Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy describes how Balenqui Flower Farm ("we", "us", "our") collects, processes, and manages personal data belonging to visitors and customers ("you", "your") when you use our website at www.balenqui.ie (the "Website") or engage with our services including flower orders, wedding floral consultations, farm visits, newsletter subscriptions, and general enquiries.

Balenqui Flower Farm is the data controller responsible for your personal data. We are a sole trader business registered in Ireland, operating from the following address:

Balenqui Flower Farm
Killimor Road, Loughrea
Co. Galway, H62 XK92
Ireland
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +353 91 847 263

We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR"), the Data Protection Act 2018 (Ireland), and the ePrivacy Directive 2002/58/EC as implemented in Irish law. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy or our data practices, please contact us using the details provided above.

2. What Data We Collect

We collect and process several categories of personal data depending on how you interact with our Website and services. The types of data we may collect include:

Information you provide directly:

Identity data: your first name, last name, and title
Contact data: your email address, telephone number, and postal address
Order data: details about flower orders including delivery addresses, special instructions, and gift messages
Wedding consultation data: wedding date, venue details, colour and style preferences, budget range, and partner names
Communication data: the content of messages you send to us through our contact form, email, or telephone
Newsletter data: your email address when you subscribe to our seasonal newsletter

Information collected automatically:

Technical data: your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, and screen resolution
Usage data: pages visited, time spent on pages, navigation paths, referring URLs, and exit pages
Cookie data: information stored by cookies and similar technologies placed on your device (see Section 10 for full details)
Location data: approximate geographic location derived from your IP address (country and region level only)
Server log data: date and time stamps of requests, the files requested, and HTTP status codes

3. How We Collect Data

We gather your personal data through the following methods:

Contact and order forms: When you complete a contact form, place a flower order, or request a wedding consultation through our Website, you directly provide us with identity, contact, and service-related data.
Newsletter subscription: When you enter your email address in our newsletter sign-up form, you provide us with your email for marketing purposes.
Telephone and email: When you contact us by phone or email, we collect the information you choose to share during those conversations.
Cookies and analytics tools: Our Website uses cookies and the Google Analytics service to collect technical and usage data automatically when you browse our pages. We may also use the Meta Pixel (formerly Facebook Pixel) for the purpose of measuring the effectiveness of our advertising on Meta platforms, but only if you provide explicit consent through our cookie consent mechanism.
Server logs: Our web hosting provider automatically records technical data in server access logs each time a request is made to our Website.

4. Why We Collect Data (Legal Basis)

Under GDPR Article 6, we must have a valid legal basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following grounds depending on the purpose of processing:

Consent (Article 6(1)(a)): We process your data based on your freely given consent when you subscribe to our newsletter, accept non-essential cookies (analytics and marketing), or voluntarily submit information through our contact forms. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe link in our emails.
Contract performance (Article 6(1)(b)): We process your data when it is necessary to fulfil an order you have placed, deliver flowers to a specified address, or carry out a wedding floral consultation and design service that you have engaged us to perform.
Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f)): We process certain data where we have a legitimate business interest that does not override your fundamental rights. This includes analysing Website usage to improve our services, maintaining the security of our Website, and responding to general enquiries. We have conducted a balancing test for each legitimate interest purpose to confirm that your rights are not unduly affected.
Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)): We may process and retain certain data where required to comply with Irish tax law, consumer protection law, or other regulatory obligations.

5. How We Use Data

We use the personal data we collect for the following specific purposes:

Service delivery: To process and fulfil your flower orders, arrange deliveries, coordinate wedding floral services, and manage your bookings and consultations.
Communication: To respond to your enquiries submitted through our contact form, email, or telephone. To provide order confirmations, delivery updates, and appointment reminders.
Marketing: To send you our seasonal newsletter containing growing tips, farm updates, and information about new flower collections, but only when you have explicitly opted in. We never send unsolicited marketing communications without your prior consent.
Website improvement: To analyse how visitors use our Website, identify popular content, detect technical issues, and improve the overall user experience.
Advertising measurement: If you consent to marketing cookies, we use the Meta Pixel to measure the reach and effectiveness of advertisements we run on Facebook and Instagram. This helps us understand which ads lead people to visit our Website.
Security: To protect our Website against fraud, spam, and unauthorised access by monitoring traffic patterns and server logs.
Legal compliance: To maintain records required under Irish tax and business regulations, and to respond to lawful requests from regulatory authorities.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Our specific retention periods are as follows:

Contact form submissions: Retained for 2 years from the date of your last interaction with us, after which the data is securely deleted.
Order records: Retained for 6 years following the completion of the order, as required by Irish Revenue Commissioners for tax and accounting purposes.
Wedding consultation records: Retained for 3 years after the wedding date to accommodate post-event follow-up and any potential warranty or dispute matters.
Newsletter subscriber data: Retained for as long as you remain subscribed. Upon unsubscribing, your email address is removed from our mailing list within 30 days. A hashed record may be kept for suppression purposes to prevent re-subscribing you accidentally.
Cookie data: Essential cookies expire at the end of your browser session or within 12 months. Analytics cookies are retained for a maximum of 13 months. Marketing cookies are retained for a maximum of 13 months. See Section 10 for full details.
Server logs: Retained for 90 days and then automatically purged.
Google Analytics data: User-level and event-level data is automatically deleted after 14 months.

When data reaches the end of its retention period, we securely delete or anonymise it so that it can no longer be associated with you.

7. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party under any circumstances. We may share your data with the following categories of recipients, strictly where necessary:

Hosting provider: Our Website is hosted on servers within the European Economic Area (EEA). Our hosting provider processes server log data on our behalf under a data processing agreement.
Delivery partners: When you place an order for flower delivery, we share your delivery name, address, and phone number with our courier partner to fulfil the delivery. We use An Post and DPD Ireland for domestic deliveries.
Payment processor: If you make a payment through our Website, your payment card details are processed directly by Stripe, Inc., a PCI-DSS Level 1 certified payment processor. We do not store, see, or have access to your full card number at any point.
Analytics provider: We use Google Analytics (provided by Google Ireland Limited) to collect anonymised Website usage data. Google processes this data on our behalf under their data processing terms. IP anonymisation is enabled.
Advertising platform: If you consent to marketing cookies, the Meta Pixel (provided by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited) may collect limited data about your visit for advertising measurement purposes.
Email service provider: Our newsletter is delivered through Mailchimp (The Rocket Science Group LLC), which processes subscriber email addresses on our behalf under Standard Contractual Clauses for international data transfers.
Professional advisors: We may share data with our accountant or legal advisor where necessary for tax compliance, legal proceedings, or regulatory obligations.

8. International Transfers

We primarily store and process your data within Ireland and the European Economic Area. However, certain third-party service providers operate outside the EEA:

Stripe, Inc. (United States): Stripe adheres to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and has Standard Contractual Clauses in place.
The Rocket Science Group LLC (Mailchimp) (United States): Mailchimp has Standard Contractual Clauses in place and participates in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework to provide adequate safeguards for personal data transferred from the EEA.
Google LLC (United States): Google Ireland Limited acts as the data processor for Google Analytics within the EEA. Where data is transferred to Google LLC in the United States, it is protected under Standard Contractual Clauses and the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (United States): Where the Meta Pixel is active (only with your consent), data may be transferred to Meta servers in the US under Standard Contractual Clauses and the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

We regularly review the data transfer mechanisms of our third-party providers to ensure they maintain adequate levels of data protection in line with GDPR requirements.

9. Your Rights

Under the GDPR (Articles 15 through 22), you have the following rights in relation to your personal data. These rights apply regardless of where you are located, though they are specifically guaranteed for individuals in the European Economic Area:

Right of access (Article 15): You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. We will provide this within one month of receiving your verified request.
Right to rectification (Article 16): You have the right to ask us to correct any inaccurate personal data or complete any incomplete data we hold about you.
Right to erasure (Article 17): You have the right to request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances, for example, when the data is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected, or you withdraw your consent.
Right to restriction of processing (Article 18): You have the right to ask us to temporarily stop processing your data in certain circumstances, for example, while we verify the accuracy of your data following a dispute.
Right to data portability (Article 20): You have the right to receive the personal data you provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit that data to another controller.
Right to object (Article 21): You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interest. If you object, we will cease processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests.
Right to withdraw consent (Article 7(3)): Where we process data based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing that took place before the withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected] or write to us at Balenqui Flower Farm, Killimor Road, Loughrea, Co. Galway, H62 XK92, Ireland. We will respond to your request within one calendar month. If your request is complex or we receive a large volume of requests, we may extend this period by an additional two months, in which case we will inform you of the delay and the reasons for it.

If you believe that we have not handled your data correctly or that your rights have been infringed, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission of Ireland:

Data Protection Commission
21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2, D02 RD28, Ireland
Website: www.dataprotection.ie
Phone: +353 1 765 0100 / 1800 437 737

10. Cookies

Our Website uses cookies, which are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. We use cookies for the following purposes:

Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the Website to function properly. They enable core features such as security, page navigation, and access to certain areas of the Website. The Website cannot operate correctly without these cookies. Essential cookies do not require your consent under the ePrivacy Directive.

Cookie consent preference: Stores whether you have accepted or rejected non-essential cookies. Duration: 12 months. Name: balenqui_cookie_consent.

Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our Website by collecting and reporting anonymous usage statistics. They are only placed with your explicit consent.

Google Analytics (_ga, _ga_*): Tracks unique visitors, session duration, pages viewed, and traffic sources. Duration: up to 13 months. Data is anonymised through IP anonymisation.

Marketing Cookies

These cookies are used to measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns on third-party platforms. They are only placed with your explicit consent.

Meta Pixel (_fbp): Tracks visits from Facebook and Instagram ads to measure conversions. Duration: up to 13 months.

Managing Cookies

When you first visit our Website, a cookie consent banner will appear, giving you the choice to accept or reject non-essential cookies. You can change your preferences at any time by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting the Website, which will trigger the consent banner again. Additionally, most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically find these controls under "Privacy" or "Cookies" in your browser preferences.

Rejecting non-essential cookies will not affect your ability to browse our Website or make enquiries. It will only prevent us from collecting analytics and advertising measurement data from your visit.

11. Children's Privacy

Our Website and services are not directed at individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16 years of age. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided personal information to us, please contact us at [email protected], and we will take prompt steps to delete that data from our systems.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child under 16 without verified parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you through a prominent notice on our Website or by email if you are a subscriber.

We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your data. Minor changes that do not materially affect your rights will take effect immediately upon posting. Material changes will be communicated at least 14 days before they take effect.

13. Contact Details

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal data, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Balenqui Flower Farm
Privacy Enquiries
Killimor Road, Loughrea
Co. Galway, H62 XK92
Ireland

Email: [email protected]
Phone: +353 91 847 263

We aim to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within 5 working days. For formal data subject access requests or rights requests, the maximum response time is one calendar month as specified under GDPR Article 12(3).