Privacy Policy – Memberships and Virtual Work Experience

1) Who we are

Ships and Pigs Limited.
We are the data controller for information collected through this website.

2) What we collect for memberships and course access

When you create an account to or access the virtual work experience course, we collect:

  • Name, email address, password (hashed by our platform), phone number

  • Billing address and, if applicable, a shipping address

  • Purchase details (products bought, pricing, dates, VAT status, invoices)

  • Account activity (login dates, content you view, completion status)

  • Support communications

Payment card details are collected and processed directly by our payment processors and are not stored on our systems.

If you purchase a teacher licence, we collect your contact details (such as email, name, and school information) in order to arrange and deliver your included Zoom Q&A session.

  • These details are used solely for the purpose of scheduling and running the session, confirming class size (up to 30 learners), and providing follow-up support.

  • Q&A booking emails are retained for up to 12 months after the end of your licence, then deleted unless longer retention is required for legal reasons.

3) Where the data comes from

  • Directly from you when you register, purchase, or contact us

  • Automatically from your browser (cookies, device information) for site security and analytics (see Cookies section of this policy)

4) Why we use your data (lawful bases)

  • Contract: to create your account, take payment, provide course access, and administer your membership.

  • Legitimate interests: to prevent fraud, keep our site and members area secure, improve the course and site, and send essential service messages about your purchase or access.

  • Legal obligation: to keep purchase records for tax and accounting.

  • Consent: for optional marketing emails. You can withdraw consent at any time from emails or by contacting us.

5) Payment processing

We use Squarespace Commerce and payment processors such as Stripe and/or PayPal to handle transactions. Your card details are transmitted directly to the relevant processor and are not visible to us. Each processor acts as an independent controller for your payment data and processes it under its own privacy policy.

6) Sharing your data

We share personal data with service providers only as needed to run this website and members area, including:

  • Squarespace (site and members area hosting)

  • Payment processors (e.g., Stripe, PayPal)

  • Email and cloud providers used for order confirmations and support

  • Analytics and security providers that help us understand site usage and protect the site

We do not sell your personal data.

7) International transfers

Some providers may store data outside the UK (for example, in the EEA or USA). Where this happens, we rely on lawful transfer mechanisms such as UK adequacy regulations or the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.

8) Retention

  • Order and invoicing records: 6 years from the end of the financial year (HMRC requirements).

  • Account data: kept while your account is active. If you close your account, we delete or anonymise it within a reasonable period, retaining only what we must keep for legal or tax reasons.

  • Support emails: up to 2 years unless required longer for legal reasons.

9) Age policy

Our virtual work experience course is designed for ages 16+. We do not knowingly allow users under 16 to purchase or access paid course content without appropriate consent from a parent or guardian.

  • If you are under 16, do not register or purchase the course yourself. A parent, guardian, or teacher must complete the purchase and provide you with access.

  • Where a teacher or school purchases the course for use in a classroom, the teacher is responsible for ensuring students’ eligibility, supervision, and appropriate use of the course materials.

  • If we become aware that someone under 16 has purchased the course directly without parental or teacher involvement, we may close the account.

Note: Under UK law, consent for online services can be valid from age 13. Our own service eligibility remains 16+.

10) Marketing

We don’t use your email address for anything other than service emails about your account or purchase. These are not marketing and will be sent automatically.

11) Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including HTTPS, access controls, and limiting access to personal data to those who need it.

12) Your rights

You have rights to:

  • Access a copy of your personal data

  • Correct inaccuracies

  • Delete your data (where applicable)

  • Restrict or object to processing (where applicable)

  • Data portability (for information you provided to us)
    To exercise your rights, contact becky@shipsandpigs.com. We may ask for proof of identity.

13) Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we use your data, please contact us first. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): ico.org.uk

14) Google Places API at checkout

At checkout, address fields may use the Google Places API to autocomplete your address to improve accuracy and speed. What you type may be shared with Google to return suggestions. Google processes this data under its own privacy policy.

15) Links to other websites

Our website may link to other sites. We do not control those sites and are not responsible for their content or privacy practices. Please review the privacy policy of any site you visit.

16) Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post any changes here and update the “last updated” date.

Last updated: 20 August 2025