Privacy and Security

How we collect your personal data?

• When you visit the GolfOnline website and use your account to buy products or redeem vouchers from GolfOnline either on the phone, at GolfInStore or online.
• When you make an online purchase and check out as a guest (in which case we just collect transaction-based data).
• When you create an account with us.
• When you purchase a product in store or by phone but don’t have (or don’t use) an account.
• When you engage with us on social media.
• When you join the GolfOnline loyalty programme.
• When you contact us by any means with queries, complaints etc.
• When you enter prize draws or competitions.
• When you choose to complete any surveys we send you. 
• When you comment on or review our products and services.
• When you visit GolfInStore and use our parking lot, CCTV systems are in operation for the security of both customers and staff. These systems may record your image or vehicle registration number during your visit.

The personal data we collect from you - GolfOnline may obtain the following information about you:

• Your name, gender, age/date of birth.
• Contact details including your billing/delivery address, email and telephone number.
• Your purchase orders and receipts. 
• An encrypted record of your login password.
• When you make a purchase or place an order, your payment card details.
• Your correspondence, communications and any marketing preferences shared with us.
• Details of your shopping preferences as well as details of your visits to our website.
• Your comments and product reviews.
• If you contact us through social media, your social media username is collected so we can respond to your comments, questions and/or feedback.Here is a list of the type of third parties we work with:

The list above is a sample of the data we may collect. In certain instances we may need to collect other information. Some personal information is gathered directly, for example, when you set up an account with us or contact our customer service team. Other data is collected indirectly, for example, your browsing or shopping history. Our website is not marketed for children, therefore we never knowingly collect personal data on children. It is always your choice as to whether you share any details with us.

How and why we use your personal data?

At GolfOnline we endeavour to give our customers the best possible shopping experience and are committed to going that extra yard. By compiling all the data we have on a customer we are then able to get a well-rounded picture of who you are and what you like. Giving us the perfect opportunity to tailor promotions, products and services specifically to you. For members of our loyalty programme, this also gives us the opportunity to offer you relevant rewards. The data privacy law allows this as part of our legitimate interest in understanding our customers in order to provide the highest levels of customer service.

It is of course your right to choose not to share your personal data with us but remember if you choose not to share or opt-in to certain contact permissions we might not be able to offer you all of the services you’ve come to expect from GolfOnline.

Below is a list of the methods we employ to collect your personal data and an explanation of why:

• When processing any orders that you make by using our website or in store. Personal data collected during checkout allows us to complete transactions and to supply trusted third parties with the relevant information to supply and deliver your order. The information is then kept for a reasonable time afterwards to fulfil contractual obligations such as refunds, guarantees and warranties.
• When responding to any/all of your correspondence including questions, refund requests and complaints. Retaining information you send to us during these interactions allows us to respond accordingly and helps us to demonstrate how we communicated with you throughout the process. We do this to ensure you are receiving the best customer service experience and it also helps us to understand any areas where we need improvement in customer communication and service.
• To protect our business and your account from any fraudulent or illegal activities. We use your personal data to update and safeguard your account at all times. To swiftly identify and fix any issues regarding the integrity of our website, we may also monitor your browsing activity with us. This is all done as part of our legitimate interest and is a safeguard for you and for our business.
• To protect our customers, warehouse/shop premises, assets and staff from crime we operate CCTV systems in our store and car park to record images for security.
• When processing payments and attempting to prevent fraudulent transactions. This is done to not only protect our legitimate interests but to also protect you, our customer.
• To detect and prevent any fraudulent or unlawful activity. This can be done through our use of CCTV, fraud monitoring as well as transaction monitoring. Our main objective in doing so is to protect ourselves, our customers and our staff from unlawful or criminal acts.
• To keep you informed about our latest products and services as well as exclusive offers, competitions, discounts and events. This is done with your full consent, and allows us to keep in touch using your personal data, account details and preferences to contact you via email, web, telephone and text. It is your right to withdraw your consent to hearing from us by any/all of these channels at any time.
• When sending any communications required by law or that which are necessary to inform you about changes to the services we provide. This can include, but are not limited to, updates to this Privacy Notice, product recalls and any legally required information relating to your orders. Please note that these service messages will not include any marketing/promotional content and therefore do not require prior consent when sent via text message or email. We send these messages in order to comply with our legal obligation to you, our customer.
• When delivering the most relevant and interesting content directly to you on our website, we will use your personal data regarding your favourite brands, products, recent purchase histories, etc. This is achieved via your consent for our website to place cookies or similar technology on your device. For more information please see our section on Cookies below.
• When informing you if you have won any of our prize draws or competitions. This is based on your consent given at the time of entering said competition.
• When developing, testing and improving our systems and/or services. For example, we might record your browser’s Session ID to help us understand your customer journey on our website and to also help us assess any issues you are having. This is for our legitimate interests.
• When fulfilling our contractual and/or legal obligations to share data with law enforcement. We do this when we feel that disclosure is required by law or when we feel it is necessary to protect our own legal rights.
• When we send you a survey or questionnaire asking for feedback to help improve our services. As these messages do not contain any marketing/promotional material we do not require prior consent if sent by email or text.

