Privacy Policy
Hydro UK — hydrouk.co
Last updated: March 2026
1. Who We Are
This Privacy Policy describes how Hydro UK, trading via hydrouk.co (referred to as "we", "us" or "our"), collects, uses, and handles your personal information when you visit our website or place an order with us.
We are the data controller for the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). If you have any questions about how we handle your data, please contact us at:
- Email: hello@hydrouk.co
- Website: hydrouk.co
2. What Personal Information We Collect
We collect the following categories of personal information:
Device and Technical Information
Purpose: To ensure the website loads correctly and to analyse how it is being used so we can improve it.
How we collect it: Automatically, via cookies, log files, web beacons, tags, and pixels when you access our site.
What we collect: Browser version, IP address, time zone, cookie data, pages viewed, search terms, and how you interact with the site.
Who we share it with: Shopify (our website platform) and Google Analytics.
Order Information
Purpose: To process your order, arrange payment, organise delivery, send order confirmations, and communicate with you about your purchase.
How we collect it: Directly from you when you place an order.
What we collect: Name, billing address, shipping address, payment details (processed securely via Shopify Payments or Stripe), email address, and phone number.
Who we share it with: Shopify, our payment processor, and our delivery partners.
Customer Support Information
Purpose: To respond to your queries and resolve any issues with your order.
How we collect it: Directly from you when you contact us.
What we collect: Your name, email address, order details, and any information you provide in your message.
Who we share it with: Our customer support team only. Not shared with third parties.
Marketing Communications
Purpose: To send you news, offers, and updates about our products.
When you place an order with us, we may send you marketing communications about our products and offers. We do this on the basis of legitimate interests, as you are an existing customer who has purchased similar products from us. This is a common and lawful practice under UK GDPR known as the 'soft opt-in'.
You will always be given a clear and easy way to opt out of marketing communications. Every marketing email we send includes an unsubscribe link. You can also opt out at any time by emailing us at hello@hydrouk.co. Once you opt out, we will not contact you for marketing purposes again.
We do not share your email address with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
3. Our Lawful Basis for Processing Your Data
Under the UK GDPR, we process your personal information on the following legal grounds:
- Contract performance: To process your order and fulfil our obligations to you.
- Legal obligation: Where we are required to retain certain records by law.
- Legitimate interests: For sending marketing communications to existing customers (soft opt-in), improving our website, and fraud detection, where this does not override your rights.
- Consent: For customers who have explicitly signed up via our website pop-up or mailing list. You may withdraw consent at any time.
4. How We Share Your Personal Information
We share your personal information only where necessary to provide our services or comply with the law. This includes:
- Shopify: Our e-commerce platform. See Shopify's privacy policy at shopify.com/legal/privacy.
- Google Analytics: To understand how visitors use our site. You can opt out at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
- Payment processors: To handle your payment securely.
- Delivery partners: To fulfil and ship your order.
- Shopify Audiences: We may share anonymised data with Shopify Audiences to help us show relevant advertising to potential customers on other platforms.
- Legal and regulatory bodies: Where we are required to do so by law, court order, or regulatory authority.
We do not sell your personal data to third parties.
5. Behavioural Advertising
We use your data to provide targeted advertising we believe may be relevant to you. This includes sharing anonymised information about your use of our site, your purchases, and interactions with our ads with advertising partners such as Meta (Facebook/Instagram).
You can opt out of interest-based advertising through your browser settings or via the Network Advertising Initiative: networkadvertising.org/understanding-online-advertising/how-does-it-work.
6. How Long We Keep Your Data
We retain your personal information for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including for legal and accounting requirements.
Order information is typically retained for six years in line with HMRC requirements. If you wish to request erasure of your data, please see section 7 below.
7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR
As a UK resident, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Right to erasure: You can ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
- Right to restrict processing: You can ask us to limit how we use your data.
- Right to data portability: You can request your data in a portable format.
- Right to object: You can object to us processing your data for direct marketing at any time.
- Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@hydrouk.co. We will respond within one calendar month.
8. Automated Decision-Making
We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that has a legal or similarly significant effect on you.
Our platform provider Shopify uses limited automated processes for fraud prevention purposes only, including temporary blocking of IP addresses and payment cards associated with repeated failed transactions. These are security measures and do not constitute meaningful automated decision-making.
9. Cookies
We use cookies on our website to ensure it functions correctly and to help us understand how visitors use it. Cookies are small data files stored on your device.
The cookies we use fall into the following categories:
- Essential cookies: Necessary for the website and checkout to function. These cannot be disabled.
- Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use the site so we can improve it.
- Marketing cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertising to you on other platforms.
You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect how the website functions. For more information visit allaboutcookies.org.
10. International Data Transfers
Your personal data may be processed and stored outside the UK, including in the Republic of Ireland, Canada, and the United States, by our platform providers.
Where data is transferred outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR requirements. For information on how Shopify handles international transfers, please see their GDPR documentation at help.shopify.com.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices or legal requirements. We will update the date at the top of this page when changes are made. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
12. How to Make a Complaint
If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK's data protection supervisory authority:
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
- Website: ico.org.uk
- Helpline: 0303 123 1113
We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns directly before you contact the ICO. Please email us at hello@hydrouk.co in the first instance.