Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how AS Concert Violins Limited, trading as Alf Studios, of 4th Floor Silverstream House, 45 Fitzroy Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 6EB, United Kingdom (“ASCV”, “we”, “our”, or “us”), collects, uses, discloses, and protects personal data relating to visitors and users of our website www.alfstudios.com (the “Website”) and any related services.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR).

By using our Website or providing us with your personal information, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

2. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for the processing of personal data collected through this Website is:
AS Concert Violins Limited (trading as Alf Studios)
4th Floor Silverstream House
45 Fitzroy Street, Fitzrovia
London W1T 6EB
United Kingdom
Email: violins@alfstudios.com

3. Personal Data We Collect

3.1 Information you provide directly

We collect personal data that you voluntarily provide when you use our Website, including:

• Information submitted through contact forms (such as your name, email address, phone number, and message content).

• Details provided when subscribing to our newsletter (typically your name and email address).

• Information provided during payment or service transactions processed via Stripe (name, billing address, email, and payment information).

• Any additional information you provide to us in communications by email or other channels.

3.2 Information collected automatically

When you visit our Website, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

• IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referral source, and pages viewed.

• Cookie identifiers and analytics data.

• Usage information such as time spent on pages, navigation paths, and interactions with embedded media (such as YouTube videos).

3.3 Information from third parties

We may receive limited personal data from trusted third parties such as payment processors, analytics providers, or mailing list platforms, solely for the purpose of delivering our services.

4. Purpose and Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data only where permitted by law. The purposes and corresponding legal bases are as follows:

4.1 Responding to enquiries

We process contact form and email submissions to respond to questions, enquiries, or requests. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in managing business communications and responding to potential clients or partners.

4.2 Newsletter subscriptions

We process subscriber information to send updates, articles, and news about our instruments, activities, and events. The legal basis is your consent, which you may withdraw at any time by unsubscribing.

4.3 Processing payments and providing services

We process payment and billing data to perform our contract with you and to manage related communications. The legal basis is the performance of a contract.

4.4 Client relationship management

We process client information to maintain professional relationships, including after-sales communications, scheduling, or instrument servicing. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in maintaining and developing our business relationships.

4.5 Website analytics and performance

We process data collected via cookies and analytics tools to analyse and improve the functionality, design, and user experience of our Website. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in developing our Website and understanding user engagement.

4.6 Compliance with legal obligations

We may process your data to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as record-keeping and tax reporting. The legal basis is compliance with our legal obligations.

5. How We Share Your Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We may share limited information only with the following categories of recipients:

• Service providers who support our operations, such as website hosting, email newsletter management, analytics providers, and payment processors (including Stripe).

• Professional advisers, including accountants, auditors, and legal counsel, who are bound by confidentiality obligations.

• Public authorities or regulatory bodies where disclosure is required by law.

All third parties with whom we share data are contractually bound to use it only for authorised purposes and to keep it secure.

6. International Data Transfers

As we have clients and partners in the United States, China, and Europe, your personal data may be transferred outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area (“EEA”).

Where such transfers occur, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as the use of Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) or the European Commission, to ensure that your data remains adequately protected.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law.

• Enquiry data is typically retained for up to 24 months.

• Newsletter subscriber data is retained until you withdraw consent.

• Transactional and billing data are retained for up to 7 years for legal and accounting purposes.

Once data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymised.

8. Cookies and Analytics

Our Website uses cookies and similar technologies to provide core functionality and to analyse site performance.

Cookies are small text files stored on your device. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings, but this may affect the functionality of the Website.

We use:

• Essential cookies to enable the Website to operate.

• Analytics cookies (such as Google Analytics) to understand how visitors interact with the Website.

• Third-party cookies associated with embedded content, such as YouTube videos.

For more information, please refer to our separate Cookies Policy, which explains the types of cookies used and how to manage your preferences.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard personal data, including secure servers, encrypted communications (HTTPS), and restricted internal access.

Although we take all reasonable steps to protect your data, no online transmission can be guaranteed to be fully secure. You provide information to us at your own risk.

10. Your Rights

Under the UK GDPR and EU GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• The right of access, to request a copy of your data.

• The right to rectification, to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.

• The right to erasure, to request deletion of your data where no longer necessary.

• The right to restrict processing, to limit how your data is used.

• The right to data portability, to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

• The right to object to certain processing, including direct marketing.

• The right to withdraw consent, where processing is based on consent.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at violins@alfstudios.com.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk if you believe we have not handled your data lawfully.

11. Links to Other Websites

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites, including social media platforms and embedded media (e.g. YouTube).

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such websites and encourage you to review their respective privacy policies.

12. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in law, regulation, or business practices.

The updated version will always be available on this page with a revised “last updated” date.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal data, please contact:

Data Protection Officer

AS Concert Violins Limited (trading as Alf Studios)
4th Floor Silverstream House, 45 Fitzroy Street, Fitzrovia
London W1T 6EB, United Kingdom
Email: violins@alfstudios.com