Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected through the EP Surveyors website and during the normal course of our business.

This includes information collected when you:

• visit or interact with our website;
• complete an enquiry or contact form;
• contact us by telephone, email or another method;
• request a quotation;
• instruct us to carry out a survey or valuation;
• communicate with us during or after an instruction;
• subscribe to receive news or marketing communications; or
• engage with us in another professional or business capacity.

This policy should be read alongside any additional privacy information provided when we collect personal information from you.

The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us and the services you ask us to provide.

Information you provide directly

This may include:

• your name;
• your home, correspondence or property address;
• your email address and telephone number;
• details of the property concerned;
• information about your proposed purchase or instruction;
• billing, invoicing and payment information;
• documents, photographs or correspondence you send to us;
• details of estate agents, solicitors or other professional advisers;
• feedback, reviews or complaints; and
• any other information you choose to provide.

Information collected during an instruction

When providing surveying or valuation services, we may create or retain:

• property inspection notes;
• photographs, measurements and observations;
• survey, valuation or inspection reports;
• property and market research;
• communications relating to the instruction;
• appointment and access details; and
• records required for professional, insurance or regulatory purposes.

Information collected automatically

When you use our website, limited technical information may be collected automatically, including:

• your IP address;
• browser and device type;
• operating system;
• approximate geographic location;
• pages viewed and time spent on the website;
• referring website or search source; and
• technical information used to maintain website security and performance.

We may use your personal information to:

• respond to enquiries and provide requested information;
• prepare and issue quotations or terms of engagement;
• arrange appointments and property access;
• provide surveys, valuations and related professional services;
• prepare, deliver and discuss reports;
• verify your identity or the details of an instruction;
• manage our professional relationship with you;
• process payments and maintain financial records;
• communicate with estate agents, solicitors and other authorised parties;
• respond to questions, feedback and complaints;
• maintain appropriate professional and regulatory records;
• support quality assurance, file reviews and audits;
• manage legal, regulatory or insurance matters;
• protect our website, systems, clients and business from misuse or fraud;
• improve our website, services and customer experience; and
• send marketing communications where permitted by law.

We will not use your personal information for a purpose that is incompatible with the reason it was originally collected unless the law permits or requires us to do so.

UK data protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for processing personal information. Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

Processing may be necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform the surveying or valuation services you have instructed us to provide.

Legitimate interests

We may process information where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate business and professional interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms.

These interests may include:

• responding to enquiries;
• managing our professional practice;
• improving our services;
• maintaining appropriate records;
• protecting our systems and preventing fraud;
• establishing, exercising or defending legal claims; and
• communicating with existing clients about relevant services.

Legal obligation

We may process or retain information where necessary to comply with legal, taxation, accounting, professional or regulatory requirements.

Consent

Where we rely on your consent, such as for certain marketing activities, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to operate correctly, remember preferences, maintain security and understand how visitors use the website.

Cookies may be used to:

• provide essential website functionality;
• maintain the security and performance of the website;
• remember choices or preferences;
• measure visitor numbers and website usage;
• identify technical issues;
• understand which pages are most useful; and
• support marketing or advertising where consent has been provided.

Where required, non-essential cookies will only be used after you have made a choice through our cookie banner or preference tool. You can also control cookies through your browser settings.

Disabling certain cookies may affect how some parts of the website function.

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share information where necessary with trusted organisations and individuals who support the delivery and administration of our services, including:

• website, email and technology providers;
• surveying, reporting and document-management providers;
• payment, accounting and bookkeeping providers;
• professional advisers, including solicitors, accountants and insurers;
• estate agents, solicitors or other parties authorised by you;
• contractors or consultants supporting an instruction;
• professional and regulatory bodies;
• auditors and quality-assurance reviewers; and
• government bodies, regulators, courts or law-enforcement authorities where required.

Service providers acting on our behalf are only permitted to use personal information for the agreed purpose and must protect it appropriately.

We may also disclose information as part of a business restructuring, merger, acquisition or transfer, subject to appropriate confidentiality and data-protection safeguards.

Some technology or service providers may process or store information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we take reasonable steps to ensure that an appropriate legal safeguard is in place. This may include:

• a UK adequacy regulation;
• approved contractual safeguards;
• the UK International Data Transfer Agreement;
• an approved UK addendum to standard contractual clauses; or
• another transfer mechanism permitted by data protection law.

You may contact us if you would like further information about the safeguards relevant to your personal information.

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and to meet relevant legal, professional, contractual, insurance, taxation and regulatory requirements.

The appropriate retention period will depend on factors including:

• the nature of the information;
• the services provided;
• professional and regulatory requirements;
• taxation and accounting obligations;
• professional indemnity insurance requirements;
• the possibility of a complaint, claim or dispute; and
• whether a longer period is required or permitted by law.

Survey, valuation and client files will ordinarily be retained for no less than seven years after completion or termination of the relevant service.

Certain files may be retained for longer, potentially up to fifteen years, where this is reasonably necessary for professional, legal, regulatory or insurance purposes.

When information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised.

As a professional surveying practice, EP Surveyors may be subject to external audit, monitoring, quality-assurance or regulatory review.

Where necessary, a client or property file may be made available to an appropriate professional body, regulator, auditor, insurer or quality-assurance reviewer.

Information will only be disclosed where there is an appropriate professional, regulatory, contractual or legal reason, and the recipient will be expected to maintain appropriate confidentiality and security.

We use appropriate technical, organisational and administrative measures designed to protect personal information against:

• unauthorised access;
• accidental loss;
• inappropriate disclosure;
• alteration;
• misuse; and
• destruction.

Access to personal information is limited to those who reasonably need it for a legitimate business, professional or legal purpose.

No method of transmitting or storing information can be guaranteed to be completely secure. However, we take reasonable steps to maintain appropriate safeguards and respond to suspected personal data breaches.

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• be informed about how your personal information is used;
• request access to the personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• ask us to erase personal information in certain circumstances;
• ask us to restrict the processing of your information;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• object to direct marketing at any time;
• request the transfer of certain information to you or another organisation;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
• raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal, regulatory or professional exemptions.

To exercise a right, contact us using the details shown on this page. We may need to request information to confirm your identity before responding.

You will not normally be charged for exercising your rights. However, a reasonable fee may be permitted where a request is manifestly unfounded, excessive or repetitive.

We may send relevant news, service information or marketing communications where you have consented or where the law otherwise permits us to do so.

You can stop receiving marketing communications at any time by:

• selecting the unsubscribe link in an email;
• contacting us directly; or
• updating any available communication preferences.

Opting out of marketing will not prevent us from sending administrative or service-related communications concerning an enquiry, quotation, appointment or instruction.

Our website and professional services are not directed towards children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children without an appropriate lawful basis or the involvement of a parent or guardian.

Please contact us if you believe that a child has provided personal information to us inappropriately.

Our website may contain links to websites operated by other organisations.

EP Surveyors is not responsible for the privacy, security, accuracy or content of external websites. You should review the privacy policy of any third-party website before providing personal information.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, working practices, technology or legal and regulatory obligations.

The latest version will be published on this page. Where a change materially affects how we use personal information, we will take reasonable steps to bring it to the attention of those affected.

Please contact EP Surveyors first if you have a concern about how we have collected or used your personal information. We will take your concern seriously and aim to resolve it promptly.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.