Privacy And Cookie Policy

Effective Date: [31 July 2025]

1. Introduction

Welcome to Budget Family Explorer (budgetfamilyexplorer.com). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring you have a positive experience while using our website. This Privacy and Cookie Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data when you visit our website, in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the ePrivacy Directive (Cookie Law).

2. Who We Are

Contact Details: [email protected]

3. What Information We Collect and Why

We collect various types of information for different purposes to provide and improve our services to you.

a. Information You Provide Directly:

• Enquiry Data: If you contact us via email, contact forms, or other direct communication methods, we may collect your name, email address, and the content of your message.
  • Purpose: To respond to your enquiries, provide support, and communicate with you.
  • Legal Basis (UK GDPR): Legitimate interests (responding to your requests) or performance of a contract (if your enquiry relates to a service you are purchasing or considering).
• Newsletter Subscription Data: If you sign up for our newsletter, we collect your email address.
  • Purpose: To send you updates, news, and promotional content related to UK ultramarathons and running gear reviews.
  • Legal Basis (UK GDPR): Consent. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails.

b. Information Collected Automatically (Cookies and Tracking Technologies):

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information through cookies and similar tracking technologies.

• Usage Data: Information about how you use our website, such as your Browse patterns, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring websites.
  • Purpose: To understand website usage, improve website performance, content, and user experience.
  • Legal Basis (UK GDPR): Legitimate interests (website improvement) and consent (for non-essential cookies).
• Technical Data: Your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, and other technical identifiers.
  • Purpose: For website security, troubleshooting, and to ensure website compatibility.
  • Legal Basis (UK GDPR): Legitimate interests (website security and functionality).
• Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to collect aggregated and anonymized data about website traffic and usage. This helps us understand how visitors interact with our site, which pages are most popular, and how we can improve our content. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect this information.
  • Purpose: Website analytics, performance measurement, and content optimisation.
  • Legal Basis (UK GDPR): Consent (for the use of Google Analytics cookies).
  • Data Processed by Google Analytics: IP address (anonymised), device and browser information, pages visited, time spent on site, referring sources, and interactions with website elements. Google stores this information according to its own privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
• Google Search Console: We use Google Search Console to monitor our website's performance in Google Search results and identify any technical issues. Google Search Console processes data related to search queries, impressions, and clicks, but does not collect personal data directly from your website visitors. It processes data generated by users' interactions with Google Search itself.
  • Purpose: To improve our website's visibility and performance in search engines.
  • Legal Basis (UK GDPR): Legitimate interests (website optimisation and marketing). As Google Search Console does not process personal data from your site, user consent is not typically required for its use.

4. Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet, mobile) by websites that you visit. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the website owners.

a. How We Use Cookies: We use cookies for the following purposes:

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: These cookies are essential for our website to function correctly. They enable core functionalities like security, network management, and accessibility. You cannot opt out of these cookies.
  • Example: Cookies that remember your cookie consent preferences.
  • Legal Basis (UK GDPR): Legitimate interests (to operate our website).
• Analytical/Performance Cookies (Google Analytics): These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.
  • Example: Google Analytics cookies (e.g., _ga, _gid, _gat).
  • Legal Basis (UK GDPR): Consent.

b. Managing Your Cookie Preferences: Upon your first visit to our website, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner. You have the option to accept all cookies or customise your preferences. You can change your cookie preferences at any time by [Describe how users can change preferences, e.g., clicking on the "Cookie Settings" link in our footer, or by adjusting your browser settings].

Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit www.allaboutcookies.org or www.youronlinechoices.eu.

c. Third-Party Cookies: In addition to our own cookies, some third-party services that we use (like Google Analytics) may also place cookies on your device. We do not have direct control over these cookies or the data they collect. You should review the privacy policies of these third parties for more information.

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personally identifiable information to outside parties except in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: We may share your data with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or providing services to you (e.g., website hosting, email service providers). These third parties are obligated to keep your information confidential and use it only for the purposes for which we disclose it to them.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court order or government agency).
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change of ownership or control of your personal data.

6. International Data Transfers

As we use Google Analytics, some of your data (e.g., anonymised usage data) may be transferred to and stored on servers located outside the UK, specifically in the United States. Google ensures compliance with data protection laws through mechanisms such as Standard Contractual Clauses. By using our website and consenting to the use of Google Analytics, you acknowledge this potential transfer.

7. Data Security

We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal data when you place an order or enter, submit, or access your personal information. These measures include:

• Use of SSL encryption for data transmission.
• Regular security audits and updates.
• Restricting access to personal data to authorised personnel only.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

8. Data Retention

We will retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. For example:

• Google Analytics data is typically retained for [e.g., 26 months, or customise based on your GA settings].
• Contact enquiry data is kept for as long as necessary to resolve your query and for a reasonable period thereafter for our records.
• If you have an account, your data will be retained for as long as your account is active, and for a period thereafter as required by law or for legitimate business purposes.

9. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• The right to be informed: About how your personal data is collected and used. This policy aims to provide that information.
• The right of access: To request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• The right to rectification: To request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.
• The right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"): To request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
• The right to restrict processing: To request that we limit the way we use your personal data in certain circumstances.
• The right to data portability: To request that we transfer your personal data to another organisation or to you, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• The right to object: To our processing of your personal data in certain circumstances (e.g., for direct marketing).
• Rights in relation to automated decision-making and profiling: You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you. (Note: We do not currently engage in such processing).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 2. We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights).

10. Complaints

If you have concerns about our handling of your personal data, please contact us first so we can try to resolve it. However, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest. ICO Contact Details: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

11. Changes to This Privacy and Cookie Policy

We may update this Privacy and Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Effective Date." We encourage you to review this policy periodically.