tracking, or remarketing. All data is anonymized and we cannot identify you personally.
Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

5.4 Email Service Provider

Purpose: Sending verification and notification emails
Data Shared: Email addresses, names, booking details
Provider: IONOS UK

6. Your Data Protection Rights (UK GDPR)

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

6.1 Right of Access

You can request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.

6.2 Right to Rectification

You can request correction of inaccurate personal data.

6.3 Right to Erasure

You can request deletion of your personal data (trial accounts are automatically deleted after 7 days).

6.4 Right to Restrict Processing

You can request we limit how we use your data.

6.5 Right to Data Portability

You can request your data in a machine-readable format.

6.6 Right to Object

You can object to certain types of processing.

6.7 How to Exercise Your Rights

We will respond within 30 days of your request.

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

7.1 We Do NOT Sell Your Data - EVER

We will NEVER sell, rent, trade, or share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes. Your data is not a product we sell - it's information you've trusted us with to provide a service.

7.2 When We May Share Data (Very Limited Circumstances)

We may only share your information in these specific, limited circumstances:

Legal Requirements: If required by UK law, court order, or government authority (we will notify you if legally permitted)
Your Explicit Instruction: When you specifically ask us to share your data (e.g., requesting we send information to your accountant)
Service Providers (Essential Services Only):
- DVLA API - for vehicle registration lookups (vehicle registration number only)
- Royal Mail - for postcode address lookups (postcode only)
- Email provider (IONOS UK) - for sending confirmation emails (email addresses, names, booking details)
These are technical necessities to provide the service. We do NOT share data for advertising, marketing, or analytics purposes with these providers.
Business Transfer: In the unlikely event of a merger or sale of business (you would be notified, and the new owner would be bound by the same privacy terms)

7.3 What We Do NOT Do

To be absolutely clear, we do NOT:

❌ Sell your data to data brokers or marketing companies
❌ Share your data with advertising networks
❌ Use your data for AI training or machine learning models
❌ Share customer lists with competitors or industry partners
❌ Track your browsing across other websites
❌ Build advertising profiles about you
❌ Share your booking data with insurance companies or vehicle finance companies

8. Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

9. International Data Transfers

Your data is stored and processed in the United Kingdom. We do not transfer data outside the UK or EEA.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Information

For questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact:

Data Controller: Small Garage Software Ltd
Email: info@smallgaragesoftware.co.uk
Phone: 01761 432123
Address: Somerset, United Kingdom
Business Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00am - 4:00pm

12. Complaints

If you believe we have not complied with data protection laws, you have the right to lodge a complaint with:

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Phone: 0303 123 1113
Website: https://ico.org.uk

            Your Consent:
            By using our trial service, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in this Privacy Policy.
        

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