Privacy policy
Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy sets out how we, Vale Mill (Rochdale) Ltd, collect, store and use information about you when you use or interact with our website, https://minkytrade.com/ (our website) and where we otherwise obtain or collect information about you. This Privacy Policy is effective from 02/01/2026.
This website is intended for trade customers only.
Summary
This section summarises how we obtain, store and use information about you. It is intended to provide a general overview only. It is not complete in and of itself and it must be read in conjunction with the corresponding full sections of this Privacy Policy.
Data controller: Vale Mill (Rochdale) Ltd
How we collect or obtain information about you:
· when you provide it to us (for example by contacting us, registering for an account, placing an order or requesting trade account facilities)
· from your use of our website, using cookies and similar technologies
· from third parties where necessary (for example credit reference agencies for trade account applications, delivery partners, or service providers)
Information we collect:
· business contact information such as name, job title, company name, business address, email address and telephone number
· account information (for example login details and account preferences)
· order and transaction information (for example items purchased, billing and delivery details, VAT number where provided)
· IP address, information from cookies and similar technologies
· information about your computer or device (for example device and browser type)
· information about how you use our website (for example pages viewed, the time when you view them, what you clicked on, and general location derived from IP address)
How we use your information:
· for administrative and business purposes, including responding to enquiries
· to set up and manage trade customer accounts
· to process orders, deliver goods and provide customer support
· to fulfil our contractual obligations and exercise our contractual rights
· for credit control and debt recovery, where applicable
· for legal, regulatory and accounting purposes
· to improve our website and services
Disclosure of your information to third parties:
· only to the extent necessary to run our business, to our service providers, to fulfil any contracts we enter into with you, where required by law or to enforce our legal rights
· Do we sell your information to third parties (other than in the course of a business sale or purchase or similar event): No
How long we retain your information:
· for no longer than necessary, taking into account legal obligations (for example records for tax purposes), the legal basis we rely on, and the criteria set out in the section “How long we retain your information”
How we secure your information:
· using appropriate technical and organisational measures such as secure systems and access controls and encrypting transfers of data where appropriate
Use of cookies:
· we use cookies and similar technologies on our website. For more information, please see our Cookies Policy
Transfers of your information outside the UK or EEA:
· we may transfer personal data outside the UK or EEA where required for service provision. Where we do so, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable data protection law.
Use of automated decision making and profiling:
· we do not use automated decision making that produces legal or similarly significant effects, although we may use standard tools to help manage fraud risk and site performance.
Your rights in relation to your information:
· you have rights including access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, objection, and the right to withdraw consent where consent is the basis. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Sensitive personal information:
· we do not knowingly or intentionally collect sensitive personal information. Please do not submit sensitive personal information to us.
Our details
The data controller in respect of our website is Vale Mill (Rochdale) Ltd, company registration number 00365230, Robinson Street, Rochdale, OL16 1TA.
You can contact the data controller by writing to the Data Controller at the company address or by sending an email to datacontroller@minky.co.uk
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact the data controller.
Information we collect when you visit our website
We collect and use information from website visitors in accordance with this section and the section entitled “Disclosure and additional uses of your information”.
Web server log information
Our website is hosted by Shopify and its hosting infrastructure. Website servers automatically record certain information, which may include the IP address used to access the website, pages accessed, the date and time of requests, the referring source, and browser and operating system information.
Use of website server log information for IT security purposes
We use log information to help maintain the security, integrity and performance of the website, including monitoring and investigating suspicious activity where appropriate.
Legal basis for processing:
· compliance with a legal obligation (security of processing), and
· our legitimate interests in ensuring network and information security and protecting our business and users.
Cookies and similar technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies on our website, including essential and non-essential cookies. For further information on how we use cookies and how to control them, please see our Cookies Policy.
You can reject some or all cookies by changing your browser settings, but doing so may impair website functionality.
Information we collect when you contact us
We collect and use information from individuals who contact us in accordance with this section and the section entitled “Disclosure and additional uses of your information”.
When you send an email to an address we provide, we collect your email address and any information you provide in that email.
Legal basis for processing:
· our legitimate interests in responding to enquiries and keeping records of correspondence, and
· where relevant, performance of a contract or taking steps at your request prior to entering into a contract.
Contact forms
When you contact us using forms on our website, we collect the information entered into the form (typically name, email address, company details and message content) and may also record your IP address for security purposes.
