Whitegoods Help Forum — Privacy and Cookie Policy

The Whitegoods Help Forum is an online community for discussion of domestic appliance faults, maintenance and repair.

We are subject to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We are also subject to the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) in relation to our use of cookies and similar technologies.

This policy applies to the Forum specifically and sits alongside our main Whitegoods Help Privacy and Cookie Policy and our Forum Terms of Use. Where this policy addresses Forum-specific processing (such as accounts and public posts), it takes precedence for the Forum.

For the purposes of data protection law, the data controller is:

Whitegoods Help Ltd Company number: 14702046 4 Calder Close, Calder Park, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 3BA Email: help@whitegoodshelp.co.uk

We do not currently have a statutory obligation to appoint a Data Protection Officer. Any queries about this policy or your personal data should be directed to us using the contact details above.

Data you provide when you register and use the Forum:

• Username (we recommend you do not use your real full name)
• Email address
• Password (stored in encrypted/hashed form — we cannot see your actual password)
• Any optional profile information you choose to add (for example, an avatar, location, signature or "about me" text)
• The content of your posts, comments, messages and any other contributions
• Any content of direct correspondence with us (for example, support or complaint emails)

Data we collect automatically when you use the Forum:

• IP address (including the IP address associated with posts, which we retain for security, abuse prevention and legal purposes)
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent, and navigation paths
• Login times and account activity
• Referring website or search term

This data is collected through cookies and similar technologies (see Section 10).

Please remember: anything you post publicly on the Forum (other than your password and private account settings) is visible to other users and the public — see Section 5.

The table below summarises our main processing activities, their purposes, and the legal basis we rely on under UK GDPR.

This is important. The Forum is a public platform.

• Your username, profile information, and the content of your posts and replies are visible to other registered users and, in most areas, to the general public — including people who are not logged in.
• Posts may be indexed by search engines such as Google and may appear in search results.
• Posts may remain visible indefinitely and may be quoted, copied or screenshotted by others outside our control.

For your own protection we strongly recommend that you:

• Do not use your real full name as your username
• Do not post your address, phone number, full email address or other identifying personal details
• Do not post anyone else's personal data

If you ask us to delete your account, please note that, for the reasons explained in Section 9 and Section 12, we may retain or anonymise your past posts rather than delete them, to preserve the integrity and usefulness of discussion threads.

AI features on the Forum. The Forum may use AI technology to power features such as search, summaries, suggested answers, or automated moderation. Where AI processes your input, a response or action may be generated automatically. AI outputs are informational only and do not constitute professional advice or any legally significant decision about you.

Use of data to train and improve AI systems. We may use content posted on the Forum, and usage data, to develop, improve and train our content and AI systems (including the Whitegoods Help Fault Finder). Where this involves personal data, we use it in anonymised or aggregated form and have carried out (or will carry out) a Legitimate Interests Assessment to ensure the processing is proportionate. You have the right to object to this processing (see Section 12).

Third-party AI providers. Where Forum AI features are powered by a third-party AI provider, we put appropriate data processing terms in place. Where your data is processed outside the UK, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and/or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) to ensure appropriate safeguards. We recommend you do not include personal, sensitive or confidential information in posts or AI queries.

Automated decision-making (Article 22, UK GDPR). Automated moderation tools may flag, hide or restrict content. These are content-management measures and do not produce legal or similarly significant effects on you. If you believe an automated action has unfairly affected you, please contact us and we will arrange a human review.

We may share your personal data with the following categories of recipient:

• Companies within the Whitegoods Help Ltd group, for internal business purposes
• IT infrastructure, hosting and forum software providers
• Any third-party AI or moderation service providers acting as our data processors
• Analytics providers (e.g. Google Analytics), subject to your cookie consent
• Professional advisors (legal, accountancy, insurance)
• A third party who has made a valid legal complaint about content (for example, where required to respond to a defamation or infringement claim, or a court order)
• Regulatory authorities or law enforcement, where we are legally required to do so

All third parties who process personal data on our behalf are required to have appropriate data protection safeguards in place and to act only on our instructions.

Some of our service providers may process personal data outside the UK and European Economic Area (EEA). Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and, where applicable, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA). You can request a copy of the relevant safeguards by contacting us.

We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and in accordance with our legal obligations:

• Account data (username, email, profile): for as long as your account is active, and for a reasonable period afterwards to handle queries and disputes
• Post content: posts may be retained indefinitely to preserve the integrity of discussion threads, even after account closure, though we may anonymise them on request where appropriate
• IP and activity logs: typically up to 26 months, for security and abuse-prevention purposes
• Direct correspondence: up to 3 years from the date of last contact
• Records relating to legal complaints or disputes: for as long as necessary to deal with the matter and any associated legal time limits
• Anonymised or aggregated data: may be retained indefinitely, as it cannot be linked back to you

When retention periods expire, data is securely deleted or anonymised.

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. The Forum uses:

• Strictly necessary cookies: essential for the Forum to function, including login session management, security and your cookie preferences. These do not require consent and cannot be turned off.
• Analytics cookies: help us understand how the Forum is used (e.g. via Google Analytics). Set only with your consent.
• Functional cookies: remember your preferences and settings. Set only with your consent.

When you first visit the Forum, you will be shown a cookie consent banner. You can accept all cookies, reject all non-essential cookies, or manage your preferences individually. You can change your preferences at any time via the 'Manage Cookies' link in the footer, or through your browser settings, though disabling certain cookies may affect functionality.

Some third-party services may set their own cookies, which we do not control. Please refer to the relevant third party's privacy policy for details.

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction or alteration, including encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS), hashing of passwords, and access controls on our systems.

No online system is entirely secure, and the Forum is by its nature a public platform. You use it at your own risk, and we encourage you not to share sensitive personal information in posts or through our tools.

In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you without undue delay in accordance with our obligations under UK GDPR.

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right of access: to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure: to ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances. Please note that, because the Forum is public and thread integrity matters, we may anonymise rather than delete your past posts, or retain content where we have a legitimate or legal reason to do so
• Right to restriction: to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances
• Right to object: to object to our processing where we rely on legitimate interests, including the use of your content for AI training. We will stop that processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests
• Right to data portability: to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format in certain circumstances
• Right not to be subject to automated decisions: to request human review of any automated action that significantly affects you (see Section 6)
• Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on your consent (e.g. for analytics cookies), you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of earlier processing

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at help@whitegoodshelp.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month. We may ask you to verify your identity before responding.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): www.ico.org.uk | Helpline: 0303 123 1113.

The Forum is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

We may update this policy from time to time. Any changes will be published on this page, and the 'Last updated' date will be revised accordingly. Where changes are material, we will take reasonable steps to bring them to your attention. Your continued use of the Forum following any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

If you require this policy in an alternative format, please contact us at help@whitegoodshelp.co.uk and we will do our best to assist.

If you have any questions about this policy, or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us:

Email: help@whitegoodshelp.co.uk Post: Data Protection Manager, Whitegoods Help Ltd, 4 Calder Close, Calder Park, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 3BA