Privacy Policy

Last updated: 19 October 2026

1. Who we are

Bristol Ear Health Ltd operates the Bristol Ear Health online store at bristolearhealth.co.uk, including our Shopify store, products and related services.

In this policy, "we", "us" and "our" refer to Bristol Ear Health Ltd.

We are responsible for deciding how and why your personal information is used when you visit our website, purchase products or contact us. Under UK data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal information we process for these purposes.

Our contact details:

Bristol Ear Health Ltd
17 Charborough Road
Bristol, BS34 7RA
United Kingdom

Email: earplugs@bristolearhealth.co.uk
Telephone: 0117 990 2796
Website: https://bristolearhealth.co.uk

This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with and the rights you have.

Our website is powered by Shopify, which provides the ecommerce platform we use to sell our products.

2. What personal information we collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with our website and services.

Information you provide to us

When you place an order, create an account, contact us or otherwise interact with our store, we may collect:

• Contact information: Your name, email address, telephone number and billing or delivery address.
• Order information: Products purchased, order history, returns, exchanges and delivery preferences.
• Payment information: Payment status, transaction references and related billing information. Payments are processed through our payment providers; we do not ordinarily receive your full payment card details.
• Customer communications: Information you provide when contacting us with questions, feedback or complaints.
• Product and fitting information: Information required to supply your chosen products, including ear impressions, digital impression files and fitting details where applicable.
• Reviews and feedback: Information you submit when reviewing a product, including your review text, rating and any photographs you choose to upload.

Please avoid sending unnecessary sensitive personal information through general enquiry forms or email.

Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, certain information may be collected automatically, depending on your privacy settings and the technologies we use.

This may include:

• Your IP address.
• Browser type and device information.
• Website pages visited and products viewed.
• Items added to your basket.
• Interactions with our website.
• Cookie identifiers and similar online tracking information.

Some of this information is collected through cookies, analytics tools and similar technologies. Non-essential technologies will be used in accordance with applicable consent requirements.

Information received from other organisations

We may receive information from organisations that help us operate our store, including Shopify, payment providers, delivery companies, manufacturers and other service providers.

For example, a delivery provider may supply tracking information so that we can update you on the progress of your order.

3. How we use your personal information

We use personal information only where we have an appropriate lawful basis and a legitimate purpose for doing so.

The main purposes are outlined below.

These are the lawful bases we may rely on where applicable. We assess the appropriate basis according to the specific processing activity.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, those interests may include operating our business, improving our services, maintaining website security and responding to customer enquiries. We consider the impact on your privacy before relying on this basis.

Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

4. Custom-fit earplugs and ear impressions

Some products, including custom-fit earplugs and in-ear monitors (IEMs), require ear impressions or digital fitting information.

Where required to fulfil your order, we may collect and share the following with the relevant manufacturer or supplier:

• Physical ear impressions or digital impression files.
• Information needed to identify and process your order.
• Product specifications and fitting requirements.
• Relevant communications about the manufacture or fitting of your product.

We use this information to arrange the manufacture of your products, resolve fitting issues and provide after-sales support where necessary.

Sharing information with manufacturers

Your ear impressions and relevant order information may be sent to the manufacturer responsible for producing your chosen product.

Different manufacturers may have different systems, locations and information-retention practices. They may need to retain certain information to manufacture your product, provide a replacement or adjustment, or meet their own legal obligations.

We expect the information shared to be relevant to the order and limited to what is reasonably necessary for the purpose.

Where a manufacturer processes personal information on our behalf, we will take appropriate steps to ensure suitable data protection arrangements are in place. Where a manufacturer processes information for its own purposes, it may have separate responsibilities under data protection law.

We do not use ear impressions for unrelated purposes unless we have an appropriate lawful basis and provide any additional information required by law.

Important: Where information constitutes health data or another special category of personal data, additional legal requirements may apply. We will identify and meet those requirements where relevant.

If you have questions about how your impressions are handled, please contact us using the details in this policy.

5. How we share your personal information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

However, we may share personal information with organisations that help us operate our store and fulfil our services.

These may include:

Shopify
Our ecommerce platform provider, which hosts our store and supports order processing and related store functions.

Payment providers
Organisations that securely process payments, refunds and related transactions.

Manufacturers and suppliers
Companies that manufacture, supply or customise the products you purchase, including those receiving ear impressions or fitting information.

Delivery providers
Companies responsible for transporting orders and providing delivery or tracking services.

Website and technology providers
Organisations that provide hosting, website functionality, security, analytics and technical support.

Review providers
Third-party platforms that help us request, collect and display product reviews, where used.

Marketing and advertising providers
Organisations that help us measure or deliver advertising, where we use such services and have an appropriate lawful basis.

Professional advisers and public authorities
Accountants, legal advisers, regulators, law enforcement agencies or other organisations where disclosure is necessary or legally required.

We may also disclose information as part of a business sale, merger or restructuring, subject to applicable legal requirements.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information is shared appropriately and that suitable safeguards are in place.

6. Shopify and our ecommerce platform

Our store is hosted by Shopify, which processes personal information to provide and support the ecommerce services we use.

Information submitted through our store may be processed by Shopify and its relevant service providers. Depending on the services enabled and your interactions with the store, Shopify may also process information for its own purposes, as described in its privacy documentation.

Shopify's privacy practices are explained here:

Shopify Consumer Privacy Policy

You can also visit Shopify's privacy portal:

Shopify Privacy Portal

Shopify's role and responsibilities may differ depending on the processing activity. Your rights in relation to information processed by us and information processed independently by Shopify may therefore differ.

7. Cookies and website tracking

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to support essential store functions and, where enabled, understand website usage or measure advertising performance.

