Privacy policy
The short version: the only personal data we collect is what you type into our quote form. We share it with a maximum of three certified installers so they can quote for your job — and with no one else, ever. We don't sell data, we don't run advertising trackers, and you can ask us to delete everything at any time by emailing info@coolcompareuk.co.uk.
1. Who we are
CoolCompare UK ("we", "us") operates this website at www.coolcompareuk.co.uk. We are the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. You can contact us about anything privacy-related at info@coolcompareuk.co.uk.
2. What we collect, and when
Quote requests. When you submit the quote form we collect: your name, email address, phone number, postcode, property type, what you want cooled, your rough timescale, and anything you write in the free-text box. We collect this only because you've asked us to arrange installer quotes — browsing the site, reading guides and using the sizing calculator require no personal data at all, and calculator inputs are processed in your browser and never sent to us.
Technical data. Our hosting provider (Netlify) processes standard server logs — IP address, browser type, pages requested — to deliver the site and protect it from abuse. We do not use this to identify you.
We do not collect special category data, and this site is not directed at children under 16.
3. How we use your data, and our lawful basis
- Arranging quotes — we pass your quote request to up to three F-Gas certified installation companies covering your postcode, so they can contact you with a quote. Lawful basis: performance of the service you've requested (UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(b)) and our legitimate interest in operating a quote-matching service (Art. 6(1)(f)).
- Responding to you — if you email us, we use your details to reply. Lawful basis: legitimate interest.
- Service records — we keep a record of requests we've passed on, so we can handle complaints and pay-per-lead accounting with installers. Lawful basis: legitimate interest.
We do not use your data for marketing emails unless you separately opt in, and we never make automated decisions about you.
4. Who we share it with — and who we don't
Your quote request goes to a maximum of three installation companies local to you. Each receives it for the sole purpose of quoting for your job, and each is responsible for its own handling of your data once they contact you (ask them for their privacy policy — reputable firms will have one).
Beyond that, the only parties that touch your data are our service providers: Netlify (website hosting and form processing) and our email provider, both acting on our instructions. Some providers may process data outside the UK; where they do, transfers are protected by UK-approved safeguards such as the UK Addendum to Standard Contractual Clauses.
We never sell your data, add you to third-party marketing lists, or share your details with anyone other than the installers quoting for your job — no exceptions, no "trusted partners" small print.
5. How long we keep it
Quote request details are kept for 12 months from submission — long enough to handle any dispute about a job or a lead — then deleted. Email correspondence is kept for as long as needed to deal with your enquiry and then deleted. If you ask us to delete your data sooner, we will (see section 7).
6. Security
The site is served entirely over HTTPS, so anything you submit is encrypted in transit. Form submissions are stored in our hosting provider's secured infrastructure with access limited to us. We keep the amount of data we hold deliberately small — the best protection for data is not collecting it in the first place.
7. Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to:
- Access — ask for a copy of the data we hold about you;
- Rectification — have inaccurate data corrected;
- Erasure — have your data deleted ("right to be forgotten");
- Restriction and objection — limit or object to how we process your data;
- Portability — receive your data in a usable format.
To exercise any of these, email info@coolcompareuk.co.uk — no forms, no fee, and we'll respond within one month. Note that once installers have received your request, you may also need to contact them directly to remove data they hold.
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113 — though we'd appreciate the chance to put it right first.
8. Cookies and tracking
This site sets no advertising or tracking cookies of its own. There is no cookie banner because there's nothing to consent to.
We use GoatCounter, an open-source analytics service, to understand how the site is used. It is cookieless and privacy-focused: it does not set cookies, does not fingerprint your device, and does not track you across other sites — it gives us aggregate counts of page views and referrers, nothing tied to you as an individual.
Two other third-party notes for transparency: fonts are loaded from Google Fonts, which involves your browser requesting files from Google's servers; and if you click a retailer link on our comparison pages, that retailer (for example Amazon) may set cookies on its own site to attribute the referral — that happens on their site under their privacy policy, not ours.
9. Changes to this policy
If we change how we handle personal data, we'll update this page and the date at the top. Material changes (for example, adding analytics or an email newsletter) will be clearly noted here before they take effect.