Privacy Policy

Last updated: 24 May 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how J.H. Todd & Son Coal Merchants Ltd, trading through coalsellers.co.uk, collects, uses, stores and protects your personal information when you use our website, place an order, contact us, create an account, sign up to receive marketing, or otherwise deal with us.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information fairly, lawfully and transparently.

This policy applies to our website coalsellers.co.uk and to personal information we collect through our online shop, customer accounts, order processing, delivery, collection, customer service and marketing activities.

1. Who we are

For the purposes of UK data protection law, the data controller is:

J.H. Todd & Son Coal Merchants Ltd
Cockerline Cottage
Tetney Road
North Thoresby
Grimsby
DN36 5QX
United Kingdom

Telephone: 01472 813135
Email: admin at coalsellers.co.uk. (replace the ‘at’ with @ and remove spaces)

In this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” means J.H. Todd & Son Coal Merchants Ltd.

We have not appointed a formal Data Protection Officer. If you have any questions about this policy or how we use your personal information, please contact us using the details above.

2. The personal information we collect

We may collect and use the following types of personal information.

Account and identity information

This may include:

• your name;
• username or account login details;
• customer account details;
• password information in encrypted form;
• previous account information migrated from our earlier website, where applicable.

We do not store your password in plain text.

Contact information

This may include:

• billing address;
• delivery address;
• email address;
• telephone number;
• postcode;
• contact preferences.

Order and transaction information

This may include:

• products ordered;
• order dates;
• order numbers;
• delivery method;
• delivery charges;
• collection arrangements;
• order notes;
• VAT/tax information;
• invoices, receipts and order history;
• refunds, cancellations or complaints.

Payment information

Payments on our website are processed through our payment provider, currently Tyl by NatWest.

We do not intentionally store full card numbers or card security codes on our website. Payment information is handled by the payment provider and relevant banking/card-processing organisations. We may receive limited payment confirmation information, such as whether a payment was successful, failed, refunded or pending.

Delivery and fulfilment information

This may include:

• delivery address;
• delivery postcode;
• delivery instructions;
• local delivery eligibility;
• preferred delivery option;
• collection details;
• information needed to arrange palletised or special delivery, where applicable.

If you provide us with special delivery instructions, please avoid giving us unnecessary sensitive personal information. If you voluntarily tell us about circumstances that affect delivery, such as illness, age, infirmity, disability, access issues or urgent heating needs, we will only use that information where necessary to manage your order, delivery, customer service or safety.

Communications information

This may include:

• messages sent through our contact forms;
• emails;
• telephone notes;
• customer service messages;
• complaints;
• records of our replies.

Marketing information

This may include:

• whether you have opted in or opted out of marketing;
• newsletter subscription details;
• your preferences for receiving offers, updates or product information;
• records of unsubscribe requests.

Technical and website information

When you use our website, we may collect limited technical information, such as:

• IP address;
• browser type;
• device type;
• pages visited;
• date and time of visit;
• approximate location derived from your IP address;
• cookie and consent preferences;
• security logs;
• WooCommerce session data, such as basket contents.

3. How we collect your information

We collect information when you:

• place an order;
• create an account;
• log in to your account;
• use the checkout;
• enter a billing or delivery address;
• contact us through the website, email or telephone;
• sign up to marketing;
• request pallet delivery or a quotation;
• ask for advice about fuels, appliances, delivery or collection;
• interact with cookies or website analytics;
• use our website.

We may also hold historic customer, order and account information migrated from our previous ecommerce website where this is necessary for account continuity, customer service, accounting, warranty, legal or business record purposes.

4. How and why we use your personal information

We use your personal information for the following purposes.

Purpose	Personal information used	Lawful basis
To process and fulfil orders	Name, address, contact details, order details, delivery details, payment confirmation	Contract
To provide customer accounts	Name, email, login/account details, order history	Contract / legitimate interests
To arrange local delivery or collection	Address, postcode, contact details, order details, delivery notes	Contract / legitimate interests
To arrange palletised delivery or special delivery enquiries	Contact details, postcode, order/enquiry details	Contract / legitimate interests
To take payment and prevent payment fraud	Order details, payment confirmation, billing details	Contract / legitimate interests / legal obligation
To send order confirmations and service messages	Email address, order details	Contract
To respond to enquiries or complaints	Contact details, messages, order history	Legitimate interests / legal obligation
To keep accounting and tax records	Order, invoice, payment and VAT records	Legal obligation
To improve our website and service	Website usage, order trends, customer feedback	Legitimate interests
To protect our website and business	Security logs, IP addresses, account activity	Legitimate interests / legal obligation
To send marketing where allowed	Email address, marketing preference, order history	Consent or legitimate interests, subject to PECR rules
To comply with legal or regulatory requirements	Relevant customer, order, accounting and communication records	Legal obligation

5. Our legitimate interests

Where we rely on legitimate interests, this means we use your personal information in a way that is necessary for our business, provided your rights and freedoms do not override that interest.

Our legitimate interests include:

• running and improving our coal, fuel and heating-products business;
• providing customer service;
• keeping proper business records;
• dealing with complaints and disputes;
• preventing fraud and misuse of our website;
• securing our website and systems;
• understanding how customers use our website;
• managing local delivery and collection efficiently;
• contacting existing customers about similar products or services where permitted by law.

