This Privacy Policy explains how GROOMBOX collects, uses, stores and protects personal information when you use our website, application, services, booking pages, communications tools and related features.
This Privacy Policy applies to:
- visitors to our website;
- businesses, salons, groomers, staff members and account users who use GROOMBOX;
- customers or pet owners whose information is entered into GROOMBOX by a grooming business;
- people who contact us for support, sales, billing or general enquiries.
GROOMBOX is a software platform designed to help pet grooming businesses manage bookings, clients, pets, staff, reminders, communications, payments, business records and related salon operations.
1. Who we are
GROOMBOX is operated by:
GROOMBOX
Legal entity: [Insert legal company name if different]
Company number: [Insert company number]
Registered address: [Insert registered address]
Email: support@groombox.online
Website: groombox.online
Application: app.groombox.online
ICO registration number: [Insert ICO registration number if applicable]
In this Privacy Policy, “GROOMBOX”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the operator of the GROOMBOX platform.
2. Our role under data protection law
Depending on the situation, GROOMBOX may act as either a data controller or a data processor.
When GROOMBOX is a controller
GROOMBOX is usually the data controller for personal information we collect directly for our own business purposes, such as:
- account registration;
- billing and subscription management;
- website enquiries;
- customer support;
- marketing communications;
- platform analytics;
- security monitoring;
- legal and business administration.
When GROOMBOX is a processor
Where a grooming business uses GROOMBOX to store or manage information about its own clients, pets, appointments, staff or business operations, the grooming business is usually the data controller and GROOMBOX acts as a data processor.
This means the grooming business decides why and how that information is used, and GROOMBOX processes it on the business’s behalf in order to provide the platform.
For example, if a salon enters a client’s name, phone number, pet details, appointment notes, reminder preferences or booking history into GROOMBOX, that salon is normally responsible for making sure it has the correct legal basis and privacy information in place for its own clients.
3. Information we collect
We may collect and process the following types of information.
Account and business information
This may include:
- name;
- business name;
- email address;
- phone number;
- business address;
- role or job title;
- login details;
- subscription plan;
- billing details;
- payment status;
- account preferences;
- staff names and availability;
- business opening hours;
- service information;
- pricing information;
- uploaded business logos or branding.
Client and pet information entered by businesses
Grooming businesses may use GROOMBOX to store information about their clients and pets. This may include:
- client name;
- client email address;
- client phone number;
- address or location information;
- pet name;
- pet species;
- pet breed;
- pet age or date of birth;
- pet sex;
- pet grooming history;
- appointment history;
- service notes;
- coat condition notes;
- temperament notes;
- medical or welfare notes relating to the pet;
- consent records;
- photo consent;
- marketing consent;
- communication preferences;
- reminder preferences;
- uploaded pet photos, including before and after grooming photos if enabled;
- payment or deposit status.
Businesses are responsible for making sure they only enter information they are lawfully allowed to collect and use.
Booking and appointment information
This may include:
- appointment date and time;
- appointment status;
- service type;
- staff member;
- price;
- duration;
- cancellation history;
- no-show records;
- reminder history;
- client notes;
- booking source;
- public booking form submissions.
Payment and subscription information
We may process information relating to subscriptions, invoices, payment attempts, payment status, deposits or card-on-file features.
Payment processing may be handled by third-party payment providers such as Stripe. GROOMBOX does not intend to store full card numbers directly on its own servers. Payment providers may process payment details in accordance with their own privacy notices and security standards.
Communications information
This may include:
- emails sent to or from us;
- support requests;
- ticket information;
- appointment reminder logs;
- SMS delivery status;
- WhatsApp delivery status;
- email delivery status;
- notification preferences;
- communication consent records.
Where SMS, WhatsApp, email or similar features are enabled, communications may be sent through third-party providers.
