Privacy notice

Last updated: 29 October 2026

This notice explains, in plain English, what personal information we collect when you use this website or contact us, why we need it, who we share it with, how long we keep it and what your rights are under UK data protection law (the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018).

Who we are

The Towbar Man is the trading name of THE TOWBARMAN LIMITED. We decide how your information is used, which makes us the “controller” of it.

• Company name: THE TOWBARMAN LIMITED, trading as The Towbar Man
• Company number: 16806213
• Based in the Midlands
• Email: sales@thetowbarman.com

We are a small business and are not required to appoint a Data Protection Officer. If you have any questions about this notice or your information, please contact us directly using the details above.

What we collect

We only collect what we need to answer your enquiry, quote for your towbar and carry out the work.

• Quote and contact form: your first and last name, address (address line, town or city, county and postcode), contact number, email address, the towbar type and electrics type you are interested in, and the vehicle details you give us.
• Form details sent automatically: when you send a form, it also tells us which page of the website you sent it from.
• Phone calls, texts and emails: whatever you choose to tell us, such as your name, contact details, address, vehicle and when you would like the work done.
• Vehicle details: your vehicle make, model, year and registration number, which we use to find the right towbar and electrics for your vehicle.
• When we do the work: the address where we fit the towbar, the work carried out, the amount charged and how you paid (cash or bank transfer).

You don’t have to give us your details, but we can’t quote for or book a fitting without a way to contact you and details of your vehicle.

Why we use it, and our lawful basis

• To answer your enquiry and give you a quote, and to book and carry out your fitting. Our lawful basis is contract: the information is needed to take steps you have asked for before entering into a contract with us, and then to carry out that contract.
• To keep our accounts and tax records. Our lawful basis is legal obligation, as the law requires businesses to keep financial records.
• To ask for a review after a job, where relevant. Our lawful basis is legitimate interests: it is in our interest to hear how we did and to build our reputation, and we think a single, simple request is something you would reasonably expect. You can tell us at any time that you don’t want to be asked.

We don’t use your information for marketing mailing lists, and we don’t make any automated decisions about you.

Who we share it with

We never sell your information. We only share it with the following, and only as much as each needs:

• Website hosting: our website is hosted by DreamHost. DreamHost may store or process data outside the UK, including in the United States. Where that happens, the transfer is protected by recognised safeguards, such as the UK’s adequacy arrangements or the UK International Data Transfer Addendum to standard contractual clauses.
• Email providers: our email is handled by DreamHost and Google, so the messages you send us, including form submissions, are stored with them. Google may also process data outside the UK under similar safeguards.
• Accounting software: we use QuickBooks to keep our accounts, invoices and payment records.
• Parts suppliers: where we need to order parts for your vehicle, we give the supplier your vehicle details only, such as the make, model and registration.

We may also share information if the law requires it, for example with HMRC.

Cookies and analytics

When you first visit, a small banner asks whether you accept analytics cookies. Analytics stays off unless you click Accept. You can change your choice at any time using the Cookie settings link at the bottom of every page.

• Your cookie choice: when you click Accept or Reject, we save small cookies starting wp_consent_ so the site remembers your choice and doesn’t ask again. They last for 12 months and don’t identify you.
• Google Analytics (only if you accept): we use Google Analytics to see how many people visit and which pages they use, so we can improve the site. If you accept, Google sets cookies such as _ga, which can last up to 2 years. If you reject or ignore the banner, no analytics cookies are set and Google Analytics runs in its limited “consent denied” mode, which doesn’t use cookies. Google’s own privacy policy explains how it handles this data.
• Forms (WPForms): our quote form is built with WPForms. It doesn’t set a tracking cookie, and it uses built-in spam checks rather than a third-party captcha.
• Instagram: the Instagram Feed plugin by Smash Balloon is installed, but no feed is connected, so no content is loaded from Instagram. Our footer simply links to our Instagram page.
• Staff login: WordPress uses essential login cookies only for our own staff when they sign in to manage the website.

Like most web hosts, our hosting provider may keep standard server logs, such as IP addresses and the pages requested, to keep the website secure and working properly.

Links to other websites

Our website links to other sites, such as Google, where you can read or leave reviews, and Instagram. These sites are run by other companies and have their own privacy policies. We aren’t responsible for how they use your information, so please read their policies before using them.

How long we keep it

• Enquiries and quotes that don’t go ahead: our policy is to keep them for up to 12 months, in case you come back to us, and then delete them.
• Customer, job and accounts records: our policy is to keep them for 6 years, in line with HMRC record-keeping requirements, and then delete them securely.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you and get a copy of it
• Rectification: have anything inaccurate or incomplete corrected
• Erasure: ask us to delete your information
• Restriction: ask us to limit how we use your information
• Objection: object to us using your information, for example for a review request
• Portability: ask for information you gave us in a common, machine-readable format, or for it to be sent to another organisation

Some of these rights only apply in certain situations. For example, we may need to keep accounts records for as long as the law requires, even if you ask us to delete them.

How to make a request

Email sales@thetowbarman.com and tell us what you would like us to do. We may need to check your identity before we act. There is normally no charge, and we will reply within one month.

How to complain

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, please contact us first so we can try to put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator: visit ico.org.uk or call 0303 123 1113.

Changes to this notice

We may update this notice from time to time, for example if we change the services we use. The latest version will always be on this page, with the date it was last updated shown below.

Last updated 29 October 2026