Who we are
A Star Computers is a small computer repair and IT support business in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, run by Tom and his business partner Ali. We are responsible for the personal information described here. If you have any question about it, email tom@astarcomputers.co.uk.
What we collect and why
- Contact form. Your name, email address and message, so we can reply to you. It is sent to us by email.
- Booking a visit. Your name, contact details, address, the device and what is wrong with it, and when suits you. We use this to arrange and carry out the work, to keep you updated by email or text, and to invoice you. This is needed to provide the service you asked for.
- Invoices and job records. What was done, what was charged and when it was paid. We have to keep these for tax purposes.
- Your device. When we work on a computer we may be able to see files on it. We only look at what we need to for the job, and we never copy or keep your files unless you ask us to (for example, for data recovery or a backup), in which case we delete our copy 45 days after the job is finished, which gives you time to check everything came back.
We never ask for your passwords or bank details through the website, and we never sell your information or use it for marketing.
The website chat assistant
The chat bubble is an AI assistant, not a person. To produce a reply, what you type is sent to Anthropic, the company that provides the AI, which is based in the United States and handles it under its own commercial terms and privacy policy. We do not store chat conversations: they stay in your browser tab and are gone when you close it. We only keep a count of how many replies are sent, and short technical error records with no message content. Please don't type passwords, bank details or other sensitive information into the chat.
Visitor statistics
We count visits using Umami, which runs on our own server in the UK. It uses no cookies, doesn't track you across other websites and doesn't identify you. It records things like which pages were viewed, the type of browser and device, and the country of the visit. Because no cookies are used, there is no cookie banner.
The site loads its fonts from Google Fonts, which means your browser connects to Google to download them. Our Facebook page is only linked to; nothing from Facebook is loaded on our pages.
How long we keep it
- Invoices and job records: six years after the end of the tax year they relate to, as required by HMRC.
- Enquiries that didn't turn into a job: up to one year, then deleted.
- Copies of your files made for data recovery or backup: deleted 45 days after the job is complete, including from our backups.
Your rights
You can ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it (unless we have to keep it, for example invoices). You can also object to how we use it. Just email tom@astarcomputers.co.uk and we will reply within one month.
If you're unhappy with how we have handled your information, please tell us first so we can put it right. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.