Privacy Policy

Last updated: 8 August 2026

Who we are

Midland Flags is a trading name of Midland Imports Ltd, Unit 3, Grove Road Industrial Estate, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 4LG, United Kingdom. VAT number GB 785 838 759.

We are the data controller for personal information collected through midland-flags.co.uk. You can contact us about anything in this policy at sales@midland-flags.co.uk.

What information we collect

• Order information — your name, billing and delivery address, email address and details of what you buy, when you place an order or request a quote.
• Account information — your name, email address and saved addresses, if you choose to create an account.
• Payment information — payments are processed by Stripe or PayPal. Your card details are sent directly to them over a secure connection; we never see or store your full card number.
• Custom artwork — files and text you upload or send to us for custom-printed products.
• Correspondence — emails and live-chat messages you exchange with us.
• Website usage — pages visited, device and browser information, collected through cookies and similar technologies (see Cookies below).

How we use it, and our legal grounds

• To fulfil your order (contract): processing payment, printing custom items, arranging delivery, and sending order updates.
• To provide customer service (contract / legitimate interests): answering questions, handling returns and complaints.
• To meet legal obligations (legal obligation): keeping accounting and VAT records, which we must retain for 6 years.
• To improve our website and products (legitimate interests): analysing how the site is used so we can make it faster and easier to use.
• To send marketing emails (consent): only if you sign up to our newsletter. Every email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can opt out at any time.

We do not sell your personal information to anyone, and we do not use it for automated decision-making that has legal effects on you.

Who we share it with

• Payment providers — Stripe and PayPal, to take payment securely.
• Delivery companies — such as Royal Mail, UPS and our other courier partners, who receive your name, address and contact details to deliver your order.
• Service providers — companies that help us run the business, such as our website hosting, order-management and email providers and our live-chat service. They may only use your data on our instructions.
• Analytics and advertising — Google (Google Analytics and Google Ads), in anonymised or pseudonymised form, to measure site performance and advertising.
• Authorities — if we are required to by law.

Some providers (for example Google) may process data outside the UK. Where that happens, transfers are protected by UK-approved safeguards such as the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or standard contractual clauses.

How long we keep it

• Order and invoice records: 6 years after the end of the financial year, as required by HMRC.
• Account information: for as long as your account is open. You can ask us to close and delete it at any time.
• Custom artwork: kept so we can reprint your design if you reorder; ask us and we will delete it.
• Marketing preferences: until you unsubscribe.

Cookies

We use cookies that are essential for the website to work (for example, keeping items in your basket and remembering your log-in). With your consent, we also use analytics and advertising cookies (Google Analytics, Google Ads) to understand how the site is used and to measure our advertising. You can manage or delete cookies in your browser settings at any time; blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the site (such as the basket and checkout) from working.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

• request a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct inaccurate information;
• ask us to delete your information (where we don't have a legal duty to keep it);
• object to or restrict our use of your information;
• receive your information in a portable format;
• withdraw consent at any time (for example, unsubscribe from marketing).

To exercise any of these rights, email sales@midland-flags.co.uk. We will respond within one month.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be published on this page with the date at the top.