You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests. See section 13 below.

6. Marketing

We may send you marketing emails about our own products and services, such as coal, smokeless fuel, logs, kindling, firelighters, BBQ fuels, seasonal offers, delivery updates or related products.

We will only send marketing where the law allows us to do so.

For individuals, we will usually only send marketing emails if:

• you have specifically consented; or
• you are an existing customer, the message relates to our own similar products or services, and you were given a clear opportunity to opt out when your details were collected and in every marketing message.

You can unsubscribe from marketing at any time by:

• clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails, if available;
• contacting us at [insert email address];
• changing your marketing preferences in your account, where available.

We will not sell your personal information to third parties for marketing.

We will not share your personal information with other businesses for their own marketing unless you have clearly agreed to this.

7. Cookies and similar technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies.

Some cookies are necessary for the website to work properly. For example, WooCommerce may use cookies to remember basket contents, manage checkout, keep you logged in, support security, and process orders.

We may also use optional cookies or similar technologies for analytics, performance, advertising or marketing. Where required, we will ask for your consent before setting non-essential cookies.

You can manage cookies through your browser settings and, where provided, through our cookie banner or cookie settings tool.

Necessary cookies may be used without consent where they are essential to provide the service you request, such as remembering items in your basket or enabling checkout. Non-essential cookies, such as analytics or advertising cookies, should only be used where legally permitted and, where required, after consent.

8. Who we share your information with

We only share personal information where necessary and lawful.

We may share information with:

• payment providers, including Tyl by NatWest;
• banks, card processors and fraud-prevention services;
• delivery, courier or pallet delivery providers where used;
• website hosting providers;
• IONOS or other hosting/email providers;
• WordPress, WooCommerce and related website service providers;
• IT support providers;
• email delivery providers;
• accountants, bookkeepers or tax advisers;
• legal advisers or debt-recovery advisers if necessary;
• HMRC or other authorities where required by law;
• business purchasers or advisers if the business is sold, transferred or reorganised.

We require service providers to handle personal information securely and only for the purposes we instruct, unless they are acting as independent controllers under their own legal obligations.

9. Payment processing

When you pay online, your payment is processed by our payment provider and relevant banking/card-processing organisations.

We do not intentionally collect or store your full card details on our website. The payment provider may collect and process card details, authentication information, fraud-prevention information and payment confirmation information under its own terms and privacy notices.

You should read the payment provider’s privacy information if you want to understand how it handles payment data.

10. International transfers

Some of our service providers may process personal information outside the UK.

Where personal information is transferred outside the UK, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as using providers in countries covered by UK adequacy regulations or using appropriate contractual safeguards.

11. How long we keep your information

We will only keep your personal information for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy.

In general:

• customer account information is kept while your account remains active, and for a reasonable period afterwards;
• order, invoice and payment records are normally kept for at least six years for accounting, tax and legal record purposes;
• customer service messages and complaint records may be kept for as long as needed to deal with the issue and for a reasonable period afterwards;
• marketing preferences are kept until you unsubscribe or ask us to remove them;
• security logs are kept for a limited period unless needed to investigate misuse, fraud or security issues;
• cookie consent records may be kept for a limited period to remember your choices.

We may keep information for longer if required for legal claims, regulatory obligations, fraud prevention, accounting, tax or dispute resolution.

12. How we protect your information

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

These may include:

• secure website hosting;
• SSL/HTTPS encryption;
• password-protected admin access;
• restricted access to customer/order data;
• payment processing through a specialist payment provider;
• website security tools;
• backups;
• staff or contractor access only where needed.

No website or online system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You are responsible for keeping your account password confidential and telling us if you think your account has been misused.

13. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the following rights:

• the right to be informed about how your personal information is used;
• the right of access to your personal information;
• the right to rectification if information is inaccurate or incomplete;
• the right to erasure in certain circumstances;
• the right to restrict processing in certain circumstances;
• the right to data portability in certain circumstances;
• the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• the right to object to direct marketing at any time;
• the right to withdraw consent where we rely on consent;
• rights relating to automated decision-making, if applicable.

We do not use your personal information to make solely automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you.

To exercise your rights, contact us at:

admin at coalsellers.co.uk (replace the ‘at’ with @)

We may need to confirm your identity before responding.

14. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we use your personal information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.

You can contact us at:

J.H. Todd & Son Coal Merchants Ltd
Cockerline Cottage
Tetney Road
North Thoresby
Grimsby
DN36 5QX
United Kingdom

Telephone: 01472 813135
Email: [insert email address]

We will review your complaint and respond as soon as reasonably possible.

You also have the right to complain to the UK data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office.

ICO contact details:

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

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

15. If you do not provide personal information

If you do not provide information we need to process your order, we may not be able to:

• accept your order;
• take payment;
• deliver your order;
• arrange collection;
• respond to your enquiry;
• provide customer support;
• maintain your account.

For example, we need your name, contact details, delivery address and postcode to process and deliver local fuel orders.

16. Children

Our website is not intended for children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

17. Links to other websites

Our website may include links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites. You should read the privacy policy of any external website you visit.

18. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

The latest version will be published on this page. Where changes are significant, we may take additional steps to bring them to your attention.