1. Who We Are

Metal Detecting UK (metaldetectinguk.com) is a website dedicated to the hobby of metal detecting across the United Kingdom. We publish guides, tips, location advice, ebook resources, and community information for detectorists of all levels of experience.

The website is operated by an individual publisher based in Warwickshire, England. For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, we are the data controller for the personal information we collect from you.

2. What We Collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal data depending on how you use our website:

• Identity & contact data — your name and email address, provided when you sign up to our newsletter, purchase an ebook, or contact us directly.
• Transaction data — details of ebooks or digital products you purchase through third-party platforms such as PayHip or similar services.
• Usage data — information about how you browse our website, including pages visited, time on site, and links clicked, collected via cookies and analytics tools.
• Technical data — your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, and referral source, collected automatically when you visit our site.
• Communications data — the content of any message you send us via our contact form or email.

We do not collect any special category data (such as health information, ethnicity, or financial account details). We do not process payment card data directly — all payments are handled by third-party payment processors.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data only for specific, lawful purposes. These include:

• To send you our newsletter and updates about metal detecting guides, new ebooks, and hobby news — but only if you have opted in.
• To process and deliver any digital purchases you make via third-party platforms.
• To respond to your enquiries and provide customer support.
• To improve our website content and user experience using aggregated, anonymised analytics data.
• To monitor and maintain the technical security and performance of our website.
• To comply with any legal obligations that apply to us.

We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party for their own marketing purposes.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a valid lawful basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following:

• Consent — for sending you our newsletter and marketing emails. You may withdraw consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us.
• Contractual necessity — where processing is necessary to fulfil an order you have placed with us.
• Legitimate interests — for website analytics, security monitoring, and improving our content, where your interests and rights do not override ours.
• Legal obligation — where we are required to process data to comply with applicable law.

5. Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files placed on your device — to help the site function properly and to understand how it is used. We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies — required for the website to work correctly. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies — we may use tools such as Google Analytics to collect anonymised data on how visitors use our site (pages viewed, session duration, device type). This data helps us improve our content. Where analytics cookies are used, we will ask for your consent.
• Preference cookies — to remember settings such as your chosen theme (light or dark mode).

You can control and manage cookies in your browser settings at any time. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect how the site works. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies, delete existing cookies, or be alerted when cookies are set.

For more information about cookies and how to manage them, visit allaboutcookies.org.

6. Third Parties & Data Sharing

We work with a small number of trusted third-party services to operate our website. These may process your data on our behalf:

• PayHip — for the secure delivery of digital ebook purchases. PayHip has its own privacy policy, which governs how they handle transaction data.
• Google Analytics (if enabled) — for anonymous website usage statistics. Google may process data in the USA; standard contractual clauses apply.
• Email newsletter platforms — if you subscribe to our mailing list, your email address will be stored with our chosen email service provider.
• Web hosting provider — our hosting service may log technical data such as IP addresses for security purposes.

We do not transfer your data outside the UK or EEA unless appropriate safeguards are in place (such as standard contractual clauses or adequacy decisions). We will only share your data with third parties where necessary to provide our services or where required by law.

7. How Long We Keep Your Data

We keep your personal data only for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Our general retention principles are:

• Newsletter subscribers — we hold your email address for as long as you remain subscribed. Once you unsubscribe, we will remove your details promptly.
• Purchase records — transaction records may be retained for up to 7 years to comply with HMRC and tax obligations.
• Contact messages — enquiries sent to us are kept for up to 2 years unless an ongoing relationship requires longer retention.
• Analytics data — aggregated, anonymised analytics data may be retained indefinitely as it cannot be used to identify individuals.

When your data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it.

8. How We Protect Your Data

We take the security of your personal data seriously and have put appropriate technical and organisational measures in place to prevent accidental loss, unauthorised access, or misuse. These include:

• SSL/HTTPS encryption on all pages of the website to protect data in transit.
• Use of reputable, secure third-party services for email, payments, and hosting.
• Limiting access to personal data to those who genuinely need it.
• Regular reviews of our data practices and security measures.

However, no method of internet transmission is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the unlikely event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights, we will notify the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and, where required, you directly.

9. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data. You can exercise any of these rights by contacting us using the details in Section 12.

We will respond to all valid requests within one calendar month. We will not charge a fee for exercising your rights unless a request is clearly unfounded or excessive.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. Metal detecting is a hobby enjoyed by all ages, but if you are under 13, please ask a parent or guardian before providing any personal information on our site.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly. Parents or guardians who believe we may hold their child’s data should contact us immediately using the details in Section 12.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. If the changes are significant, we may notify newsletter subscribers by email.