Who we are

Mercaria helps owners improve, sell, and buy businesses. We are based in Devon and work across the South West of England. For the purposes of data protection law, we are the data controller for the personal information we collect. You can contact us at info@mercaria.co.uk. A postal address is available on request and is set out in any engagement letter. We do not use personal information to make solely automated decisions that have a legal or similarly significant effect on you.

Information we collect

We collect information you provide directly to us, including:

• Your name, email address, and phone number
• Business details, including name, location, and sector
• Financial information about your business when relevant to our services
• Messages and correspondence you send us
• Information about your requirements as a buyer or seller

We also collect standard technical information when you visit our website, such as your IP address, browser type, and pages visited. This is used for security and to understand how the site is used.

How we use your information

We use your personal information to:

• Respond to your enquiries and provide our services
• Assess businesses for improvement or sale readiness
• Match buyers with suitable businesses for sale
• Manage the sale process from preparation through to completion
• Comply with legal obligations, including anti-money laundering requirements
• Send you updates about our services, if you have opted in

We do not sell personal information. We share it only where we need to: with professional advisers involved in a transaction you know about, with service providers who host email or the website, and with authorities where the law requires it. Those providers may only use the information on our instructions.

Confidentiality

We treat all business information as confidential. We do not disclose that a business is for sale without the owner's express permission. Buyer identities are kept private from sellers until both parties agree to proceed. Information is only shared with third parties (such as solicitors, accountants, or lenders) when necessary to progress a transaction and with your knowledge.

Legal basis for processing

We process your personal information on the following bases:

• Contract: To perform our contract with you or take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
• Legitimate interests: To run our business, improve our services, and respond to enquiries.
• Legal obligation: To comply with anti-money laundering regulations and other legal requirements.
• Consent: Where you have given consent, for example to receive marketing communications. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Data retention

We keep personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. Where the money laundering regulations apply, identity records are kept for five years after the end of the business relationship. Other client records are typically kept for up to seven years after the end of our engagement, which matches the period we may need them for tax and claims. Enquiry details that do not lead to work are kept for up to two years.

Your rights

Under data protection law, you have the right to:

• Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Ask us to correct inaccurate information
• Ask us to delete your information in certain circumstances
• Restrict or object to how we use your information
• Request a transfer of your information to another organisation
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@mercaria.co.uk. We will respond within one month. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, or by calling 0303 123 1113. We would like the chance to put things right first.

Cookies

Our use of cookies and similar technologies is explained in our cookie policy. Optional cookies stay off unless you accept them. You can change that choice at any time.

Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. We keep information in the United Kingdom. If a supplier stores it outside the UK, we will only use them where there is an appropriate safeguard, such as UK adequacy regulations or the International Data Transfer Agreement. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure.

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The latest version will always be on this page. The date at the top shows when it was last updated.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, email info@mercaria.co.uk.