Privacy policy

Company Registration Details:
John McElhinney Ltd.
Main Street
Ballybofey
Co. Donegal
Ireland, F93 TD29
Company Registration Number: 54692
VAT Number: IE9N29568U
Company Directors John McElhinney and Eileen McElhinney

Introduction

This Privacy Notice explains in detail the types of personal data we may collect about you when you interact with us. It also explains how we’ll store and handle that data and keep it safe. We know that there’s a lot of information here, but we want you to be fully informed about your rights, and how McElhinneys uses your data. We hope the following sections will answer any questions you have but if not, please do get in touch with us. It’s likely that we’ll need to update this Privacy Notice from time to time. We’ll notify you of any significant changes, but you’re welcome to come back and check it whenever you wish.

Explaining the legal bases we rely on

The law on data protection sets out a number of different reasons for which a company may collect and process your personal data, including:

1.1 Consent

In specific situations, we can collect and process your data with your consent. For example, when you tick a box to receive email newsletters. When collecting your personal data, we’ll always make clear to you which data is necessary in connection with a particular service.

1.2 Contractual Obligations

In certain circumstances, we need your personal data to comply with our contractual obligations. For example, if you order an item from us for home delivery, we’ll collect your address details to deliver your purchase, and pass them to our courier.

1.3 Legal Compliance

If the law requires us to, we may need to collect and process your data.

1.4 Legitimate Interest

In specific situations, we require your data to pursue our legitimate interests in a way which might reasonably be expected as part of running our business and which does not materially impact your rights, freedom or interests. For example, we will use your purchase history to send you or make available personalised offers. We also combine the shopping history of many customers to identify trends and ensure we can keep up with demand, or develop new products/services. We will also use your address details to send you marketing information by post, text or email telling you about products and services that we think might interest you.

When do we collect your personal data?

When you visit any of our websites, and use your account to buy products, or redeem vouchers from McElhinneys on the phone, in the store or online
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 sign up to receive marketing and promotional material via email or SMS
When you purchase a product 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 join our M-Card Loyalty programme
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.
When you fill in any forms. For example, if an accident happens in store, we may collect your personal data.
When you’ve given a third party permission to share with us the information they hold about you.
We collect data from publicly-available sources when you have given your consent to share information or where the information is made public as a matter of law.
When you use our car parks and stores which usually 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.
Details of your interactions with us in store, by telephone or online.

For example, we collect notes from our conversations with you, details of any complaints or comments you make, details of purchases you made, items viewed or added to your basket, gift list and wish list choices, voucher redemptions, brands you show interest in, web pages you visit and how and when you contact us.

Copies of documents you provide to prove your identity where the law requires this. This will include details of your full name, address, date of birth and facial image.
Details of your shopping preferences
Details of your visits to our websites, and which site you came from to ours

Information gathered by the use of cookies in your web browser
Personal details which help us to recommend items of interest

For example, you might tell us your clothing size, which we’ll use to guide our suggested items.

We’ll only ask for and use your personal data collected for recommending items of interest and to tailor your shopping experience with us. Of course, it’s always your choice whether you share such details with us.

Payment card information.
Your comments and product reviews.
Your image may be recorded on CCTV when you visit our store or car park
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.
Your social media username, if you interact with us through those channels, to help us respond to your comments, questions or feedback.

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. 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. For example, if you’ve asked us to let you know when an item comes back into stock, we can’t do that if you’ve withdrawn your general consent to hear from us.

Here’s how we’ll use your personal data and why:

To process any orders that you make by using our websites, or in store. If we don’t collect your personal data during checkout, we won’t be able to process your order and comply with our legal obligations. For example, your details may need to be passed to a third party to supply or deliver the product or service that you ordered, and we may keep your details for a reasonable period afterwards in order to fulfil any contractual obligations such as refunds, guarantees and so on.
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 based on 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. For example, by checking your password when you login and using automated monitoring of IP addresses to identify possible fraudulent log-ins from unexpected locations.
To protect our customers, premises, assets and staff members from crime, we operate CCTV systems in our store and adjacent car park which record images for security. We do this on the basis of 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. We aim is to protect the individuals we interact with from criminal activities
With your consent or on the basis of legitimate interest, 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. Of course, you are free to opt out of hearing from us by any of these channels at any time.
To send you relevant, personalised communications by post in relation to updates, offers, services and products. We’ll do this on the basis of our legitimate business interest. You are free to opt out of hearing from us by post at any time.
Email marketing (if applicable): Where we have a legal basis, we may send emails about our store, new products, and other updates (see our “Marketing Preferences” section for more information).
Text marketing (if applicable): We may send text messages about our store, new products, and other updates. Updates include Checkout Reminders. The website uses webhooks and cookies (with your consent) to help keep track of items you put into your shopping cart including when you have abandoned your cart and this information is used to determine when to send cart reminder messages via SMS (see our “Marketing Preferences” section for more information).

