Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how The Fringe And The Fold Limited collects, uses, stores and shares personal information when you visit our website, create an account, adopt a Highland cow, receive a gifted adoption, purchase a product, contact us or join our mailing list.

We handle personal information in accordance with applicable UK data-protection law, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

The Fringe And The Fold Limited is the controller responsible for the personal information described in this policy.

The Fringe And The Fold Limited
Company number: 16591872
58 Pennyhill Park
Penrith
United Kingdom
CA11 9JW

Email: hello@thefringeandthefold.co.uk

2. Personal information we collect

The information we collect depends on how you use our website and services.

2.1 Contact and account information

We may collect:

• your name;
• email address;
• telephone number;
• billing and delivery addresses;
• account username and password information;
• communication preferences; and
• information you provide when contacting us.

Passwords are stored in an encrypted or hashed form and are not visible to us as plain text.

2.2 Order and payment information

When you place an order, we may collect:

• the products or services ordered;
• order value and payment status;
• billing and delivery details;
• discounts or membership benefits applied;
• refund, cancellation and dispute information;
• transaction identifiers supplied by payment providers; and
• information needed to prevent fraud or resolve payment problems.

Card and payment details are processed by the payment provider offered during checkout. We do not receive or store your full payment-card number.

2.3 Adoption, subscription and membership information

When a Highland cow adoption is purchased, we may collect:

• the selected Highland cow;
• the selected adoption tier;
• subscription start, renewal, cancellation and expiry dates;
• membership status and benefits;
• renewal-payment information;
• adoption certificate information;
• tier changes and subscription history; and
• your chosen name-display preference for our Supporters of the Fold page.

2.4 Gifted-adoption information

Where an adoption is purchased as a gift, the purchaser may provide personal information about the recipient, including:

• the recipient’s name;
• the recipient’s email address;
• the selected Highland cow and adoption tier;
• a gift message or other information supplied for the adoption; and
• information required to create the recipient’s account, membership or digital adoption materials.

The purchaser is responsible for ensuring that they are entitled to provide the recipient’s information to us.

We use recipient information to provide the gifted adoption, create or connect the appropriate customer account, supply digital materials, send adoption updates and administer the recipient’s membership benefits.

The recipient is not responsible for the purchaser’s payment details or subscription renewal payments.

2.5 Public supporter information

During checkout, the purchaser may choose whether and how their name is displayed on our public Supporters of the Fold page.

Depending on the option selected, we may display:

• a full name;
• a first name;
• a first name and initial; or
• an anonymous acknowledgement.

For gifted adoptions, the Wall of Thanks recognition relates to the purchaser rather than the gift recipient.

You may ask us to change or remove your public display name by contacting us.

2.6 Marketing information

We may collect:

• whether you have subscribed to marketing emails;
• when and how consent was provided;
• email delivery, opening and link-interaction information where tracking is enabled; and
• unsubscribe or preference information.

2.7 Technical and website information

When you use our website, we or our service providers may collect:

• your IP address;
• browser and device type;
• operating system;
• pages viewed and actions taken;
• login and account activity;
• referring website or campaign information;
• approximate location derived from your IP address;
• cookie identifiers;
• security, error and server-log information;
• analytics information collected through Google Analytics where you have consented to Analytics cookies.

3. How we obtain personal information

We obtain personal information:

• directly from you when you use the website, create an account, place an order, subscribe, contact us or join our mailing list;
• from an adoption purchaser when they provide information about a gift recipient;
• automatically through cookies, website logs and similar technologies;
• from payment processors when they confirm or report a transaction;
• from fulfilment partners and carriers when they provide production, dispatch or delivery updates; and
• from service providers that help us operate, secure and maintain the website.

4. How we use personal information

We may use personal information to:

• process and fulfil orders;
• create and manage customer accounts;
• provide and administer Highland cow adoptions;
• create and deliver digital adoption certificates and materials;
• manage subscriptions, renewals, cancellations, upgrades and downgrades;
• provide Fold Friend and Highland Hero membership benefits;
• administer gifted adoptions and communicate with recipients;
• send adoption updates and other service communications;
• process payments, refunds and disputes;
• manufacture, package, dispatch and deliver physical products;
• provide customer support and answer enquiries;
• display supporter names on our Supporters of the Fold page where the supporter has chosen this option;
• send optional marketing communications where permitted;
• maintain website security and prevent fraud or abuse;
• diagnose technical problems and improve the website;
• maintain financial and business records;
• establish, exercise or defend legal claims; and
• comply with legal and regulatory obligations.

5. Our lawful bases

We must have a lawful basis for each use of personal information. The bases we rely on are described below.

