EMCAS Privacy Statement

Privacy Notice

Meanings

EMCAS means EMC Advisory Services Limited and any subsidiary company. It also means any Introducer company which introduces business to EMC Advisory Services Limited and/or its subsidiary companies.

Introduction

Here at EMCAS, the security and privacy of our clients are of the utmost importance and we are committed to providing a safe and private service for all those that employ our services. In order to take advantage of the services we offer, it will be necessary for us to collect personal information. This Privacy Policy sets out the terms by which EMCAS holds and processes any such personal information received.

How does EMCAS collect my information and where do they get it from?

In the course of providing the Service we will need to collect, use and retain details such as your name, address, telephone number, email address and other pertinent details, including policy and account details, in order to validate and process any claim entitlement and/or process a Debt Management Plan (DMP) or Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA). We may also require personal details of any other individuals who are joint policy or account holders with you.

We collect personal information from you and/or from your lender, provider of the bank account/credit card/loan, arranger of PPI, arranger of the Life Assurance policy or Endowment Provider/Vendor.

How does EMCAS use my information?

Information is used to enable us to carry out our business of obtaining compensation on our clients' behalf. It is also used to administer and manage DMP's and IVA's.

We also use the contact information you provide us with to contact you about similar services we offer which may be of benefit to you. If the service is of a different nature or we wish to pass your information on to a third party for marketing purposes, we will ask for your permission first.

Will EMCAS use third parties to verify my identify?

No we will not. If you are a debt solutions customer we will have to check that you are who you say you are to comply with Anti-Money Laundering regulations. However, in order to do this we will simply ask you to provide us with some verification documents such as your passport. This means that we will not need to use a third party organisation.

Does EMCAS share my information with anyone?

Only if you want us to. By your acceptance of this Privacy Policy and unless and until we receive written instruction to the contrary, you agree that we may share your personal information with any parties in direct relation to your claim, DMP or IVA.

You will see on our Letter of Authority that there are "opt-in" boxes for you to tick if you don't mind us contacting you about different services or passing your information on to third party organisations for marketing purposes.

You can contact us at any time and ask that we do not share your information or contact you about other services. You can do this by either telephone, in writing, via fax or email – our contact details are the end of this Policy.

Does EMCAS keep my information?

Relevant personal information will be retained for a period to enable us to provide repeat customers with the most efficient service and to enable us to comply with our legal obligations. If you agree to be contacted in the future regarding new products and services, we will use this information to contact you.

Cookies

(This website is owned solely by EMC Advisory Services Limited; as such EMC Advisory Services Limited is only responsible for cookies used on its website and not that of any Introducer or Subsidiary Company’s website)

A cookie is a text file that is set on a user’s computer by a website. In the main, cookies are used so that a website can provide the most efficient service.

Our website uses five (5) cookies; details are provided below:

Cookie	Name	Function/Purpose
Session Cookie	dna_session	This cookie is set when you visit our website and is used to identify user sessions. It is then deleted 1 hour from being set. This cookie is anonymous and therefore does not store personal information. (This cookie stores information from forms once they are submitted by the user so if there is a send error the form will re-populate so that the user does not have to re-enter all their details.)
Google Analytics	__utma __utmb __utmc __utmz	These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use our website i.e. the number of visitors, the pages visited on the website and where the visitors have come from to the website. The cookies collect information in an anonymous form. The information is used to compile reports to help us improve the site. For more information on each cookie please click here

Our Session Cookie has already been set. However, you may wish to delete or block all cookies from our site or any other website; this can be done through your browser settings. If you are unsure how to do this then the Help function on your browser will show you how to.

Alternatively, to find out more information you may wish to visit www.aboutcookies.org that provides comprehensive information on controlling and deleting cookies for specific web browsers.

Please note that restricting cookies may affect the functionality of our site.

To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites visit: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Child protection

We only intend to provide our services to people over the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children without parental consent.

How do I know my information is secure in the hands of EMCAS?

We use secure transmission methods when receiving or sharing your personal information. We have implemented security policies, rules and technical measures to protect the personal data that we have under our control from:

• Unauthorised access;
• Improper use or disclosure;
• Unauthorised modification; and/or
• Unlawful destruction or accidental loss.

All personal information provided is kept on a secure server and all employees and data processors who have access to, or are otherwise associated with, the processing of personal data are obliged to respect the confidentiality of any personal data received.

EMCAS become responsible for the security of your information once you have provided it. We are not responsible for its security prior to this time.

Can I see what information EMCAS holds about me?

Of course you can – you can find out what information we keep about you by requesting a copy of it, which we will provide within 40 days upon receipt of your written request, subject to a payment of a £10 charge. This is called a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) which falls under the Data Protection Act 1998.

To maintain security we may require proof of your identity. We allow you to challenge the data that we hold about you and, where appropriate, you may request that data we hold be corrected or deleted, as necessary.

What rules does EMCAS abide by?

As EMCAS are based within the UK we are required to comply with UK and European legislation, in particular the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Act 2003. For further details on your rights under these acts, please visit www.ico.gov.uk.

What can I do if I have a complaint about EMCAS’ use of my data?

We would like to hear about your concerns first so that we can try and put things right for you. You can do this by contacting us on the details listed at the end of this policy. You can also visit www.emcas.co.uk for details of our complaints procedure.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your complaint about our use of your data, you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office at www.ico.gov.uk.

I need some help!

If you have any comments or queries in relation to this policy or our Terms of Engagement please contact our Compliance department:

In writing:	Compliance Department EMC Advisory Services Limited EMC House 38-40 Palace Avenue Paignton DEVON TQ3 3HE
By Telephone:	01803 697541 or 01803 697530
By Email:	complaints@emcas.co.uk or claims@emcas.co.uk