SPECAC LIMITED PRIVACY NOTICE
Last Updated: January 2025 | Version: 1.0
Specac Limited (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a leading manufacturer and supplier of spectroscopic accessories to businesses, academic institutions, and research organisations worldwide. We are committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Company Information:
- Registered Company: Specac Limited
- Registered Address: Science and Innovation Centre, Halo Business Park, Cray Avenue, Orpington, Kent BR5 3FQ, United Kingdom
- Company Registration Number: 01008689
- VAT Number: GB211974711
- ICO Registration Number: Z8886178
- Data Protection Contact:
- Email: dataprotection@specac.co.uk
- Postal: Data Protection Lead, Specac Limited, Science and Innovation Centre, Halo Business Park, Cray Avenue, Orpington, Kent BR5 3FQ
- Phone: +44 1689 892908
We collect and process the following categories of personal data:
Information you provide directly:
- Contact Information: Name, job title, department, company/institution name
- Communication Details: Business email address, business telephone number, business mobile
- Business Addresses: Delivery address, billing address, company headquarters
- Transaction Data: Purchase orders, quotations, order history, payment information (limited)
- Interaction Data: Technical support queries, product inquiries, warranty claims
- Preferences: Product interests, communication preferences, marketing consents
- Event Data: Webinar registrations, trade show interactions, training attendance
Information we collect automatically:
- Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types
- Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, page interaction information
- Location Data: Geographic location based on IP address (country/region level)
- Cookie Data: See our Cookie Policy for details
Information from third parties:
- Trade Shows: Attendee lists from exhibitions (where you consented)
- Distributors: Customer information from authorised distributors
- Public Sources: Companies House, LinkedIn, business directories
- Credit Agencies: Credit checks for account applications
1.3 How We Use Your Information
| Purpose | Type of Data | Legal Basis | Retention |
| Process orders and deliver products | Contact, delivery, order data | Contract performance | 7 years |
| Provide technical support and warranty | Contact, product, support history | Contract / Legitimate interests | 3 years after closure |
| Send quotations | Contact, product interests | Legitimate interests (business enquiry) | 3 years |
| Direct marketing – existing customers | Email, purchase history | Legitimate interests (similar products) | Until objection |
| Direct marketing – new contacts | Email, preferences | Explicit consent | Until withdrawn |
| Product traceability and safety | Order, serial numbers | Legal obligation / Legitimate interests | Product lifetime + 10 years |
| Process payments | Limited payment data | Contract performance | 7 years |
| Manage credit accounts | Financial information | Contract / Legitimate interests | Account closure + 7 years |
| Website analytics | Usage data, cookies | Legitimate interests | 26 months |
| Security and fraud prevention | IP, access logs | Legitimate interests | 12 months |
| Legal compliance | As required | Legal obligation | As required by law |
1.4 Who We Share Your Information With
Within Specac:
- Employees who need the information to provide services
- Access restricted by role-based permissions
- All staff bound by confidentiality obligations
Our Service Providers (Data Processors):
- IT Support: Instant On IT Limited (UK)
- Cloud Services: Microsoft Corporation (US – UK SCCs in place)
- Delivery Partners: DHL, FedEx, UPS and Perform
- Payment Processors: Specac Ltd/Int – Barclays Bank. Specac Inc – M&T Bank
- Email Marketing: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement
- Website Analytics: Google LLC (US – UK SCCs in place)
Other Recipients:
- Harrick Scientific Products, Inc.: For relevant US orders (data sharing arrangement under review)
- Authorised Distributors: Where you purchased through them
- Professional Advisers: Lawyers, accountants, insurers (as required)
- Regulatory Authorities: HMRC, Companies House, ICO (where legally required)
- Credit Reference Agencies: For credit account applications
We will never sell your personal data to third parties.
1.5 International Transfers
Your data may be transferred outside the UK:
| Country/Region | Recipients | Safeguards |
| United States | Microsoft 365, Google Analytics | UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), and/or the ICO’s International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) |
| United States | Harrick Scientific | Data transfer mechanism under review; will be governed by IDTA or UK Addendum once implemented |
| European Economic Area | Various suppliers | UK adequacy decision |
| Other countries | As required for international orders | Case-by-case assessment with appropriate safeguards |
1.6 Data Retention
We retain your personal data only as long as necessary:
| Data Category | Retention Period | Legal Justification |
| Customer orders and invoices | 7 years from transaction | UK tax law (HMRC requirements) |
| Quotations | 3 years from date | Business records, follow-up |
| Technical support records | 3 years from closure | Service improvement, warranty |
| Warranty claims | Product lifetime + 3 years | Consumer protection laws |
| Product traceability | Product lifetime + 10 years | Product liability laws |
| Credit account records | Account closure + 7 years | Financial regulations |
| Marketing consents | Until withdrawn + 3 years suppression | ICO guidance |
| Marketing suppression list | Indefinite | Prevent unwanted contact |
| Website analytics | 26 months | Google Analytics standard |
| CCTV (premises) | 30 days unless incident | Security |
| Email correspondence | 3 years general, 7 years if contract-related | Business records |
1.7 Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:
Right to Access (Subject Access Request):
- Request a copy of your personal data
- Understand how and why we process it
- Free of charge (unless excessive/repeated)
Right to Rectification:
- Correct inaccurate personal data
- Complete incomplete personal data
Right to Erasure (‘Right to be Forgotten’):
- Request deletion in certain circumstances
- Subject to legal retention obligations
Right to Restrict Processing:
- Limit how we use your data
- While we verify or investigate concerns
Right to Data Portability:
- Receive your data in structured, common format
- Transfer to another controller
Right to Object:
- Object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Absolute right to object to direct marketing
Rights Related to Automated Decision Making:
- We do not use automated decision-making or profiling
To exercise any right, contact: dataprotection@specac.co.uk We will respond within 30 days.
Our Approach:
- Existing customers: Information about similar products (legitimate interests)
- New contacts: Only with explicit, freely-given consent
- Clear unsubscribe in every email
- Suppression list maintained indefinitely
Managing Preferences:
- Unsubscribe link in every marketing email
- Email: unsubscribe@specac.com
- Phone: +44 1689 892908
We use cookies to improve your experience:
Essential Cookies: Always active for website function Analytics Cookies: With consent for performance analysis Marketing Cookies: With consent for relevant content
See our full Cookie Policy at https://specac.com/policies/cookie-policy-uk/
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures:
- Encryption in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
- Multi-factor authentication
- Regular security assessments
- ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certified
- Staff training and confidentiality agreements
- Incident response procedures
1.11 Children’s Privacy
Our website and services are not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect data from children.
We may update this notice periodically. Material changes will be notified via website announcement or email.
We hope to resolve concerns directly, but you may complain to:
Information Commissioner’s Office
- Website: ico.org.uk
- Phone: 0303 123 1113
- Address: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF