THE INFORMATION WE COLLECT
Information is collected from you when you register with us, or when you contribute to or use some of the advanced features on the site. The information we collect is clearly set out on the web page on which we collect it.
When do we collect your personal data?
- When you make an online purchase and check out as a guest (in which case we just collect transaction-based data).
- When you create an account with us.
- When you purchase a product or service in-store or by phone but don’t have (or don’t use) an account.
- When you engage with us on social media.
- When you contact us by any means with queries, complaints etc.
- When you enter prize draws or competitions.
- When you choose to complete any surveys we send you.
- When you comment on or review our products and services.
- Any individual may access personal data related to them, including opinions. So if your comment or review includes information about a specific staff member who provided that service, it may be passed on to them if requested.
- When you’ve given a third party permission to share with us the information they hold about you.
- When you use our car parks and shop, which have CCTV systems operated for the security of both customers and staff. These systems may record your image during your visit.
WHAT SORT OF PERSONAL DATA DO WE COLLECT?
- If you have a web account with us: your name, gender, date of birth, billing/delivery address, orders and receipts, email and telephone number. For your security, we’ll also keep an encrypted record of your login password.
- Information gathered by the use of cookies in your web browser.
- Your social media username, if you interact with us through those channels, to help us respond to your comments, questions or feedback.
- To deliver the best possible web experience, we collect technical information about your internet connection and browser as well as the country and telephone code where your computer is located, the web pages viewed during your visit, the advertisements you clicked on, and any search terms you entered.
COOKIES
Cookies are tiny text files stored on your computer when you visit certain web pages, which we use to keep track of what you have in your basket and to remember you when you return to our site. So what are they and why do we use them?
Our cookies don’t store sensitive information such as your name, address or payment details: they simply hold the ‘key’ that, once you’re signed in, is associated with this information. However, if you’d prefer to restrict, block or delete cookies from johnlewis.com, or any other website, you can use your browser to do this.
Each browser is different, so check the ‘Help’ menu of your particular browser (or your mobile phone’s handset manual) to learn how to change your cookie preferences.
We use Google Analytics to monitor web usage, however, this does not store information such as your name, address, or payment details. You can find out more information about opting out of Google here.
HOW AND WHY DO WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA?
We want to give you the best possible customer experience. One way to achieve that is to get the richest picture we can of who you are by combining the data we have about you.
We then use this to offer you promotions, products and services that are most likely to interest you. In the case of loyalty scheme members, we’ll also offer you relevant rewards.
The data privacy law allows this as part of our legitimate interest in understanding our customers and providing the highest levels of service.
Of course, if you wish to change how we use your data, you’ll find details in the ‘What are my rights?’ section below.
Remember, if you choose not to share your personal data with us, or refuse certain contact permissions, we might not be able to provide some services you’ve asked for.
Here’s how we’ll use your personal data and why:
- To respond to your queries, refund requests and complaints. Handling the information you sent enables us to respond. We may also keep a record of these to inform any future communication with us and to demonstrate how we communicated with you throughout. We do this on the basis of our contractual obligations to you, our legal obligations and our legitimate interests in providing you with the best service and understanding how we can improve our service based on your experience.
- To protect our business and your account from fraud and other illegal activities. This includes using your personal data to maintain, update and safeguard your account. We’ll also monitor your browsing activity with us to quickly identify and resolve any problems and protect the integrity of our websites. We’ll do all of this as part of our legitimate interest.
- To protect our customers, premises, assets and staff from crime, we operate CCTV systems in our stores and car parks which record images for security. We do this based on our legitimate business interests.
- To process payments and to prevent fraudulent transactions. We do this on the basis of our legitimate business interests. This also helps to protect our customers from fraud.
- If we discover any criminal activity or alleged criminal activity through our use of CCTV, fraud monitoring and suspicious transaction monitoring, we will process this data for the purposes of preventing or detecting unlawful acts. Our aim is to protect the individuals we interact with from criminal activities.
- With your consent, we will use your personal data, preferences and details of your transactions to keep you informed by email, web, text, telephone and through our contact centres about relevant products and services including tailored special offers, discounts, promotions, events, competitions and so on.
- To send you communications required by law or which are necessary to inform you about our changes to the services we provide you. For example, updates to this Privacy Notice, product recall notices, and legally required information relating to your orders. These service messages will not include any promotional content and do not require prior consent when sent by email or text message. If we do not use your personal data for these purposes, we will be unable to comply with our legal obligations.
HOW WE PROTECT YOUR DATA
We know how much data security matters to all our customers. With this in mind, we will treat your data with the utmost care and take all appropriate steps to protect it.
We secure access to all transactional areas of our websites and apps using ‘https’ technology.
Access to your personal data is password-protected, and sensitive data such as payment card information) is secured and tokenised to ensure it is protected.
We regularly monitor our system for possible vulnerabilities and attacks, and we carry out penetration testing to identify ways to further strengthen security.
We take active measures within the office to protect all physical copies of information used for accounting and order fulfilment processes.
WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS OVER YOUR PERSONAL DATA?
You have the right to request:
- Access to the personal data we hold about you, free of charge in most cases.
- The correction of your personal data when incorrect, out of date or incomplete.
- The deletion of the data we hold about you, in specific circumstances; for example, when you withdraw consent or object, and we have no legitimate overriding interest, or once the purpose for which we hold the data has come to an end (such as the end of a warranty).
- A computer file in a common format (CSV or similar) containing the personal data that you have previously provided to us, and the right to have your information transferred to another entity where this is technically possible.
- Restriction of the use of your personal data, in specific circumstances, generally while we are deciding on an objection you have made.
- We stop processing your personal data, in specific circumstances; for example, when you have withdrawn consent, or object for reasons related to your individual circumstances.
- That we stop using your personal data for direct marketing (either through specific channels, or all channels).
- We stop any consent-based processing of your personal data after you withdraw that consent.
- Review by a Partner of any decision made based solely on automatic processing of your data (so where no human has yet reviewed the outcome and criteria for the decision).
- You can contact us to request to exercise these rights at any time by contacting us.
- If we choose not to action your request, we will explain the reasons for our refusal.
Your right to withdraw consent
Whenever you have given us your consent to use your personal data, you have the right to change your mind at any time and withdraw that consent.
Where we rely on our legitimate interest
In cases where we are processing your personal data on the basis of our legitimate interest, you can ask us to stop for reasons connected to your individual situation. We must then do so unless we believe we have a legitimate overriding reason to continue processing your personal data, such as the administration of an extended warranty.
Direct marketing
You have the right to stop the use of your personal data for direct marketing activity through all channels, or selected channels. We must always comply with your request.
Checking your identity
To protect the confidentiality of your information, we will ask you to verify your identity before proceeding with any request you make under this Privacy Notice.
If you have authorised a third party to submit a request on your behalf, we will ask them to prove they have your permission to act.
If you feel that your data has not been handled correctly, or you are unhappy with our response to any requests you have made to us regarding the use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office. You can contact them by calling 0303 123 1113. Or go online to www.ico.org.uk/concerns (opens in a new window; please note we can’t be responsible for the content of external websites)
If you are based outside the UK, you have the right to lodge your complaint with the relevant data protection regulator in your country of residence. Details can be found in Section 16.