Legal & Data Governance

Privacy Policy

Car Repair UK is committed to safeguarding your personal information and respecting your privacy rights across our nationwide network of approved garages, bodyshops, and repair specialists.

Effective Date: 1 January 2025 Governing Law: England & Wales (UK GDPR / Data Protection Act 2018)

Data Scope & Legal Grounding

1. Information We Collect & Our Lawful Basis for Processing

To connect motorists across the United Kingdom with approved local garages, mobile mechanics, and specialist bodyshops, Car Repair UK collects and processes specific personal and automotive details. We adhere strictly to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Clause 1.1 & 1.2

Personal Data & Automotive Details

We collect only information necessary to assess repair needs, supply accurate estimates, and schedule workshop capacity:

Customer Contact Information

Full Name: Required to identify your quotation and create garage workshop job records.
Contact Telephone Number: Used by our repair coordinators and local garages to confirm mechanical diagnostics, parts availability, and completion times.
Email Address: Used to dispatch written repair estimates, booking confirmations, and status updates.
UK Postal Address & Postcode: Vital for pinpointing appropriate local service centres, bodyshops, or mobile mechanics in your immediate vicinity.

Vehicle Specifications & Damage Records

Vehicle Registration Mark (VRM): Enables technical lookups for exact make, model, year, fuel type, and engine capacity.
Mechanical & Bodywork Details: Descriptions of accident impact, mechanical symptoms, warning lights, or regular service milestones.
Photographic Evidence: User-submitted photos showing panel dents, scratch damage, paint scuffs, or accident impact to facilitate precise visual estimates.

Collection Channels: Data is acquired directly when you complete quote forms on www.carrepairuk.co.uk, call our national helpline on 0843 289 5098, or email vehicle specifications to [email protected]. We do not collect credit card details on this website; repair payments are settled directly with your assigned local garage. We do not intentionally collect special category data or details concerning minors under 18.

Clause 1.3

Our Lawful Grounds under UK GDPR

Under UK data protection legislation, Car Repair UK must establish an authentic legal ground prior to processing any personal records. We rely upon the following lawful bases:

Article 6(1)(b)

Contractual Necessity & Pre-Contract Steps

Processing is necessary to take preliminary steps at your express request prior to entering into a vehicle repair contract. When you request a quotation for servicing, accident bodywork, or mechanical diagnostics, processing your vehicle specification and geographical area is mandatory to retrieve viable estimates from qualified repair centres. Without this data, Car Repair UK cannot connect you with appropriate local repairers.

Article 6(1)(f)

Legitimate Commercial Interests

Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests and those of our nationwide repair network in delivering efficient matchmaking, operating service-quality audits, verifying repairer turnaround times, and preventing fraudulent or duplicate submissions. We always weigh these interests against your individual rights and fundamental freedoms.

Article 6(1)(c)

Statutory & Legal Compliance

Processing is required to fulfill our legal obligations under United Kingdom statutory law, including maintaining verifiable operational records for UK consumer protection inquiries, HMRC accounting standards, and resolving potential legal disputes.

Clear Boundary: Car Repair UK does not operate unsolicited marketing call lists or trade customer dossiers with external data brokerages. Data processing remains proportionate and confined to servicing your repair request.

Network Operations & Data Governance

2. How We Share Your Information Across Our UK Network

Car Repair UK operates a nationwide network connecting motorists with more than 100 verified car and van repair centres, independent bodyshops, and qualified mechanics. To fulfill your request for an accurate quotation, diagnostic inspection, or service booking, we share pertinent enquiry details strictly in accordance with this policy.

Governance & Transparency

3. Retention Periods, Data Security & Cookies

We operate strict retention thresholds, robust technical security protocols, and proportional cookie systems designed solely to deliver smooth vehicle repair quotation and booking services.

Data Retention & Security Standards

Statutory adherence & system safeguards

3.1 How Long We Keep Your Data

Car Repair UK retains personal information strictly for the duration necessary to satisfy the purposes for which it was gathered, including legal, accounting, and insurance reporting requirements:

Invoiced Repairs & Confirmed Bookings: Retained for 6 years following completion of services, in compliance with UK HMRC statutory accounting rules, VAT records, and the Limitation Act 1980.
Uncompleted Quotation Enquiries: Retained for up to 12 months from the date of enquiry, allowing motorists to revisit previous repair estimates, compare vehicle damage assessments, or re-open requests without re-entering vehicle details.
Right to Erasure Purging: Where a verified erasure request is approved and no overriding statutory retention obligation applies, records are permanently deleted or irreversibly anonymised within 30 days.

3.2 Technical & Operational Security

We implement rigorous physical, technical, and administrative controls to protect customer records against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or accidental destruction:

HTTPS / TLS 256-bit transit encryption across all quote forms

Encrypted data storage hosted in secure UK/EEA facilities

Role-based access restricted strictly to trained coordination staff

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Session handling & operational analytics

3.3 How We Use Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device to ensure our online quotation platform operates smoothly. Car Repair UK maintains a lean, non-intrusive cookie approach focused exclusively on service delivery and user experience:

3.4 Managing Your Browser Cookies

You can configure or modify your browser settings at any time to block, restrict, or clear browser cookies. Please note that disabling essential cookies may prevent our vehicle registration lookup and repair quote request forms from functioning as intended.

To adjust preferences, visit the settings or preferences panel in your browser (e.g., Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox).

4. Your UK Statutory Rights & How to Contact Us

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, vehicle owners across England, Scotland, and Wales retain fundamental statutory rights regarding the personal and vehicle data held across our nationwide repair coordination network.

Right of Access (SAR): You may request confirmation of whether we process your data and receive copies of your records free of charge.
Right to Rectification: You have the right to request immediate correction of inaccurate or incomplete contact details or vehicle specifications.
Right to Erasure ('Right to be Forgotten'): You can request permanent removal of your information where there is no overriding legal or statutory obligation to retain it.
Right to Restriction: You may request that we temporarily restrict the active processing of your data while an inquiry, dispute, or quote verification is settled.
Right to Data Portability: You may request your submitted quotation and repair history in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
Right to Object: You can object at any time to the processing of your details based upon legitimate interests or repair reminder communications.

How to Submit a Data Protection Request

To exercise any of your statutory rights, email our team at [email protected] with the subject line “Data Protection Request”. Please provide your full name, contact telephone number, and vehicle registration number so we can securely locate your file. In line with Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) guidelines, we respond to verified requests within one calendar month without any administrative charge.

Car Repair UK Contact Information

Head Office Address

Car Repair UK
500 Avebury Boulevard
Milton Keynes, MK9 2BE

Telephone Enquiries 0843 289 5098

Privacy & Quotations Email [email protected]

Supervisory Authority Notice: If you remain unsatisfied with how Car Repair UK processes your personal data, you have the statutory right to raise a formal complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) via ico.org.uk or by calling their helpline on 0303 123 1113.