This Privacy Policy is presented to you in order to help you make an informed decision about using or visiting the LLCSearches.co.uk website ('this website') and to explain to you what information we collect, how we store that information and how we may use it.

By visiting this website and/or using our services, applications, products and content, you are consenting to (i) this Privacy Policy, (ii) the DEF Software Limited Terms of Service and (iii) to have your personal data transferred to the relevant Local Authority within England and Wales.

This Privacy Policy covers the site www.llcsearches.co.uk and its directly associated domains. Because DEF Software Limited wants to demonstrate its commitment to your privacy, if you have any queries, please email team@def.co.uk.

If you have questions or concerns regarding this privacy policy, you should first contact our privacy staff as follows:

DEF Software Limited
The Quadrus
Woodstock Way
Boldon Business Park
Boldon
Tyne and Wear
England
NE35 9PF

What information do we collect?

When you enter this website, we collect your browser information (which typically includes browser type, version, host operating system and browser language) and IP address. This information is gathered for all visitors. In general, you can browse parts of this website without giving us any additional information. However, to enjoy the benefits of the services offered on this website, we need to have certain information about you.

To access these services, you will, from time to time, be asked to submit personal information about yourself. In order to provide you with an account on this website that allows you to submit and view your search requests, we need to collect information from you when you register, such as your chosen username and password. Your contact details are also visible to any Local Authority that you request approval to submit search requests to, so that they can identify you as a permitted user of their service.

By entering your details in the fields requested, you enable DEF Software Limited and its service providers to provide you with the services you require. Whenever you provide such personal information, we will treat that information in accordance with this policy.


Information on visitors

During the course of any visit to this website, the pages you see, along with something called a "cookie", are downloaded to your computer. Most websites do this, because cookies allow the website publisher to ascertain whether the computer (and probably its user) has visited the site before. Any information that is supplied by cookies can help us to provide you with a better service and assists us to analyse the profile of our visitors, and by seeing how you use those services we can tailor our website around your requirements. Cookies also make it easier for you to maintain your preferences on this website, and allow you to remain logged in between visits.


More information about cookies

The purpose of cookies used by this website has been previously explained above in this Privacy Policy. When you enter a site that utilises "cookies" your computer will automatically be issued with a cookie, provided your internet browser is set to accept them (most are by default). Cookies are text files that identify your computer to our server. Cookies in themselves do not identify the individual user, just the computer used. Cookies themselves only record those areas of the site that have been visited by the computer in question, and for how long. Users have the opportunity to set their computers to accept all cookies, to notify them when a cookie is issued, or not to receive cookies at any time. The last of these, of course, means that certain personalised services cannot then be provided to that user. We do not link the information we store in cookies to any personally identifiable information you submit while on our site. You can, should you choose, disable the cookies from your browser and delete all cookies currently stored on your computer. For example, if you are using Internet Explorer, this can be done by selecting "Tools / Internet Options" and then reviewing your privacy settings or selecting "delete cookies". This may however prevent you from taking full advantage of the services that this website has to offer.


Use and storage of your personal information

When you supply any personal information to this website we may have legal obligations towards you based upon privacy laws and regulations in the way we deal with that data. We will collect the information fairly, that is, we will not resell that data to other parties. Only DEF Software Limited and the relevant Local Authority will have access to that data.

The information you provide to this website will be used for the following reasons:

  • to ensure that content from our site is presented to you in the most effective manner and to personalise your visit to our site;
  • to enable us to continuously enhance the service and to provide to you information, products or services which we feel may be of interest to you;
  • to occasionally carry out market research including internal analytical research which will enable us to constantly improve your experience on this website;
  • to carry out our obligations arising from any agreements that may have been entered into between you and the Local Authority;
  • to allow you to participate in interactive features of our service, when you choose to do so; and
  • to notify you about changes to or other information about our service.

We will hold your personal information on our systems for as long as you use the service(s) you have requested, and remove it in the event that the purpose has been met, or, in the case of you no longer wish to continue your status as a member. In some circumstances it may be necessary to retain your personal information to deal with any disputes. We will ensure that all personal information supplied is held securely, in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Your personal data will be stored on our backup system, which is kept in case of loss of data. It may be that where data is lost, the personal data held on you as part of our backup system is used to restore your account to its status before the loss of data. All personal data (including communication data) stored on the backup system shall be held in accordance with the Data Retention Directive. Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our site. Please be aware that any transmission is at your own risk.

Once we have received your information, we will use procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access. DEF Software Limited may contact you for a number of purposes related to the service you have signed up for. For example, we may wish to provide you with password reminders or notify you that a particular service has been improved or suspended. The only way you can opt out of receiving these types of administration communications would be to close your registration.


Disclosure of your information

We will not pass on your personal information to third parties except in accordance with (i) this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service, (ii) where there is a proposed sale or restructuring of DEF Software Limited or (iii) where we are required by law to disclose that information.

We do not share, sell, rent or trade personally identifiable information with third parties for their promotional purposes. Your personally identifiable information will never be supplied to anyone outside DEF Software Limited, other than the relevant Local Authority(s), without first obtaining your consent, except where we are obliged or permitted by law to disclose it without obtaining your consent in advance, or where there is a proposed or consummated sale or restructuring of DEF Software Limited. Accordingly, we reserve the right to disclose your personally identifiable information as required by law and when we believe that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights and/or comply with a judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process served on this website. Additionally, we may share account or other information when we believe it is necessary to protect our interests or property, to prevent fraud or other illegal activity perpetrated through this website or using the DEF Software Limited name, or to prevent imminent bodily harm. This may include sharing information with other companies, legal representatives, agents or government agencies. We employ service providers and other companies and individuals to perform functions and provide services on our behalf who may have access to your member information needed to perform their functions and also to provide you with the services that you have requested, but may not use it for any other purpose. Such service providers may include communication platform providers and hosting services providers, and the information that could be provided to these service providers may include names, email addresses and general contact details. Such service providers will be subject to appropriate contractual arrangements and security obligations as required by law.


Access to your personal information

You have the right to request a copy of the personal information DEF Software Limited holds about you and to have any inaccuracies corrected under the Data Protection Act 1998. There may be a small charge for such administration requests.


Links to other websites

This website may, from time to time, contain links to and from the websites of our partner networks, advertisers and affiliates. If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies. Please check these policies before you submit any personal data to these websites.


Ownership Changes

If the ownership of all or substantially all of the DEF Software Limited business, or individual products and services owned by DEF Software Limited, were to change, your user information may be transferred to the new owner so the service can continue operations. In any such transfer of information, your user information would remain subject to the provisions of the current privacy policy.


Changes to this Privacy Policy

If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes to this privacy policy page and any other places we deem appropriate so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it.

We reserve the right to modify this privacy policy at any time, so please review it frequently, and at least each time you submit personal information to DEF Software Limited via this website. If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you here, by email, or by means of a notice on our homepage. Unless stated otherwise, our current privacy policy applies to all information that we have about you and your account.