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 would be unable to comply with our legal obligations
To display the most interesting content to you on our websites, we’ll use data we hold about your favourite brands or products and so on. We do so on the basis of your consent to receive notifications and/or for our website to place cookies or similar technology on your device. For example, we might display a list of items you’ve recently looked at, or offer you recommendations based on your purchase history and any other data you’ve shared with us.
To administer any of our prize draws or competitions which you enter, based on your consent given at the time of entering.
To develop, test and improve the systems, services and products we provide to you. We’ll do this on the basis of our legitimate business interests. For example, we’ll record your browser’s Session ID to help us understand more when you leave us online feedback about any problems you’re having
To comply with our contractual or legal obligations to share data with law enforcement. For example, when a court order is submitted to share data with law enforcement agencies or a court of law
To send you survey and feedback requests to help improve our services. These messages will not include any promotional content and do not require prior consent when sent by email or text message. We have a legitimate interest to do so as this helps make our products or services more relevant to you.
Of course, you are free to opt out of receiving these requests from us at any time by updating your preferences in your online account, or by contacting customer services in store.
To process your booking/appointment requests (for example with a personal stylist). Sometimes, we’ll need to share your details with a third party who is providing a service (such as delivery couriers or a fitter visiting your home). We do so to maintain our appointment with you. Without sharing your personal data, we’d be unable to fulfil your request.
Our website uses cookies to help keep track of items you put into your shopping cart including when you have abandoned your cart and this information is used to determine when to send cart reminder messages via email and or SMS

Marketing Preferences

We may send you direct marketing communications, product information and promotional offers:

If you have consented to receiving such communications from us
If we have an existing business relationship with you and can rely on your implied consent
If you are from a country where the laws permit us to send you such communications based on our legitimate interests, if you have bought a product or service from us, and have not opted out of receiving communications from us (for example the EEA or UK)
If you are from a country where the laws permit us to send you such communications

The marketing communications we send will be in relation to our own products or services, your personal data will not be used for third-party direct marketing unless separate explicit consent has been collected for that or you are from a country where the laws permit such processing.

You will always have full control of your marketing preferences. If you do not wish to continue receiving marketing information from us at any time:

You can unsubscribe by using the unsubscribe directions or link included in marketing communication from us; or
You may withdraw your consent by contacting us by e-mail at customerservice@mcelhinneys.com

Customers located in certain regions, such as the EEA and UK, also have the right to object to their personal data being processed for direct marketing purposes at any time. If you would like to object you can contact us by e-mail at customerservice@mcelhinneys.com 

We will process all requests as soon as possible, but please note that due to the nature of our IT systems and servers it may take a few days for any opt-out request to be implemented.

Combing your data for personalised direct marketing

We want to bring you offers and promotions that are most relevant to your interests at particular times. To help us form a better, overall understanding of you as a customer, we combine your personal data gathered, for example your shopping history. For this purpose we also combine the data that we collect directly from you with data that we obtain from third parties to whom you have given your consent to pass that data onto us.

How do we protect your personal 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 using ‘https’ technology. Access to your personal data is password-protected, and sensitive data (such as payment card information) is secured by SSL encryption. We regularly monitor our system for possible vulnerabilities and attacks, and we carry out penetration testing to identify ways to further strengthen security.

How long will we keep your data?

Whenever we collect or process your personal data, we’ll only keep it for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. At the end of that retention period, your data will either be deleted completely or anonymised, for example by aggregation with other data so that it can be used in a non-identifiable way for statistical analysis and business planning.

