Merlin, Hunter & Associates (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and disclose information when you use our website, merlinhunter.com (the “Site”), and our missing person agency services (the “Services”).

 

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:
 

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

Contact Information: This includes your name, email address, phone number, postal address, and other contact details you provide when you contact us, request information, or engage our Services.
 
Information Related to Missing Persons:** This may include the name, date of birth, physical description, last known location, photographs, family relationships, and other details you provide about the missing person.
Information Related to Your Inquiry or Case:** This includes details about the circumstances surrounding the missing person, your relationship to the missing person, and any other information you choose to share with us in relation to your inquiry or case.
Payment Information: If you engage our Services that require payment, we may collect your billing address and payment details (e.g., credit card information). Please note that payment information may be processed by third-party payment processors, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies.
Communications:** Records of your communications with us, including emails, phone calls, and other correspondence.
 

1.2 Information We Collect Automatically

When you visit our Site, we may automatically collect certain information, including:
Log Data:** This includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages visited, and the dates and times of your visits.
Cookies and Similar Technologies:** We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activity on our Site. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.
 

2. How We Use Your Information

We may use your information for the following purposes:
 
To Provide and Manage Our Services:** To assess your needs, investigate missing
person cases, communicate with you about your case, and provide the Services you have requested.
To Respond to Inquiries:** To respond to your questions, requests for information, and other communications.
To Improve Our Site and Services:** To analyse how our Site is used, identify areas for improvement, and develop new features and services.
To Communicate with You:** To send you updates, newsletters, and other information related to our Services that may be of interest to you (you can opt-out of these communications at any time).
For Legal and Compliance Purposes:** To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, and our legal obligations.
For Security Purposes:** To protect the security and integrity of our Site and Services, and to prevent fraud and unauthorised access.
For Payment Processing:** To process payments for our Services.
 

3. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information with the following categories of recipients:
 
Our Employees and Contractors:** Access to your information may be granted to our employees and contractors who need to know the information to provide the Services. They are bound by confidentiality obligations.
Third-Party Service Providers:** We may engage third-party service providers to assist us with various functions, such as website hosting, data analysis, payment processing, email marketing, and customer service. These providers will have access to your information only to the extent necessary to perform their services and are obligated to protect your information.
Law Enforcement and Legal Authorities:** We may disclose your information to law enforcement agencies, government authorities, or other legal bodies if required by law or legal process, or if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others.
With Your Consent:** We may share your information with third parties with your explicit consent.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
 

4. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information we collect. However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your
information.
 

5. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to provide our Services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. The retention period may vary depending on the type of information and the specific purposes for which it is processed.
 

6. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:
 
The Right to Access:** You may have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you.
The Right to Rectification:** You may have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you.
The Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten):** In certain circumstances, you may have the right to request that we delete your personal information.
The Right to Restriction of Processing:** You may have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
The Right to Data Portability:** You may have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit that data to another controller.
The Right to Object:** You may have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances, such as for direct marketing purposes.
The Right to Withdraw Consent:** If we are processing your personal information based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
The Right to Lodge a Complaint:** You may have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe that our processing of your personal information infringes applicable data protection laws.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided below. We may require you to verify your identity before responding to your request.
 

7. Third-Party Websites

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy
practices or the content of these websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies
of any third-party websites you visit.
 

8. Children’s Privacy

Our Services are not intended for children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to delete such information.
 

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post any changes on this page and update the “Last Updated” date at the top of the policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Your continued use of our Site and Services after the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of such changes.
 

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices,
please contact us at:
 
Merlin, Hunter & Associates
cases@merlinhunter.com
020 3340 6070