You are free to opt-out of receiving these requests from us at any time by updating your preferences in your online account.

How long we keep your personal data?

GolfOnline will only retain your personal data for as long as it is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. At the end of that retention period, your data will either be deleted completely or used in a non-identifiable way for statistical analysis and business planning.

Examples of customer data retention periods can be found below:

ORDERS
When you place an order with GolfOnline, we will keep the personal data you give us so that we can properly comply with our legal and contractual obligations. This is generally seven years, unless the law prescribes a longer period.

WARRANTIES
If your order with GolfOnline included any warranty, the associated personal data will be kept until the end of that warranty period.

Who we share your personal data with?

GolfOnline strives to ensure your personal data is safe and secure at all times. Sometimes it is necessary to share this data with trusted third parties, including delivery couriers, those handling fraud management and complaints as well as those helping us to personalise our exclusive offers to you.

GolfOnline applies a stringent policy to all third party organisations to keep your data safe and to protect your privacy at all times. This policy is as follows:

• GolfOnline provides only the information said third parties need to perform their specific services. For example personal and order data is required to be shared with manufacturers during warranty claims.
• Third parties may only use your data for the exact purposes we specify in our contract with them and we work closely with them to ensure that your privacy is respected and protected at all times.
• If we stop using a specific third party, any of the personal data they hold regarding you will be deleted or rendered anonymous.

Here is a list of the type of third parties we work with:

• IT companies who support our website and other business systems.
• Operational/logistical companies (i.e. delivery couriers).
• Direct marketing companies we employ to manage our electronic communication systems.
• Google/Facebook to show you specifically tailored products that are of specific interest to you. We collect this information based on your consent and/or your consent of cookies on our website. For more information please see our section on Cookies.
• Law enforcement bodies in the interest of fraud management. We may also disclose your personal data to the police or another enforcement body, in your country or another, upon receiving a valid request. We assess these circumstances on a case-by-case basis and always take the privacy of our customers into consideration as well as our own legitimate interests. 

At the present time GolfOnline does not share your data with any third parties for their own purposes. If this changes in the future we will update this policy page. 

Understanding Cookies

A Cookie is a small file created by your browser and stored on your hard drive. It picks up useful bits of information about your time on our site and makes the experience smoother. For example, at GolfOnline, we use cookies to collect information about which items you are choosing whilst you shop with us. We then place the information about the products you finally choose into the checkout, for you to pay for once you are ready. No other personal information is contained or transmitted in the cookie. If you reject cookies, you will be unable to place orders on the GolfOnline.co.uk website.

Partnership with Google: We have partnered with Google to better understand how visitors interact with our website. This collaboration allows us to utilise tools and services provided by Google, such as Google Analytics, to gather and analyse data about website traffic and user behavior. This information helps us enhance the user experience, optimise our content, and make informed decisions about improvements. Please note that while we have access to aggregated data about website usage, we do not receive personal information about individual users. For more details on how Google uses data when you use our site, please visit Google's privacy policy.

Securing your personal data

At GolfOnline we take the issue of our customers’ security very seriously. As such we have taken the necessary steps to ensure all your interactions with us are safe and secure. We are regularly monitoring our systems for vulnerabilities and constantly test to identify ways in which we can further strengthen our security.

When you place an order with GolfOnline you are automatically connected to our secure servers using SSL 256 bit encryption. Once you enter the secure site, a closed padlock will show in your browser status bar. This means that your personal and card details are fully encrypted and remain secure across the internet, as well as after they reach our order processing centre.

When you submit sensitive information via the website, your information is protected on-line, off-line and in transit. We do not store your actual password. Instead, a system known as MD5 hashing is used to ‘one-way encrypt’ your password. This means we can only receive a correct password from you, not send your chosen password outwards from us to you or anyone else. Should you lose your password, you can void it and reset it, without worrying about it turning up in any of your mail.

Knowing your rights over your personal data

• You have the right to request a copy of any information about you that GolfOnline holds at any time. It is also your right to have this information amended if any of it is inaccurate.
• You have the right to withdraw your consent to the use your personal data at any time.
• You have the right to request that we stop using your personal data for direct marketing activity across all channels or just selected channels. We must comply with your request.
• In situations where we are using your personal data on the basis of our legitimate interest, you have the right to ask us to stop. We must comply with your request unless we believe we have a legitimate overriding reason to continue processing your personal data.
• In the interest of protecting the confidentiality of your information, we will ask you to verify your identity before proceeding with any request you make under this Privacy Policy. If you have a third party requesting this on your behalf, we will require them to prove they have your permission to do so.

How to give or withdraw your consent?

You are free to opt-in or opt-out from hearing from us at anytime. To do so please login to your GolfOnline account and simply change your preferences. If you require any further assistance please don’t hesitate to get in touch and a member of our team will be happy to help.

Site Reporting

We use Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to assist us in gathering broad demographic information, like for example, how many visitors we have in each European country. IP addresses are not linked to you or your personally identifiable information.

