Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy explains how German Car Specialist Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses and protects the personal information you share with us when you enquire about a vehicle, ask us to source a car for you, or otherwise get in touch. We are a small, family-minded dealership in Ilford, Essex — not an online shop — and we take your privacy as seriously as we take the cars we sell.

We are committed to handling your information in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Please read this policy carefully. If anything is unclear, Dom will be glad to talk it through with you.

Who we are

German Car Specialist Ltd is the data controller responsible for your personal information. We are a company registered in England & Wales.

• Company name: German Car Specialist Ltd
• Company number: 05998649 (registered in England & Wales)
• Registered address: 181 Forest Road, Ilford, Essex, IG6 3HZ
• Email: sales@germancarspecialistltd.co.uk
• Phone / WhatsApp: 07957 455 766

Because of our size, we are not required to appoint a dedicated Data Protection Officer. All privacy matters are handled directly by the team — in practice, by Dom.

Information we collect

We only collect what we genuinely need to answer your enquiry and help you find the right car. Depending on how you contact us, this may include:

Information you give us

When you call, send a WhatsApp message, or email us — or use a click-to-message link on this website — you may share:

• Your name and how you would like us to address you;
• Contact details such as your phone number and email address;
• The vehicle of interest or the details of the car you would like us to source (make, model, specification, budget, mileage and similar preferences);
• Any other information you choose to include in your message, such as part-exchange details or questions about a specific car.

We do not ask for sensitive personal information through this website, and we would ask that you do not send it to us unprompted.

Information we collect automatically

This is a simple static website. When you visit it, our hosting provider may record basic server logs for security and reliability — for example, your IP address, browser type, the pages you viewed and the date and time of your visit. These logs are standard for any website and are used only to keep the site secure and running properly.

Map embed

Our contact and location pages include an embedded Google Maps map so you can find us easily. When this map loads, Google may receive technical information about your visit. See Third-party embeds below for more detail.

How we use your information & our lawful bases

Under UK GDPR we must have a lawful basis for using your personal information. The bases we rely on are set out below.

• To respond to your enquiry and provide our service — answering your questions, arranging a viewing or appointment, and carrying out a personal car search on your behalf.
  Lawful basis: legitimate interests (running our dealership and responding to people who contact us) and, where you ask us to take steps towards a purchase, the performance of a contract.
• To keep in touch about a specific enquiry — for example, letting you know when a car you asked about becomes available, or following up on a vehicle you were considering.
  Lawful basis: legitimate interests, or your consent where you have asked us to keep an eye out for a particular car.
• To arrange optional checks and services you request — such as a history check on a vehicle or an introduction to a finance provider, only where you have asked us to.
  Lawful basis: your consent, and the performance of a contract.
• To meet our legal and accounting obligations — for example, keeping proper records of a sale.
  Lawful basis: legal obligation, and our legitimate interests in running the business responsibly.
• To keep our website and premises secure — including the basic server logs described above.
  Lawful basis: legitimate interests in protecting our business and our customers.

We do not carry out automated decision-making or profiling, and we do not send marketing emails or newsletters. If you contact us, you will only ever hear back from us about your enquiry.

Sharing your information

We do not sell your personal information, and we never share it for anyone else’s marketing. We share information only where it is necessary to provide the service you have asked for, and only with parties who handle it responsibly. This may include:

• Vehicle history and HPI check providers — where you ask us to confirm a particular vehicle’s history, with your consent;
• Finance providers and brokers — only if you ask us to introduce you to a finance option, and only with your consent. We will explain who they are before any details are shared;
• Professional advisers — such as our accountants, where required to meet our legal and accounting obligations;
• Service providers who support our business — such as our website hosting provider, who process limited information strictly on our instructions;
• Authorities or regulators — where we are legally required to disclose information, for example to HMRC, the police or a court.

Where we use a service provider that processes personal information on our behalf, we put appropriate agreements in place so your information is protected. We do not routinely transfer your information outside the UK; where a provider (such as a maps or hosting service) operates internationally, we rely on appropriate safeguards recognised under UK data protection law.

Data retention

We keep your personal information only for as long as we genuinely need it.

• General enquiries that do not lead to a purchase are kept for a short period — typically no longer than 12 months — so we can pick up the conversation if you come back to us, after which they are deleted.
• Active car searches are kept for as long as we are looking for your car, and for a short while afterwards, unless you ask us to stop sooner.
• Records relating to a completed sale are kept for as long as required to meet our legal, accounting and tax obligations — usually at least six years.
• Basic server logs are retained for a short period by our hosting provider for security purposes and are then routinely overwritten.

When we no longer need your information, we securely delete or anonymise it.

Your rights under UK GDPR

You have a number of rights over your personal information. You can ask us to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you (a “subject access request”);
• Rectify any information that is inaccurate or incomplete;
• Erase your information where there is no good reason for us to keep it (the “right to be forgotten”);
• Restrict how we use your information in certain circumstances;
• Object to us using your information where we rely on legitimate interests;
• Port your information — receive it in a portable format, or have it transferred to another organisation, where this applies;
• Withdraw consent at any time, where we are relying on your consent. Withdrawing consent will not affect anything we did before you withdrew it.

To exercise any of these rights, simply contact us using the details below. We will respond within one month, and we will never charge you for making a request in normal circumstances. To protect your privacy, we may need to confirm your identity before we act.

Cookies

This website uses only the cookies and similar technologies needed for it to work and, where you allow it, the embedded map. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. You can find full details of the cookies we use, and how to manage your preferences, in our Cookie Policy.

Third-party embeds

To help you find and reach us, our contact and location pages embed a Google Maps map. Google Maps is provided by Google and, when the map loads, Google may collect technical information such as your IP address and device details, and may set its own cookies, in line with Google’s own privacy policy. We do not control how Google uses this information. If you would prefer not to load the map, you can use our written address and the directions we provide instead, or contact us directly by phone, WhatsApp or email.

Keeping your information secure

We take appropriate organisational and technical measures to keep your information safe and to guard against unauthorised access, loss or misuse. Because we are a small team, access to enquiry information is limited to the people who need it to help you. While no method of transmission over the internet is ever completely secure, we will do everything reasonable to protect the information you share with us.

Complaints

If you have any concerns about how we handle your personal information, please speak with us first — we would always like the chance to put things right. You also have the right to complain to the UK’s data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

• Website: ico.org.uk
• Helpline: 0303 123 1113

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time — for example, to reflect changes in how we work or in the law. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised “last updated” date. We encourage you to review this page from time to time so you are aware of how we protect your information.

How to contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or you would like to exercise any of your rights, please get in touch — you will speak directly with Dom and the team.

• Email: sales@germancarspecialistltd.co.uk
• Phone / WhatsApp: 07957 455 766
• Post: German Car Specialist Ltd, 181 Forest Road, Ilford, Essex, IG6 3HZ

Last updated: 01/06/2026