Technical and usage information
When you use GROOMBOX, we may collect:
- IP address;
- device type;
- browser type;
- operating system;
- pages visited;
- login activity;
- access times;
- referring URLs;
- error logs;
- security logs;
- feature usage;
- analytics events;
- cookie information;
- approximate location based on IP address.
Cookies and similar technologies
We may use cookies, local storage and similar technologies to:
- keep users signed in;
- secure the platform;
- remember preferences;
- operate essential features;
- understand website usage;
- improve performance;
- measure marketing effectiveness.
Non-essential cookies, such as analytics or marketing cookies, will only be used where required consent has been obtained.
4. How we collect information
We collect information when:
- you create an account;
- you subscribe to a plan;
- you use the GROOMBOX dashboard;
- you enter client, pet, staff or appointment information;
- a customer submits a public booking or intake form;
- you contact support;
- you sign up for updates;
- you accept or reject cookies;
- you interact with our website or application;
- payment, email, SMS, WhatsApp or analytics providers send us service information.
5. How we use information
We may use personal information to:
- provide and operate the GROOMBOX platform;
- create and manage accounts;
- authenticate users;
- manage appointments, clients, pets, staff, reminders and business settings;
- process subscriptions, invoices, deposits and payment status;
- provide customer support;
- send service messages;
- send appointment reminders where enabled;
- send email, SMS or WhatsApp notifications where enabled;
- improve platform features;
- maintain platform security;
- prevent fraud or misuse;
- troubleshoot bugs and errors;
- analyse usage and performance;
- comply with legal obligations;
- enforce our terms;
- send marketing communications where permitted;
- maintain business records.
6. Lawful bases for processing
Where GROOMBOX acts as a data controller, we rely on one or more lawful bases depending on the purpose.
These may include:
Contract
We process information where necessary to provide the GROOMBOX service, manage accounts, process subscriptions, provide support and perform our agreement with users.
Legitimate interests
We may process information where necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by individual rights. This may include improving the platform, keeping it secure, preventing misuse, managing business records and communicating with users about service-related matters.
Consent
We may rely on consent for certain activities, such as non-essential cookies, marketing emails or specific communication preferences.
Legal obligation
We may process information where necessary to comply with legal, tax, accounting, regulatory or other legal obligations.
Vital interests
In rare cases, information may be processed where necessary to protect someone’s vital interests.
7. Marketing communications
We may send marketing communications to business users or people who have asked to receive updates from us.
You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link in the email or by contacting us at support@groombox.online.
Service messages, security alerts, billing notices and important account communications are not marketing and may still be sent where necessary.
8. Appointment reminders and customer communications
GROOMBOX may allow businesses to send appointment reminders, confirmations or other one-way messages by email, SMS, WhatsApp or similar channels.
The grooming business is responsible for making sure it has the correct permission or legal basis to contact its clients.
GROOMBOX provides the software and delivery tools, but the business controls the content, recipients and communication settings for its own clients.
Where message providers are used, relevant details may be shared with those providers in order to deliver the message.
9. AI features
If GROOMBOX offers AI-assisted features, these may help with tasks such as drafting responses, generating summaries, analysing business data or assisting with workflow suggestions.
Where AI features are enabled, we will aim to limit the information shared with AI providers to what is reasonably necessary for the feature to work.
Users should not enter unnecessary sensitive personal information into AI features.
AI-generated content should be reviewed by the business before being used, sent or relied upon.
10. Who we share information with
We may share information with trusted third parties where necessary to provide and operate GROOMBOX.
These may include:
- hosting providers;
- database providers;
- cloud storage providers;
- payment processors;
- email delivery providers;
- SMS providers;
- WhatsApp or messaging providers;
- analytics providers;
- error monitoring providers;
- customer support tools;
- professional advisers;
- legal, regulatory or law enforcement authorities where required;
- business transfer parties if we sell, merge or reorganise the business.
We only share information where there is a valid reason to do so.
