Privacy Policy & Cookie Policy

Who We Are

Central Contracts (S.O.T.) Limited (trading as LeaseCar UK, LeaseVan UK and LeasePickup UK) is a credit broker, not a lender.

We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA No. 677877) and are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO Registration No. Z7112215).

Registered Address:
Central House, Trentham Business Quarter, Bellringer Road,
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 8GB

Introduction

This policy explains how we collect, use, store and share your personal data in line with UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.  We are committed to handling your personal data in a way that is clear, fair, not misleading, and in line with your expectations. We only share your data where this is necessary and proportionate. If anything in this policy is unclear, please contact us and we will be happy to explain it.  We process your personal data in a way that supports good customer outcomes and helps ensure you can make informed decisions about our products and services. You remain in control of your personal data and can contact us at any time to exercise your rights or ask how your data is used.

What data do we usually ask for?

The data that we require can often vary, however generally speaking we require:

·       Your title, such as Mr., Mrs., Dr Etc..

·       First name(s), surname or company name

·       Address

·       Contact numbers

·       Email address

·       Date of birth

·       Employment details

·       Bank details

·       Income and expenditure

·       VAT ID number

·       Driving licence details

·       Proofs of address

·       Accounts

How We Collect Your Data

We collect data through:

·       Website enquiries and applications

·       Telephone conversations

·       Email correspondence

·       Finance applications

·       Third parties such as credit reference agencies

How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data to:

·       Arrange vehicle finance agreements

·       Identify you and prevent fraud

·       Communicate with you about your enquiry or agreement

·       Manage your order and delivery

·       Provide customer support

·       Comply with legal and regulatory obligations

Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your data under the following lawful bases:

·       Contractual necessity – to arrange and manage your agreement

·       Legal obligation – to comply with FCA and legal requirements

·       Legitimate interests – to operate and improve our business

·       Consent – where required (e.g. marketing)

How do we protect your information?

We take appropriate measures to ensure that the information disclosed to us is kept secure, accurate and up to date and kept only for so long as is necessary for the purposes for which it is used.

Our staff receive training in line with this policy, and we have a secure office.  Any access to your data is done for the purpose of providing you with a service and is only done by the appropriate persons.  We use the most up to date security systems and our internal customer relationship management system is encrypted as well as our website which is protected using Transport Layer Security 1.2.

How long will the data be stored for?

We will always look to erase any data that is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it is collected or otherwise processed.

We will also erase data at your request and if consent is withdrawn where we can.

As a general rule, if you enter into or took steps to enter into a contract with us, we will store the data for a period of six years for compliance with our general legal obligations and for the exercise or defense of any legal claims.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

·       Access your personal data (Subject Access Request)

·       Request correction of inaccurate data

·       Request deletion (where applicable)

·       Restrict processing

·       Object to processing

·       Data portability

Under the GDPR, you have the right to erasure. This right to erasure is also known as ‘the right to be forgotten’. Specific circumstances in which you can request the deletion or removal of personal data includes:

·       Where the personal data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it is collected or otherwise processed

·       Where you withdraw consent

·       When you object to the processing and there is no overriding legitimate interest for continuing the processing

·       Where the personal data was unlawfully processed (i.e. otherwise in breach of the GDPR)

·       Where the personal data has to be erased in order to comply with a legal obligation

·       In case a deletion is not possible due to legal, statutory or contractual retention periods, or if it requires disproportionate efforts or prejudices your legitimate interests, the data will be blocked instead of deleted.

Please be aware that there are some cases in which we are not able to delete your data for legal reasons, however at the time of request we will make you aware of this.

