Privacy Policy

What Information do we collect and use

Virtual Phone Store (hereinafter referred to as "VPS" "us" "we" or "our") is committed to respecting your privacy and to complying with applicable data protection and privacy laws. You can visit our web and WAP sites without disclosing any personally identifiable information about yourself (although please note that we may use cookies and collect other non-personally identifiable information about your browsing activity - see below for more information). If you do submit personal information by ordering products, or services, for example, you can be assured that we will use your personal information only to support your continuing relationship with Virtual Phone Store.
We have provided this Privacy Policy Statement to help you understand how we collect, use and protect your information when you visit our web and WAP sites and when you generally use our products and services. We wish to help you make informed decisions, so please take a few moments to read the sections below and learn how we may use your personal information.
You should read this notice in conjunction with the terms & conditions of use for Virtual Phone Store Web and WAP sites and any separate terms & conditions issued with your airtime or other product/service contract.

Personal Information Collection

We endeavour to collect and use your personal information only with your knowledge and consent and typically when you order and subsequently use products and services, make customer enquiries, register for information or other services, request product information, submit a job application or when you respond to communications from us (such as questionnaires or surveys).
The type of personal information we may collect could include, for example, your name and postal address, date of birth, gender, telephone and fax numbers, email address, and credit/debit card information; lifestyle and other information collected on registration or through surveys. If you choose to provide us with personal information it will be used in support of the intended purposes stated at the time at which it was collected, and subject to any preferences indicated by you.

Non-Personally Identifying Information

We may also collect non-personally identifying information about your visit to our web, WAP and other similar sites based on your browsing (click-stream) activities. This information may include the pages you browse and products and services viewed or ordered for example. This helps us to better manage and develop our sites, to provide you with a more enjoyable, customised service and experience in the future, and to help us develop and deliver better products and services tailored to your individual interests and needs. 

How will we use your information

We may use your information for a number of purposes which includes: processing your orders and managing and administering your account; delivering any services, products or information requested by you; responding to complaints or account enquiries; administering debt recoveries; verifying your identity when required (you may lose your password or security information for example, and we may then need to ask you for other 'identifiable' information to protect your data from unauthorised access).
We may also undertake market and product analysis based on your use of our services and products and contact you with information about new developments, products, services and special offers by post, telephone and automated means such as mobile text message (SMS), Email, Fax, Pager, WAP and the world wide web (subject to any preferences expressed by you).
We may also tell you about the products and services of carefully selected third parties and allow you to receive advertising and marketing information from those selected third parties without passing control of your personal information to the third party. For example we may send you information with your bill, or you may simply receive an advertisement on your personal web and WAP page according to any preferences indicated by you and/or according to your interests. This helps us to make you aware of products and services that we may have specially negotiated for our own customers and which may be of individual interest to you.

When will we disclose your information to others

We may disclose information about you, your account and your mobile phone to (i) companies within the parent company of Virtual Phone Store, the Phones International Group, for the purposes and subject to the terms of this Privacy Policy Statement; and (ii) in the event that we undergo re-organisation or are sold to a third party, in which case you agree that any personal information we hold about you may be transferred to that re-organised entity or third party for the purposes and subject to the terms of this Privacy Policy Statement. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy Statement, "Phones International Group" means any company or other entity in which Phones International Group owns (directly or indirectly) more than 15% of the issued share capital. Companies in the Phones International Group shall include, without limitation, Data Select Ltd, Red Letter Days and Wireless Logic.
Please note that Virtual Phone Store or Phones International Group does not sell or pass your personal information to third parties (other than as set out in the paragraph above) unless you have given us permission or unless it is necessary to deliver the products and services ordered or used by you. For example, we may disclose your data to a credit card company to validate your credit card details and obtain payment when you buy a phone or other product or service. It may also be necessary to pass your data to the organisation from whom you have ordered any products or services, such as a location-based service like for example 'Tell me where my nearest music shop is'.
Virtual Phone Store may also be obliged to disclose your personal information to meet any legal or regulatory requirements or obligations in accordance with applicable law.

Cookies

We may use cookies to record details such as a user identity and general registration details on your PC. This helps us recognise you on subsequent visits so that you don't have to re-enter your registration details each time you visit us and allows us to carry out those activities mentioned in the above section "non-personally identifying information".
Depending upon the type of browser you are using, you may be able to configure your browser so that: (i) you are prompted to accept or reject cookies on an individual basis or (ii) you may be able to prevent your browser from accepting any cookies at all. You should refer to the supplier or manufacturer of your web browser for specific details about cookie security.

Access to your Information

You can write to us at any time to obtain details of the personal information we may hold about you.* Please write to: Data Protection Manager, Virtual Phone Store, Network House, Globe Park, Marlow, SL7 1EY.
Please quote your name and address together with your mobile and/or account number. We would be grateful if could also provide brief details of what information you want a copy of (this helps us to more readily locate your data.
We will take all reasonable steps to confirm your identity before providing you with details of any personal information we may hold about you.
*We may charge £10 to cover the administration costs involved.

Information Security

Virtual Phone Store recognises that its customers are increasingly concerned about how companies protect personal information from misuse and abuse and about privacy in general. Virtual Phone Store is constantly reviewing and enhancing its technical, physical and managerial procedures and rules to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss and/or destruction. We use industry standard secure sockets layer (SSL) technology, for example, to encrypt sensitive information such as your credit card and other financial information.
Please be aware that communications over the Internet, such as emails/webmails, are not secure unless they have been encrypted. Your communications may route through a number of countries before being delivered - this is the nature of the World Wide Web/Internet. Virtual Phone Store cannot accept responsibility for any unauthorised access or loss of personal information that is beyond our control.

Transferring your information outside the european economic area

IIt may be necessary to transfer your personal information to other group companies or service providers located in countries outside of the EEA. This may happen where our servers or suppliers and service providers are based outside of the EEA or where you use our services and products while visiting countries outside of the EEA. The data protection and other laws of these countries may not be as comprehensive as those in the UK or the EU - in these instances we will take steps to ensure that your privacy rights are respected.
**The European Economic Area (EEA) currently comprises the Member states of the European Union plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
 

Privacy Support

Virtual Phone Store reserves the right to amend or modify this Privacy Policy Statement at any time and in response to changes in applicable data protection and privacy legislation.
If you have any enquiry about Virtual Phone Store data protection and privacy policy or practices, please write to: Data Protection Manager, Virtual Phone Store, Network House, Globe Park, Marlow, SL7 1EY. Or send an email to: info@virtualphonestore.com

Monitoring and/or Recording of Communication

Monitoring or recording of your calls, emails, text messages and other communications may take place in accordance with UK law, and in particular for business purposes, such as for quality control and training, to prevent unauthorised use of Vodafone's telecommunication systems, web and WAP sites, to ensure effective systems operation and in order to prevent or detect crime. Please visit the following websites for further information: www.dataprotection.gov.uk
www.dti.gov.uk