Legal basis for processing:
· our legitimate interests in responding to enquiries and managing communications, and
· where relevant, performance of a contract or taking steps at your request prior to entering into a contract.
Phone and post
When you contact us by phone or post, we collect information you provide during the call or in the correspondence.
We do not routinely record phone calls unless notified and where lawful.
Legal basis for processing:
· our legitimate interests in responding to enquiries and keeping records, and
· where relevant, performance of a contract or taking steps at your request prior to entering into a contract.
Information we collect when you register for or use a trade account
When you register and create an account, or when we set up a trade account for you, we may collect business contact information, login credentials, delivery addresses, and account administration details.
Legal basis for processing:
· performance of a contract or taking steps at your request prior to entering into a contract, and
· our legitimate interests in administering trade accounts and preventing misuse.
Information we collect when you place an order
Mandatory information
When you place an order, we collect information required to process and fulfil the order, which may include name, company name, email address, billing address, delivery address, telephone number and (where applicable) VAT number.
Legal basis for processing:
· performance of a contract, and
· compliance with legal obligations relating to invoicing and record keeping.
Processing payments
Payments made on the website by card are processed through Shopify and/or third party payment service providers. Payment service providers process payment information in accordance with their own privacy policies.
We do not store full card payment details.
Legal basis for processing:
· performance of a contract (to take payment for goods ordered).
· Trade credit applications (if applicable)
If you apply for trade credit facilities, we may collect additional information such as trade references and may undertake credit checks.
Legal basis for processing:
· our legitimate interests in assessing credit risk and managing accounts, and
· performance of a contract or taking steps at your request, where the credit facility forms part of your trading arrangements.
Information collected or obtained from third parties
We may obtain information about you from third parties where necessary, including:
delivery partners for delivery status and proof of delivery
service providers supporting website, IT or customer support systems
credit reference agencies and trade referees where you apply for credit facilities
fraud prevention providers where appropriate
If we receive information about you in error, or we do not have a lawful basis for processing it, we will delete it.
Disclosure and additional uses of your information
Disclosure of your information to service providers
We use third parties to provide services necessary to run our business. These may include:
· website and ecommerce platform providers (for example Shopify)
· IT and hosting providers
· delivery and logistics providers
· customer support and communications providers
· professional advisers (legal, accounting, insurance)
· credit reference agencies and debt recovery providers, where applicable
We share information with these providers only where necessary for them to provide services to us and/or to fulfil our obligations to you.
Legal basis for processing:
· performance of a contract, where sharing is necessary to fulfil orders or provide services, and
· our legitimate interests in running and managing our business efficiently.
Disclosure and use of your information for legal reasons
We may disclose information:
· to comply with legal obligations, court orders or requests from regulators
· to prevent or investigate suspected fraud or criminal activity
· to enforce or defend our legal rights, including collecting amounts due
· in connection with disputes, claims or legal proceedings
Legal basis for processing:
· compliance with a legal obligation, and/or
· our legitimate interests in preventing crime, protecting our business and enforcing our legal rights.
How long we retain your information
We retain personal data for no longer than necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
Retention periods
Order and invoice information: retained for six years following the end of the financial year in which the transaction occurred to meet tax and accounting record-keeping obligations.
Correspondence and enquiries: retained for as long as necessary to respond and resolve the enquiry and for a reasonable period thereafter.
Trade account information: retained for the duration of the account relationship and for a reasonable period thereafter to manage queries, disputes and legal obligations.
In any other circumstances, we will retain information for no longer than necessary, taking into account factors such as the purpose of processing, legal obligations, limitation periods, and risk.
How we secure your information
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage.
Transmission of information over the internet is not completely secure. If you transmit information to us over the internet, you do so at your own risk.
Transfers of your information outside the UK or EEA
Where personal data is transferred outside the UK or EEA, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as the use of recognised contractual safeguards and other measures required under applicable data protection law.
Your rights in relation to your information
You may exercise your rights by writing to the Data Controller at the address above or emailing DataController@minky.co.uk.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). ICO contact details are available at https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/
Sensitive personal information
We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal information. Please do not submit sensitive personal information to us.
Changes to our Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Where we make changes, we will update the effective date at the start of this Privacy Policy. Where changes are material, we may also provide additional notice on the website or by email where appropriate.