Cookies and similar technologies may be used for:

• Essential functions: Supporting shopping baskets, checkout, security and other necessary website features.
• Preferences: Remembering certain settings and choices.
• Analytics: Understanding how visitors use our website.
• Advertising: Measuring advertising performance or delivering relevant advertisements, where applicable.

Non-essential cookies and similar technologies will only be used where the required consent has been obtained.

You can manage your cookie preferences through the cookie controls available on our website, where provided. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings, although blocking certain cookies may affect website functionality.

Withdrawing consent will not affect processing that took place lawfully before consent was withdrawn.

The technologies used may change as we update our website and marketing arrangements.

8. Marketing communications

We may use your contact details to send promotional communications about our products, services and offers where we are legally permitted to do so.

Where consent is required, we will ask for it before sending marketing communications.

In certain circumstances, we may rely on a permitted existing-customer exception under applicable electronic marketing rules. Where we do so, we will meet the relevant conditions, including providing an opportunity to opt out.

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails using the unsubscribe link included in the message.

If you receive marketing messages by another permitted channel, you can contact us to opt out.

Please note that opting out of marketing does not prevent us from sending necessary non-promotional messages about your orders, payments, deliveries, returns or customer service enquiries.

We do not require you to agree to marketing as a condition of purchasing products.

9. Product reviews

We may invite customers to leave reviews about products they have purchased.

If you submit a review, we may process your name or display name, review text, rating, photographs and related product information.

Reviews may be displayed on our website to help other customers make informed purchasing decisions.

We may use a third-party review provider to collect and display reviews on our behalf.

Please do not include sensitive personal information in a public review. Information you publish publicly may be visible to other website visitors.

We may moderate or remove reviews in accordance with our review policies and applicable law.

Where we describe a review as verified or as relating to a verified purchase, we will take appropriate steps to support that description.

You can contact us if you have questions about a review or wish to request a correction or removal, subject to applicable legal requirements.

10. How long we keep your information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including fulfilling orders, providing customer support, meeting legal obligations and resolving disputes.

Retention periods depend on the type of information and why it is held.

For example:

• Order and financial records: Retained for the periods required by applicable tax, accounting and other legal obligations.
• Customer accounts: Retained while the account remains active and for an appropriate period afterwards where necessary.
• Customer communications: Retained for as long as needed to respond to enquiries, manage complaints and maintain appropriate business records.
• Ear impressions and fitting files: Retained according to the requirements of the order, applicable legal obligations and relevant manufacturer arrangements.
• Marketing information: Retained while needed for the relevant marketing activity, subject to consent, objections and opt-out requests.
• Analytics and cookie information: Retained according to the settings and retention practices of the relevant technologies.

When personal information is no longer needed, we will take appropriate steps to delete it or anonymise it securely, unless we are required or permitted by law to retain it.

Some information may need to be retained after an order has been completed, for example to meet legal obligations or manage a product-related issue.

11. How we protect your information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

These measures may include access controls, appropriate use of service providers and other safeguards relevant to the information we hold.

However, no online system or method of electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

You should avoid sending sensitive information through unsecured channels and take appropriate care to protect your account credentials where you have an account.

If a personal data breach occurs, we will take appropriate steps in accordance with our legal obligations.

12. International transfers

Some of our service providers, manufacturers or suppliers may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take the steps required by applicable UK data protection law.

Depending on the destination and circumstances, this may include relying on an applicable adequacy regulation, using an approved international data transfer agreement or addendum, or applying another lawful transfer mechanism.

Where required, we will also consider whether additional safeguards are necessary.

The countries in which information is processed will depend on the providers and manufacturers involved in fulfilling your order and operating our website.

If you would like further information about relevant international transfers, please contact us.

13. Your privacy rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to:

• Access your information: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct your information: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion: Ask us to delete personal information in certain circumstances.
• Restrict processing: Ask us to restrict how we use your information in certain circumstances.
• Object to processing: Object to certain uses of your personal information, including direct marketing.
• Data portability: Request certain information in a commonly used electronic format, where the right applies.
• Withdraw consent: Withdraw consent where we rely on it to process your information.

These rights are subject to legal conditions and exceptions. For example, we may need to retain certain transaction records to meet our legal obligations, even if you request deletion.

We will explain if a right does not apply to a particular request.

How to exercise your rights

To exercise your rights, contact us at:

Email: earplugs@bristolearhealth.co.uk
Telephone: 0117 990 2796

Please explain what information or processing your request relates to.

We may need to verify your identity before responding. We will handle your request within the time limits required by law.

You do not normally have to pay a fee to exercise your rights.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal information, please contact us so that we can investigate your concerns.

You also have the right to complain to the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Website: https://ico.org.uk

The ICO provides guidance on your data protection rights and how to raise a complaint.

14. Children's privacy

Our online store is intended primarily for adults purchasing products for themselves or others.

Some products may be suitable for younger customers. Where a product is purchased for a child, a parent or guardian should oversee the purchase and provide any necessary information.

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children where doing so would be unlawful. Where additional safeguards or parental involvement are required, we will take appropriate steps.

If you believe a child has provided us with personal information inappropriately, please contact us so that we can review the circumstances.

15. Third-party websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including manufacturers, suppliers, payment providers and other services.

These websites operate independently and may have their own privacy policies and terms.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites that we do not control. We recommend reviewing their privacy information before submitting personal information to them.

16. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our business, website, service providers or legal obligations.

When we make changes, we will update the date at the top of this policy. Where required by law, we will provide additional notice of significant changes.

We encourage you to review this page periodically.

17. Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, how we handle your personal information or how to exercise your rights, please contact us.

Bristol Ear Health Ltd
17 Charborough Road
Bristol, BS34 7RA
United Kingdom

Email: earplugs@bristolearhealth.co.uk
Telephone: 0117 990 2796