Privacy Policy and COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

The policy: this privacy policy is for this website; https://theplgroup.co.uk/ and served by THE PROPERTY LADDER GROUP LTD a registered company in England and Wales, with company number 12346979 and registered offices Second Floor, Martells Barn, Slough Lane, Ardleigh, Colchester CO7 7RU and governs the privacy of its users who choose to use it. It explains how we comply with the GDPR (general data protection regulation), the DPA (data protection act) [pre GDPR enforcement] and the PECR (privacy and electronic communications regulations).

This policy will explain areas of this website that may affect your privacy and personal details, how we process, collect, manage and store those details and how your rights under the GDPR, DPA & PECR are adhere to. Additionally, it will explain the use of cookies or software, advertising or commercial sponsorship from third parties and the download of any documents, files or software made available to you (if any) on this website. Further explanations may be provided for specific pages or features of this website in order to help you understand how we, this website and its third parties (if any) interact with you and your computer / device in order to serve it to you. Our contact information is provided if you have any questions. 

The DPA & GDPR May 2018

We and this website complies to the DPA (Data Protection Act 1998) and to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) which came into effect as of 25 May 2018. We will update this policy accordingly after the completion of the UK’s exit from the European Union.

Use of Cookies

This website uses cookies to better the users experience while visiting the website. As required by legislation, where applicable this website uses a cookie control system, allowing the user to give explicit permission or to deny the use of /saving of cookies on their computer / device.

What are cookies? Cookies are small files saved to the user’s computer’s hard drive that track, save and store information about the user’s interactions and usage of the website. This allows the website, through its server to provide the users with a tailored experience within this website. Users are advised that if they wish to deny the use and saving of cookies from this website on to their computers hard drive they should take necessary steps within their web browsers security settings to block all cookies from this website and its external serving vendors or use the cookie control system if available upon their first visit.

Website Visitor Tracking

This website uses tracking software e.g. Google Analytics, to monitor its visitors to better understand how they use it. The software will save a cookie to your computer’s hard drive in order to track and monitor your engagement and usage of the website, but will not store, save or collect Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Adverts and Sponsored Links

This website may contain sponsored links and adverts. These will typically be served through our advertising partners, to whom may have detailed privacy policies relating directly to the adverts they serve.

Clicking on any such adverts will send you to the advertisers’ website through a referral program which may use cookies and will track the number of referrals sent from this website. This may include the use of cookies which may in turn be saved on your computer’s hard drive. Users should therefore note they click on sponsored external links at their own risk and we cannot be held liable for any damages or implications caused by visiting any external links mentioned.

Downloads & Media Files

Any downloadable documents, files or media made available on this website are provided to users at their own risk. While all precautions have been undertaken to ensure only genuine downloads are available users are advised to verify their authenticity using third party anti-virus software or similar applications. We accept no responsibility for third party downloads and downloads provided by external third-party websites and advise users to verify their authenticity using third party anti-virus software or similar applications.

Contact & Communication with Us

Users contacting this us through this website do so at their own discretion and provide any such personal details requested at their own risk. Your personal information is kept private and stored securely until a time it is no longer required or has no use.

Where we have clearly stated and made you aware of the fact, and where you have given your express permission, we may use your details to send you products/services information through a mailing list system. This is done in accordance with the regulations named in ‘The policy’ above.

Email Mailing List & Marketing Messages

We operate an email mailing list program, used to inform subscribers about products, services and/or news we supply/publish. Users can subscribe through an online automated process where they have given their explicit permission. Subscriber personal details are collected, processed, managed and stored in accordance with the regulations named in ‘The policy’ above. Subscribers can unsubscribe at any time through an automated online service, or if not available, other means as detailed in the footer of sent marketing messages. The type and content of marketing messages subscribers receive, and if it may contain third party content, is clearly outlined at the point of subscription.

Email marketing messages may contain tracking beacons / tracked clickable links or similar server technologies in order to track subscriber activity within email marketing messages. Where used, such marketing messages may record a range of subscriber data relating to engagement, geographic, demographics and already stored subscriber data.

Any email marketing messages we send are in accordance with the GDPR and the PECR. We provide you with an easy method to withdraw your consent (unsubscribe) or manage your preferences / the information we hold about you at any time. See any marketing messages for instructions on how to unsubscribe or manage your preferences, you can also unsubscribe from all THE PROPERTY LADDER GROUP lists by following the link in any email you receive from us, otherwise contact the EMS (Email Marketing System) provider.

