Privacy Policy
This privacy notice sets out details of the information we collect about you, how we may use it, how we ensure its kept secure, who we share it with, and what rights you may have in respect of that information.
We mainly use your personal information to provide our services to you, to meet our legal obligations, and to help improve our interests. We only want to hold as much personal information as we need to do the above.
We want our 'personal information' relationship to be reciprocal, where we both benefit, not an exploitative one. Where we share your data, we only do so with organisations who have a right to see it or you have shortlisted as potential Providers of your end-of-life wishes, who will use it fairly.
We take security seriously. You can contact us at any time about anything relating to this notice or the information we hold about you, you can do this by emailing: compliance@thefarewellguide.co.uk
Who we are
This Notice applies to all the entities within The Farewell Guide Ltd (“we”, “us” and “TFG”) to the extent that they are controllers of your personal information. The Farewell Guide website (the “Site”) is owned and operated by The Farewell Guide Limited, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 12255796, with its registered office at The Fuel Tank A4, Creative Road, London SE8 3LE (referred to as “TFG”, “we”, “us” or “our” in this privacy policy). We are a data controller and responsible for your personal data. If you register with us to access any of our services, we may also act as a data processor in connection with the delivery of our services to you. We are committed to respecting the information you trust us with and ensuring we keep it safe.
Your visit to our website and any communications you have with us are subject to the terms set out in this privacy policy. Please read the following carefully to fully understand our practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it.
We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (‘ICO’) under registration number ZA298415.
We provide our platforms, so that we can offer the following:
- A place to store and share your funeral and end of life wishes
- A place to showcase trusted funeral directors
- Directories to source trusted local funeral directors and understand service offerings and pricing
- Funeral market trends and historical data (in time)
The Basis of Why We Are Using Your Information
We will only use your personal information where:
- We have your consent – For example, we may rely on your consent in order to send you direct marketing communications. Where we do, you can withdraw your consent at any time by unsubscribing.
- The purposes of our legitimate interests – These interests are set out below, and we will only use such data where those interests are not outweighed by your own interests or fundamental rights and freedoms.
- It’s necessary for the performance of a contract – Either when we’re preparing price estimates from Providers for a funeral plan for you or the deceased, or to take steps as requested by you prior to entering into a contract with a Provider.
- It’s necessary for compliance with a legal obligation – For example, if we are required to retain information for regulatory reasons.
Types of Information We Collect
Almost all the information we hold is the information you've provided to us. This might include information you share when building a funeral plan, purchasing a product, or requesting services via our website, emails, telephone conversations, and written or verbal communication. The types of information you provide will vary depending on the service you’ve requested but may include:
- Name, address, and contact details
- Uploaded data: documents and contacts you have uploaded
- Funeral data: end of life wishes, funeral options e.g. burial, cremation, attended and unattended, music and more.
- Funeral providers you’ve searched, areas, and prices
- Details of your interactions with us through contact centres, providers, online, or via our apps
- Payment details, if entered
- Call recordings
- Information about how you interact with our communications
We may also collect information from third parties such as:
- Someone else acting on your behalf
- Publicly available sources (e.g. social media)
- Fraud prevention and detection agencies
- Government bodies, law enforcement agencies, and regulators
- NHS organisations and systems (e.g. GP records)
When using the funeral planner, you may disclose Special Categories of Personal Data about you, including:
- Health data
- Race or ethnicity
- Religious or philosophical beliefs
- Sexual orientation
- End of life wishes
- Personal notes and keepsake requests
We do not collect any information about criminal convictions and offences. Additionally, we may process other private data, such as end-of-life notes, memories, photos, and contacts added to your account.
Purpose and lawful basis
We rely on a mixture of performance of contract, legitimate interests, consent and legal obligations to process your personal data in order to:
- Support you with funerals on our sites:
- enabling you to find and receive a price estimate for your funeral wishes
- enabling you to enquire about funerals and request contact from a funeral provider
- funeral related services
- sharing your funeral wishes
- build funeral databases, price metrics and tools.
- provide current and historical market and funeral trends.
- resolve any queries or complaints you may have.
- customise and enrich your experience on our sites.
- process your job application and consider you for our vacancies.
- help keep our site safe and secure.
- improve our sites and services and to help trouble shoot.
- monitor for quality assurance and internal training.
We process personal data that we receive from:
- you when you get in touch with us, create and use The Farewell Guide and its funeral planning tool, make use of our websites and services, enquire about a funeral or search or make an enquiry to a funeral provider via our portal, or apply for a job with us.