Some examples of customer data retention periods:

Orders - When you place an order, we’ll keep the personal data you give us for five years so we can comply with our legal and contractual obligations.
Warranties - If your order included a warranty, the associated personal data will be kept until the end of the warranty period.

Who do we share your data with?

We sometimes share your personal data with trusted third parties. For example, delivery couriers, for fraud management, to handle complaints, to help us personalise our offers to you and so on. Below, states the policy we apply to those organisations to keep your data safe and protect your privacy:

We provide only the information they need to perform their specific services
They may only use your data for the exact purposes we specify in our contract with them.
We work closely with them to ensure that your privacy is respected and protected at all times.
If we stop using their services, any of your data held by them will either be deleted or rendered anonymous.

Examples of the kind of third parties we work with are:

IT companies who support our website and other business systems
Operational companies such as delivery couriers

Direct marketing companies who help us manage our electronic communications with you
Google/Facebook to show you products that might interest you while you’re browsing the internet. This is based on either your marketing consent or your acceptance of cookies on our websites.

The above excludes text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

Sharing your data with third parties, will only occur in very specific circumstances, for example: with your consent, given at the time you supply your personal data, we may pass that data to a third party for their direct marketing purposes.
Examples include, if you enter a competition and tick a box agreeing that the company can send you promotional information directly. Or if we run a joint event with a hotel, and you agree to receive direct communications from them.

For fraud management, we may share information about fraudulent or potentially fraudulent activity in our premises or systems. This may include sharing data about individuals with law enforcement bodies. We may also be required to disclose your personal data to the Garda or other enforcement, regulatory or Government body, in your country of origin or elsewhere, upon a valid request to do so. These requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis and take the privacy of our customers into consideration.

We may expand, reduce or sell the company and this may involve the transfer of divisions or the whole business to new owners. If this happens, your personal data will, where relevant, be transferred to the new owner or controlling party, under the terms of this Privacy Notice. For further information please contact our Data Protection Officer.

Where your personal data may be processed

Sometimes we will need to share your personal data with third parties and suppliers outside the European Economic Area (EEA), such as Australia or the USA. Protecting your data outside of EEA:

The EEA includes all EU Member countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. We may transfer personal data that we collect from you to third-party data processors in countries that are outside the EEA. For example, this might be required in order to fulfil your order, process your payment details or provide support services. If we do this, we have procedures in place to ensure your data receives the same protection as if it were being processed inside the EEA. For example, our contracts with third parties stipulate the standards they must follow at all times. If you wish for more information about these contracts please contact our Data Protection Officer. Any transfer of your personal data will follow applicable laws and we will treat the information under the guiding principles of this Privacy Notice.

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. 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).
That we stop using your personal data for direct marketing (either through specific channels, or all channels).
That we stop any consent-based processing of your personal data after you withdraw that consent.
Review by a staff member of any decision made based solely on automatic processing of your data (i.e. where no human has yet reviewed the outcome and criteria for the decision).
To request a copy of any information about you that the company holds at any time, and also to have that information corrected if it is inaccurate. To ask for your information, please contact Customer Services, McElhinneys, Ballybofey, Co Donegal, Ireland or email customerservices@mcelhinneys.com. To ask for your information to be amended, please update your online account, or contact our Customer Services team.

If we choose not to action your request, we will explain to you 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.

How can you stop the use of your personal data from direct marketing?

There are several ways you can stop direct marketing communications from us:

Click the ‘unsubscribe’ link in any email communication that we send you. We will then stop any further marketing emails.

If you have an account, log in, visit the ‘My Account’ area and change your preferences.
Write to Customer Services Officer, McElhinneys, Ballybofey, Co Donegal, Ireland.

Please note that you may continue to receive communications for a short period after changing your preferences while our systems are fully updated.

Unanswered Questions

We hope this Privacy Notice has been helpful in setting out the way we handle your personal data and your rights to control it.

If you have any questions that haven’t been covered, please contact our Customer Service team who will be pleased to help you:

Email us at customerservice@mcelhinneys.com
Or write to the eCommerce Manager, McElhinneys Department Store, Ballybofey, Co Donegal, Ireland, F93 TD29.

Last updated 07 Feb 2024