This website belongs to and is maintained by Lows Orkney Ltd a company incorporated in Scotland (Company No. SC3672531) and we have our registered office at 5 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH.  We also trade as “Lows”.  For legal services we are regulated by the Law Society of Scotland and for financial services we are regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

We strive to safeguard the privacy of our website visitors and this policy sets out how we will treat your personal information. Our website uses “cookies”.  By using our website and agreeing to our website policy, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with the terms of this policy.

 

  1. What information do we collect?

 

We may collect, store and use the following kinds of personal information:-

 

a)        Information about your computer (the term “computer” shall be deemed to include but not limited to personal computers and computing devices, “smart phones” and other telephonic devices capable of accessing the internet, ipads and tablets and hand held devices) and about your visits to and use of our website including your IP address, geographical location, browser type inversion, operating system, referral source, length of visit, page use, website navigation and visits to linked sites.

 

b)        Information relating to any transaction carried out between you and us on or in relation to this website, including information relating to any purchases you make of our services.

 

 

c)        Information that you provide to us for the purpose of registering with us including any information that you may provide us in connection with our compliance with relevant client identification/anti-money laundering regulations.

 

d)        Information that you provide to for the purpose of subscribing to our website services, email notification and/or client guides and newsletters.

 

e)        Information that you provide to us for the purpose of obtaining property particulars and/or Home Reports and for registering an interest in any property.

 

f) Any other information that you choose to send us.

 

 

  1. Cookies

 

A cookie consists of information sent by a web server to a web browser and then stored by the browser.  Information contained may then be sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.  This enables the web server to identify and to track the web browser.  We may use both “session” cookies and “persistent” cookies on our website.  We will use session cookies to keep track of you whilst you navigate the website and we will use persistent cookies to enable our website to recognise you on subsequent visits.  Session cookies will be deleted from your computer when you close your browser.  Persistent cookies will remain stored on your computer until deleted or until they reach a specified expiry date.

 

 

We use Google Analytics to assist in analysis of our website.  Google Analytics generate statistical and other information about website use by means of cookies which are stored on users’ computers.  The information generated relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of the website.  Google also store this information.  Google’s privacy policy is available at www.google.com/privacypolicy.html.

 

Most browsers allow you to reject all cookies, whilst some browsers allow you to reject third party cookies only.  As an example in Internet Explorer you can refuse all cookies by clicking “Tools”, “Internet Options”, “Privacy” and selecting “block all cookies” using the sliding selector.  Blocking all cookies will, however, have a negative impact on the usability of many websites including ours.

 

  1. Using your Personal Information

 

Personal information submitted to us via our website will be used for the purposes specified in this Privacy Policy or in relevant parts of the website.  We may use your personal information to:-

 

a)                 Administer our website.

 

b)                 Improve your browsing experience by personalising our website.

 

c)                 Enable your use of our services available on our website.

 

d)                 Supply you with services via our website.

 

 

e)                 Send statements and professional accounts to you and collect payments from you.

 

f) Send you commercial communications which may include (but will not be limited to) client guides, legal updates and newsletters.

 

g)                 Send you email notifications which you have specifically requested.

 

h)                 Provide third parties with statistical information about our users (this information will not, however, be used to identify any individual user).  Deal with enquiries and complaints by or about you relating to our website.

 

(i) If you submit personal information for publication on our website, we will publish and otherwise use that information in accordance with such licence as you grant to us.

 

We will not without your express consent provide your personal information to any third parties for the purpose of direct marketing.

 

  1. Disclosures

 

We may disclose information about you to any of our directors, shareholders, employees, officers, agents, suppliers or sub-contractors insofar as is reasonably necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy policy.  In addition we may disclose your personal information:-

 

a)                 To the extent that we are required to do so by Law or as required by any professional regulatory body.

 

b)        In connection with any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings and which shall be deemed to include (but not be limited to) arbitration, tribunal proceedings and proceedings before any professional regulatory body.

 

c)        In order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights (including providing information to others for the purposes of fraud prevention and reducing a credit risk and to comply with the requirements of any applicable rules and regulations relating to client identification/anti-money laundering procedures).

 

d)        To the purchaser (or prospective purchaser) of any business or asset which we are (or are contemplating) selling and

 

e)        To any person who we reasonably believe may apply to a Court or other competent authority for disclosure of that information and where, in our reasonable opinion, such Court or authority would be reasonably likely to order disclosure of that personal information.

 

Except as provided for in this Privacy Policy we will not provide your information to third parties.

 

  1. International Data Transfers

 

Information we collect may be stored and processed and transferred to any of the countries in which we operate in order to enable us to use the information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

 

Information which you provide may be transferred to countries which do not have data protection laws equivalent to those enforced in the European Economic Area.  You expressly agree to such transfers of personal information.

 

  1. Security of your Personal Information

 

We will take reasonable technical and organisational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information.  We will store all the personal information you provide on our secure password and firewall protected servers.  You accept that data transmission over the internet is inherently insecure and as such that we cannot guarantee the security of data sent over the internet.  You are at all times responsible for keeping your password and user details confidential.  We will not ask you for any password except when requested to enable you to log into our website.

 

  1. Amendment

 

We reserve the right to update and amend this Privacy Policy from time to time and by posting a new version on our website.  We recommend that you check this page occasionally to ensure that you are happy with our Privacy Policy as applying from time to time.

 

  1. Your Rights

 

You may request us to provide you with any personal information we hold about you.  Provision of such information will be subject to:-

 

a)                 The payment of an administration fee and

 

b)        Supply of appropriate evidence of your identity and for which purpose we will usually require sight to your passport and a Council Tax bill, utility bill or bank statement.  At our discretion we may accept sight of certified copies of such documents as opposed to the originals.

 

We may withhold such information to the extent that we are permitted by Law.  You may instruct us not to process your personal information for marketing purposes by email at any time.  In practice you will usually either expressly agree in advance to our use of your personal information for marketing purposes or we will provide you with an opportunity to opt out of the use of your personal information for marketing purposes.

 

  1. Third Party and Linked Websites

 

Our website may contain links to other websites which we feel may be of interest to website users.  We are not responsible for the Privacy Policies or practices of any third party websites or the content thereof.

 

  1. Updating your Information

 

If you wish to correct or update the personal information which we hold please contact us.

 

  1. Contacting Us

 

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our use of personal information please write to us by email to [email protected] or by post to Lows Orkney Ltd, 5 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH.

 

  1. Data Controller

 

The Data Controller currently responsible for information collected on this website is Duncan Hill ([email protected]).  Our data protection registration number is Z2427299.

 

  1. Applicable Law

 

This Privacy Policy and use of our website is subject to the Law of Scotland.  In the event of any dispute arising relating to our website and/or its content, our Privacy Policy and storage of personal information.  You consent to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Sheriff Court of Grampian, Highland and Islands at Kirkwall.