Privacy Policy
How Russell Driver Training collects, uses and protects your personal data.
Who we are
Data controller: Simon Russell, trading as Russell Driver Training
Contact: info@russelldrivertraining.co.uk
We provide manual driving tuition services in Edinburgh and surrounding areas.
Personal data we collect
- Contact details: first name, surname, email address, mobile number.
- Address details: address line, town/city, postcode.
- Lesson details: enquiry type (learner, refresher or motorway), licence type, optional licence number, how you heard about us, preferred availability (days and time slots), date of birth (to confirm you are 17 or over).
- Technical data: reCAPTCHA risk analysis data generated by Google to detect spam and bot activity (see reCAPTCHA section below).
- Metadata: submission timestamp and internal status notes.
How we collect data
- Directly from you when you complete and submit the enquiry form on this website.
- Automatically through Google reCAPTCHA v3, which runs in the background when you use the form to protect it against spam and automated abuse.
Why we use your data
We rely on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR:
- Legitimate interests (running our tuition business) to respond to your enquiry, provide quotes and arrange lesson scheduling. Our legitimate interest does not override your rights because the processing is directly relevant to the service you have requested.
- Legitimate interests to send you an acknowledgement email confirming we received your enquiry, as you would reasonably expect to hear back after making contact.
- Legitimate interests to prevent spam and abuse using reCAPTCHA and form tokens, which protects both us and our website visitors.
- Legal obligation to retain certain financial records where required by law (see retention period below).
- Consent for any marketing communications. We will only contact you about offers or news if you have given explicit consent, and you can withdraw that consent at any time.
Where we store your data
- Google Sheets: enquiry submissions are stored in a private Google spreadsheet accessible only to Simon Russell.
- Email: a notification email is sent to us and a confirmation email to you. To reduce exposure, these emails contain partially masked versions of sensitive fields such as mobile number and email address.
Google may process data on servers located outside the UK or EEA. Where this occurs, we rely on appropriate safeguards including Standard Contractual Clauses offered by Google as a processor.
reCAPTCHA
We use Google reCAPTCHA v3 to protect our enquiry form against spam and automated abuse. reCAPTCHA analyses interactions including mouse movements, IP address, browser characteristics and cookies to determine whether a visitor is human. No manual challenge (such as a tick box or image puzzle) is shown to users.
This processing is subject to Google's own privacy terms:
Cookies
This website does not set its own tracking or analytics cookies. However, Google reCAPTCHA v3 sets cookies as part of its fraud detection process when you visit or submit the contact form. These cookies are set by Google and are subject to Google's cookie policy. You can manage cookie preferences in your browser settings, though blocking these cookies may affect reCAPTCHA's ability to verify your form submission.
Security
- All data is transmitted over HTTPS between your browser, our website and Google's services.
- Form submissions are protected by a server-side token check and reCAPTCHA v3 scoring.
- The Google Sheet storing enquiry data is private to our account, protected by strong authentication.
- Outgoing notification emails use partial masking on sensitive fields to limit exposure.
No internet service can be made completely secure. We review and improve our safeguards on an ongoing basis.
How long we keep data
We keep enquiry records for up to 12 months from the date of submission if no lesson relationship is formed. Records are reviewed and deleted regularly.
If a lesson relationship is formed, contact and lesson records will be retained for the duration of that relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards. Financial records are retained for 6 years from the end of the relevant tax year, in line with HMRC requirements.
Who we share data with
- Google (Workspace, Sheets, Gmail, reCAPTCHA) as a data processor, strictly to provide our services. Google is bound by appropriate data processing agreements.
- Legal and regulatory authorities if required by law or to protect our rights, safety or property.
We do not sell, rent or trade your personal data to any third party.
Your rights under UK GDPR
You have the right to:
- Access a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Erasure of your data in certain circumstances.
- Restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
- Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
- Data portability where processing is based on consent or contract.
- Withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent as a lawful basis.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@russelldrivertraining.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Age requirements
Our driving tuition services are only available to individuals aged 17 or over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 17. If you believe someone under 17 has submitted an enquiry without appropriate consent, please contact us and we will delete the record.
International transfers
Where personal data is transferred outside the UK or EEA by Google (for example, to servers in the United States), we rely on Google's Standard Contractual Clauses and compliance commitments. For more information, see Google's compliance page.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in law or our services. When we do, we will update the "last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to check back periodically.
Contact us
For any questions about this policy or your personal data:
Simon Russell
Russell Driver Training
info@russelldrivertraining.co.uk
07833 088 769