5.1 Contract

We use personal information where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes:

• processing an order or adoption purchase;
• taking and confirming payment;
• providing digital adoption materials;
• administering a subscription or membership;
• providing customer support connected with a purchase;
• fulfilling and delivering physical products; and
• processing cancellations, returns and refunds.

5.2 Legitimate interests

We may process personal information where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests and those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.

These interests may include:

• operating and improving our business and website;
• maintaining accurate customer and subscription records;
• protecting our website, customers and business from fraud, misuse and security threats;
• responding to enquiries and complaints;
• recovering money owed to us;
• maintaining evidence of transactions and communications;
• understanding how our services are used; and
• establishing, exercising or defending legal claims.

5.3 Consent

We rely on consent where you:

• choose to receive optional marketing communications;
• allow non-essential cookies or similar technologies where consent is required; or
• make another voluntary choice for which consent is the appropriate lawful basis.

You may withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing that took place before consent was withdrawn.

5.4 Legal obligation

We process personal information where necessary to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, consumer-protection, company-law and regulatory requirements.

6. Service emails and marketing emails

6.1 Service and transactional emails

We may send emails that are necessary to administer an order, account, adoption, subscription, gift or membership.

These may include:

• order and payment confirmations;
• digital adoption materials;
• welcome emails;
• adoption updates;
• renewal reminders and renewal confirmations;
• subscription, membership or account notices;
• dispatch and delivery information;
• refund or cancellation confirmations; and
• important changes affecting a purchased service.

These are service communications rather than optional marketing. Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent us from sending information needed to administer an active order, adoption, subscription or account.

6.2 Optional marketing

We send optional marketing emails only where you have chosen to receive them or where another lawful permission applies.

You can unsubscribe at any time by:

• using the unsubscribe link in a marketing email; or
• emailing hello@thefringeandthefold.co.uk.

We may retain a limited suppression record after you unsubscribe so that we can respect your preference and avoid adding you back to the mailing list accidentally.

7. Gift recipients

Where someone purchases an adoption for you, we receive your information from that purchaser rather than directly from you.

We use that information to provide the gift, create or manage the relevant account and membership, deliver digital materials and send the adoption updates included in the selected tier.

Our lawful basis for this processing is usually our legitimate interest in fulfilling the purchaser’s requested gift arrangement and, once you use or accept the service, administering the service provided to you.

You may contact us if you believe your information was supplied without permission, is inaccurate, or should no longer be used.

8. Who we share personal information with

We do not sell personal information.

We may share relevant information with service providers where necessary to operate our website and provide our services.

8.1 Website and ecommerce providers

Information may be processed by providers that host, maintain, secure or support our WordPress and WooCommerce website, customer accounts, subscriptions, memberships and automated workflows.

8.2 Payment providers

Payment and transaction information is shared with the payment provider selected during checkout so that it can:

• authorise and process payment;
• manage recurring subscription payments;
• carry out security and fraud checks;
• process refunds or disputes; and
• comply with financial regulations.

Payment providers process information under their own privacy notices.

8.3 Email providers

We use email, mailing-list and automation providers to send service communications, adoption updates and optional marketing.

This may include Mailchimp and providers used to send or route transactional website email.

8.4 Analytics providers

Where you consent to Analytics cookies, we use Google Analytics 4, provided by Google, to help us understand how visitors use the website.

Google may process technical and usage information generated through Google Analytics in accordance with its own privacy terms and data-processing arrangements.

Google Analytics is not enabled unless you choose to allow Analytics cookies through our cookie settings.

8.5 Production and fulfilment partners

Where a product is manufactured or dispatched by a fulfilment partner, such as Prodigi, we may provide the information required to complete the order, including:

• the recipient’s name;
• delivery address;
• product and variation details;
• order reference; and
• contact details where required for delivery.

Fulfilment partners may share the necessary information with production facilities, postal operators and delivery carriers.

8.6 Delivery providers

We may share names, addresses, contact details and delivery instructions with postal operators, couriers and carriers responsible for delivering an order.

8.7 Security and anti-spam providers

We use Cloudflare Turnstile to help protect our website and contact forms from spam, automated submissions, fraud and other forms of abuse.

When Turnstile is active, Cloudflare may process technical information about your browser, device and interaction with the website in order to determine whether a request appears to come from a genuine user rather than an automated system.

We use Turnstile for website security and spam prevention rather than for analytics or advertising purposes.

Cloudflare processes information collected through Turnstile in accordance with its own privacy terms. You can read the Cloudflare Privacy Policy.

8.8 Professional advisers and authorities

We may disclose information to:

• accountants, insurers, legal advisers and other professional advisers;
• banks and payment-dispute services;
• law-enforcement or regulatory authorities;
• courts or tribunals; and
• tax or government authorities.

We will do this only where necessary, legally required or reasonably needed to protect our rights or those of another person.