Should you wish to make a right to erasure request please do so by contacting us using these details:

In writing: Please use our registered address
By telephone: 0344 745 1818
By email:centraladmin@centralcontracts.com

Subject Access Requests

Under the GDPR you have the right to a subject access request, this is a copy of any personal information that we hold about you.  Requests are free of charge; however, we may charge a reasonable fee where a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive. We will respond to your request without delay and at the latest within one month.  Should you wish to make a subject access request please do so in writing:

In writing: Please use our registered address
By email:centraladmin@centralcontracts.com

Right to Portability

Under the GDPR you have the right to data portability.  This means that we will provide a copy of the information that we hold on you in a structured and commonly used format and make it available to another data controller at your request.  Please be prepared to prove your identity and explicit consent of where this data will be sent to.

The request is free to make however if we feel the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive we do reserve the right to charge a fee for this which will be decided based on the level of work involved with the request. We will respond to your request without delay and at the latest within one month.  Should you wish to make a subject access request please do so in writing:

In writing: Please use our registered address
By email:centraladmin@centralcontracts.com

Data Breaches

Where required, we will notify the Information Commissioner’s Office and affected individuals in line with our legal obligations.

Other Information

You should note that if our business (or any part of it) is sold or transferred at any time, the information we hold may form part of the assets transferred, although your personal information will still only be used in accordance with this policy. We reserve the right, at our discretion, to change, modify, add, or remove portions from this policy at any time so you are encouraged to review this policy from time to time. We will, of course, notify you of any changes where we are required to do so. We may record communications for training and quality purposes.

Consent & Direct Marketing Communications

We process your personal data only where we have a valid legal basis to do so, including where it is necessary to perform a contract with you, to comply with our legal obligations, or where we have a legitimate interest in operating our business.

Where we rely on your consent, you have the right to withdraw this at any time by contacting us using the details above.

If you choose to opt in to receive marketing communications, we will use your data to provide information about products and services we believe may be of interest to you. You can opt out of these communications at any time.

Who might we pass your data to?

We may share your personal data with the following organisations where necessary to provide our services:

·       Finance providers and lenders

·       Vehicle suppliers and dealerships

·       Credit reference agencies and fraud prevention agencies

·       Service providers who support the delivery of your agreement

·       Carefully selected third parties offering related products and services (such as insurance, maintenance plans or vehicle protection), where relevant to your enquiry or where you have expressed an interest

·       Product Partnerships Ltd (for audit and compliance monitoring purposes only – data is reviewed but not processed)

Insurance and Related Services

On the basis of our legitimate interests, we may share your contact and vehicle information with our insurance partner, Look After My Car (a trading name of Premia Solutions Ltd). This allows them to provide access to their platform and contact you regarding relevant automotive products and services.

We have carried out a legitimate interest’s assessment to ensure this is appropriate and does not override your rights. You can object to this processing at any time and you can read their privacy policy here. 

Credit check and fraud prevention

When you apply for finance, we will share your information with lenders so they can assess your application. This includes verifying your identity, carrying out credit checks, and helping to prevent fraud and money laundering.

Lenders may check your details with credit reference agencies such as Experian and Equifax. These checks will be recorded on your credit file. They may also share information about how you manage your agreement with these agencies.

This information may be used by other organisations when making decisions about offering you credit, as well as for fraud prevention, money laundering checks and, in some cases, debt tracing. This may include publicly available information such as the electoral roll, county court judgments, bankruptcy records or repossessions.

Some lenders may carry out periodic checks on your credit file until your finance agreement is finalised.

Providing accurate information helps ensure your application is assessed correctly and without delay.

If inaccurate or false information is provided, it may affect your ability to obtain credit now and in the future. Where fraud is identified, details may be shared with fraud prevention agencies, and law enforcement agencies may access and use this information.

Additional information

Credit reference agencies may link your records with others where you have a financial association (for example, a joint application). This link may be taken into account in future credit applications.

We may also share personal data where required to comply with legal or regulatory obligations.

For more information about how credit reference agencies use your data, please visit:
https://experian.co.uk/crain/index.html

Website usage

We continually review and improve our website to enhance your experience. To support this, we may analyse how visitors use our website so we can improve its design, functionality and the relevance of our content.

Cookies

Where required, we will ask for your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device.

Cookies are pieces of data created when you visit our website that contain a unique anonymous number.

