Privacy Policy

1. Data Controller Identification

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, the data controller is:

2. Information We Collect

When you use our services or commission an official marine vessel audit, we collect the following categories of data:

• Vessel Search Identifiers: Hull Identification Number (HIN), Craft Identification Number (CIN), Watercraft Identification Number (WIN), Small Ships Register (SSR) number, Canal & River Trust (CRT) index, vessel name, shipyard make, model, and year of build.
• Customer Contact Details: Full name, email address, telephone number, and billing address provided during checkout or customer inquiry submission.
• Transaction Records: Order identifier, purchased audit tier, transaction timestamp, and payment confirmation tokens generated via PCI-DSS compliant processors (Stripe). We do not store complete payment card credentials on our servers.
• Technical Telemetry: IP address, device operating system, browser specifications, referral URL, and access timestamps collected to prevent fraudulent query automated scraping.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing Data

Under Article 6 of the UK GDPR, our processing of your information is grounded upon the following legal bases:

• Contractual Performance (Art. 6(1)(b)): Processing necessary to compile, generate, and deliver your requested certified boat history report within our 6-hour delivery commitment.
• Legitimate Interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): Investigating marine fraud, preventing stolen vessel laundering, cross-referencing UK Marine Police theft records, and maintaining platform security.
• Legal Compliance (Art. 6(1)(c)): Fulfilling statutory record-keeping, VAT reporting to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), and compliance with UK commercial trade standards.

4. Maritime Data Sources & Disclosures

To compile forensic vessel audits, we cross-reference your submitted HIN or SSR identifier against authorized UK maritime repositories:

• UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Part 1 & SSR Small Ships Register databases.
• UK Marine Police National Computer (PNC) and Stolen Boats UK stolen vessel records.
• HPI Marine and High Court Admiralty registered boat mortgage and maritime lien indices.
• Canal & River Trust (CRT) and Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) safety compliance examination files.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third-party advertising brokers. Data is shared exclusively with necessary operational infrastructure providers (secure UK cloud hosting, transactional email delivery, payment gateway) bound by strict confidentiality and data protection agreements.

5. Data Retention Periods

We retain vessel audit dossiers for 24 months from compilation to enable buyers and brokers to re-access their official records. Accounting and financial transaction logs are preserved for 6 years in accordance with UK statutory financial regulations, after which they are securely purged.

6. Your Statutory Rights (UK GDPR)

Under UK data protection law, you possess defined rights regarding your personal information:

• Right of Access: You may request a complete copy of the personal data we hold concerning you (Subject Access Request).
• Right to Rectification: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal records.
• Right to Erasure: You may request the deletion of your personal contact records where retention is no longer legally necessary.
• Right to Restrict or Object: You may object to data processing grounded on legitimate interests.

To exercise any statutory right, email our Data Compliance Desk at support@checkmyboat.co.uk. We respond to all verified requests within 30 days without fee.

7. Supervisory Authority

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority responsible for data protection: