Who we are and how to contact us
TRACEFORM (“we”, “us”) is the controller for the personal information described in this policy. Our configured identity and contact details are shown in the data-controller panel above. We collect personal information through this website, by telephone, WhatsApp, SMS and e-mail, and while quoting for or carrying out electrical work.
Use the current contact details shown above for a privacy question, to exercise a data-protection right or to raise a concern.
This policy applies to the TRACEFORM website, to our enquiry, callback and quotation processes, and to the customer records we keep when we attend a property. It does not cover third-party websites we link to, which have their own privacy notices.
Summary: the key points
We collect only what we need to respond to you, attend the property safely, complete the work and keep the records the law requires. We do not sell personal information, we do not run advertising trackers, and any website analytics is first-party and controlled by the privacy choices at the bottom of this page. You can ask us at any time what we hold about you and to correct or delete it, subject to the legal limits explained below.
The information we collect
Information you give us directly
When you request a callout, ask for a callback or send an enquiry, we collect your name, telephone number, postcode and property address, the type of electrical problem, your description of the fault and any access or safety note you choose to add. An e-mail address is optional on the short form and requested on the full form so we can send written confirmations, quotations and invoices.
When you call us, message us on WhatsApp or by SMS, or write to us by e-mail, we collect the contact details you use, the content of the conversation and any photographs or videos you choose to send to help us understand the fault.
When we quote for or carry out work, we record the property details, the fault found, the work agreed and completed, test results and certificates where applicable, the quotation and invoice history, payment records and any complaint or follow-up correspondence.
Information collected automatically
Our website uses first-party analytics operated by TRACEFORM. When it is active it records the time of your visit, the pages you view, the referring website, allow-listed campaign tags and advertising click identifiers from the address you arrived on, your browser and operating-system versions, screen and device details, and your network address together with an approximate location derived from it. It does not record what you type into forms, full query strings or precise GPS location, and it does not use canvas, font or hardware fingerprinting. The privacy choices section on this page shows whether analytics is currently active and lets you switch it off or remove the stored data for your browser.
Our enquiry forms are protected against automated abuse by a hidden honeypot field, a per-connection submission limit and Google reCAPTCHA. reCAPTCHA is provided by Google and processes technical information about your browser and interaction to distinguish people from bots under Google’s own privacy policy and terms.
Our servers process technical request information, including network addresses and error details, to protect the website, investigate faults and keep it available.
Telephone calls, voicemail and messages
Our telephone lines run on a cloud telephony platform. Calls may be recorded, and out-of-hours calls may be routed to voicemail, so that we can capture fault details accurately, train staff and resolve disputes about what was agreed. Voicemails may be transcribed automatically to speed up our response. Recordings, voicemails and transcripts are held for the retention period configured in our phone system and are then deleted automatically.
Information we do not want
Please do not send us identity documents, bank or card details, medical information or other sensitive information unless we have specifically asked for it in connection with a job. Where sensitive information is relevant to safety — for example a vulnerable occupant, medical equipment that depends on the electricity supply or an access requirement — tell us the minimum needed so that we can attend safely.
How we use information and our lawful basis
UK data-protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for each purpose. We rely on the following.
To respond to your enquiry, provide a quotation and attend the property: this is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract and to perform the contract with you (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(b)).
To carry out the agreed electrical work, record findings and issue applicable test results or certificates: performance of the contract (Article 6(1)(b)) and compliance with legal obligations that apply to the work (Article 6(1)(c)).
To issue invoices, record payment and keep accounting records: performance of the contract and compliance with tax and accounting obligations (Article 6(1)(b) and 6(1)(c)).
To communicate with a tenant, landlord, letting agent, managing agent or other authorised contact about access and the work: our legitimate interest in coordinating the job with everyone involved, and where relevant the performance of the contract (Article 6(1)(f)).
To record calls, keep correspondence and handle complaints: our legitimate interests in accurate records, staff training, defending legal claims and improving our service (Article 6(1)(f)).
To protect the website and prevent abuse: our legitimate interest in keeping our public services secure and available (Article 6(1)(f)). For optional first-party analytics and browser storage used for analytics, we rely on your consent (Article 6(1)(a)); the controls on this page let you refuse or withdraw it.
To send you service messages about a job, a quotation or an invoice: performance of the contract. We do not send marketing e-mails or texts unless you have asked for them, and you can opt out at any time.
Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting processing that has already taken place. We do not use your information for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.
Who we share information with
We disclose personal information only where needed for the purposes described above or where the law requires it. Recipient categories are listed below.
People involved in the job: for example the landlord or agent who instructed the work, the occupier who needs to give access, or a Distribution Network Operator where a supply fault needs to be reported.
Service providers acting on our instructions: hosting and database services, telephony and SMS services, e-mail delivery, IP geolocation used for first-party analytics, Google reCAPTCHA and the optional contact-page map, and accountancy or IT support. They receive the information needed to provide their service.
Messaging platforms you choose to use: if you contact us on WhatsApp, your message is processed by Meta under its own terms. We hold the conversation as part of our job records.
Authorities and advisers: certification or notification bodies where a document must be lodged, insurers or professional advisers where a claim arises, and police, courts, tax authorities or regulators where disclosure is required or necessary for a legal matter.
We do not sell personal information and we do not share it with third parties for their own marketing.
Quotations, invoices and secure customer links
Quotations and invoices are sent by e-mail with a personal secure link. The link is unique to the document, expires after a set period and can be revoked by us. When you open a document or accept a quotation online we record the date and time, the choice you made, the totals you accepted, a one-way hash of your network address and your browser identifier. This record is our evidence of the acceptance made through that link. Our e-mail provider tells us when a message is delivered, opened, bounced or a link is clicked; alongside the event we keep the message and template references, the e-mail subject, any bounce or failure reason and the hostname of the clicked destination. We do not keep the full link, your network address or your device details from these reports.
How long we keep information
We keep personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purpose it was collected, and then delete or anonymise it. The main periods are set out below.
Enquiries and callback requests that do not lead to work: kept so that we can respond to you and to any repeated request, and reviewed for deletion once they are no longer needed. You can ask us to delete an enquiry at any time.
Job records, quotations, invoices, certificates and payment records are kept for at least six years where needed for tax, accounting and contractual records. A record may be kept longer where a legal obligation applies or it is needed for a continuing legal claim.
Call recordings, voicemails and transcripts are deleted automatically at the end of the retention period configured in our phone system.
Website analytics: page-view and event records are removed after a configurable period, ninety days by default, and inactive sessions after their own configured period. The anonymous visitor record itself is removed when you use the privacy choices on this page to withdraw, which deletes everything linked to your browser; otherwise it is kept until we clear analytics data. Your browser stores a visitor identifier and a session identifier that expires after thirty minutes of inactivity.
How we protect information
Access to customer records is restricted through staff accounts and authentication controls. Security-relevant actions and changes made through protected routes can be recorded. Information is encrypted in transit, and secure customer-link tokens are stored as one-way hashes and expire. No internet service can promise absolute security; where the law requires notification of a personal-data breach, we will make that notification.
Cookies and similar technologies
The public website does not set advertising or third-party tracking cookies. It uses a small number of first-party browser storage items that are needed for the site to work or to remember your choices.
traceform.analytics-consent.v1 (local storage): remembers whether you enabled or disabled website analytics on this device; kept until you change it or clear your browser data.
traceform.visitor.v1 and traceform.visitor.session.v1 (local storage): a random visitor identifier and a session identifier used by first-party analytics when it is active; the session expires after thirty minutes of inactivity and both are removed if you withdraw analytics on this page.
traceform.visitor.connection-token.v1 (session storage): a short-lived token that authenticates the analytics connection for the current browser tab; deleted when the tab is closed.
Google reCAPTCHA and the map on the contact page may set their own cookies when they load. The map loads only when you choose to open it. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings; doing so may affect how the forms work.
Your rights under UK data-protection law
You have the right to ask for access to the personal information we hold about you and to receive a copy of it; to have inaccurate information corrected and incomplete information completed; to have information erased where there is no longer a good reason for us to keep it; to restrict how we use it while a query is resolved; to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including any direct marketing; to receive the information you gave us in a portable format; and to withdraw consent where we rely on it.
These rights are not absolute. We may need to keep information to meet a legal obligation, to complete a contract, to defend a legal claim or where another exemption applies, and we will explain this if it affects your request. We may ask you to confirm your identity before releasing information so that we do not disclose it to the wrong person.
We do not charge for handling a request and we respond within one calendar month. If a request is complex or you have made several, we may extend this by up to two further months and will tell you why.
How to make a request or complaint
Contact us using the details shown on this page or on the contact page and tell us which right you want to exercise and which information it concerns. We will acknowledge your request, confirm identity where needed and respond in writing.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information or your request, please tell us first so that we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the UK supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office, at ico.org.uk, by telephone on 0303 123 1113 or by post to Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Children
Our services are provided to adults and businesses and the website is not directed at children. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us so we can assess the information and take the action required by data-protection law.
Changes to this policy
We update this policy when our handling of personal information or the legal requirements change. The current review date is shown on this page.