- our members (e.g. funeral directors, funeral providers, will providers and prepaid funeral providers) when they advertise their services and products on our sites
- third parties (e.g. celebrants, hospices, hospitals, funeral service providers and coroners).
- our partners (e.g. funeral providers).
- publicly available sources such as Companies House and the Electoral Roll.
How long we keep it for
We will only retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. To determine the appropriate retention period for personal information, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal information. In some circumstances we may anonymise your personal information so that it can no longer be associated with you.
Sharing Your Personal Information
When we share your information, we do so in accordance with our legal, data protection, and privacy obligations. We may share your data with the following:
- Service providers and members – We use other organisations who carry out work on our behalf to help us provide you with funerals, products and services. We try to ensure these third parties have at least the same privacy and security standards as we do. However, please check privacy policies with our third-party funeral providers to ensure you are satisfied.
- Subcontractors – For the performance of any contracts we enter with them or you.
- Professional advisers – Including lawyers, bankers, auditors, and insurers.
- Funeral directors, cremation providers, finance brokers, estate administration providers, and Certainty – The National Will Register .
- Charities & Partners – If you use a charity referral code, we will share your email address with the charity for reporting purposes only.
- Executors or beneficiaries – As appropriate, we may share your details with executors of your or your loved one’s will.
- Credit reference agencies – For anti-fraud and credit-insight purposes.
- Social media companies and advertising partners – To match your email address with platforms like Facebook and Twitter for promotional purposes.
- Government bodies – For example, the police, DVLA, NHS Business Services Authority, or your GP.
- Potential corporate buyers – If we sell or transfer any of our businesses or assets.
Marketing and Interests
We may use your details to assist us in determining what services and offers may be of interest to you. You will receive marketing communications from us if you have signed up for our services, requested information, used our planner, or purchased products or services from us, and have not opted out of receiving such marketing.
You can stop receiving marketing messages at any time by emailing us at compliance@thefarewellguide.co.uk or following unsubscribe links in marketing communications.
Data Security
We take data security seriously and have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure your personal data is kept secure. This includes up-to-date virus software and personal protection on our systems. We limit access to your personal data to employees, agents, contractors, and other third parties who need it to perform their tasks, and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.
Transfers Outside the EEA
Currently, we do not transfer your personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA) unless the funeral services requested are based outside the EEA. If such a transfer occurs, we will take appropriate steps, such as using Standard Contractual Clauses to ensure your data is adequately protected.
Your Rights Regarding Personal Data
Under data protection laws, you have several rights regarding your personal data, including:
- Right to Access – You have the right to request access to your personal data.
- Right to Rectification – You may ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Right to Erasure – You may ask us to delete your personal data when it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
- Right to Restriction – You may ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
- Right to Object – You may object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
- Right to Withdraw Consent – You can withdraw consent where we process your personal data based on consent, though this will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal.
To exercise any of your rights, contact us via hello@thefarewellguide.co.uk . We aim to respond to all requests within 28 business days.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we process your personal data, you may make a complaint to us directly. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) , the UK’s data protection regulator.
Automated Processing
We may profile your activity on our sites, and platforms to help us better understand your needs and funeral planning stage so that we can customise your experience on our sites, suggest services that may be of interest to you, tailor our communications with you and to identity opportunities to improve training and insights with us and our members. We do not make automated decisions which will have a legal or similar effect on you. The funeral providers we work may make to assessment on your funeral needs from your funeral wishes based on the information you provided them.
You can always object to profiling by emailing us at: compliance@thefarewellguide.co.uk
Use of AI
We use AI, machine learning models and other similar technology to help us analyse trends, improve our platforms and services, enhance our customer services, better understand your needs, to provide you a more customised experience on our platforms and to improve our communications with you. We do not use AI to make any automated decisions which will have a legal or similar effect on you.
Direct marketing
If you have given us permission, we’ll send you marketing messages either directly from us or on behalf of our members or partners. We will customise our communications with you based on your use of our platforms. You are in control and can opt out of direct marketing at any time by contacting us or updating your preferences.
How to Contact Us
If you would like to request access to your personal data, please send a subject access request to:
Data Protection Team
The Fuel Tank A4
Creative Road
London SE8 3LE
Email: compliance@thefarewellguide.co.uk
Changes to This Privacy Notice
We may update this Privacy Notice to reflect changes to our practices or legal requirements. Any updates will be posted on this page, and we encourage you to review it regularly to stay informed about how we protect your information.