Privacy Notice
FONEBOOK LTD · Company No. 14901204 · Registered office: Unit 5 Cotsford Lane, Horden, United Kingdom, SR8 4JJ
1. Who controls your personal data?
FONEBOOK LTD is the controller for personal data collected through the Fonebook website and Fonebook repair/customer services unless we tell you otherwise. You can contact us about privacy at Support@fonebook.co.uk or at our registered office.
2. What we may collect
- Identity and contact details such as name, email address, telephone number and postcode.
- Booking and repair information, including device make/model, fault description, repair selected, appointment details, repair status and service history.
- Device identifiers where needed for a service. For the IMEI model-lookup tool, Fonebook is designed to use the first eight-digit TAC for model identification rather than sending the complete IMEI to AI services.
- Photos or documents you upload, including device-condition photos and price-match evidence.
- Live-chat messages, AI-chat messages and staff replies.
- Rewards information such as membership identifier, points, earning/redemption activity and Wallet pass identifiers if Rewards is enabled.
- Technical/security information such as IP address, browser information, server logs, session identifiers and consent preferences.
- Payment/transaction references where payment services are used. Card details are normally handled by the relevant payment provider rather than stored by Fonebook.
3. Why we use it and our lawful basis
| Purpose | Typical lawful basis |
|---|---|
| Bookings, repair administration, quotes, customer updates, collection and warranty support | Contract / steps requested before a contract |
| Customer service, live chat, preventing abuse, fraud/security and maintaining service records | Legitimate interests and, where applicable, contract |
| Price-match verification and handling submitted evidence | Steps requested before a contract / legitimate interests |
| Legal, accounting, tax, regulatory or dispute records | Legal obligation / legitimate interests |
| Rewards membership and Wallet pass operation | Contract / legitimate interests, depending on the feature |
| Email/SMS marketing | Consent or another permitted PECR basis such as a valid soft opt-in where all legal conditions are met |
| Optional analytics/marketing cookies or similar technologies | Consent where required |
4. AI-enabled features
Some Fonebook features use AI, including the customer-chat assistant, content tools and IMEI/TAC model research. Information sent to an AI provider is limited to what is reasonably needed for the feature. Customer-facing AI answers are intended for general assistance and may be transferred to a member of staff when a human decision or case-specific judgement is needed.
Do not send passwords, banking PINs, highly sensitive personal information or unnecessary device passcodes through live chat.
5. Who we may share information with
We may use service providers that help us operate our business, such as website hosting, email/SMS communications, payment processing, cloud/IT support, AI services, delivery/collection services, analytics (where enabled with appropriate consent) and professional advisers. We may also disclose information where required by law or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
Where a provider processes personal data outside the UK, we assess and use an appropriate UK transfer mechanism where required.
6. How long we keep information
We keep personal data only for as long as needed for the purpose for which it was collected, including customer service, warranty, accounting, legal and dispute needs. Different records have different retention periods. As an operational starting point, routine live-chat and unsuccessful price-match material may be reviewed for deletion after 12 months unless it is linked to a repair, complaint, legal issue or continuing customer relationship. Repair, invoice and transaction records may need to be retained longer where required for accounting, tax, warranty or legal purposes.
We periodically review retention and should not keep uploaded identity/device evidence merely because storage is available.
7. Your rights
Depending on the circumstances, UK data-protection law gives you rights including access, correction, erasure, restriction, objection, data portability and rights concerning certain automated decisions. Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw consent without affecting earlier lawful processing.
Contact us at Support@fonebook.co.uk. You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). See ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.
8. Children
Our repair services may be used for devices owned by children, but contracts, bookings, payments and personal-data submissions should be made by an adult or with appropriate parent/guardian involvement where required.
9. Changes
We may update this notice when our services or legal requirements change. The date at the top shows the version currently published.