They were created to overcome a limitation in web technology. Web pages are 'stateless' - which means that they have no memory, and cannot easily pass information between each other. So cookies provide a kind of memory for web pages.

Cookies can, for example, allow you to login on one page, then move around to other pages and stay logged in. They allow you to set preferences for the display of a page, and for these to be remembered the next time you return to it.

They cannot be used to identify you personally.

Unless you have refused the use of cookies on your browser, our website will issue cookies as soon as you land on the website or quote area.

We use a variety of cookies to:

·       Collect information that will help us to distinguish visitors, to understand visitors’ browsing habits on our website and to improve their experience.

·       Compile statistical reports on website activity e.g. numbers of visitors and the pages they visit.

·       Collect information that will allow us to tailor advertising to make it more relevant for you, based on your previous interactions with our website.

·       Remember information about you when you visit our site. Some of the cookies are essential in order to provide our services to you.

The following data is collected and stored by Central Contracts (S-O-T) Ltd until its automated deletion:

·       IP address of the accessing computer/device

·       Date, time and duration of your visit

·       Name and URL of the accessed pages

·       Identification data of the browser and operating system used

·       Website from which the data was accessed

·       Name of your internet access provider

The nature and content of the information collected via cookies differs, as does the period for which this information is retained. In line with our data protection obligations, we will ensure that this retention period is not excessive, and that the data is only retained for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. 

Strictly necessary cookies

Strictly necessary cookies enable you to move around the website and use its features. Without these cookies, we will not be able to provide certain features.

Performance cookies

This type of cookie allows us to collect anonymous information on how people use the site which enables us to improve how the site operates. For example, we utilise Google Analytics cookies to help us understand how customers arrive at our site, browse or use our site and highlight areas where we can improve such as navigation, shopping experience and marketing campaigns. The data stored by these cookies never shows personal details from which your individual identity can be established.

Functionality cookies

These remember choices you make such as if you are business or personal customer, which mileage and term you are interested in. These can then be used to provide you with an experience more appropriate with your selections and make the visits more tailored and pleasant. The information is also merged with other users on an anonymous basis to enable us to improve how the site operates.

Targeting cookies

These cookies collect information about your browsing habits in order to make advertising relevant to you and your interests. They remember the websites you have visited and that information is shared with other parties such as advertisers. For example we use 3rd party companies to provide you with more personalised adverts when visiting other websites.

You can change the settings on your browser to prevent cookies being stored on your computer or mobile device without your explicit consent. Your browser “help” section will normally provide details on how to manage the cookie settings.

Electric Vehicle Charging Services

Where you order or enquire about an electric vehicle, we may share relevant contact and vehicle order details with POD Point Limited (“POD”), an electric vehicle charging provider. This is done under our legitimate interests in supporting customers with services associated with electric vehicles, including the provision and potential installation of an electric vehicle home charging solution.

The information shared may include your name, contact details, delivery address and vehicle details, where this is necessary for POD to contact you regarding electric vehicle charging services, including assessing eligibility, arranging installation, or providing further information about their products and services.

We consider this processing to be within our legitimate interests as it enables us to facilitate services directly related to the vehicle you have ordered. We have carried out a legitimate interests assessment to ensure that this processing is proportionate and that your rights and freedoms are not overridden. You are able to object to this processing at any time.

POD will process your personal data in accordance with their own privacy policy and applicable data protection legislation. Further information on how POD processes personal data can be found within POD’s Privacy Policy, available on their website.

Complaints

If you're not completely happy with our service we'd like to hear about it so we can do something to put it right, please view our complaints procedure using the following link:

https://leasecar.uk/trust-compliance/complaints-procedure/

You have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your personal data has been handled incorrectly.  The ICO has a general duty to investigate complaints from members of the public who believe that an authority has failed to respond correctly to a request for information. You can view their contact details and complaints procedure here:

https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Version 2.8 - updated 20/04/2026

To be reviewed quarterly