Newsletters

GolfOnline.co.uk sends out regular newsletters with select discounts and offers, as well as exclusive content and product insight in conjunction with leading golfing brands. Typically we send weekly newsletters to an email address of your choice. This is an opt-in system so after subscribing you will receive a confirmation email; and you can always opt-out by going to your account management section or by simply clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of a newsletter.

This newsletter is only between us at GolfOnline, and you, our customers and subscribers. As such, we do not sell, or pass on, your information to any third parties. When subscribing to our newsletter we collect the following mandatory information: First Name, Last Name and Email Address.

We hope you find our information and resources useful. Should you have any questions about this policy, please contact our team at team@golfonline.co.uk.

Legal Notices

We have made every effort to display as accurately as possible the colours of our products that appear on the Site. However, as the actual colours you see will depend on your own system, we cannot guarantee that you will receive product with precisely the same colour as your monitor showed. All products have been fairly described and the weights, dimensions and capacities given are approximate only.

All items are subject to availability. We reserve the right to withdraw any item from sale at any time should it not meet our standards.

All information including prices are correct at the time of publishing and include VAT. We make every effort to maintain prices, although it may be necessary to change prices either up or down without notice.

The price change will be that quoted on the site at the time you place your order. However, you may find a different price should you look on our site at a different time.

We will endeavour to deliver your order within the delivery times quoted on the site. You should note restrictions described on the site with regard to last delivery dates before holiday periods (such as Christmas) and for Express deliveries in the UK and USA.

All offers are subject to merchandise availability.

Terms of Use

By accessing, browsing and/or using this site, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these terms and to comply with all applicable laws and regulations. If you do not agree these terms, please do not use this site. The GolfOnline.co.uk website makes no representation that this site or its content are appropriate or available for use in any locations outside the UK. Those who choose to access the site from other locations do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with applicable local laws. None of team of GolfOnline.co.uk or any of its directors, employees, agents or representatives will be liable for damages (including, without limitation, any compensatory, direct, indirect or consequential damages, loss of data, income or profit, loss of or damages to property and claims of third parties) arising out of or related to, and the use of, this site or its contents.

Your Consent

By providing personal information you consent to the collection and use of this information by GolfOnline.co.uk as outlined in this privacy policy. In return, we promise to adhere to European data protection legislation, and to use this information to serve you better. Data collected on this website from European visitors will not leave Europe other than in accordance with those laws. If we change this policy we will post those changes on this page so that you are always aware of what information we collect and to what purposes.

Trademarks and Copyrights

All trademarks, service marks and companies name or logos cited herein are the property of their respective owners.

All Web site design, text, graphics are the property of GolfOnline.co.uk © 2001. All rights reserved.

External Links and User Submitted Content

This web site may contains links to other sites and user-generated content. Please be aware that GolfOnline.co.uk is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of external sites. We encourage you to be aware when you leave our site and to read the privacy statements any web site that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this Web site.

Social Login (i.e.Login with Facebook or Google)

Social Login is a quick and easy way to login securely with your existing Google, Facebook or other known providers of this service. You will have the option to select what information you wish to share with us from the respective provider, and don't worry we do not share any of your personal information with third parties without your permission. We would simply use the information passed from your provider to either register your account automatically or login securely on our website.

To make a complaint

If for any reason you feel we have been unable to help you it is your right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office. The ICO is the UK supervisory authority for all data protection issues and can be reached online at www.ico.org.uk/concerns.

Requesting Removal of Your Personal Data

It is your right to request corrections if you believe the personal data we hold about you is incorrect or incomplete. You also have the right to erasure (right to request deletion of your personal data), unless we have a valid reason to retain certain information. This may include cases such as disputes, open orders, or essential details required for warranties or returns. In such instances, we will retain only the minimal data necessary for these purposes, in accordance with GDPR guidelines.

Please note that while we will make every effort to comply with your data deletion request, there may be situations where we are unable to fulfil the request entirely. If this occurs, GolfOnline will provide a clear and valid explanation. Our typical response time is one to two working days, but please allow up to one month as permitted by law.

If you wish to stop receiving marketing messages, you can unsubscribe at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of our newsletters or by logging in and amending your marketing preferences.

Please note: If you request the deletion of your data and later need to make a warranty claim or return, you will be required to provide valid proof of purchase (e.g., receipt, order confirmation email, or payment reference). GolfOnline will not retain personal data but may retain anonymised order references strictly for operational and compliance purposes.

To submit a request to delete your personal data held by GolfOnline, please click the link below.

PS: Upon successful validation of your identity, we will follow up with a confirmation email confirming the completion of this action.

DELETE MY DATA

Requesting a SAR (Subject Access Request)

It is your right, at anytime, to request a copy of the information GolfOnline holds on you. In order to process a SAR we will need information from you to verify your identity and to locate the requested data. There is no fee for this service, although we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is determined to be unfounded, repetitive or excessive. GolfOnline will always aim to complete this request within the allowed 30 calendar days. However, more complex cases might require an extended time period but we will notify you of this and keep you updated on the progress.

Subject Access Request Form