11. Third-party providers
GROOMBOX may use third-party providers including, but not limited to:
- Stripe for payments and subscriptions;
- Resend or similar providers for email delivery;
- Twilio, Meta, WhatsApp Business or similar providers for SMS and messaging;
- Railway, cloud database or hosting providers for infrastructure;
- S3-compatible storage or similar services for file storage;
- Google Analytics or similar tools for website analytics, where enabled;
- support, monitoring or security tools.
The exact providers used may change over time as the platform develops.
Where we use third-party processors, we aim to ensure appropriate contractual and security measures are in place.
12. International transfers
Some of our service providers may process information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take steps designed to ensure appropriate protection is in place, such as using recognised transfer safeguards, contractual protections or providers that maintain appropriate compliance measures.
13. How long we keep information
We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
Retention periods may depend on:
- the type of information;
- account status;
- legal, tax or accounting requirements;
- security requirements;
- support history;
- whether the information belongs to a business account;
- whether deletion has been requested;
- whether we need to resolve disputes or enforce agreements.
As a general guide:
- account information is kept while the account is active and for a reasonable period afterwards;
- billing and transaction records may be kept for tax and accounting purposes;
- support messages may be kept for service history and dispute resolution;
- client and pet data controlled by a grooming business is retained according to that business’s instructions and account settings;
- deleted data may remain in backups for a limited period before being overwritten or securely removed.
14. Data security
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information.
These may include:
- secure authentication;
- access controls;
- encrypted connections;
- business-level access restrictions;
- server-side permission checks;
- logging and monitoring;
- secure hosting providers;
- backup controls;
- least-privilege access where practical;
- protection against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or alteration.
No system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Users are responsible for keeping their login details safe and for managing staff access appropriately.
15. Your rights
Depending on your location and the circumstances, you may have rights over your personal information, including the right to:
- access your personal information;
- correct inaccurate information;
- request deletion of information;
- restrict processing;
- object to processing;
- request transfer of information;
- withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
- complain to a data protection authority.
These rights are not absolute and may depend on the circumstances.
If your information is held by a grooming business using GROOMBOX, you should usually contact that business first because they are normally the controller of your information.
If you contact GROOMBOX about information controlled by a grooming business, we may refer your request to that business or assist them in responding where appropriate.
16. Complaints
If you have concerns about how we handle personal information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.
Email: support@groombox.online
You may also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK.
17. Children’s information
GROOMBOX is intended for use by businesses and is not aimed at children.
Businesses should not enter children’s personal information into GROOMBOX unless they have a lawful basis to do so and it is necessary for their business purposes.
18. Public booking pages
Grooming businesses may use GROOMBOX to create public booking or intake pages.
When a customer submits information through a public booking page, that information is provided to the grooming business and stored in GROOMBOX.
The grooming business is responsible for explaining how it uses that information and for handling customer requests about that information.
19. Business staff accounts
A grooming business may create staff accounts or store staff information in GROOMBOX.
The business is responsible for telling staff how their information is used and for setting appropriate access permissions.
20. Uploaded files and photos
GROOMBOX may allow users to upload logos, pet photos, grooming photos, attachments or other files.
Users must only upload files they have the right to upload.
Businesses are responsible for obtaining any required consent before uploading client, pet or staff photos.
GROOMBOX may remove files that breach our terms, create security risks or appear unlawful.
21. Cookies
We use essential cookies and similar technologies to operate the platform, keep accounts secure and provide requested services.
We may also use non-essential cookies for analytics, performance or marketing purposes where consent is required.
You can manage cookies through our cookie banner or your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect how the platform works.
22. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.
If we make significant changes, we may notify users by email, in-app notice or website notice.
The updated version will apply from the date stated at the top of the policy.
23. Contact us
For privacy questions, requests or complaints, contact:
GROOMBOX
Email: support@groombox.online
Website: groombox.online
Application: app.groombox.online
Address: [Insert registered address]