Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Society of Scholar Writers ("we", "us", "our") is an academic support and editorial guidance service operating under UK law. Our registered address is London, United Kingdom. We act as the data controller for all personal information collected via this website and our service delivery processes.

We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. For all data protection enquiries, contact us at privacy@societyofscholarwriters.com.

2. Data We Collect

2.1 Identity and Contact Data

• Full name and preferred name
• Email address and telephone number
• Billing address and delivery address (where applicable)
• University or institution name (optional, used to tailor support)

2.2 Order and Service Data

• Order details including subject area, academic level, word count, and deadline
• Supporting documents you upload (e.g., briefs, marking criteria, reference materials)
• Correspondence relating to your order (emails, chat transcripts)
• Feedback and revision requests

2.3 Financial Data

• Payment confirmation records and transaction references
• We do not store full card details — all payment processing is handled by PCI-DSS compliant third-party providers (Stripe or equivalent)

2.4 Technical and Usage Data

• IP address, browser type and version, operating system
• Pages visited, time on site, referral source
• Device identifiers and cookie data (see Section 10)

2.5 Marketing and Communications Data

• Your preferences for receiving marketing communications
• Records of consent, opt-ins and opt-outs

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect your personal data through the following means:

• Direct interactions: When you complete an order form, create an account, request a quote, contact us by email or telephone, or subscribe to our mailing list.
• Automated technologies: As you browse our website, we automatically collect technical data using cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies.
• Third parties: We may receive data from analytics providers (such as Google Analytics), payment processors, and advertising networks, where you have consented to such sharing.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data only for the purposes set out below and in accordance with the legal basis identified in Section 5:

• To fulfil and manage your order, including assigning qualified writers and delivering completed work
• To process payments and manage your account
• To communicate with you about your order, respond to queries, and provide customer support
• To send administrative notices (e.g., order confirmations, deadline reminders)
• To send marketing communications where you have consented or where we have a legitimate interest and you have not opted out
• To improve our website, services, and user experience using aggregated analytics data
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations
• To detect and prevent fraud or misuse of our services

5. Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a valid legal basis to process your personal data. The bases we rely on are:

• Contract (Article 6(1)(b)): Processing necessary to fulfil your order or take steps before entering into a contract.
• Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1)(f)): Where we have a legitimate business interest that does not override your rights — for example, fraud prevention, improving our services, and direct marketing to existing clients.
• Consent (Article 6(1)(a)): Where you have given us clear, unambiguous consent — for example, when subscribing to our newsletter or accepting non-essential cookies.
• Legal Obligation (Article 6(1)(c)): Where processing is required to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation, such as financial record-keeping.

6. Sharing Your Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We share your information only with the following categories of recipients, and only to the extent necessary:

• Writers and academic consultants: Relevant order details are shared with the assigned writer to enable service delivery. Writers are bound by confidentiality agreements.
• Payment processors: Financial data is passed to PCI-DSS compliant payment processors (e.g., Stripe) to complete transactions.
• IT and hosting providers: Our website and data are hosted on secure UK/EEA-based or adequately protected cloud infrastructure.
• Analytics providers: Aggregated, anonymised usage data may be shared with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics) subject to appropriate safeguards.
• Legal and regulatory authorities: Where required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of Society of Scholar Writers or third parties.

7. International Data Transfers

Where we transfer your data outside the UK or European Economic Area (EEA), we ensure an adequate level of protection is in place through one of the following mechanisms:

• Adequacy decisions recognised by the UK ICO
• UK International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs) or Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
• Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) where applicable

You may request details of the specific safeguards applied to any international transfer by contacting us at privacy@societyofscholarwriters.com.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

• Order records and correspondence: Retained for 7 years following completion of the order, in accordance with UK tax and contract law.
• Marketing opt-in records: Retained until you withdraw consent or opt out.
• Technical/log data: Typically retained for 12 months unless required longer for security investigations.
• Uploaded documents: Securely deleted within 90 days of order completion, unless you request earlier deletion.

At the end of the applicable retention period, your data will be securely deleted or anonymised.

9. Your Rights

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

• Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (Subject Access Request).
• Right to Rectification: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): Request deletion of your data where there is no compelling reason for us to continue processing it.
• Right to Restrict Processing: Ask us to pause processing of your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: Request that we transfer your data to you or a third party in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
• Rights in relation to automated decision-making: We do not currently use fully automated decision-making that has a legal or similarly significant effect on individuals.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@societyofscholarwriters.com. We will respond within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

10. Cookies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website. For full details of the cookies we use, their purpose, and how to manage your preferences, please see our Cookie Policy.

11. Security

We have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data in transit
• Encrypted storage for sensitive data at rest
• Role-based access controls limiting staff access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Regular security assessments and staff data protection training
• Incident response procedures in place to handle any suspected data breaches

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours and you as soon as reasonably practicable.

12. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised. Where changes are material, we will notify existing clients by email prior to the changes taking effect. Continued use of our services after notification constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

14. Contact Us

For any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

• Email: privacy@societyofscholarwriters.com
• Post: Data Protection, Society of Scholar Writers, London, United Kingdom
• General enquiries: Contact page