External Website Links & Third Parties

Although we only look to include quality, safe and relevant external links, users are advised to adopt a policy of caution before clicking any external web links mentioned throughout this website.

Shortened URL’s; URL shortening is a technique used on the web to shorten URL’s (Uniform Resource Locators) to something substantially shorter. This technique is especially used in social media and looks similar to this (example: http://bit.ly/zyVUBo). Users should take caution before clicking on shortened URL links and verify their authenticity before proceeding.

We cannot guarantee or verify the contents of any externally linked website despite our best efforts. Users should therefore note they click on external links at their own risk and we cannot be held liable for any damages or implications caused by visiting any external links mentioned.

Third-Party Disclosure
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information unless we provide users with advance notice. This does not include website hosting partners and other parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or serving our users, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release information when it’s release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others’ rights, property or safety.

Social Media Policy & Usage

We adopt a Social Media Policy to ensure our business and our staff conduct themselves accordingly online. While we may have official profiles on social media platforms users are advised to verify authenticity of such profiles before engaging with, or sharing information with such profiles. We will never ask for user passwords or personal details on social media platforms. Users are advised to conduct themselves appropriately when engaging with us on social media.

There may be instances where our website features social sharing buttons, which help share web content directly from web pages to the respective social media platforms. You use social sharing buttons at your own discretion and accept that doing so may publish content to your social media profile feed or page. You can find further information about some social media privacy and usage policies in the resources section below.

Resources & Further Information

Overview of the GDPR – General Data Protection Regulation
Data Protection Act 1998
Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003
The Guide to the PECR 2003
Facebook Privacy Policy
Instagram Privacy Policy
Google Privacy Policy
Linkedin Privacy Policy
Twitter Privacy Policy
YouTube Privacy Policy

How to Contact us about a Data Protection Query

THE PROPERTY LADDER GROUP Ltd
Martells Barn,
Slough Lane, Ardleigh,
Essex,
CO7 7RU

Email: info@theplgroup.co.uk

Phone: +44 0330 124 7434

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible, at the above address. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.

Similarly, we comply with the right to be forgotten as per ‘GDPR’ legislation. If you wish for all of your data to be removed please contact us in writing using the above details. For audit purposes, requests must be made in writing.

THIS PRIVACY POLICY WAS LAST UPDATED 13.01.2020

Complaints Procedure:

If you wish to make a complaint regarding any interaction you have had with Property Ladder Group (PLG), then please see below our complaints procedure.

1. Email us with the problem. Please email info@theplgroup.co.uk with a full explanation of your complaint, being as in depth as possible. We also ask that you contact us as soon as you notice an issue. You can also phone in on 0330 124 7434 or write to us at:

Property Ladder Group
Martells Barn
Slough Lane
Ardleigh
CO7 7RU

2. Explain what you would like to happen in order for us to resolve your complaint. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within three working days of receiving it.

3. It may be that we ask you to provide further information regarding your complaint to help us understand and resolve the problem.

4. We will carry out a full and thorough investigation, from which a formal written outcome of this investigation will be sent to you within 15 working days of sending the original acknowledgement letter.

5. In all initial instances, the complaint will be handled by the PLG Office Manager. If required, we can then escalate the matter to one of the Company Directors, then onto a Managing Director.
If the complaint concerns the Office Manager, then a Company Director will handle the initial instance.

6. If you are still unsatisfied with the company’s decision, you can escalate the matter to the Head of Service Delivery – Darren Leggett
E: darren.leggett@theplgroup.co.uk

T: 0330 124 7434

Darren will only be involved following the original procedure

7. Should your complaint still remain unresolved satisfactorily, please contact:

The Property Ombudsman of which PLG are a member.
You will find ways to raise a complaint on their website, following which they will investigate fully and without prejudice.
Please be aware, The Property Ombudsman will only start their own investigation once the agent (PLG) have issued our ‘final viewpoint letter’, should you remain unhappy, or if you raised your complaint over 8 weeks ago without acknowledgment.

The Property Ombudsman
Milford House
43-55 Milford Street
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP1 2BP
01722 333 306
admin@tpos.co.uk
www.tpos.co.uk

Please note the following:

You will need to submit your complaint to The Property Ombudsman within 12 months of receiving our final viewpoint letter, including any evidence to support your case.

The Property Ombudsman requires that all complaints are addressed through this in-house complaints procedure, before being submitted for an independent review.