Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Release a Lobster Limited (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a company registered in England and Wales under Company Registration Number 17523183.

Our registered office is located at Bartle House, 9 Oxford Court, Manchester, England, M2 3WQ. For all data protection and privacy inquiries, our designated data contact can be reached directly via email at info@releasealobster.co.uk.

2. The Personal Data We Collect

We collect and process minimal personal data necessary to provide our marine conservation sponsorship services:

• Contact and Transaction Information: When you sponsor a lobster, our payment processor (Stripe) collects your name, email address, billing address, and payment card details. We do not store or see full debit/credit card numbers on our servers.
• Sponsorship Customisation Data: The name you provide for your sponsored lobster and any dedication or sponsor name requested for the Freedom Deed certificate.
• Technical and Server Data: When browsing our website, our hosting provider (Netlify) collects standard technical log information, including your IP address, browser type, and access timestamps for security and server diagnostic purposes.

3. Lawful Bases for Processing

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018, we rely on the following legal grounds to process your information:

• Contractual Necessity: To process your payment, issue your Freedom Deed certificate, and communicate operational updates regarding your sponsored release.
• Legal Obligation: To maintain mandatory corporate accounting, invoice, and tax records required by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
• Legitimate Interests: To protect our website from fraudulent transactions, maintain server stability, and respond to inquiries sent to our contact email.

4. Third-Party Service Providers (Data Processors)

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We share data solely with trusted third-party providers who assist in operating our platform:

• Stripe Payments UK, Ltd: Handles secure payment processing and payment link transactions. Stripe operates under robust security standards and adheres to PCI-DSS Level 1 compliance.
• Netlify, Inc.: Provides cloud hosting and web infrastructure for our website domain.
• Elfsight & Meta Platforms: Powers our live Instagram release gallery widget. Viewing the widget may allow Elfsight and Meta to log IP addresses and technical cookies in accordance with their respective privacy terms.

5. Data Retention

We retain order history and sponsorship verification records for a period of six (6) years following the transaction date to comply with UK company accounting and statutory tax regulations. Inquiries submitted via email are deleted once resolved unless required for ongoing correspondence.

6. Your Statutory Rights

Under UK data protection law, you hold rights regarding your personal information, including:

• The right to access the personal data we hold about you.
• The right to request rectification of inaccurate personal information.
• The right to request erasure of your data, subject to statutory legal record-keeping obligations.
• The right to restrict or object to the processing of your personal data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@releasealobster.co.uk.

7. Supervisory Authority

If you are dissatisfied with how we handle your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority: the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.