Privacy Policy

Last updated: 4 September 2026

1. Who we are

Hobson Kayaks Ltd (“Hobson Kayaks”, “we”, “us” or “our”) designs, manufactures, repairs and supplies kayaks, kayak equipment and related products. We are based in Swansea, South Wales.

For questions about this Privacy Policy or how we use your personal information, email chris@hobsonkayaks.com.

2. Information we collect

We may collect and use:

• Your name, billing and delivery addresses, email address and telephone number.
• Information submitted through our contact, enquiry and Kayak Quote forms.
• Kayak requirements, colours, construction, outfitting choices and other order details.
• Measurements and fit information you provide, such as height, weight, inside-leg measurement and shoe size.
• Payment and transaction information, including payment status and method. We do not intentionally store complete debit or credit card details.
• Details of purchases, quotations, deposits, deliveries, repairs, warranties and customer-support enquiries.
• Photographs or other information supplied for designs, repairs or warranty assessments.
• Communications with Hobson Kayaks, including emails, messages and telephone notes.
• Website information such as IP address, browser, device, pages visited, referral source and site interactions.
• Marketing preferences and records of consent or objections.
• Information connected with demonstrations, rentals, events, sponsorships, dealers or business partners where relevant.

We normally receive this information directly from you. We may also receive information from payment providers, delivery companies, dealers, distributors, website providers or others involved in completing your enquiry or order.

3. How we use your information

We may use personal information to:

• Respond to enquiries and recommend an appropriate kayak or product.
• Prepare quotations and confirm orders.
• Take deposits and payments.
• Manufacture, customise and fit your kayak.
• Arrange collection, delivery, export or shipment.
• Provide customer service and order updates.
• Handle repairs, warranty claims and aftercare.
• Manage demonstrations, rentals, events and bookings.
• Maintain accounting, tax and transaction records.
• Prevent fraud and protect our business and website.
• Operate and improve our website and understand how visitors use it.
• Send marketing communications where permitted.
• Manage relationships with dealers, distributors, suppliers and business partners.
• Establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
• Meet legal and regulatory obligations.

We will not use your information for an unrelated purpose without telling you where required.

4. Our lawful bases

Contract: We use your information when necessary to provide a quotation, take steps before an order, manufacture or supply a product, arrange delivery, take payment, or provide agreed repairs and aftercare.

Legal obligation: We use and retain information where necessary to meet accounting, taxation, consumer-protection, product-safety or other legal obligations.

Legitimate interests: We may use information where necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights. These include responding to enquiries, managing customer relationships, keeping appropriate records, improving our products and services, securing our website, preventing fraud, and managing warranty, repair and legal matters.

Consent: We rely on consent where required, including for certain marketing communications and non-essential cookies. You may withdraw consent at any time.

5. Payments

Payments may be processed using banks, card-processing providers, Wise, Revolut or another service agreed with you. These providers may process information under their own privacy policies.

Hobson Kayaks does not intentionally retain complete card numbers or security codes. Please do not send card details by email, website form, social-media message or other written communication.

6. Sharing your information

We may share relevant information with:

• Wix and providers used to host, operate and secure our website, online shop, forms and customer accounts.
• Banks and payment-processing providers.
• Couriers, freight companies, customs agents and delivery partners.
• Dealers, distributors, suppliers or manufacturing partners where necessary to handle an enquiry or fulfil an order.
• IT, email, cloud-storage and communications providers.
• Accountants, insurers, legal advisers and other professional advisers.
• Marketing or analytics providers where permitted.
• Government bodies, regulators, law-enforcement agencies or courts where required or permitted by law.
• A buyer, investor or adviser in connection with a sale, merger or restructuring of the business.

We only share information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose. We do not sell personal information.

7. International transfers

Some providers, delivery partners, dealers or distributors may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where information is transferred internationally, we take reasonable steps to ensure an appropriate legal safeguard is used, such as an adequacy decision, approved contractual safeguards or another lawful mechanism.

International delivery may require us to provide your name, address, telephone number, email address and shipment information to couriers, customs authorities or overseas delivery partners.

8. How long we keep information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary, including for legal, accounting, warranty and dispute-resolution requirements.

Our normal retention periods are:

• General enquiries and unsuccessful quotations: up to two years after the last meaningful contact.
• Customer, order, invoice and payment records: normally six years after the end of the relevant financial period.
• Build specifications and product records: for as long as reasonably necessary to support product identification, servicing, repairs and safety.
• Warranty and repair records: normally six years after completion, or longer where necessary for a continuing dispute or claim.
• Marketing records: until you unsubscribe, withdraw consent or object, together with a limited suppression record.
• Website analytics and cookie information: according to the relevant cookie or service.
• Legal-claim information: for as long as reasonably necessary to establish, exercise or defend the claim.

We may retain anonymised information that can no longer identify you.

9. Cookies and website technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies. Some are necessary for the website, online shop, security, basket, account functions or services requested by visitors. Others may support analytics, embedded content, marketing or advertising.

Where consent is required, non-essential technologies should not be activated unless you make a positive choice through the website’s cookie controls.

You can review or change available choices through the website’s cookie settings or your browser. Disabling necessary cookies can affect website functionality. Third-party services and embedded content may use their own cookies and privacy policies.

10. Marketing communications

We may send marketing communications where you have consented or another lawful permission applies. You can unsubscribe using the link in a marketing email or by contacting chris@hobsonkayaks.com.

If you unsubscribe, we may retain limited information on a suppression list so we can respect your request. We do not require you to accept marketing as a condition of purchasing.

11. Social media

If you contact or interact with Hobson Kayaks through social media, the platform may process your information under its own privacy policy. Information posted publicly may be visible to others. Please do not publish personal, payment or sensitive information in public comments.

12. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• Be informed about how your information is used.
• Request access to your information.
• Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Ask us to erase information.
• Ask us to restrict how information is used.
• Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Object to direct marketing.
• Request information you provided in a portable format.
• Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.
• Ask about safeguards used for international transfers.
• Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

These rights are subject to legal conditions and exemptions. In some circumstances, we may need to retain or use information despite a request.

To exercise a right, email chris@hobsonkayaks.com. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

13. Complaints

Please contact us first if you have concerns about how we handled your information:

Email: chris@hobsonkayaks.com

You may also complain to:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
United Kingdom

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: ico.org.uk

14. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical and physical measures intended to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

No website or electronic transmission can be guaranteed completely secure. Please contact us promptly if you believe information you provided may have been compromised.

15. Children’s information

Our products and services are not directed specifically at children. We do not knowingly collect information directly from children without appropriate involvement from a parent or guardian.

Please contact us if you believe a child has provided information inappropriately.

16. Automated decision-making

We do not currently use personal information to make decisions about customers solely through automated processing that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

17. Third-party websites

Our website may link to websites operated by other organisations. Hobson Kayaks is not responsible for their privacy practices or content. Review the relevant organisation’s privacy information before submitting personal information.

18. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our services, website, providers or legal obligations change. The latest version will appear on this page with its updated date. Where a change materially affects how we use personal information, we will provide additional notice where required.