9. International transfers

Some service providers, fulfilment facilities or technology systems may process or make personal information accessible outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we take reasonable steps to ensure that the transfer is made using a lawful mechanism. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

• UK adequacy regulations;
• approved contractual safeguards, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or UK Addendum; or
• another permitted safeguard or exception.

The country in which an order is produced or delivered may affect where fulfilment and delivery information is processed.

10. Cookies and similar technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies.

These may include:

• necessary cookies required for core website functions such as the basket, checkout, customer accounts, security and saving your cookie preferences; and
• optional analytics cookies used to help us understand how visitors use the website and improve our services.

Necessary cookies are required for the website to function properly and cannot be switched off through our cookie settings.

10.1 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use our website, including information such as page views, navigation through the site and interactions with website content.

Google Analytics is treated as optional analytics technology. It does not load and its analytics cookies are not set unless you choose to allow Analytics cookies.

If you reject optional cookies, or leave Analytics disabled through the cookie settings, you can continue to use the website without Google Analytics tracking being enabled.

Where Analytics consent is given, Google Analytics may set cookies including cookies beginning with _ga to distinguish visits and help provide aggregated website-usage information.

You can withdraw or change your Analytics consent at any time by selecting Cookie Settings in the website footer.

10.2 Managing your cookie choices

When you first visit the website, you can:

• accept all cookies;
• reject non-essential cookies; or
• customise your cookie choices.

Your cookie preferences are saved so that we can remember your choice.

You can change those preferences later by selecting Cookie Settings in the footer.

You can also control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Blocking necessary cookies may prevent parts of the website, basket, checkout or customer account from working correctly.

11. How long we keep personal information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, security and dispute-resolution requirements.

Our general retention approach is as follows:

• Order, invoice, payment and accounting records are generally retained for six years from the end of the relevant company financial year, or longer where legally required.
• Active account, adoption, subscription and membership information is retained while the service remains active.
• After an adoption, subscription or account ends, relevant information may be retained where needed for accounting, complaints, disputes, fraud prevention or legal claims.
• Gift-recipient information is retained while needed to provide and administer the gifted adoption and for any necessary follow-up period.
• Marketing information is retained until you unsubscribe, withdraw consent or the information is no longer useful, subject to retaining a limited suppression record.
• Customer-service enquiries and correspondence are retained for a period appropriate to the nature of the enquiry and any potential complaint or claim.
• Website security logs and technical records are retained for periods appropriate to security, diagnostic and fraud-prevention needs.

Information contained in backups may remain for a limited period after it has been removed from active systems.

We may anonymise information so that it can no longer identify an individual. Anonymised information may be kept for statistical or business-analysis purposes.

12. How we protect personal information

We use reasonable organisational and technical measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, disclosure or alteration.

Measures may include:

• encrypted website connections;
• password-protected accounts and administrative systems;
• access controls;
• security and anti-spam services;
• software updates and backups;
• restricted access to customer information; and
• careful selection of service providers.

No internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Please use a unique password for your account and do not share it with anyone else.

13. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis used, you may have the right to:

• ask whether we process your personal information and receive a copy of it;
• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• ask us to erase information in certain circumstances;
• ask us to restrict processing in certain circumstances;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• object to direct marketing at any time;
• receive certain information in a portable format;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
• complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

These rights are not absolute. We may need to retain or continue processing some information where required by law or where another lawful reason applies.

To exercise a right, email hello@thefringeandthefold.co.uk.

We may ask for information needed to confirm your identity and understand your request.

14. Automated decision-making

We do not use personal information to make decisions based solely on automated processing that have legal or similarly significant effects on customers.

Payment and fraud-prevention providers may carry out automated security or eligibility checks under their own privacy policies and decision-making processes.

15. Children’s information

Our products and adoptions may be purchased as gifts for children, but the purchase and payment must be made by a person legally able to enter into the contract.

Where a purchaser provides information about a child recipient, they should provide only the minimum information needed for the gift and must be entitled to provide it.

Please contact us if you believe we hold a child’s information incorrectly or without appropriate authority.

16. Third-party websites

Our website may contain links to websites operated by other organisations.

Those organisations are responsible for their own websites and privacy practices. We recommend reading their privacy information before providing personal information to them.

17. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our services, technology, suppliers or legal obligations.

The latest revision date will be displayed at the top of this page.

Where a change materially affects how we use personal information, we may provide an additional notice where appropriate.

18. Contact and complaints

Questions, requests or concerns about personal information should be sent to:

The Fringe And The Fold Limited
58 Pennyhill Park
Penrith
United Kingdom
CA11 9JW

Email: hello@thefringeandthefold.co.uk

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you are concerned about how we have handled your personal information.

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Website: Make a complaint to the ICO